Asgard Physical Combat

[ZachWZ]

I notice that the asgard seem to use teleporters and lasers all the time. i wonder how they would handle phyical combat against jaffa, gould, human Etc:. They don't look much strenth wise through they could have a greater density. Even if they are not all that strong there's always judo. Though they could be to weak do for that. This must be way they need new bodies. Any thoughts?


ZachWZ

[PTeppic]

They seem to have shrunk in physical size (s5 e22) over the centuries, over which time they have always had advanced technology. Can we assume that in the days when they didn't have it, and thus relied more on physical prowess, they were indeed much taller (and hence stronger).

[beckmen]

Increasing dependance on technoligy explains the "shrinkage". If it gets down to hand-to-hand combat they prolly have personalized sheilds and energy weapons. If they are stripped of tech all they have to go on is their wit.

Of course, there muscle tone could be vastly differant than of humans. For all we know they can lift 10 times thier body weight and can jump around like ninjas.

[Dave]

Originally posted by beckmen
For all we know they can lift 10 times thier body weight and can jump around like ninjas.

Or like Yoda!

Would I be correct in thinking they do have some Telekinetic abilities? (We've seen them healing themselves and doing other things that look like magic to us, although there could be some high technology at work.) They could supplement their physical strength using psychic powers.

But, the fact that they seem to keep needing humans to come and fight for them with machine guns (or bows and arrows) leads me to think that it is not just because they have forgotten how to make our primitive weapons. They are probably not strong enough to use them either.

[gland]

The Asgard haven't been able to reproduce sexually for a looooooooooooooooooooong time, and thus they've just been making clone body after clone body after clone body, and transfering consiousnesses into them. This has been giving them the "inbreeding problem"...no new genetic material in the mix means that the Asgard are slowly becoming too genetically flawed, to the point that some of their race is willing to kidnap unsuspecting humans and perform cloning research on them, in hopes of learning SOMETHING to help perpetuate their own race.

...so if the Asgard can't fight physically, it may be because they've become too genetically "flawed" by the cloning process.

[PTeppic]

Given how lately the cloning errors are likely to have taken place, relative to how long they've been doing it, and their ongoing reliance on high technology, they are more than likely to have be unable to demonstrate significant physical capability a LONG time before that...

[Sindri]

There are martial arts that theoretically can be used to fight stronger opponents using techniques such as locking, balance breaking, leverage, deflecting or evading strikes etc. There are few physical requirements and supposingly anyone can master any style with enough dedication. The problem is physical strength is a huge advantage in a real fight and a very high level of mastery is required to command an advantage against a stronger opponent.
It has been stated that the Asgard have lost the ability to take a less sophisticated approach to a problem such as fighting with no weapons or technology. Therefore it seems unlikely many of their military personnel are proficient at hand-to-hand combat. Although due to diversity within civilisations it is plausible there is at least one martial arts Asgard who no Goa'uld, jaffa, human or unas would willingly be in the same room as.

[PTeppic]

Now that - in a Yoda sort of way - would be fun to watch.

[ReplicatorX]

I don't think i'd like to see the asgard use martial arts or any hand to hand combat skills. I like the idea of the asgard being frail yet so powerful with all there crazy technology.

[PTeppic]

Which is, scarily enough, what is happening to us as a species.

Apart from the occasional specialist, how many of us can do what our ancestors even 3 or 4 generations ago could do, let alone a couple of thousand years. Even we are so dependent on technology that we're virtually helpless when it fails - look at the recent power cuts in USA and UK...

[Sindri]

Originally posted by ReplicatorX
I don't think i'd like to see the asgard use martial arts or any hand to hand combat skills. I like the idea of the asgard being frail yet so powerful with all there crazy technology.

I interpreted the Asgard civilisation as being more of a sheep in wolf's clothing, using technology to appear threatening when they're really mostly harmless. When the actual holographic images of Thor and Freyr replace the enormous Norse warriors it is easy to gather this impression. The Asgard have repetively bluffed forces they lacked the power to dominate, questioning how powerful they really are. It would certainly be a surprise to see a frail Asgard defeat a more heavily built opponent, conversely like a wolf dressed as a sheep.
Seeing an unarmed Asgard standing up to an enemy soldier twice their weight would definitely be a quaint spectacle. Although such an event would not necessarily be unbelievable. Several martial arts initially appeared in western nations in the circuses, demonstrating physical feats that at first don't seem possible. Many of the Asgard have been around for hundreds or thousands of years, therefore could potentially have done much unarmed training and progressed to high skill levels.

[PTeppic]

Originally posted by Sindri
Several martial arts initially appeared in western nations in the circuses, demonstrating physical feats that at first don't seem possible.

Some still do - the Shaolin Monks have been touring the UK recently with a pretty impressive Kung Fu show.