Martial Arts Cheerleading

Martial Arts Cheerleading is a fighting style based upon the arts of cheerleading. Similar in many ways to Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics, Martial Arts Cheerleading is a style practiced by young women and very common place -- so much so that it is easy to purchase beginner's guides to the style, as Akane does to inform Ranma after s/he challenges Mariko Konjo.

Much like Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics, Martial Arts Cheerleading is more of a sport than an actual method of combat, intended to assist sport teams and provide spectator interest rather than fighting real battles. Its emphasis is on flashy stunts and acrobatics that look good, but it also seems to involve some level of ki manipulation: by using their skills, Martial Arts Cheerleaders are actually able to emotionally, mentally and even physically boost the person they are cheering for, making them more confident, energetic and able to better play, as well as countering depression and discouragement. They are still a very physical sport, and attacking the other team's players is as much part of the style as the flips and rousing cheers.

While Martial Arts Cheerleaders may fight one on one, fighting as a team is more frequent -- even in a one on one match, a captain of the style may call on her underlings to support her in certain techniques, even though they will not directly attack. Cheerleading batons and pompoms are the weapons of choice in the style - pompoms can be hardened into bundles of needles that can be used as projectiles or punching implements, while batons are wielded in melee and as a boomerang-style projectile.