Could anyone successfully describe/explain what Wuju technique is?

Whyte Lyon·2/18/2019, 11:51:53 AM·19 votes·9,142 views

I confidently claim that no one here actually could. Not without taking some huge liberties in the way you might evaluate it. I certainly have my ideas.

But what the fuck is the Wuju style of combat? For something that has been a fact of Yi's character, lore and abilities for 9+ years; not once has this unique form of martial art ever been explained or explored in the lore.

Like I get it, the devs don't have to immediately try and explain it as I'm sure the writers are/have been relying on the recollection of Yi's game mechanics to fill in the blanks of the reader's mind. But these same writers have kept it a canonical fact that Wukong is entirely trained in the same combat tactics as Master Yi. Even kept from the old lore how Wu in Wukong is shortened for Wuju. Yet neither champion's gameplay is similar in any way, with no obvious thematic connection or possible association. Which their gameplay is the only slight source of evidence one could draw from and even that isn't credible!

With that realization brings further questions. Why keep this an in-universe fact while in-game Wukong doesn't even utilize such techniques like Yi. Or is Wuju more than just blinking and super speed? But then if there are different expressions of the technique, then why doesn't the (one and only) Master of Wuju do what Wukong can do? (IDk maybe this thread is a low-key demonstrating how Wukong needs a rework?)

Nearly 10 years now (4 of which post-retcon) of no substantial exploration for something that, at least in words, has been a defining aspect for two characters. In Wukong's case, his character has been so bare of anyhting, that his connection to Wuju is the only defining aspect of his character that isnt already a stolen from chinese myth. Back to the point. There needs to be at least one story focused on the topic of Wuju. Something fresh to actually give justification behind why such a dusty idea was bothered to be preserved from the old lore at all, despite there being next to no substantial use of it in any modern stories! Would also be great for building these two character's bond/ comradery because I think their bios only convey their friendship in a very superficial portrayal.

25 Comments

ChaosReyn2/18/2019, 12:21:26 PM19 votes

If I were to take a stab at it, I'd say Wuju style is a weapon based martial style focused around making one's weapon an extension of themselves. That's very generalistic...but comparing what we know:

  • Wuju users have weapons.
  • The weapons can be different. Wukong uses a staff, Yi uses a blade.
  • Both are more or less different from the other, but are linked through the fighting style.
  • Both have ways of disappearing (wukong going invis and leaving an afterimage that can hit someone, Yi using alpha strike to move FTL and reappearing a moment later, where his damage happens all at once) and ways of quickly channeling a lot of raw power in their ults...Yi's isn't a real channel, but its a lasting effect, which is where I'm going with this.

The last point seems to put emphasis, as you said, on speed and number of strikes...a feat commonly seen in "combination attack martial arts" that are geared towards chipping away at an opponent instead of trying to land a decisive blow. It also fits with their weapon choice: Blades are versatile and can be used in either, but staves are known best for being used with momentum...that's why the key point to using a staff effectively is to never stop moving it. I'd be willing to bet that this style wouldn't work with things like Poppy's hammer, or Sion's huge axe, as it seems like large heavy weapons aren't in style with the Wuju style's repertoire.

My biggest question is actually about the rings on their weapons. I'm getting nitpicky, since they go away with skins and therefore may not even matter...but it's very strange to me that they share weapons with dangling rings as well as the Wuju style, which makes me wonder if that is relative as well.

Warlord Rhinark2/18/2019, 1:00:09 PM13 votes

Remember when Irelia apparently knew something called "Hiten style"?

Yeah.

Me neither.

GelsominoKiller2/18/2019, 5:00:14 PM3 votes

"Hey Master Yi-kun sensei, what's exactly Wuju style?"

Unintelligible %%%%%%%%%%% noises

"So profound"

PaffWasTaken2/18/2019, 3:10:58 PM2 votes

Repeatedly swinging your weapon, either by spinning like an apache helicopter rotor or swinging your sword in front of you like a white flag swinged by the french forces

IAintDarius2/18/2019, 2:07:59 PM2 votes

I'm pretty confident it was just some fancy asian sounding word that sounded cool in someones head. No one thought that far ahead.

Jerry SeinfeId2/18/2019, 7:18:59 PM2 votes

Considering Yi's sword seems to be a dao (chinese broadsword) more specifically a 9 rings dao i think it's safe to say WUJU is based on the irl WUSHU. Wushu seems to be the chinese term for "martial art" and it's a collection of most chinese martial arts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wushu_(sport)

I also found this list of weapons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighteen_Arms_of_Wushu Both a Single edged sword and Staff are part of the lists

so i suppose wuju would be a combination of all ionia's martial arts including the Hiten style irelia uses. Lee's martial art is probably a part of wuju too but not wuju itself, same for yasuo as far as sword fighting goes (not the wind magic).

painkills2/20/2019, 6:03:28 PM1 votes

Love the question, and must admit I hadn't thought of it.

Quick strikes and disappearing seems to be the commonality.

Al The Legion2/18/2019, 3:22:56 PM1 votes

A master of the wuju style is a swordsman that has fully mastered the offensive capabilities of ultra instinct

Deliberate Inter2/18/2019, 3:28:28 PM1 votes

Interpretive dance

TyroneWatermelon2/18/2019, 3:42:44 PM1 votes

Protip: Don't bother theorizing or trying to make sense of anything in the league lore unless Riot has an official answer. i've learned it after years of keeping track of the lore since 2013.

Hammermancer2/18/2019, 4:03:24 PM1 votes

clearly the technique is weird item abuse

ezreal, jhin, and jax are also masters, kaisa is set to be the new WU-KAISA

Blue Moon Wolf2/18/2019, 6:42:51 PM1 votes

At the moment it seems to be your cliche "mystical Martial Art passed on through the ages". Yi being a master is lighting fast and able to strike at speeds a normal human eye can't keep up with, meanwhile being able to "focus his chi/mana/energy/life force/ magical mumbo jumbo" to deal more devastating hits. Wukong's Wuju aspect could be related to how he can gain attack speed from his E and the speed at which he is able to spin with his Ult, but overall there isn't much to go on beyond "it's a martial art named for after Yi's village" and "has some kind of tie to spiritual energy" or something.

Though Yi's new lore has added some very interesting things to it that may end up showing more about what Wuju has to offer. Currently it seems like Yi and Wukong are separated while Yi is off cleansing his homeland and making peace, which has taken about a month it seems and may take at least another 2 before he will be done. In that time, that offers a chance to show what Wukong has been up to while Yi is gone and maybe go into more detail about what Wuju is from the eyes of a student, rather then a master. After all, a student would be more likely to explain it in simplest terms, making it easier for a reader to understand.