Ryu Kumon

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Ryu Kumon リュウ
Ryu Kumon
Alias:	Ranma Saotome
Gender:	Male
Age:	16
Family:	Father (Deceased)
Rivals:	Ranma Saotome
Occupation:	Formerly: Wandering martial artist Now: Unknown
Residence:	Formerly: The Kumon Dojo Temporarily: The Saotome Household Now: Unknown
Fighting Style:	Yamasenken
Attacks:	Opening Move Poisonous Serpent Searching Hole Palm Gold Thread Tightly Binding Flight Welcome Arch Iron-ribbed Fan Finger Jewel Held in One's Pocket Kill Fierce Tiger Opening Gate Defeat Fierce God Assault Shot Group of Gods Great Boisterous Dance First-Rate Demon God Assault Bomb
1st Appearance (Manga):	Volume 28; Viz Volume 26

Ryu Kumon (Kumon Ryu リュウ) is a fictional minor character in Rumiko Takahashi's anime and manga series Ranma ½.

Contents 1 Story 2 Personality 3 Special Techniques 4 Trivia

[edit] Story

Ryu is a wandering martial artist and expert of the Yamasenken; when he was 6 years old he and his father were a very poor family who owned the shoddy Kumon Dojo. One day Ryu's father had an encounter with Genma Saotome. After Genma found out about the Kumons' financial problems, he gave Ryu's father a scroll containing the deadly secret art of Yamasenken, a.k.a. Fist of One Thousand Mountains. This led Ryu's father to believe he could use the Yamasenken to restore his dojo, but when he used the technique he ended up destroying it, causing it to fall on top of him which led to his death. With his last moments of life he gave Ryu the scroll and told him to find the scroll containing the companion Umisenken. Since then Ryu has traveled alone without any family or friends which led to his harsh and untrusting nature.

Ten years later, he comes across Nodoka Saotome, Genma's wife and he tells her that he is her long lost son, Ranma. Believing this, she takes Ryu/Ranma to her house, which he hoped would give him the chance to find the Umisenken scroll. Ranma discovers that Ryu is misleading his mother and decides to learn the deadly Umisenken technique from his father in order to counter Ryu's Yamasenken. Once Ranma mastered the Umisenken, he finally defeated Ryu after a harsh and difficult battle.

Genma later informed Ryu that the Umisenken & Yamasenken were created for stealing and breaking in to peoples houses. He gave it to Ryu's father so that he could steal enough money to rebuild his dojo. After learning this, he swore to never use the Yamasenken again, "sealing" his knowledge of the techniques that formed it. Although it is not known how he found out about the Saotomes or Ranma, most fans assume it is another of Rumiko Takahashi's unknown and unanswered plot holes.

[edit] Personality

Ryu Kumon is a strict martial artist through and through and will do almost anything in order to restore his family's dojo, including pretending to be Ranma. He does long for a mother's love and seems to find something in his relationship with Nodoka that he never had due to the death of his parents.

[edit] Special Techniques

• Yamasenken: One of two secret and forbidden styles of martial arts that Genma developed when he was younger. This one is based upon burglary, specifically the movements and techniques of a noisy bandit who smashes through the front door of a house. Canon translates this style as "Noisy Thief" or "Mountain of 1000 Fists." Genma taught this set to Ryu Kumon's father years ago, which indirectly led to the poor man's death. Ryu now utilizes these moves as well.
  • Opening Move: the user shouts something distracting at the opponent, such as "Freeze" or "Behind you." This stops the opponent in their tracks. The techniques are...
    • Dokuja Tanketsu Shou (Japanese for 'Poisonous Serpent Searching Hole Palm'): Fierce open palm snake strike to the chest area.
    • Kinshi Kinbakusho (Japanese for 'Gold Thread Tightly Binding Flight'): Throw a rope around your opponent, then tie them up with it.
    • Geimon Tetsu Sen Shi (Japanese for 'Welcome Arch Iron-ribbed Fan Finger'): After "Kinshi Kinbakusho", an open palm strike to the throat.
    • Kaichü Houju Satsu (Japanese for 'Jewel Held in One's Pocket Kill'): Armlocked Bearhug submission maneuver while holding one arm behind the back.
    • Mouko Kaimon Ha (Japanese for 'Fierce Tiger Opening Gate Defeat'): Deliver a powerful kick through the opponent's guard by separating their arms.
    • Kijin Raishu Dan (Japanese for 'Fierce God Assault Shot'): Spreading arm strike so powerful it creates vacuum arc projectiles that tear into anything.
    • Kijin Gun-Dai Ran Bu (Japanese for 'Group of Gods Great Boisterous Dance'): Perform a strange whirling dance as one throws multitudes of Kijin Rashuu Dans in every direction.
    • Sai Dai Kyuu Kijin Raishü Dan (Japanese for 'First-Rate Demon God Assault Bomb'): An extremely powerful Kijin Raishu Dan. Larger, faster, and much more powerful than the basic Kijin Raishu Dan because it's charged with the user's ki.

[edit] Trivia

• Despite Ryu being a one time only character in the manga, he did make an appearance in the Ranma ½ video game Ranma ½ Battle Renaissance in which he was voiced by Mitsuru Miyamoto
• Thanks to his unorthodox fighting style, Ryu Kumon was one of Ranma's most dangerous adversaries, even defeating him once.

Ranma ½ Characters v • d • e
Saotome Family
Ranma Saotome | Genma Saotome | Nodoka Saotome
Tendo Family
Soun Tendo | Kasumi Tendo | Nabiki Tendo | Akane Tendo | Mrs. Tendo
Chinese
Shampoo | Mousse | Cologne | Jusenkyo Guide | Pantyhose Taro
Kuno Family
Tatewaki Kuno | Kodachi Kuno | Principal Kuno | Sasuke Sarugakure
Notable Furinkan Residents
Ukyo Kuonji | Hikaru Gosunkugi | Dr. Tofu Ono | Hinako Ninomiya | Konatsu
Major Adversaries
Ryoga Hibiki | Happosai | Mariko Konjo | Herb | Ryu Kumon | Saffron
Recurring / Other Characters
Akari Unryu | Tsubasa Kurenai | Shinnosuke | Ranma ½ minor characters
Other Articles
Locations in Ranma ½ | Anything Goes Martial Arts | Chinese Amazons