Why would a Khajiit punch anyway though? No matter how long the little buggers are, they're sharp enough to cut flesh. And a balled fist would kinda push those stronger than glass nails right into your palm...ya, I'd like to see people who hold hand to hand to realism explain the logic behind that one. Seriously, make a fist, and look where you're finger nails are pointing. Now, punch you're other hand. Feel your nails? Now imagine you're nails are really mini daggers. :confused: Unless they don't completely ball their fist, which would be rather odd/good way to break some knuckles.
Khajiit claws are retractable. And the Khajiit seen in game are cursed by either Gameplay limitations (Morrowind) or Animation limitation (Oblivion).
Eh. Too Mortal Kombat for me....
I just wish that hand-to-hand was based on European martial arts. And yes, such a thing exists.
It would fit the culture of Tamriel much better than the weird stuff in Oblivion. I purposefully didn't level hand-to-hand just so I didn't have to see my badass warrior twirl around and poke people with his fingers, instead of bashing their faces in with big meaty fists. So stupid....
I don't like asian styled things in TES, unless they can be reasonably explained by Akivir-- such as Skyruler Temple and Katanas. Hand-to-hand however just doesn't seem like it should be explainable this way. Unless there's like some sort of Tsaesci martial arts master who came over during an invasion and managed to hang around all this time just to train Tamrielians.... but I doubt it.
Bleh. Sorry for the rant. Pet peeve of mine...
Elsweyr's Martial arts seem to be based on Chinese/Eastern arts. In case you didn't notice, Ken Rolston turned Elsweyr into a metaphor for Southern Asia: Half desert, Half Tropical Rain Forest, Caste System based on birth (Though this one's based on the moons, instead of parents), with strong Feline and Dragon imagery. They also have martial arts proficiency on the level of that portrayed in Western Wuxia. Skooma's a
very clear metaphor for Opium.... And Northern Elsweyr originally had a middle-eastern flair in
ARENA.
So yeah... Eastern Martial arts do have their place when Elsweyr gets involved.