Rush: How to Be a Bounty Hunter
What does it take to be a bounty hunter - nay - a good bounty hunter? In theory, Spike should be excellent, and he seems to have acquired a reputation feared by most bounties. If you follow his example (up to a point), you can be guaranteed success. Of course, the "wrecking everything in sight" part is best left to the experts.
->> 1 Watch What You Pollute Your Mind With
There is only one required viewing for the aspiring cowboy: Big Shot. Let Punch and Judy be your guide to big bucks - and even bigger debts. It has everything you need to know - of course, more often than not, you already know it. Still, it's an important part of Spike's life. Until it's cancelled, and then they're all screwed from that episode on.
->> 2 The Moves
From the very first episode, it's already obvious what your number one asset should be: the ability to kick ass with grace, ease, and a bottomless well of attitude. Spike is a master of Bruce Lee's style of fighting, known as Jeet Kune Do, where the point is to take anything useful and USE it. This results in a more flexible style of combat (if you must, compare it to the Saotome Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts, except I don't think running away is a whole move to be mastered in itself). Spike even quotes one of Jeet Kune Do's basic principles in Session #8: to flow like water. Also, his moves are economical, where he blocks by hitting and always seems to manage to get a punch in, even when he's just stretching or getting up. Spike loves to do high kicks, though, which isn't adviced by practitioners of the style. I think he does it just because it's prettier to look at, and Spike's got such long legs and it somehow suits his personality.
Spike is an incredibly good hand-to-hand fighter, able to use nearby objects (the broom fight scene with Elektra in the movie) and adapt to his environment in a flash. He moves fast enough and sees well enough to beat even those high on Red Eye, which is a drug used to enhance combat performance to the point that one can dodge bullets. In fact, in Session #1, he calls Asimov, who has already shown that he can avoid shots aimed right between his eyes, too slow. In episode 3, he even demonstrates that he doesn't need gravity to land heavy blows. In the entire series, Spike is only bested (i.e. LOSES a fight or is knocked down during combat) twice: once by Pierrot (Session #20) and once by Ed's father, Mr. Appledelhi. Although, that would go up to three if you add the time Onyx walked all over him. But that doesn't count since Onyx is a horse - even if he can play chess.
->> 3 Shoot First, Die Later
Spike's main weapon seems to be the Jericho 941 (a gun). I can understand martial arts, but I will not pretend to understand guns, so if you need more information regarding the model, there's a Wikipedia entry. For larger targets, there's Swordfish's plasma cannon and machine guns. Spike's a very good marksman, which is once again made obvious right from the start. He sneers at Asimov and tosses a vial of Red Eye into the air and shoots it as it spins. In Session #6, he shoots someone smack in the middle of his forehead at an astonishing range. But perhaps his most admirable feat is in Session #21 (Boogie Woogie Feng Shui) when Ed flushes a rock out of the Bebop - a rock the size of a human fist - and Jet asks Spike to shoot it with his plasma cannon as it falls through hyperspace. This is somewhat like throwing darts from across a darkened room at peanuts that somebody else is spitting out. He also uses grenades (Sessions #5, #26), a flamethrower, a rapier, a net gun (all in Session #11) and a knife (Session #20).
->> 4 Keep Those Eyes Peeled and Those Hands Ready
Hand-eye coordination is very important to the life of a bounty hunter. How fast you can dodge punches and bullets will determine your lifespan. But there are other advantages to having quick hands and even quicker eyes. We see Spike's pickpocketing skills at play in Session #1 when he steals about half of Katrina's groceries and stuffs a hotdog into his mouth, and also when he steals Asimov's demo vial of Red Eye just before he (Spike) collapses in a dead faint. The reverse of this is when he slips a virus into the pocket of the same person who was threatening to use it against mankind, and also when he drops a grenade at Vicious' feet at the same moment he's falling out of a window. Such talents will obviously come in useful at times, so I say practice!
But even if you can move fast and think fast, it won't be enough if you aren't much of an observer. In Session #3, Spike catches Faye cheating as she deals his cards, though he doesn't let on that he knows. In Session #11, he knows all about Faye's magnetic anklet, which she used to beat Jet in a game of dice and swindle him out of his clothes! Spike is always alert, and nothing much escapes his notice despite all appearances to the contrary.
->> 5 The Special Skills
Everyone has special skills - whether it's the ability to tie a knot with your toes or roll your tongue, you'll never know when your little quirks will come in useful. Take for example Spike's astounding ability to swallow objects (like cigarettes and poker chips) and regurgitate them hours later (Session #3: Honky Tonk Woman).
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