ma sougetsu

First appearance: Battle 67
Age: 44-45
Type: Dou
Type: Satsujin Ken
Yami Symbol: Moon
Martial Arts: Chinese Kenpo (specializes in strong-fist styles)
Ma Sougetsu is the elder brother of Ma Kensei, master of Tanimoto Natsu, and the Chinese Kenpo Master of Yami's One Shadow Nine Fists. He is a tall and very muscular middle-aged man with short black hair and a thick beard. He usually wears an open vest to reveal his chest, dark pants, and always has his gourd in his hands along with armbands around his wrists. In his younger years, he was clean-shaven.
Sougetsu is a cruel man who shows no concern for the well-being of others and will attack anyone without hesitation, even his own niece, Ma Renka. He is indifferent, never caring about the condition of those around him and never expressing surprise over any predicament. Natsu describes him as a bully, believing there are times when he enjoys tormenting and torturing him during training.
However, he does care about his disciple and has great faith in him, such as knowing that Natsu would win his battle against Yomi. He may even worry about him from time to time. However, as noted by Tanimoto, Sougetsu tends to demand too much from him, pushing him beyond his limits, making him forceful in what he wants. He is a compulsive drinker, almost always seen drinking sake from his gourd.
Sougetsu even seems amused by Kenichi's efforts to save his life in a fire. Knowing he would die along with Kenichi, Sougetsu chose to let him live while showing gratitude on his face for his efforts.
While the current Sougetsu is portrayed as somewhat sympathetic and redeems himself by saving Kenichi, the original Sougetsu had no positive traits whatsoever, consumed by revenge. Also, Kensei cries in response to his "death," unlike the current series, where he remains silent.
When he was young, Sougetsu trained with his brother Kensei in Chinese Kenpo, becoming a master. However, his intimidating appearance scared people around him. He became bitter and lonely, deciding that the true meaning of martial arts was to destroy others. At the age of 20, he became a murderer and was forced to leave his country, though he claimed he left because he had nowhere to go from the start.
At some point, he took Tanimoto as a student after being bribed with large amounts of expensive wine. The bond between him and Kensei does not seem completely diminished, as Natsu claims that whenever Sougetsu became drunk, he would boast repeatedly about Kensei and his skill.