Lesson 1

Leisha stepped in front of the class. For this first meeting they had been assigned a classroom. It was only temporary, after this they would go out into the Yards. She rolled her shoulders and wait for all of the class to filter in and take seats. She looked down at the list she had accumulated. She was missing a student. As she pushed off from the desk that she'd been leaning on, the missing student ran in and sat down.

"Greetings, I am Leisha Lukonia and I'm a ji'alantar. You may call me Leisha, if you like." She nodded towards them, "This is a class on Self Defense. Now, you may be wondering why it's necessary when there is the One Power and so many weapons classes. Well, in the earlier years and earlier ranks, there is only so much one can do. Novices cannot wield the One Power with out permission and a chaperone and many have not taken many weaponry classes. This class is for those of you who don't have the other options. Every one needs at least a basic understanding of how to defend themselves if they are to be attacked. This class will give your two basic principals: Unarmed and Armed. Understand that this class is not intended to be used as Weaponry Skills. It's the base most knowledge to defend yourself. If you want to be skilled with a weapon, you'll have to take classes and start from the beginning like everyone else.

"Now, as I said, two basics. From those, we will learn some unarmed techniques for if someone attacks you from the front and then if someone attacks from behind. The armed parts will be a base of learning of defense in the situations that you somehow get a hold of the weapon- you will at least be able to wield it and defend yourself, although you won't exactly have 'skill'" She looked around, "Anyone have any questions? And do any of you have any prior fighting or weaponry experience?"

Lesson 2

Leisha was sitting on a rock in the Training Yard. Her students slowly approached, all dressed for a work out. She nodded to each of them as they walked up. She waited for all of them to have arrived and slowly climbed to her feet.

"This part of class is about Frontal Attacks. I have here," She turned to reveal a young man (one of the few whom she could tolerate) "an assistant." He was wearing a big padded suit. She quirked a smile. "He will be the dummy, each one of you, as your exercise, will try the moves you learn on him."

"First: an assailant charges you," Mr. Padded Boy charged her, she jammed up her hand and hit the pad over his nose. She turned back to the class, "This is what you do, take the heel of your hand and make a sharp upward jab in the nose… this will either break his nose and send him scurrying, or if you're really good at it, you could kill him. It's not likely, though. What is likely is you will have enough distraction time to get away. That's what important- to get away. Not to hurt your attacker or to kill him, just to distract or wound him enough to run to safety."

"Another tactic is very simple, assailent comes at you," He charged and she raised her knee and leaned forward slightly, nailing him between the legs, "This obviously works best against male attackers. I think it pretty much explains its own method. The most important thing you have to learn about all of this is that if you are attacked to keep a cool head enough to do them. Don't freeze up."

She rolled her shoulders, "Any questions?"

"Now, I want each of you one at a time to try both these maneuvers on our padded dummy here, don't worry, he's well protected, you won't hurt him. I will be here for questions or advice."

Lesson 3

Leisha rubbed her hands together. "All right, now that everyone is here, let's begin."

"This class is about defending from attacks from behind. Once more, our assailant will attack me from behind and I will show you ways to handle it."

"The best way is to S.I.N.G." (OOC: Thank you Miss Congeniality, in case anyone saw it =) She demonstrated. When the padded man grabbed her, she elbowed back, stepped over, back-handed up and hit down with a straight arm.

"Sing, you see," She elbowed back, "Stomach," Step, "In step," backward punch, "Nose," Straight arm, down and back punch, "Groin." She stepped forward, "Again, best for a male assailant, although S.I.N will work just fine on a female." She rolled her shoulders, "Now, this next one may or may not work, it depends but it's always an option." The padded man attacked her and she did a backwards kick into his knee. "The reason is can be hard is that the knee isn't always the best place to attempt to hit blind. You have to be right on target to dislocate it."

"If you have any questions ask them now, otherwise, please go ahead and try these two out on the dummy. I will watch and offer advice or help."

Lesson 4

Leisha rolled her shoulders, "All right, here I have two different kinds of weapons. These are common enough that you very well might come across them and somehow end up using one to defend yourself." She picked up a wooden practice dagger, "This is the most likely that you will find. I will tell you a few pointers on it." She held out her arm to demonstrate, blade up, "This is Forward Grip, good to thrust and slash." She changed it and had the blade facing down, "And this is Reverse, good for stabbing," She angled her arm up and down, "This way," She turned to face her back to them and acted like she was stabbing someone behind her, "Or this." She turned back. "Don't try to throw these things at an attacker, without training, it will not work. Your best bet to keep your hands on your weapon. It's a life and death trial, do what you have to. Just make sure that you don't end up hurting yourself. These grips should give you an idea of how to do what you want, when you want to do it so that you don't injure anyone that you don't intend to."

She set down the dagger and lifted a quarterstaff, "The quarterstaff, a common weapon, but can be hard to wield because of it's size- if you are new too it; and also, in situations like the one that we are talking about, you're not likely to get one just your size." She held the weapon in front of herself, "This is the basic hold," One hand with it's palm gripping the staff facing down and the other facing up, "This works for swinging and jabbing. If you've got a hold of a staff and are fighting to survive, you'll swing and jab. You'll just need to keep the balance from throwing you."

"Now, if you have questions, ask now. Otherwise, this is what I want you to do. Take up a practice dagger and just practice the grips and if you're comfortable with those, find a good range of space and just work with stabs, slashes and thrusts. When you're done with that, try the Quarterstaff, try to hold and then swing and jab. This is very important, make sure that you have enough room!" She rolled her shoulders, "I will walking around if you need help and to see how you're doing."

Lesson 5

"All right everyone, this is our last class, I hope by now you have at least a basic idea of how to defend yourself if you need to, which I pray to the Light that you never do." She let out a long sigh, "Now is your opportunity to ask any last questions, if you want to do any extra work on it, please talk to me after this class ends. Otherwise, you all did well and I wish you luck." She nodded to each of them.

OOC: Consider this your official passing note if you are using this class as an R.R., or email me and I will mail you a more formal notice.