Introduction to Section One:
Lesson 1: Stances
Lesson 2: How to Fall and Not Break Bones
Lesson 3: Shoulder Rolls
Lesson 4: Arm Blocks
Lesson 5: Footwork
Lesson 6: Basic Punches and Kicks
Introduction to Section One:
FYI: This is a very good class to start with if you plan on going into
any other weapon, as unarmed combat skills can be used most everywhere (with
and without weapons - if you're disarmed). In quarterstaff training for
example, I can teach you more interesting moves at point 1 if you have a
background in the basics unarmed combat.
A reminder to those seeking two points: to get two points here you need
to pass this class
and spar with someone using unarmed combat.
The person you spar against must have more points than you in any weapon
(while they are using that weapon, ideally unarmed combat) or you may spar
with multiple people with combined skill points that are greater than you.
(ie: you have one point in unarmed, and spar against one person with two
or more points, or against two people each with one point).
In this way, you learn something by sparing. That means that the best
case scenario is if one other person signs up for this class, and the three
of you spar you can all get that second point. Or you can seek someone out
individually to spar with. Please spar on the Warder Yards or Warder IC
board so we can keep this class MB less cluttered. ; ) Just cite both the
spar thread url and this message board url when you submit the form for skill
points.
Respond at your own rate and I'll give feedback and perhaps ask for another
demonstration or two after critiquing. Also, I've added a question to the
Join Form incase anyone arrives with one point in Unarmed they recieved elsewhere.
(Don't worry Abron, I know you have one point and still need offensive
training).
OOC:
(1) I do expect lengthy responses - at least half the length of my lesson
posts, except perhaps for lessons on combat theory in which Saphire lectures.
But in either case: detail, length, RPing difficulty with lessons, and character
development are all appreciated.
(2) Feel free to poke me through e-mail if you feel I'm neglecting your
training. Although I don't think this'll happen unless I'm on Semi of full
fledge Shara.
(3) If there is enough demand (ie, let me know if you would have liked
it after you pass), I may include more lessons in this class so people can
get three (or more?) skill points like in Alondra's all-skill level class.
(4) Please don't roleplay Saphire's reactions, except for neutral things
like, "Saphire sedai walked over to evaluate."
IC: I should warn you: Saphire is fair but demands respect, tho' she's
not nearly so harsh as Atreus she's not laid back either. If students
IC are undiciplined, she will take more class time and be much stricter
in responses. I am fine with this OOC as it makes things more realalistic,
but I felt I should warn you that it will take more time. And your characters
don't have to like her so feel free to RP their true responses, I won't mind
OOC. But this is all optional. I just thought I should give you a heads
up on what to expect out of my character especially if you plan on passing
really really quick and don't want to stop for dicipline. It's up to you
tho'.
Notes on Grading
Don't worry about "joining late", this is a permenant and ongoing class.
But please up below so I can keep the paperwork straight. ; ) All lessons
will be marked. If the subject is "pass" then you have passed the lesson.
If the subject is "no" or "more" or some motion IC of Saphire coming over
etc. then you have not passed the class yet. Your character will recieve
feedback or dicipline and need to correct based on that and post in response.
Please read carefully the information given to you. If you need clarification,
post a reply asking for it. PLEASE POST YOUR NEXT ATTEMPT AT THE LESSON
IN THE SAME THREAD. It makes things a lot faster.
You don't need to wait for one lesson to be marked to do the next lesson.
Theoretically, all lessons (for point one or two) can be done one after
the other in a day. But you do need to come back and check to see if you've
passed the lesson. Although when you finish lesson 6 you must stop and wait
to be graded and told that you've earned your first point. Then you may
continue on to earning your second point.
You will (eventually) recieve an e-mail saying you have passed the class.
If you have passed each lesson and haven't recieved an e-mail, then e-mail
me and we'll figure out what went wrong.
Um . . anything else? Let me know if you'd like more included in the
lessons, if there are any problems, if you have questions, or whatnot.
Lesson 1: Stances
The bell marking five hours after early was soon to ring when Saphire
Sedai entered. This was one of the few rooms in the building overlooking
the Warder Yard set aside for larger instruction in weapon and unarmed combat.
She wrote "Beginning Unarmed Combat" across the board at the front of the
room with dusty white chalk, and then turned. As she waited for her students
to arrive she began stretching and warm ups.
They trickled through the doors in a near-steady flow, all ranks in their
light brown practice uniforms. Her uniform's black color marked her as the
Instructor. Saphire Sedai allowed them to chat until the bell rang, and
then a hush fell over the room.
"I am Saphire Sedai, teaching Beginning Unarmed Combat here. I assume
you have all warmed up before arriving to class?" Some students looked to
each other. "If not, you should spend time stretching before practicing
today. It prevents needless injuries."
Saphire paused before continuing, "Moving on. Offensive ready stance,"
She demonstrated "is like this." standing with her feet far apart, left leg
and foot pointing forward to the North, right leg behind and a little to
the right diagonally North-East. Her arms and hands she put into the basic
ready position to block: right arm next to her with palm facing down, left
arm before her, both with relaxed shoulders and bent elbows. Her weight was
evenly distributed on both feet, with posture upright and head suspended.
Her torso faced forward forward. "In this stance I am best able to attack
from the right side. This is the reverse in Defensive ready stance." She
jumped into the air and switched her stance to the opposite. "This is meant
to block hits from your opponent's right side."
Flowing from Defensive stance to a natural at-ease, Saphire gave some
pointers, "First, unless a specific tecnique requires it, never cross your
feet. Second, keep your knees bent slightly and unlocked. You need to move
fast and easily, transfering weight from one foot to the other. Locking
your knees committs you to a single posture. Third, spread your weight
along your heel and toes and arch when you are putting most of your weight
on that foot. Fourth: when you move, make your weight transition a steady
flow. You should not be vulnerable to be taken to the ground easily at any
point if you have distributed your weight properly." (OOC: Think, moving
from right to left foot, 90% weight on Right, 10% on Left, then 85% right,
then 70%, 50% etc . .) "Now, try out both stances."
Responses:
Ellisande:
Ellisande smoothed her training suit yet again. She was unaccustomed to
the rough material, a simple and thickly woven cotton. She missed the quiet
swish of her silk skirts and the smoothness of her velvet gowns. She tugged
at the cuffs of the shirt absently. Since her arrival at the Grey Tower,
she hadn't had time to find a decent seamstress... the uniform, the smallest
size available, was far too big. She rolled the cuffs another few inches,
tried not to trip over the rolled hem of her pants, and she wiggled her toes
in her new shoes cautiously.
She watched the instructor unfalteringly, trying to ignore the bemused glances
of the other Drin'far'ji. She had worked up quite a reputation within the
Drin' halls already, both as the most proper of the Drin' and the most annoying.
And the littlest. And the weakest. "Princess Elle," as some of the other boys
called her behind her back, stared straight forward.
She had nearly passed out the morning before on her first day of training,
running laps in the freezing morning air. Her breath had burning in her throat
and lungs, and her sides had ached with cramps. She hadn't completed half
of the course when she fell to her knees, lost her breakfast, and collapsed
in a clamy heap in the dust. This class was her next attempt at the world
of the Warrior. Her shoulders were tense as she took her place near the back
of the classroom, as far from the others as possible. She swallowed the lump
in her throat. If she couldn't get past the first days of introductory training,
she had a feeling she'd die. Or worse, be thrown from her miserable, empty
little room in the Drin' halls.
Ellisande rolled her shoulders as the teacher, a woman called Saphire,
began the lesson. She remained very quiet and polite, of course, but slightly
stiff and aloof. She brushed a wisp of golden hair from her face; her extravagent
Cairhienan curls had been abandoned for a simple braid that fell down her
back. Her noble upbringing made it difficult for her, a lady, to stand in
a room full of soldiers and learn to fight. In pants. She tugged at the
brown fabric yet again.
Determined to succeed, Ellisande imitated Saphire's stance. She placed her
left foot pointing forward, her right foot a bit behind and pointing slightly
outwards. So far, this wasn't difficult at all. She wondered where the catch
would come in, glance quickly about at her towering peers. She relaxed her
shoulders and arms, letting them mimic the Aes Sedai's own.
Ellisande's well-educated and quick-witted mind filed away the information
the Aes Sedai explained. The odds were against her here. She was small and
inexperienced, and she was weak compared to her peers. She had seventeen years
of wasted time to make up for.
She let her pale limbs follow the motions set forward by the teacher. So
far, she was reminded vaguely of dancing.
(Saphire's Feedback):
Coming around after the last Trainee, Saphire approached Ellisande.
Hhhmm, need to get both of those sets to my seamstress soon. Setting
her mind to observing Ellisande's stance, she commented, "Pretty good. Think
of your feet being firmly planted in the ground and that might help for feeling
more 'solid'. Keep facing forward . . good. Now show me your defensive
stance."
(Ellisande's Response):
Ellisande nodded quietly. She rolled her shoulders again and concentrated
on moving her weight from the tips of her toes to her heels. She hoped to
achieve that "solid" feeling Saphire Sedai spoke of...
Whatever that
means, Ellisande thought to herself doubtfully.
Offensive stance. She stepped forward with her left foot, pointing
straight forward towards the wall ahead. She turned out her right foot just
slightly, her toes pointed towards the corner of the expansive training room.
She held her head high, kept her shoulders straight, and let her arms rise
to an alert position. Luckily, the posture that Saphire had demonstrated was
ingrained in her already; a lady was taught to sit up and remain perfectly
straight at all times.
"Keep facing forward... good." Ellisande focused her eyes on the wall ahead
of her, noting Saphire's advice. "Now show me your defensive stance."
Ellisande did not jump about agily and easily as Saphire had done in her
demonstration, but she stepped forward with her right foot. She pointed
her right foot straight ahead, her left a bit behind and at a diagonal.
The exact opposite of the offensive stance.
Ellisande glanced towards Saphire. Again she thought to herself,
Perhaps
this won't be too bad. At least it seemed like she had this much down
so far.
Tipheni:
Tipheni excitedly dressed in her uniform for class and hurried down. She
filed in with everyone else, and smiled and spoke to a few people before
class began. She listened carefully to Saphire Sedai instruct. She stared
at the Aes Sedai, recognizing the face. Then she remembered Amora Sedai
from her trip to Saldaea. They looked just alike! She shook her head, and
focused on what the Aes Sedai was saying.
She then spent a few minutes stretching and warming up herself, she hadn't
thought to do so before arriving. She watched a few of the others stretch,
to make sure she was doing it right. She felt a little nervous, she hadn't
really used any weapons, or fought before.
Once she was all stretched out, she went to try out the stance. She spread
her feet apart and held up her arms like the Aes Sedai had shown. Her feet
weren't pointing the correct directions, and when she went to switch her feet,
they crossed and she stumbled slightly. She felt her cheeks glow red. She
looked around quickly to see who had noticed. She thought she heard a snicker,
but she ignored it and tried to get into the stance again. She moved her
feet around, trying to get them into the right place. She felt all backwards
and looked up to Saphire Sedai for help.
(Saphire's Feedback):
Saphire patroled and inspecting her student's stances. As she watched one
student to her right, she felt knocked from the left. Reflexively she shifted
to a more sturdy stance and turned her head abruptly, just in time to catch
one of her newest students . .
Tipheni, yes, that's it.
"Whoa there, child. Steady your feet!" She exclaimed with a bright smile.
"First stand with your feet shoulder-length apart and think of your feet
planted into the ground. Now step your right foot to the right, and back
. . yes a little more . .that's right. Now turn your right foot to face north-east
. . Keep your eyes focused on the front of the room, and think of yourself
as immovable . ."
(Tipheni's Response):
Tipheni blushed as Saphire Sedai instructed her. She hoped no one was watching
her. She attempted the stance again, remembering to plant her feet, and
their positions. She focused on the front of the room, just like Saphire
Sedai explained.
Her result was much better than before, but she was still a little wobbly.
She silently told herself that she was immovable. She practiced it again,
and again as she adjusted her weight and her feet till she finally found her
balance. "I think I got it!" she said. She felt her confidence grow a little
more . . .
Sheralina:
'Lina rushed to class. She had been here two weeks and still had trouble
finding some of the classes. She had not had a chance to warm up before coming
to class as her last one had run late.
As she waited for the teacher to begin, 'Lina started to slowly stretch.
Some of the male Drin' were still glaring at her for again waking them up
in the middle of the night.
I ought to see about moving my quarters. Maybe they will let me sleep
in the stables or something. At least there my nightmares will only bother
me.
With that idle thought, class began and 'Lina was intently listening to
her newest teacher. As she watched, she found herself settling naturally into
the Offensive stance. She stood with her feet far apart, left leg and foot
pointing forward to the North, right leg behind and a little to the right
diagonally North-East. Her arms and hands she put into the basic ready position
to block: right arm next to her with palm facing down, left arm before her,
both with relaxed shoulders and bent elbows. Her weight was evenly distributed
on both feet, with posture upright and head suspended. Her torso faced forward
forward. Just as Saphire Sedai was.
When the woman jumped up and changed stances. 'Lina stood at ease and again
watched. After watching for a moment, she again settled naturally in the stance
that was wanted. 'Lina kept the stance loose. Her knees wher slightly bent
as she waited for the teacher to come check her stances.
Lesson 2: How to Fall and Not Break Bones
"Can you tell me why falling correctly is importat?" Saphire Sedai asked
the class. When she recieved a sufficient answer, she continued.
"These falls operate under two principles: first, absorb the shock of
the fall with something like your palm and forearm rather than a fragile
bone; second fall towards the direction your opponent is throwing or tripping
you. By that point your body is already committed to moving in that direction
and resisting will only hurt you, the key is to turn it into a smooth motion
rather than an awkward struggle. I will show you more on this later."
She moved onto a clear area of the mat. "The first fall, is the Forward
Fall." Saphire Sedai demonstrated the steps in slow motion. She crouched
on her heels, and simultaneously slapped her palms and forearms to the mat,
with her hands forming a triangle before her face, and straightened her body
so that her toes touched the mat. At that last moment her head moved so that
she faced the side. (OOC: it looks a lot like a push-up, only your forearms
touch the ground as well as your palms.) Saphire stood, and demonstrated
the fall in one fluidic movement. "With this, it's best to impact when
you're not falling from a high distance. Try to get low while you are still
in control before you actually fall."
"Second are two backwards falls, although they are more like sideways-backwards,
you never want to fall directly on your spine, head, or joints like your
knees or elbows. This time the emphasis is more on absorbing the shock than
getting low first. Just make sure to get your inside leg out of the way first."
Saphire demonstrated, she bent her right leg behind her left leg, bent both
knees, fell on her right side and slapped the ground with her right palm and
forearm. Her back and head never touched the ground. She stood and repeated
the motion faster on her left side. Standing up again, she continued, "Now,
if there aren't any questions go ahead and try these falls. They may feel
awkward at first but with practice they'll become second nature."
Responses:
Ashram:
Ash listens carefully as Saphire asks the question and answers it, raising
his hand."Falling is important, because that is where the most damage can
occur on hostile terrain. Sometimes, it's also important to avoid a weapon's
cut, that you can't block."
Ash watches the demonstration of the first fall and then bends down to try
it himself. After a few tries, he gets it better. Crouching back on his
heels, he puts his palms in a diamond shape and forearms out. He falls down,
turning his head to side and catching himself with his forearms and palms.
After a few tries, he perfects the procedure.
On the first try, Ash falls back on his back like the Tetly Tea man. He
chuckles as he arises with an oof. After a few more tries, he learns to
to bend his right leg behind his left, bending both knees. He then falls
to his side and slaps the ground with his right palm and forearm. He smiles,
after he gets it right and his head and back never touch the ground. He
waits for the passing marks...
(Saphire's Feedback):
Blinking in suprise, Saphire thought to herself,
Burn me, someone finally
answered my question. "Very good answer, Ashram. Now let me watch your
falls." Observing him practice the first few tries, Saphire nodded, "Good,
you caught on quickly. Keep practicing outside of class until those falls
become natural." With a wink she continued on to the next student.
Stefyne:
Stefyne watched with growing anxiety as Saphire Sedai
fell...fell!
onto the mats again and again, demonstrating the correct way of falling
without getting hurt.
Stefyne stood back as the other pupils stepped to the mats to practice,
every time one of them fell, even if they managed what Saphire Sedai had instructed,
she winced visibly.
Stefyne shuddered and stepped towards a mat. Completing the fall in slow
motion...very slow...seemed esasy enough, but when Stefyne came to falling
at normal speed she found she couldn't make herself fall - every time she
stepped foreward with one food as she leaned to catch herself. She set her
mouth in a grim line a glared at her feet, willing them to do what they were
told. This time she feel perfectly easily, but she was concentrating so much
on
not stepping foreward that she forgot everything she had learnt
about her hands and legs when she actually landed that she ended up falling
almost flat on her face; just turning her head in time to break the fall with
her cheek.
"Blood and ashes," she muttered. She stood and tried it again, with almost
the same amount of success.
After about a hundred attempts Stefyne thought she had the front fall about
right and moved onto the backwards ones. Again she had the same problems
but she over came them quite quickly and finally managed to fall fairly well
on her back, at least without jarring her whole body as she had been for
the first part of her attempts.
Ellisande:
"Can you tell me why falling correctly is important?" Ellisande's head jerked
up, and her feet fell still. She had been following the stances with an almost
meditative diligence, trying to ignore the rest of the students in the class,
striving for perfection. It was a more immediate, achievable goal in her view
of things. Now, however, she was motionless. Glancing around, hidden from
view by larger students, Ellisande copied the attentive stance of the rest
of the pupils.
She watched their teacher, Saphire, from between a gap in a tall Kandori
and a stocky fellow from Illian. She steadied herself. She knew that she was
in for it as soon as she watched the Aes Sedai fall with an audible thump
to the mat. Elle chewed on her lower lip before catching herself and summoning
a serene, calm look to her ivory features. She noticed for the first time
several mats strewn about the edges of the room, listening dully to the loud
smacks as the teacher effortlessly hit the floor. Ellisande tried to forget
the growing knot of worry in her stomach, moving automatically to the end
of the line near one of the mats when Saphire motioned for them to practice
the falls.
She waited for the other students to go before creeping up to the edge of
the thin padding. She haunched on her heels like the Aes Sedai had done, low
to the ground. She paused, frozen for a moment. She could hear the other students
shifting in the line behind her. Taking a deep breath, Ellisande launched
herself forward and down.
She let out an involuntary whimper as she hit the mat - face first. Her
arms were splayed out to the sides and her feet and slipped out from under
her immediately. Her nose stung. A few giggles rose behind her as she scrambled
to her feet, cradling her face. Ellisande shuffled to the back of the line
trying to look as regal and uneffected as possible.
She tried the forward fall several times again. Only when she moved incredibly
slow did she manage the skill, tottering on precarious toes. She tried to
escape the glances of the teacher, Saphire Sedai. The last thing Ellisande
wanted was to be singled out for addition help.
When the rest of the students began to attempt the backwards falls, Ellisande
moved with them. She landed on her rump several times, her wrists sore as
she rested on bruised palms. When she managed to get her feet out from under
her, she fell on her side and snapped her head to the side. She tried to keep
her neck and head from touching the mat, but she invariably always landed
at an uncomfortable angle with her head rammed up against the floor.
Struggling to succeed, or at least not to make a fool of herself, Ellisande
threw herself to the floor again with a pitiful bang and attempted to get
her spindly limbs to obey. She ached, her cheeks burned with embarrassment,
and she wanted nothing more than a cup of tea and her sitting room at home
in Cairhien.
As the other students recieved nods from the teacher, demonstrating their
ability to perform the skill, they moved away from the mats. A few minutes
remained in class, and most of the students gathered near the door to wait
on the chiming Tower bell. Ellisande, however, continued to fling herself
down with dogged perserverance. Her face was set. She grimaced with each blow,
but she noticed that as she went on, noting the corrections of Saphire Sedai,
she was getting better.
A little better, at least. That, or she was too numb to feel the ground
as she fell, rolled, and absorbed the shock of her fragile body hitting the
mat.
(Saphire's Feedback):
Clenching her teeth as she watched, Saphire thought to herself,
My, she
has a lot of persistance to keep practicing like this . . but she has a long
way to go. Still, she waited until the other students filled out before
speaking with Ellisande. "Go get some water dear and give yourself a break.
Then come back and we'll work on this some more. It may take more for you
to earn these physical skills, but your skills will be much farther refined
than most others' for your efforts at trial and error." She inclined her
head towards the water pitcher and waited paitently for her student to return.
Speaking in soft reassurance, Saphire continued, "Now, you were doing well
while going slowly on the forward fall. I think this is not something to
be rushed, so we will take it slow and soon the forms will work their way
into your body's memory . . "
(Ellisande's Response):
Ellisande nodded stiffly. "Thank you, Saphire Sedai." She reached for her
skirts in an automatic move to curtsy before remembering her training suit.
She made a clumsy bow and excused herself, pacing over to the water pitcher
and taking a few slow sips. The lukewarm water was welcome to her parched
lips and throat. Taking a few deep breaths, Ellisande wiped the sweat from
her brow with the back of her cuff. Trying to ignore her growing bruises,
she paced back across the room.
If I'm going to have to learn this, now is as good a time as any... I suppose.
Ellisande gritted her teeth. She felt an insane desire to make this woman,
this Aes Sedai, proud. It was an uncommon feeling for Ellisande; she was
unaccustomed to having to prove anything to anyone. She spoke, however, without
hesitation. "Shall I try again?" She tried to sound cool and slightly detached.
It didn't really work.
Ellisande watched as Saphire demonstrated, once again, the falling technique.
She nodded.
Slow and steady, just like she said... She moved to the
edge of the mat, sat on her heels, and put down her hands a bit aways from
her feet, inching out until her body was parallel to the mat and stretched
out straight. She formed the triangle Saphire had demonstrated, her palms
and forarms flat against the mat.
And then she rolled a bit, pushing herself to her side. And except for the
few bruises she already had, it didn't hurt that much. Ellisande stood and
tried it again... a little faster. There wasn't much grace in the fall yet,
of course, but... it was getting a little better.
Slow and steady.
She attempted the backwards fall a little more hesitantly. She had a tendency
to get her legs tangled up in the fall. Going through the forms slowly, she
slipped her right leg behind her left, bent both knees, and leaned backwards.
She tipped a bit to the side and landed on her right side. It felt odd and
unusual, and slightly uncomfortable, but it seemed to be what Saphire had
demonstrated.
Light, let's just hope I don't fall that much. Wistful thinking, more
than anything else. Ellisande stood and repeated the motions again. And then
again. And yet some more.
Ceralyn:
Ceralyn watched closely. This part was important, but everyone was afraid
to fall, and Ceralyn no less so. She went through the steps to the first
fall slowly. Her palms and forearms hit the mat at the same time, forming
a cushion for the side of her head as her stretched out body reached the
ground. She was surprised at how gentle it was, and she was less worried
the second time, actually doing it at the same speed as Saphire Sedai. She
lay on the mat, her body stretched out, toes, palms and arms cushioning her
body from impact. She stood up quickly, ready to try the backwards fall,
though she was not completely comfortable with falling backwards onto nothing.
Ceralyn wasn't sure she could do it, so she tried it slowly first, as she
had done with the forward fall. First, she bent her right leg behind her
left leg, with both knees slightly bent. She slowly lowered herself to the
ground on her right side, her right palm and forearm hitting the ground.
She stood, and repeated it with a smoother motion, her right leg bending
behind her left, both knees bent as she gently hit the ground on her right
side. Her palm and forearm kept her head and back from hitting the ground
as well. Ceralyn was pretty sure she could fall safely now. She felt so much
more confident that she didn't do the fall slowly, but just at normal speed.
she bent her left leg behind her rightleg, with both knees slightly bent.
She fell to the ground on her left side, her left palm and forearm hitting
the ground. In fact, she found these two easier than falling forward.
Lesson 3: Shoulder Rolls
When everyone seemed to have basic falls down, Saphire continued with
a different kind of fall. "Now I will teach you how to fall, spread the
impact by moving, and recover in the form of shoulder rolls. It takes
some great practice but with time it will become second nature."
After moving to the center of the mat, Saphire knelt from offensive stance
onto her right knee. Her left leg was bent, but left foot still firmly planted
on the ground. "This is the forward left shoulder roll." Demonstrating
in slow motion, she made her arms into a large circle with palms touching
the mat. Her left arm arched just next to and a little before her left knee.
"The idea is to touch your left palm to the mat as it faces south towards
you, roll up your left arm, around your left shoulder, and diagonally down
to the lower right side of your back." The Green Sister propelled forward
through a complete circle, ending in the same kneeling position as before.
"Make sure to tuck your head in before hand as well."
From the same position, Saphire explained how to do the same backwards,
"It is along the same line of contact with the mat. First lean backwards,
curving your back, and roll over your left shoulder. Again, make sure
your head is tucked in and a little to the right. You may opt to slap the
mat with your right forearm to absorb the shock."
Following this, Saphire demonstrated from kneeling from defensive stance.
The mirror image of the shoulder roll, forward and back she had just demonstrated.
Because it was somewhat counterintuitive, she made sure to repeat it several
times.
Now standing, Saphire instructed, "This is a
very useful skill
to have down. For if you are ever tripped, fall off of a horse, or are
otherwise propelled forward or backward and have this down reflexively it
can save your life. Once you have the roll down from kneeling, I want you
to practice doing all of these rolls from standing.
"To roll from standing it is almost the same as kneeling. Simply concentrate
on moving forward as you fall and roll from your palm, up the side of your
forearm and upper arm, and across your back. You'll find yourself in the
same kneeling position, after that point you only need to stand. To roll
in reverse, simply tuck your back leg behind you and "sit" and roll across
your back and shoulder until you are kneeling, and stand."
"A final note, it is much more advantageous to slap the mat with the arm
that you are not rolling across when you roll from standing. This way more
of the shock is absorbed, but it does have less of a smooth motion and can
get in the way of objects around you as well. It is a practice that some
use, and some do not.
"I want you to practice this many, many times just on the parameter of
the mat. Say, one lap for every type of roll, all of you following one after
another: kneeling left forward, kneeling right forward, kneeling left backward,
kneeling right backward. When you have finished those, come to me for feedback
and when I say you're ready, do all of them from standing."
And after
that . . well, maybe I'll tell them when they're done. She closed
her lips and stood back. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Responses:
Havelocke:
Havelocke watched attentively as Saphire Sedai demonstrated the shoulder
rolls.
Burn me, but this is a game for the young. Determination
drove him on. He sunk to one knee with only a slight grunt as his left leg
bent.
Hardest part's done already. He placed his hands on the
mat before him with deliberate care, and tucking his chin into his chest,
rolled forward, allowing his momentum to carry him to a kneeling position
once again. The action was cautious and ackward, so he repeated the exercise
another half dozen times.
I shall have to spend some more time perfecting
that, but for now, I’ll get on with the class. He switched to practising
rolling backward, continuing until he felt confident, and then moved on to
both forward and backward rolls from the defensive stance. Because Saphire
Sedai had placed extra emphasis on these rolls, demonstrating them several
times, Havelocke to focused especially on them. By the time he felt competent
in the four variations of the roll from a kneeling position, sweat soaked
his practice uniform and dripped from his immaculately trimmed beard.
He clambered slowly to his feet, breathing heavily.
Burn you old man!
How are you to protect your Aes Sedai if you cannot last a practice session?
He prepared himself to attempt a forward roll from standing. He pushed
himself forward, using his arm to catch himself, but at that point, lost
control of the roll and wound up on his back, winded. His head met the floor
with a crack and for a moment, he saw stars.
Light blinded fool! What
are you doing here anyway?
(
After checking if he was injured, Saphire allowed Havelocke to keep
practicing . . )
Resolute, Havelocke continued practicing his shoulder rolls for the rest
of class. By the time he heard the bell chime the hour, he felt he had
the basics down. He stood, stretched, and fetched himself a drink from
the picture at the front of the room before continuing, as the Aes Sedai
had advised, to practise after class. If this skill was to be any use to
him, it would have to become habitual. He practiced for some time, lost
in the rhythm of the motions. When the next bell tolled, he stopped. He
hadn't realised that he had been at this for so long. The break in the constant
exercise also brought to his attention the dull burn in his muscles. He
needed a break. He stood at attention, hoping he had not irritated the Aes
Sedai by making her wait. She had said to practise after class...
Ellisande:
She had no intention of passing out today in the middle of her training,
she decided grimly.
She moved to the mats with the other students, taking a place in the middle
of the line and holding her head high. She had been slightly aloof throughout
the class period. She was neither a Novice eager for something other than
channeling or chores, and she wasn't one with the other Drin' yet, either.
She stood in silence and waited for her turn to attempt the rolls.
She knelt at the edge of the mat, placing her palm on the ground and using
her forearm to slap the ground, much like Saphire had done. Tucking her
chin to her chest, she launched off her toes and curved her back. To her
surprise, she landed almost decently, falling back to her knees. Ellisande
blinked, kneeling for a moment in surprise. She hadn't rolled of the mat,
broken her neck, tumbled into a wall... she smiled.
Of course, she wasn't as agile as some of the more experienced students.
A few of the other Drin' rolled with familiarity around the room, but a few
of the taller pupils were having trouble. Ellisande, thought far less practiced
in physical training, had her size to her advantage. Her small, skinny little
limbs were easier to keep track of, she found, and when she tucked herself
into a neat ball, she rolled with ease.
By the end of the first lap, Ellisande had nearly mastered the forward roll.
She could duck her head, moving from a kneel to smart, short roll quickly.
She tried the roll from a standing position, using her hands to cushion the
impact as she propelled forward. With her forward motion thrusting her forward,
she could bounce to her feet with little time or effort lost. She wasn't the
best, but she was one of the quickest and most coordinated.
Not that she was keeping score, of course. Ellisande hid her proud smile
behind a mask of concentration and focus.
The backward roll took more time to get used to. From the kneel, she had
only to sit back and push off of her heels. After she got used to combining
a slightly less shoddy backward fall into a roll, Ellisande found that by
tucking in her stomach and smoothing the line of her back and neck, she
could eliminate most of her trouble. She braced herself by using her forearm
like Saphire demonstrated, pushing herself backwards by kicking her legs
over her head. She helped herself to her feet by pushing off her palms.
Ellisande was, for the first time during class, feeling slightly more confident
as she rolled to her feet.
(Saphire's Feedback):
"Very good!" Saphire complimented Ellisande. Light the girl needed confidence.
Saphire Sedai was also glad it happened to be in one of the most useful
techniques in unarmed combat, moreso than the blunt falls she'd had trouble
with the day before. She watched as their newest gaidar-in-training moved
with grace across the floor. "Now go ahead and try rolling from standing,
child. It's exactly like kneeling only you bend down and forward first,
and for going backwards just bend your knees first. You will end up standing
again."
(Ellisande's Response):
Ellisande smiled in spite of herself at Saphire's praise. She was bruised
and sore from previous days of training, but it seemed she had found something
she was at least competant at. The rest of the students were all still much
more skilled, but she felt a tinge of confidence creeping back into her
morale. Not that she wanted to push her luck.
From the standing position, the rolls weren't much more difficult. She stood
on the edge of the mat, slightly raised on her toes, and bent forward. She
bent her knees slightly, placed her palms firmly on the floor, and kicked
her feet over her head. She remembered to keep her head tucked to her chest
as she rolled, using her momentum to stand up afterwards. Being the smallest
was beginning to have some advantages.
Backwards was a little bit more difficult to grow accustomed to, but Ellisande
got the hang of the roll after a few tries. She stood up straight, but bent
her knees as though she were going to sit down in a chair. She continued to
sit back until she felt the floor beneath her, curving her back and rolling.
She held her arms above her head, slightly bent, and placed her palms on the
floor as she sat. She then moved to put them on either side of her ears as
her head and neck met the mat. She propelled her feet over her head, pushed
off of her hands, and stepped out of the roll.
She only fell a few times, and towards the end of the lesson, she was feeling
quite content.
Stefyne:
Stefyne watched as Saphire Sedai demonstrated the rolls - moving from offensive
stance, kneeling on her right knee, left leg bent, left foot planted on the
ground. She continued watching as the Aes Sedai dempnstrated the backwards
roll and then repeated the two a couple of times. She thought she might
find this a little easier than some people in the clas because she was short
and thin, there wasn't so much of her body to keep control of.
Stefyne took up the offensive stance and then knelt with her left foot planted
firmly on the ground, her arms formed a circle like Saphire Sedai had demonstrated.
Then she pushed herself forewards onto her left arm, along her back and
over back to her kneeling position; well that had been the plan anyway,
and she managed to get as far as the basic roll, then she ran out of momentum,
ending up flat on her back. She tried again, this time pushing off a little
harder, it seemed to work better this time...it felt uncomfortable, and
she thought she might have rolled slightly wrong on her arm, because it
was hurting, but she ended up the way she should have done. She repeated
the roll until she could manage it everytime, but her arm still hurt each
time too. Ignoring it she moved on to the backwards rolls.
She couldn't seem to figure out how not to just propel herself flat onto
her back. Every attempt left her sprawled uncomfortable having smacked her
head on the mat. She glanced around to see if anyone was laughing at her,
feeling tears of frustration forming in her eyes, but everyone was concentrating
on their own rolls.
"I
will get this right if it kills me," she muttered as she tried
to roll backwards again, with the same result. "Maybe I shouldn't have said
that," she groaned, rubbing her hand over her aching skull.
She gave up on the bakcward rolls for a while and tried the foreward ones
from a standing position. To her suprise she performed the roll with ease;
her arm didn't even hurt!
Towards the end of the lesson Stefyne had finally managed to work out how
to
roll onto her back, but she couldn't seem to work out the technique
and by the time most of the other students were getting ready to leave her
head and neck were aching and she was feeling very dizy.
"I'm not going to give up!" she muttered, watching Saphire Sedai out of
the corner of her eye. Swallowing her pride she walked shyly over and asked
for help with the back rolls."
(Saphire's Feedback):
"Of course, child. I will help you after the others have left." Absantly,
Saphire cracked her knuckles and checked the water pitcher. "Feel free
to help yourself. You've been working hard on those rolls."
After a few moments, Saphire Sedai led Stefyne back onto the mat. "Remember
to curve your back, and tuck your chin in to your chest. . . here this might
help teach you how . ." The Aes Sedai immediatly crouched into a squat
on the mat, standing on her feet but curled up into a ball, although her
palms were flat on the ground before her. "I don't recommend you actually
use this because with hard impact it can be back for your neck and back of
your head. But it's simpler and may help you learn to roll." She continued,
"All you do, is roll forward along your spine, beginning at the base of your
neck. Make sure to curve your back, like this . ." She demonstrated by
tucking her head in, "Then push off forward and keep rolling until you land
on your feet again." Now she stood on the balls of her feet and pushed forward,
rolling along her spine and using her hands to guide her roll until she was
again in the crouching position.
"It's the same thing backwards. Just arch your back like a cat, tuck your
head in, and lean back into the fall." This time she demonstrated rolling
backwards.
"Practice those a few times, this should get you used to arching your back.
Then try the shoulder rolls again, only roll diagonally across your back
over your shoulder, but recall how to make your back smooth and curved and
how to lean backwards to get momentum. Stay in the same form as you roll."
Now Saphire stood up and with crossed arms she watched carefully.
(Stefyne's Response):
Stefyne gratefully took a long gulp of water as the others left the room,
then she followed Saphire Sedai to the mats.
Once the Aes Sedai had demonstrated the simple roll, showing the twchnique
of arching her back, Steyfne squatted and tried the same thing. She remembered
to tuck her head in as she rolled and was surprised to find that it wasn't
as uncomfotrable as it looked! She repeated the movement on the bakc and
smiled as she came back to the same position she had started in.
Once she had tried these a few times Stefyne attempted the shoulder rolls
again, concentrating on arching her back and tucking in her head. She smiled
in delight as she completed all of the rolls on both sides with little trouble.
"Was that better, Saphire Sedai?" she asked nervously.
(Saphire's Second Feedback):
Saphire nodded with small smile, "Yes, much better Stefyne. You have it
all down. Just practice it outside of class, it is crucial that this become
reflexive for you." With a brief nod, she continued on to the next student.
Lesson 4: Arm Blocks
"Arm blocks. Block punches with the bone of your forearm" Saphire Sedai
instructed, (OOC: the side that your pinky is in line with), "think of it
like the cutting edge of a sword. Whatever part of your body you are blocking
from, and hence direction, make sure it is with this line of bone and not
soft flesh. Keep your hands in a fist; thumb curled over your other fingers
otherwise on impact it'll break. This will be a simple block exercise; first
blocking right side, then left, up, and then down." She demonstrated, from
offensive stance her right arm swung from resting to vertical on the right
side and away from her body, the motion followed into the other three directions.
"And left arm." She switched her stance to defensive and repeated the blocks
with her other arm. "Make sure you are blocking out and away from your
body at all times, if your blocks are too close to your torso, they'll won't
help you."
"Now you try it until it feels natural."
Responses:
Tylira:
Tylira was loving this whole Warder thing. As much as the men distracted
her, she was still up at dawn every day, doing extra practice to try to make
up for her age and inexperience. Perhaps in time she would be able to spend
less time on the basics...in time. For now she would continue in these exercises
and hope that her merchant's body wouldn't let her down, At least it was
hardened and strengthened from travelling. Not for the first time, she shot
envious glances at Saphire as she demonstrated the new lesson with such grace
and flowing feirceness. Someday Tylira would have this grace!
The blocks seemed dangerous. As determined as Tylira was, she worried
slightly about the posibility of breaking an arm. She suspected that it would
not heal quickly, and she was not too keen on asking an Aes Sedai to heal
her. Maybe an Asha'man...yes...hmmm, that was worth a thought. Perhaps someday
if she was injured she could use that to her advantage. hmmm...yes!
She tried the blocks...left, right, up, down, again, again. again. again.
again. Over and over she tried the block, losing herself in the physical rhythm,
until the next thing she knew Saphire Sedai was dismissing them.
That had been theraputic. Quietly Tylira made a resolution, the next night
that she was kept up crying over her dead husband... she would practice those
blocks. On the way out, she approached Saphire Sedai.
"Aes Sedai, may I speak with you? I am not progressing as quickly as i
would like. I am mastering the classes as they come, but I have years of inexperience
to overcome. Can you suggest anything extra, like special exercises or a
different diet that could help me? I mean to excel at this, Aes Sedai, if
it is possible for me." She stood straight, her blonde hair fanning across
her shoulders, and damp with sweat, waiting for the Aes Sedai's response.
(Saphire's Feedback):
Saphire Sedai considered the older woman, one of the newer Drin'far'ji in
the Yard with a considerate look. She was thin, although relatively athletic
in her willowy build. "If you want to gain muscle faster, I would advise
that you eat more meats and nuts. Continue to eat your healthful vegtables
and fruits, and avoid eating too much grain. For exercises . . building
up your endurance would be good. I noticed you out of breath halfway through
class the other day. Running laps around the Yard would be best for that,
as would simple sparing, and standing for a few hours in both stances.
Use walking as a cool-down. Stretch, as always. To build up individual
muscles, do pushups, situps, pull-ups, work on the punching bag when you
learn the attacks in this class . . in general work on all of the techniques
in this class until they become reflex. Start slow and for short amounts
of time, don't strain anything, but gradually build up the difficulty and
length of time exercising." Drawing to a pause, Saphire asked, "Any other
questions?"
Ceralyn:
Ceralyn didn't really like the idea of blocking something with the bone
of her arm. She could just imagine the crunch of weapon hitting bone, and
the crunch wasn't from the weapon. Nonetheless, she assumed offensive stance
and practiced the arm blocks, making sure to keep her hands in a fist with
the thumb over the fingers. It wasn't very difficult, so she switched to
defensive stance and repeated her motions with her other arm, blocking away
from her body, keeping Saphire's admonishments in mind. She continued.
(Saphire's OOC Note):
The literal arm blocks are only meant when you are fighting someone who
is also unarmed. However the basic principle can be applied to weapons
as well. For example you should meet your opponent's sword with the cutting
edge of your sword (ie: the boned edge of your arm), not to mention the directions
of blocking and how far away they should be from you can be applied to things
like the staff. Block horizontally above and away from your head when their
weapon is coming down towards your head, same with an arm block.
Ellisande:
Ellisande copied Saphire's hands, balling her own hands into small, fierce
fists. She rolled her shoulders, inching out of swinging distance from the
other students. With the arms flying as they were, she had no intention
of being whacked in the head. She had the feeling that she'd get enough
of that in due time.
Adjusting her feet and taking up a defensive stance, Ellisande began to
practice the arm blocks. She started with her right hand, sharply twisting
her arm from one position to the next. She worked rigidly, jerking her arm
to and fro with concentration. She worried that her thin forearm would be
little protection against any serious blow. Still, she remembered to hold
her arm straight and strong.
It felt slightly ridiculous, her arms moving robotically from one position
to the next, but she soon found that she had fallen into a rhythm. Up, down,
right, left. Repeat. Up, down, right, left. She tried to forget about the
others around her and the way she looked to the outward eye, clearing her
mind and focusing on becoming used to the motions.
(Saphire's Feedback):
"In sparing and battle, there won't be a set routine for blocks. But it
is good to know that you may need to immediatly transition with another block.
Ellisande, you are focusing very well on giving each block its own movement.
But I want you to also work on the shift between them. Swiftly move to block
one side to the other, still strong and sturdy, but not constricted or in
abrupt motion. Take a few slow deep breaths first, and then loosen up your
shoulders; then you should be able to move more freely."
(Ellisande's Response):
Ellisande nodded politely. "Yes, Saphire Sedai. Thank you." She paused for
a moment, halting the endless routine of motion. She drew a deep breath
like her teacher had instructed, letting her shoulders droop and her arms
relax. She waited for a few seconds.
When she went back to the arm blocks, she went through all of the motions
in order once. And then she mixed them up. After all, the Aes Sedai had mentioned
that a set routine for blocks was only idealistic. She tried to focus on moving
easily from one block to another, making the movements both strong and fluid.
It was a difficult balance to strike, but Ellisande understood Saphire's
instructions. She had to be able to move from one block to another without
becoming caught up in strict, abrubt motions.
Again, she was reminded of dancing. Very strong, masculine, ferocious dancing...
but dancing nonetheless.
Lesson 5: Footwork
"Next is footwork, increasing and decreasing distance from your opponent.
This is how you protect against kicks: you back away in time. Footwork
can also be combined into other uses, such as when you go into a shoulder-role,
or adding extra power to your attacks, and are VERY useful with weapons
such as the sword and quarterstaff. Don't stand still when sparring or
fighting, keep moving! And this is how ..
"The first move is called an "Advance", you simply take a step with your
front foot, depending on whether you are in defensive or offensive stance,
and recover that distance with your back foot. Always step first with your
front foot and secondly with your back foot. The reverse is called a "Retreat".
"The second move is called a pass, it is stepping forward while switching
stances. Like so," Saphire moved into defensive stance with her left foot
forward and stepped forward with her right foot. Her left ankle changed positions
so that it faced diagonally left and her right foot pointed straightforward.
The same space between her feet was maintained. The reverse is a "Pass Back".
This move covers more ground than an Advance or a Retreat. Double-Advances,
and Double-Passes as well as their reverses are commonly used as well to
cross more distance.
"Third is a "Jumping-Advance", this is one of the few times when it is
wise to cross your feet." She demonstrated, from offensive stance she stepped
forward with her left foot, shifted her weight, sprung into the air, and
landed in offensive stance a small distance farther than a Double-Pass forward.
"This move covers a great amount of distance in a short length of time. Usually
you won't need to cover this much area, it's more often used by people
wielding swords or quarterstaves. Sometimes you may not want to keep so
strict to form anyway in the heat of a fight, but it is a useful move to
know because it works well for transitions."
Saphire looked from one student to the other. "Now, practice this footwork
and make sure you have the forms down accurately and can transitions quickly.
I'll be watching to correct you."
Responses:
Sheralina:
'Lina watched as Saphire Sedai showed them footwork. She remembered remarking
to someone that it seemed a bit like dancing. Maybe it had been her sword
teacher. She very carefully copied Saphire Sedai's advance, retreat, pass,
back pass, doble-advances, double-passes, and thier reverse. Those she could
easily thin of in terms of her sword.
The one she had a small problem with was the jumping-advance. She had never
liked jumping with the sword, she had visions of chopping something off. She
decided the best way to handle that was to use the void.
She carefully fed her nerves and all other thoughts to the flame. Soon she
was calm. She nodded and carefully she stepped forward with her left foot,
shifted her weight, sprung into the air, and landed in offensive stance a
small distance farther than a Double-Pass forward. She looked down and conradulated
herself. She practiced the jumping-advance until she felt she no longer needed
the void in order to preform the move.
Why didn't I think of this during sword traing? she thought to herself.
Havelocke:
The Instructor's words rang like a death knell, "Next is footwork..." That
was a problem. Half the time his Light-burned foot
didn't work.
But with grim determination, he set his mind to it, hoping his body would
follow suit. Advancing from an offensive stance was easy enough, it was similar
to how he walked normally, moving ahead with his right foot and leaving his
left to make up the slack. And for the same reason, retreat from the defensive
was simple. He managed the other advance and retreats with his decades-old
wound barely protesting, and moved on to practising the passes, feeling pretty
good about himself.
Havelocke wasn't too keen on pressing his luck with a jumping advance, so
he procrastinated, continuing practising his advances, retreats, and passes
until he was absolutely sure of himself. He could put off attempting a jump
no longer, although, in the end, it was his stubborn pride that won out, all
around him people who seemed less than a third of his age were leaping like
happy mountain goats, and he'd be burned if he let them show him up. He
gritted his teeth and leapt, landing hard on his game leg. His knee buckled,
but held his weight. He exhaled sharply, wiping clammy sweat from his brow.
Surely once is enough for that exercise...
Ashram:
Ashram wiped the sweat from his bro. He was thoroughly sweating now after
all, he worked out pretty hard these last few days. He smiles and decides
to get back to it, as soon he'll be done with the first stage of this unarmed
combat. He watches as Saphire teaches the next lesson and it seems easy
enough.
Ashram gets himself into an offensive stance, putting his left foot forward
and to the north and then he takes his right foot a little behind and northeast.
He then steps forward quickly with his left, followed by his right. Ash
practices this a few times and then does the reverse, performing the retreat.
When Ash decides to try the Pass, he gives it a go. He gets into an offensive
stance, stepping forward with his left foot, his ankle changing directions
diagonally, and his right foot remaining still as he moved forward. He does
this over and over again, learning and picking it up well enough to be fluid,
then moving to the reverse.
Ash decided to give the Jumping-Advance a try. He lands incorrectly the
first time, and falls, he gets up. He repeats the proccedure quite a few
times before it begins to become second nature. He steps forward with his
left foot and jumps, keeping his feet crossed as he then lands and shifts
into an offensive stance, pushing his left foot forward and and his right
behind it. He keeps his right arm close to his body, palm down and pushes
out his left hand to block.
He waits to be watched as he works on all three of these moves somemore.
(Saphire's Feedback):
"The Jumping Advance is the most challenging . ." Saphire Sedai commented
as she observed Ashram perform the move. "I am glad to see you have a good
instinct to block upon landing. But although this jump requires you to
cross your feet in the air, they should not still be crossed when you are
on the ground. What might help, is landing first with what will be your
hind leg, and continue to step forward with that momentum and fully land
with your front leg. That is, if you are jumping from offensive stance to
offensive stance, land with your back right leg first and then continue moving
forward as you step with your left foot." Folding her arms, with an intrequed
quiet smile, she watched, "Try that, and well see how it helps."
(Ashram's Response):
He nods as Saphire speaks and he tries it again, this time a little differently.
He crosses his legs as he jumps into the air and then comes down on his
hind right leg first and then uses his momentum to push him forward to his
left leg, coming out into a perfect offensive stance. He tries it a few
more times and then turns to Saphire."Thank you, Saphire Sedai, it was much
appreciated..."Ash smiles warmly at her..
Algain:
when the advance was demonstrated, Algain thought back to his flail training.
"Never cross your bloody legs, never move your feet closer than shoulder-width
apart, it'll slow you and make you unstable." Algain shook his head, Atreus's
lesson had been harder than this one. the advance and retreat he already
had covered, so he gave a few trial steps, then moved on.
next was the pass. stepping your rear foot through, and swiveling you body
half a turn to end up in the opposing position. offensive to defensive or
vice-versa. Algain switched back and forth several times, checking that his
feet assumed the correct position and that his arms remained where they were
supposed to be. the pass back was the same but moving the other way, Algain
went through these as well.
after several passes, Algain moved onto the jumping-advance. he stepped
forward with his left leg, then sprang forward with his right leg forced
through. the result was a lot of ground gained, but his feet very close
and pointing in the wrong direction. he frowned and shook his head, then
tried again, this time with less of a leap. his feet needed some quick shuffling
to align properly but at least they were the right distance apart. he continued
this for a little while, then practiced several moves in succesion. he went
from the advance to a pass, retreat to jumping advance followed by a double
pass. always trying to keep his movements flowing and continous.
Ellisande:
Ellisande's head swam. She was used to memorizing dates and historic text
and Old Tongue passages and the geography of the land. She was used to learning
names and times and status and family lineage. Now, as Saphire Sedai rattled
off several names, and as her feet danced around, Ellisande began to feel
a bit confused. She focused on the teacher's moving feet, praying silently
that she would be able to keep these movements straight.
What I wouldn't give for a lesson in Old Tongue, she thought wistfully.
She had always hated her tutors at home in Cairhien, but now...
When it was her turn to practice, she tried to clear her mind of her confusion.
The first few moves Saphire had demonstrated weren't that difficult. She
stepped forward. An advance. She moved backwards. Retreat. She was careful
to keep her feet untangled and her balance even. Noblewomen were taught from
the earliest age to be graceful. At least she had that much down. She could
flow from one movement to the other without toppling over both feet.
The words swam in her head, though.
Double passes and advances and retreats
and jumping... something... passes... She glanced over at her neighboring
student, a sturdy fellow with hard eyes. He was a bit to the front and left
of her. Ellisande watched as his feet moved with skill, and she copied every
movement he made. She jumped from offensive stance moving forward, landing
easily. She danced forwards and backwards, to the right and the left.
And she never stopped watching the other student's feet. But the movements
became more and more familiar as she repeated the cycle.
(Saphire's Feedback):
"Would you like me to review the footwork with you, child?" Saphire asked
in a soft voice as she wove her way towards Ellidande. She saw the footwork
was coming slow to her. "Or have me watch you practice and give feedback?"
(Ellisande's Response):
"Oh!" Ellisande glanced up quickly, her feet falling still. The other boy
continued to dance along, and she was left in the dust, completely lost.
Saphire Sedai had startled her, all but sneaking up behind the new Drin'.
Ellisande cleared her throat. "I suppose I could... try again. And let you
give me some feedback. It's just... taking me some time to get the terms
down." Ellisande blinked. She nodded, more to herself, and tried to get rid
of the dizzy feeling that was creeping into her head. Watching her feet for
so long had given her a headache.
"Um. Advance." Ellisande moved to an offensive position with her left foot
forward. She stepped forward with her left foot and recovered the distance
with her right. She glanced over at Saphire once for confirmation. "And then,
Retreat." She scooted backwards with her right foot, still at a diagonal,
and then slid her left foot back. "Right?"
She moved on after a few minutes. The first two steps were the easiest,
she knew. "And then the... pass." Ellisande glanced at the boy to her right
once, and then tried the move. She moved into defensive stance, stepping
forward and switching her stances. She moved backwards, switching again.
Maybe this isn't so difficult, after all... p'haps it just took me a moment
to get this...
Finally, the move that Ellisande was having the most difficulty with: the
Jumping Advance. She had a premonition of crashing into another student,
imagining herself crushed beneath a pile of toppling warriors. She made sure
that she had plenty of room, and then she moved into an offensive stance
with her right foot pointing forward. She stepped forward with her left foot,
leapt into the air for a moment, and landed. She thought she had done it
correctly, even if she had only covered a little bit of ground.
"I'm think I'm getting the hang of it."
Lesson 6: Basic Punches and Kicks
Watching her students in the brief moment at ease, Saphire realized that
the Training Session was nearly over. They had had a good work out, but
now was time for what some had been waiting for.
"Now we move on to offensive moves." She called out, "Offensive position!"
and watched their transitions before moving into her own offensive stance.
"First is the punch. Like in arm blocks, make your right hand into a fist
and curve your thumb over your fingers. Position your arm before you as
if you've delivered a punch, then bend your wrist down so that your knuckles
are hitting straight on. The contact you make is with your knuckles, not
the flat backside of your fingers." When they seemed to have the form of
the punch right, Saphire moved on to delivering it.
"When you punch, begin by holding your right fist at your right hip, palm
and knuckles pointing up. When you deliver your punch rotate your wrist
as your arm shoots forward. It helps in practice to switch between your left
handed and right handed punch." She demonstrated, as her left-hand punch
returned to her left hip her right hand punch delivered forward. They worked
as counter balances of each other. "Practice in offensive and defensive stance."
"Next are kicks, the first is the side-kick: From offensive stance first
practice rotating on the ball of your left forward foot as you lift your
right leg up. Practice rotating your left foot so that your heel almost points
to your target ahead of you." (OOC: 180 degree rotation so that your left
heel is facing north) "The object is to both shift your weight to your left
leg, knee still slightly bent, and deliver an unconstrained kick with your
right foot. When you kick with your right foot it is mainly the arch and
partially the heel of your foot that makes contact. The motion snaps quickly
from you knee, while you pull your arms close to your torso in defense and
balance by leaning back; then return to offensive stance." She repeated the
demonstration from defensive stance.
"The next kick is called 'Round House'. It involves the same motion
as the sidekick except that you hit not straight on ahead of you, but from
the side with the top of your foot. This is for softer target areas only,
and is more like a quick slap than a bone-breaker." Saphire demonstrated
with the same whip-like motion, this time arching her right foot from the
side and hitting an imaginary figure with the topside of her foot. Then
reversed and did the same from defensive stance kicking with her left foot.
"The next kick is called "Axe Kick" and is very good for getting behind
defenses, and is somewhat easier to master than the other kicks. Again,
you transfer your weight to your front left leg from offensive stance, but
this time you do not rotate your heel. Instead you bend your knee slightly
and swing your right leg in an upward arch. It is one of the only times I
would recommend locking that knee as it comes in to cut like an axe. The
contact area is along the arch of your foot, thus you want to angle it - making
your arch the "cutting edge" as it swings forwards and up. Again, return
to offensive stance simply by swinging down and back." Saphire demonstrated
both from offensive and defensive stance. Then a small wry smile crossed
her face, "If you are sparing, and barefoot, remember to trim your toenails
before doing this kick. I've seen someone cut between the eyes when attacked
with this."
Frowning a moment, Saphire considered teaching the more difficult spin-kick
. . but then decided that it might be too much to learn in one session.
Perhaps in another training session. "Now, practice all of these kicks.
I will come around and watch."
Responses:
Algain:
Algain grinned as he moved to his offensive stance, it was time to learn
to hit people. he extended his right arm in front of him, then curled up
his fist. his thumb tucked over his fingers and he bent his wrist up so
that his knuckles were futher from his body than the backs of his fingers.
now to to throw a punch. Algain dropped his hand down to his side, palm
up, still in a fist. when he punched it rolled under, coming up with his
wrist locked as his arm shot forward. hetried this again, then again. then
he tried with his left hand, then started alternating between the two. his
left punching as his right came back.
next were kicks, the first was a side kick which seemed easy enough. Algain
first practiced standing on just his left leg, then swiveling back and forth
on his left heel. then he swiveled round and delivered a kick with his right
leg, slowly to begin with. his right arm came up his side, out of the way
and his right leg came up, knee bent fully. as it came to the right height,
his knee straightened and his foot shot forward at stomach height. he wobbled
as his leg kicked out, but then regained his balance and drew his leg back
in. he spent some time on this, getting his balance right as his foot came
forward. after a while he switched to a defensive stance, this time kicking
with his left leg. his blance on his right ankle was not so good and this
took longer till he could do it with a barley noticeable wobble as his leg
returned to its correct position.
the nest kick, the roundhouse, was similar. however, instead of delivering
the kick with the bottom of the foot, the leg swung round more and struck
with the top of the foot. having found his balance with his previous attempts
at the side kick, Algain found this much easier.
the last was the axe kick, 'somewhat easier to master than the other kicks.'
fine, thought Algain, I can do easy stuff. it was easy, requiring the attacker
to simply swing their right leg upwards with the leg straight. Again Algain's
balance threatened to let him down but he corrected this by bringing his leg
back futher, leaving him in a defensive stance after the kick. the same was
true on the other side, his left leg swinging up from a defensive position
then returning to an offensive position.
(Saphire's Feedback):
"Good, good for most of them. Although here's a pointer about the axe kick
and regaining balence - it's best if you know how to return to offensive
as well as defensive. When you kick, bend your standing leg at the knee
slightly. Then when your kicking foot archs back down again let it swing
like a returning pendulum back behind you, leaving you in offensive stance."
She nodded with a slight smile, "Go ahead an try that."
Ellisande:
Ellisande nodded to herself, watching Saphire demonstrate this last lesson.
She wrapped her hand into a tight fist, mentally going through the movements
herself before stepping away from the circle of students. The rest of the
pupils spread out over the mats, and Ellisande claimed a spot for herself.
She rolled her shoulders and began.
She started with the punch. The stances were, thankfully, like second nature
now. She moved into an offensive stance with her left foot pointing forward.
Using her right hand, her knuckles pointing forward, Elle made a ferocious
punch into the space in front of her.
It was slightly invigorating. She let loose, letting both hands fly. Right,
left, right, left. She switched her stances. It felt less familiar going through
the motions from the defensive stance, but not difficult at all. Ellisande
smiled. Just so long as there weren't any punches coming back at her, she
was fine.
Making sure that she had plenty of space around her, Ellisande began to
try the kicks. Luckily, she was small and compact. For once, she was thankful
for her little limbs. The taller students had more to worry about, she saw.
She tried the side-kick, pivoting on her left heel and sending her right leg
up. The bottom of her foot thwacked the imaginary foe dead-on. She found it
surprisingly easy to keep her balance.
The round house was the next move. Ellisande worked on this one for a little
while, noticing that it was almost identical to the side-kick except for
the way in which the foot contacted the enemy. She tried this from both offensive
and defensive stances, and after awhile, she had the skill down pretty well.
The final move was the axe kick. This one took Ellisande a little while
to master; she had to get used to balancing on one leg, slightly bent, as
she swung her right leg in an upwards arch. After this, however, she found
that she could make an effective swipe at her imaginary foe at about knee-height.
She had to spend more time practicing this particular move, but it paid
off in the end.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Ellisande continued to practice the various
punches and kicks.
(Saphire's Feedback):
"Very good Ellidande!" Saphire exclaimed, watching her from the side.
"Since when did you become dangerous? You're certainly developing into
a fine warrior." It was true, the Yard's newest Gaidar-in-Training was
beginning to attain the skills of combat, but Saphire decided to be more
vocal in expressing it to give her encouragement and reward for her efforts.
Saphire waved for her to follow to the back of the room. "I think you're
ready to try these attacks against a solid object, here is a sand bag." She
motioned to the bag hanging from a chain latched into the ceiling. Put
your force into punching and kicking
through it. It will take some
practice, but soon you will be used to not just the tecnique but making an
impact with it. Also, make sure to keep your knuckles as the point of contact
in your punch." Stepping back, she added. "And because you are smaller
it limits how high your legs can kick. Outside of class you should stretch
your limbs so that you can kick higher . . Ready? . . Go!"
(Ellisande's Response):
Ellisande smiled in spite of herself.
"You certainly are becoming a fine
warrior." It was an odd feeling, thinking of herself as actually competant
at fighting, and she was slightly disconcerted at the thought that she might
be able to succeed. Following Saphire over to the punching bag, she quavered
between unusual glee and somber surprise.
"I'm ready," Ellisande said, taking up the offensive stance with her left
foot forward. She took a deep breath, raising her right arm and balling her
fist. She knew the motions, now, but hitting something was completely different.
Still. Saphire had been encouraging, and Ellisande felt a bit of confidence
sweeping into her chest. She could do this.
It's just a bag of sand, after all, Ellisande thought regally. She
threw her little fist forward and hit the sand bag dead on.
She grunted a little, taking a step back. The sand bag swung just a little
and then fell still. Wincing, Ellisande messaged her delicate knuckles.
Shaking her head, though, she stepped back into the offensive stance. "I
didn't realize it was so... heavy."
Taking a deep breath, Ellisande moved forward. Using every inch of her musculature
she attacked the back. A punch from the right, a punch from the left. She
turned and made a side kick, and went back to punching with every fiber in
her body. She swung her leg as high as she could manage and kicked with all
her might. The punching bag was swinging, now, and she had to pace back and
forth, ducking as it came back towards her or making a retreat before swinging
with the next arm.
She kept at it for several minutes, using all of the kicks and punches she
had learned and combining, without thinking about it, the footwork from earlier
lessons. Elle finally stopped, waiting for the punching bag to stop swinging.
She took a deep breath, her little chest heaving from the exertion.
And then she smiled. She felt more energetic, even though she was out of
breath, and she felt oddly proud.
(Saphire's Second Response):
"Good!" Saphire Sedai exclaimed, claping Ellisande on the back in the fashion
of a warrior, she'd earned it. "Congratulations, you've learned the basics
of physical combat. Keep practicing and it will become natural, your muscles
will grow used to it." With a very warm smile, seeing how much Ellisande
had put into her training, Saphire finished, "I'll see you tomorrow, we'll
start on combat theory which should be your forte."
Ceralyn:
Ceralyn began with the punches Saphire had demonstrated. The concept seemed
simple enough, and she was confident she would be able to get the punches
down quickly, so long as she didn't think about actually using them on someone.
She held her hands out in front of her and made her right hand into a fist,
thumbs outside. She bent her wrist down so her knuckles were pointing away
from her. It felt a bit odd, but when she turned her fist so her palm was
facing up, and moved her arm back to her hip, it felt almost natural. She
slowly rotated her wrist and arm forward and up. Simple. She repeated it,
gaining speed. She practiced alternating arms as Saphire had said and she
nearly grinned. It was almost fun. Switching into defensive stance, she
repeated the motions.
(Saphire's Feedback):
To get "competancy" that is, second point, she would have to spar in addition
to passing section two / passing another training session. The spar .
. . hm . . the idea is to place her in an actual combat situation, even
if she doesn't win. Concievably if you want her to get out of passafist
mode, this could be your chance because it would provide a challenge to her
currently held beliefs. Or, have her demonstrate self defense in sparing
and see how much she can hold the other off.
(Ceralyn's Response):
Ceralyn nodded gratefully as Saphire gave her a few pointers (we can pretend,
right?) on her punching. She practiced them until she had them down, then
she moved on to the kicks Saphire had demonstrated in the beginning of the
class. She began with the first one they had learned, the side kick. She
began in offensive stance, and rotated her body on the ball of her left foot
as she shifted her weight to that foot in order to lift the arched right
foot up and kick with it. She switched to defensive stance and repeated the
motions.
The kick called 'Round House' was for softer targets, Saphire had said,
and Ceralyn kept that in mind as she kicked. It was similar to the first
one they had learned, but you hit the target with the top of your foot, which
was an odd sensation at first, but one she got accustomed to quickly. It wasn't
that difficult from defensive stance either, and she quickly got the hand
of it. The 'Axe Kick' was a bit harder, because she had become used to rotating
her heel, and now she had to bend her knee and arch her right leg upwards,
with the arch of her foot hitting the target. She tried it in slow motion
first, then sped up slowly. She was careful though, as Saphire's admonition
about the toenails had made her feel as though she had to watch over her
shoulder at every motion. She didn't like that feeling, a feeling of constant
fear almost, like she couldn't be comfortable ever. Was that what being Aes
Sedai had done to her?
Tylira:
Offensive Combat moves! Now here was what Tylira was hoping to excel in!
All those light tussles with Kyeler had to somehow pay off!
Quickly she moved into the Offensive stance, her blood pounding in her
ears. She glanced down the ranks of other trainees...she felt almost as if
she were a part of one of those strange machines she had seen down in Cairhein
in that new school...all the little bits whirling together to make a complete
whole. Perhaps she was...or would be once she had this thing down properly!
Saphire Sedai was discussing how to deliver a punch...well, she could
see where she had gone wrong all these years...she'd been using the backs
of her fingers, not the knuckles. She twisted her hand down, lining up her
knuckles. It would take a bit of practice to make it a habit...but she was
confident that hard work could defeat that.
she practiced the punches with the new positioning as she was told...right
and left, defensive and offensive positioning. She tried a few combinations,
boldly and flawlessly switching between the stances as if she had been doing
it all her life, to deliver the somewhat more awkward punches with her left
and right hands. In fact, she got so into it that she tried to do both at
once, losing her balance and laughing softly to herself as she tried to re-balance
and try again. Now it was time for those kicks...
The sidekick was tricky...she needed a couple tries before she had the
stance right, and then it only got harder, as she tried to deliver the kick
while maintaining the balance. It made sense to her now, why they had to practice
those stances, they were the basis for everything else. After a while, when
the sweat had slicked her entire body in a thin sheen, and was dripping off
a few of her shorter hairs and down her back, she finally thought she had
that side-kick down. She tried it several times in defensive mode...mmmmhmmm
it seemed to be rolling well.
The round house was much easier...it seemed to work well with her natural
flexibility, but she soon realized why Saphire Sedai had said to use it on
the softer areas of the body, unlike the sidekick there was a lot of potential
for danger in this one. She spun with the round house kick, trying it again
and again, until winded she had to pause. It made a good transition, and she
figured it was about time to head into that axe-kick.
Saphire Sedai had said it was easier to learn than the others, and she
was right. After the other kicks, this one was a breeze. She practiced it
about a dozen times, and then gave it one last try...
owwwwwww!!!! she
pulled a muscle in her inner leg. That did not feel right! Obviously she
had twisted wrong in that last kick...she would have to remedy that, and
go a little easier on that leg until it healed well enough.
Havelocke:
Havelocke shifted to the offensive position and began practising punching
as instructed. None of his earlier schooling had involved training in such
an ungentlemanly art as fisticuffs, but he did recognise the usefulness
of such skills. One could not always have one's sword at hand. He fell
easily into the left-right rhythm demonstrated by the instructor.
The kicks presented more difficulty for him. After a few false starts in
which he very nearly wound up in an undignified position, he was able to balance
on his damaged leg to aim a kick with his right foot. In this manner he
was able to successfully imitate both the roundhouse and the side-kicks.
The axe-kick, however, presented an insurmountable obstacle for him as his
left leg simply refused to both support his weight and bend at the knee at
the same time. He only barely saved himself from tipping over several times.
Naturally, using his injured leg as the weapon for a kick was out of the
question.
He glanced hopelessly at Saphire Sedai. His pride would not permit him
to admit to his inability to complete the lesson. He could not say, "I can't."
And yet the fact remained. He could not.
(Saphire's Feedback):
In the time she had gotten to know him, she had learned both of his injury
from the Aeil War and of his . . cultural background, that would not allow
admittance of a disadvantage. Saphire Sedai caught Havelocke's expression,
and knew what it meant. She frowned slightly in thought. The class lessons
were not tailored for individual students as Training Sessions were, which
was its shortcoming, as they relied heavily on the one dicipline she knew
well. As his teacher and Mentor, she was obligated to find a solution to
this delema . .
"Havelocke," She approached in as casual a manner as she could manage.
Taking a short deep breath as she switched into the Game's tactics, Saphire
Sedai told herself that she would be using them not to hurt but to save another's
honor. "There is a dicipline that I am less familiar with, but may be more
suited for you. Follow me . . "
As she led him to a free corner of the mat where the punching bag hung from
a chain, Saphire Sedai mentally prepared to explain this technique to be
used in place of the axe kick. "This kick is optimal for use with a weapon,
or against armor, but it can still apply in unarmed combat." She began before
turning to face the punching bag, "Lift your leg to about knee-height and
stomp forward and down on their knee." Saphire Sedai demonstrated on the
punching bag, puting more of her body weight into the kick than the other
kicks she had taught which relied on the leg muscles and joint rotation.
"This is less stressful on the leg, but has more force than speed. The
point is more to knock your opponent off-balence than to hurt them, unless
you do stomp directly on their knee which WILL hurt. It is about the only
kick you can use against armor . . which I think is the sort of combat you
will encounter more often anyway." Again Saphire demonstrated kicking higher
at mid-section level. The bag swung backwards with force, she caught it
as it returned. "Try it."
It should be easier on your knee.
(Havelocke's Response):
Havelocke watched as Saphire Sedai approached, fearing that she had noticed
weakness on his part. He remained guarded around her, although he detected
no subtle jibe in her remarks, only an honest desire to teach. He followed
her to a punching back where she demonstrated a kick that was supposed to
be more appropriate against an armoured assailant.
This seems quite
useful, if I can use it in conjunction with a weapon. I certainly hope
I never have to fight without my sword. He winced internally as he
imagined such a kick connecting with his knee, but proceeded to attempt these
kicks with vigour. He was able to manage these kicks easily enough despite
his disability. He concentrated on practising these kicks for a while, until
a warning twinge from his leg told him that, easier kicks or no, he ought
to stop. Still, he ended the class beaming, feeling triumphant.
(Saphire's Second Response):
Leave your issues at the door. This is a place to teach and learn not
act out grudges. It was the same thing she had told her students.
With a tight smile, Saphire Sedai nodded, "You've demonstrated that you
have learned this kick, and have thus completed the class. I will mark you
as Trained in Unarmed Combat, Havelocke Drin'far'ji." She clasped her hands
behind her back, "You are exscused for today, and may return for Section
Two on Combat Theory if you so desire." At that, she made her move to
turn. Little did she know that the next time she would see him, it would
be her rescue.