65th of Ymiden, Arc 717
"Void," the master commanded. His apprentice - Alistair - stepped aside, throwing his feet back and narrowly dodging the spear. "Do you remember what Voiding is?" the man asked, jabbing the Venora with a rapid strike from the butt end of his spear. "Clearly not," he stated, spitting.
"Voiding is the art of consistent, fluid dodging. Not a singular backstep, not a singular motion that ends before another can follow. It is the art of keeping your feet light, keeping your eyes peeled and your reflexes keen. Try again!" he yelled. With a similar motion, he swept the spear horizontally, and Alistair stepped back and dodged. Then, with a strafe, he pulled away from the jab that followed. Keanu swiped his spear downward, only to meet the shaft of Alistair's spear, who then utilized his strength to counter and disarm his opponent, flinging it to the side with a firm and swift motion.
"Good, good!" the Biqaj exclaimed. "But I am not dead yet. You see, a Shadowdancer can fight even without a weapon. It is not only a spear style, but a style of reflexes, adaptation, acrobatics and maneuvering. In truth, it is as much acrobatics as it is the spear, though the dilettante practitioners would tell you otherwise," he explained. Alistair nodded his head, shuffling his feet and jumping lightly, back and forth.
"Excellent, Alistair. Keeping yourself moving is a wonderful way to be nimble and untouchable in a fight. Remember that," he stated.
"Now, I want you to perform a proper front-flip and back-flip. The refinement of your acrobatic skill is something you're direly lacking. You can dodge well enough, but you can't do so in the most unique and challenging ways, and certainly not on the fly." The man stepped back, giving himself some space between he and his apprentice. Then, turning his face to the side, he leaned forward and proceeded to flip himself straight-wise. A demonstration.
"Let me explain. Do you know what a punch jump is? It's a jump where as you fly forward, your hands - typically curled into a fist - are before you and ready to beat some trashy strumpet. Start with the punch jump," he commanded, and then demonstrated it for himself, landing and preparing to go again. "Then, tuck your knees, and rotate forward. Keep your hands around your shin, or near at least. Eventually I'll teach you to perform a master's front-flip where you need only a singular hand or even the weight of your spear, but that's a while from now. For now, front-flip like a loser," he stated, and began a second demonstration.
"Land with your knees bent, your arms before you," he motioned, showing Alistair what he meant, visually. "Then, straighten your body and raise your arms straight up for your finish. Well, I suppose that's if you want to be theatrical. You don't have to do it exactly like that," he explained. With a gesture, he motioned for Alistair to try.
"Void," the master commanded. His apprentice - Alistair - stepped aside, throwing his feet back and narrowly dodging the spear. "Do you remember what Voiding is?" the man asked, jabbing the Venora with a rapid strike from the butt end of his spear. "Clearly not," he stated, spitting.
"Voiding is the art of consistent, fluid dodging. Not a singular backstep, not a singular motion that ends before another can follow. It is the art of keeping your feet light, keeping your eyes peeled and your reflexes keen. Try again!" he yelled. With a similar motion, he swept the spear horizontally, and Alistair stepped back and dodged. Then, with a strafe, he pulled away from the jab that followed. Keanu swiped his spear downward, only to meet the shaft of Alistair's spear, who then utilized his strength to counter and disarm his opponent, flinging it to the side with a firm and swift motion.
"Good, good!" the Biqaj exclaimed. "But I am not dead yet. You see, a Shadowdancer can fight even without a weapon. It is not only a spear style, but a style of reflexes, adaptation, acrobatics and maneuvering. In truth, it is as much acrobatics as it is the spear, though the dilettante practitioners would tell you otherwise," he explained. Alistair nodded his head, shuffling his feet and jumping lightly, back and forth.
"Excellent, Alistair. Keeping yourself moving is a wonderful way to be nimble and untouchable in a fight. Remember that," he stated.
"Now, I want you to perform a proper front-flip and back-flip. The refinement of your acrobatic skill is something you're direly lacking. You can dodge well enough, but you can't do so in the most unique and challenging ways, and certainly not on the fly." The man stepped back, giving himself some space between he and his apprentice. Then, turning his face to the side, he leaned forward and proceeded to flip himself straight-wise. A demonstration.
"Let me explain. Do you know what a punch jump is? It's a jump where as you fly forward, your hands - typically curled into a fist - are before you and ready to beat some trashy strumpet. Start with the punch jump," he commanded, and then demonstrated it for himself, landing and preparing to go again. "Then, tuck your knees, and rotate forward. Keep your hands around your shin, or near at least. Eventually I'll teach you to perform a master's front-flip where you need only a singular hand or even the weight of your spear, but that's a while from now. For now, front-flip like a loser," he stated, and began a second demonstration.
"Land with your knees bent, your arms before you," he motioned, showing Alistair what he meant, visually. "Then, straighten your body and raise your arms straight up for your finish. Well, I suppose that's if you want to be theatrical. You don't have to do it exactly like that," he explained. With a gesture, he motioned for Alistair to try.
Anyway, this training thread was a fun read, I'm glad I got the chance to review it!