Martial Arts Training

[albatross]

Martial Arts Training (Tiger, Akane, Bel, Lt. White, Roan and Marv 7am to 11am)

Training Peacemaker, Rock and Dancer in martial arts.

Peacemaker will learn Aikido from Roan with Tiger as coach.

Rock will learn Aikido from Roan with Lt. White as coach.

Dancer will learn Aikido from Roan, Tiger Claw from Tiger, Taido from Lt. White, and Ch'in-na from Marv. Marv is her coach.

Akane will assist using wooden training swords as a sparring opponent.

Bel is on hand to provide medical assistance if necessary.

[albatross]

The first day, after all the schedules and assignments have been handed out Tiger has Roan take over the martial arts training.

Roan is a mute telepath, so her 'voice' appears inside everyone's heads. She telepathically explains the philosophy of Aikido, spending time covering the details of how opponents actions are assisted rather than opposed. She also puts directly into everyone's heads images of the concepts they will be covering today. The first lesson is a basic Aikido form.

Once the lesson plan has been detailed, Roan asks the three students to practice and study the form with their coaches. As soon as Dancer beings listening to Roan, Kris can feel her as a meta again. She isn't a powerhouse like Rock or Peacemaker, but her control over her powers is like a light switch. A minute ago her aura was exactly like a normal kid. Now she is clearly something more.

Tiger coaches Peacemaker, Lt. White coaches Rock, and Marv coaches Dancer. Each of the coaches doesn't know Aikido, but they are all martial arts geniuses who just saw the form projected into their heads - they know more than enough to get the kids started, and whenever the coaches have a question, Roan reads their thoughts and answers it before they even verbalize it.

While Roan walks around the room, she mentally asks Akane to pick out a practice sword. There are a variety of bokken and shinai in the training area, as well as all kinds of pads and protective gear.

Rock repeats the introductory form diligently, practicing it over and over and settling into a comfortable rhythm. Each time he repeats the exercise he becomes more comfortable with it, and its easy to see this is a natural way of moving for him. He occasionally slips into his own personal style, but he or Lt. White recognize this and work on it.

Peacemaker asks Tiger questions at several points. She is an agile genius, but she has never studied martial arts before and it takes her some time to work out what she should be concentrating on.

Dancer performs the form flawlessly the first time she tries it, and Marv teaches her some Ch'in-na techniques while they wait for Rock and Peacemaker to finish learning.

Once Roan is satisfied, she switches to a partner form where the coach and the student alternately rehearse attacks and defense. Dancer has more trouble with this, because Marv makes her use her full strength against him before he is satisfied she knows the move. "Harder kid. Those other kids might hurt me if they punched full strength, but you've got to hit me with all your worth or won't even feel it. Not quite enough.. stronger."

Then after a few more partner moves, Roan asks Akane to team up with Lt. White and Rock to work on a multiple attackers partner form. The three of them will switch off facing two opponents at once in a ritualized form. Roan explains that the advanced training will include freestyle sparring against multiple opponents....

[sasqaricious]

Akane prepares for the multiple attackers form?

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At first, Akane and Rock go through the exercise at half speed and half strength with Roan herself. The mutant deflects and channels thier attacks with the ease of a painter creating a watercolor. Rock drops a bit hard. Roan telepathically tells him that the excess force was his own momentum. Aikido uses an opponents strength. She tells him that when she tells everyone to use half thier strength he must use a fourth. Then Lt. White takes over as the victim. Akane and Rock are both very quick, even moving at half speed, and White has trouble defending at first using the unfamiliar form. He adjusts, they try again a few times. Then Rock takes on the roll of defender. A quarter of Rocks strength feels like normal human strength, but his agility is equal to Akane's. When she and Lt. White move at half speed, they can't get him. Once Rock learns the basics of the form, Roan says inside thier minds: full speed, Rock keep your strength low. Lt. White strike (no bonus with Aikido) [dice=20] Rock (no bonus with Aikido yet) [dice=20][rand=71675959192752894951032875375639403087799595229978610080559223124375]

[sasqaricious]

Akane observes as this is going on, not a user of Akido but Kendo it is still good to watch and learn from the different styles if just to use it as a means to an end

[albatross]

The training continues. And the next day there is more to learn. Roan does not spend much time reviewing, quickly judging the students mastery of the previous day's techniques the diving into new forms and practice moves. Akane is kept busy as a practice attacker, and is also integral in teaching defense against weapons. Roan has her use a wooden knife, a wooden sword, a bokken all to get the students to rehearse defense techniques. Even Strongbow is involved in the multiple attacker defensive forms. In addition, Roan has the three kids gang up on Marv, to practice coordinating the three of them against a single opponent.

[sasqaricious]

Akane not necessarily enjoying the knife and sword but understands the need to use one. As that is the method in which she was taught all those many years ago.

[albatross]

The next day it is Akane's turn to spar against all three kids at once. The other four trainers watch the exercise intently, judging the progress of the kids and here and there offering advice and encouragement.

Rock is skilled and eager, and Peacemaker is practically obsessed. Dancer learns easily, but clearly is going through the motions. The only thing she excels at is getting out of the way. Her attacks are lackluster in strength, though they are technically correct.

[albatross]

After a few days, the training falls into a pattern. Peacemaker is putting the most effort in, with the least result. Most students train in Aikido for 15 years before it becomes a practical martial art and though Peacemaker learns very quickly it is still a process that can't be crammed into a couple of months. She will be quite the martial artist someday, but she won't really know much Aikido for sixth months at the minimum. Tiger isn't discouraged. She plans on the students passing the trials, and she had no illusions that Aikido would be magically implanted.

Rock is doing much better. He has to be continually reminded to focus on Aikido and ignore the other martial arts forms, but his own form is close enough to Aikido that he has already learned a few moves well and and has bastardized versions of all his own invented moves. He understands the Aikido philosophy very well and will certainly be able to fight with a little Aikido in a couple of months.

Dancer is still struggling with the concept. She knows dozens of moves and forms in four martial arts, but she isn't much of a fighter. Marv constantly encourages her, not in the application of her technique which is normally flawless, he reinforces her choice of moves and coaches her to become a more natural fighter.

Tiger says to Akane and the other coaches before practice: "Push Rock. Hit him harder, use more speed. Not full speed combat just yet but make him work for it. Keep it light with Peacemaker. Keep her engaged yet not frustrated. And Dancer..."

"I'm working on her," Marv growls.

"What about the rest of you? Any ideas to mold her into a fighter?"

[sasqaricious]

"I have an idea that may work on her. We could teach her a fighting style combined with dance like so!"

Akane responds before going in the centre of everything and performing a martial arts combo combined with her skills of gymnastics and dance.

Dance (Professional) – [dice=100]/80%

Once completed she looks to see if Dancer can understand it.[rand=35473432202183648560794907178388339217295329743767806881022595064]

[albatross]

Dancer replicates Akane's moves perfectly, yet once again she seems to lack the instincts to put them to much practical use. She dodges when she should advance, and often when she does try something against an opponent, her choice of moves is suspect or poorly timed. She hesitates when she should move and moves when she should be thinking.

Finally Marv growls at Dancer, "You told me you liked the Aikido philosophy, but I don't think we are looking at the same thing. All of you - sit and watch."

Marv approaches Roan and he motions for Tiger and Lt. White to do the same. Marv says to Roan, "Don't hold back, I'm going to come at you with everything I've got." And he does, he darts in and reaches for Roan's ankle, but Roan knocks him and Tiger away with the same twirling motion. Lt. White tries to grab her from behind but Roan tosses him over her shoulder and across the room. Marv jumps her again, and this time she locks his arm up and moves him so he blocks Tiger's punch. Then she drives him into the ground and knocks him senseless. Tiger attacks again and this time Roan ducks under her kick and propels Tiger further than she had intended, into the training room wall.

Marv staggers to his feet. "Thats Aikido. Multiple attackers and she used our own strength against us. Look at her, she's about your size and she tossed Lt. White around and manhandled me. She was using our strength there. In Aikido, you've got to be one with your opponent, stay out of their way, don't interfere with the attack, assist it. But you'll notice that you take care of your own business too."

Marv looks closely at Dancer. She looks at him wide eyed, and no one can be sure if she comprehends. Marv's face falls a bit as he realizes he has been rambling. "Sorry kid, I just want to see a little more out of you." And he shuffles away to get a drink of water.

Tiger glances at Dancer and the girl follows Marv and after a private word they both return for more training.

"Try the dance routine again." Tiger says while Roan watches carefully, "This time put more feeling into it. Dance likes it as in audition you want to win." Tiger nods at Akane to resume the dancing martial arts training.