[flashback:solo]Ya' Mutha' Neva Tol you don' thro knives?

by **Antar** on September 2nd, 2011, 8:36 am

15th day of spring, 511 av

Another day another morning in an empty camp, another rising with the sun and a bit of chores before heading off to the Cutter brothers. By this time he was getting bored of the routine and soon hoped to switch it up a little by training in other skills for a while. Especially with his gladius, but first he had to look to working out his other skills. Today was the day Mark had promised to teach him how to throw a hatchet , his kukri and a throwing knives to him during the usual work break. He'd been told he didn't need to stay as long today as preparations for the big order of lumber were coming to a close, and in two days he'd have his first day off. Noth hoped to use that time later for a bit of practicing with his other skills.

His reimancy in fact, not that he would ever speak such a thought aloud.A voice from across the yard cried out, jolting him from his daydreaming. "Hey, Nothie boy. Quit wasting my time, or I'll kill you just to spare me the trouble of looking at yar' face! You think lunch lasts all day? Get yar' arse over here!"

Noth spun around towards the source of the voice and smiled as he recognized Max's roughened features, not one for being cowed by any man, the rogue smiled, and mimicked his voice back to him. "Ah, Maxy, shuddup already! I don't care what ya think you'll do, if you so much as try I'll boil ya in oil, and tan your hide against a post."

Max laughed a little, "Heh, heh heh. That's a good thing ya' got there boy. You know I have zero tolerance for those who can't hold themselves up in a fight. Now quit stalling and get over here! I still ain't got all day!"

"Yeah, yeah... " Noth muttered to himself and sauntered over to the meadow, about 20 feet away was a standard target block, one of the many they'd made from the salted wood and Noth had watched the past three days the rest of the guys having fun throwing knives and other sharp objects. "so what am I going to learn today?"

"Pfft, that's easier to show you once and then explain." With those words Max pulled a hatchet from his belt adjusted his hand upon the handle and stepped towards the target. In midstep he flung his arm forwards, and followed through the momentum well past the time he released the hatchet. Noth's eye picked up the speeding blur of the hatchet rotating fully once before it imbedded itself into the block.

by **Antar** on September 9th, 2011, 1:18 am

"Now let me explain," Max began, "hatchet and knife throwing is a great target sport...but i wouldn't believe it's good for hunting...if you miss the animal there is an excellent chance that you may lose your knife...if you don't kill the animal instantly it could bolt away with your expensive knife stuck in its hide...it would probably be better to tie a knife to the end of a stick and make a throwing spear...i would think that very few people in the world could successfully throw a knife for hunting and actually kill their prey. Frankly, if I was trying to feed my family, I don’t think I’d use a throwing knife for that purpose. But in combat it’s good for the last line of defense.“
“Wait, you got a family Max?”
“Yep, two little ingrates out of a whore I visit often, course I guess I’m a fool for thinking they’re both mine. “
“Huh, go figure.”
“Stow me the speeches, I shoulda drowned all three of ‘em but the woman’s bed is good. But let’s get down to business. Most people think learning to throw a knife , or a hatchet is almost impossible. But I’ll let you in on a secret. I learned it in one day when I was younger. Especially if you go by the two techniques I’m going to show you. Within hours, you can get pretty accurate at twenty paces, and soon be hitting with enough force to dispatch any type of prey, provided you hit something vital. Placement is key. Now with the hatchet I showed you the flip technique.”

Max walked towards the target and pulled the hatchet from the block. [b]”Let’s first tell you the step I missed: how you hold a hatchet while traveling. First off , it’s the same way you hold the axe. Hands on the top, with fingers looping under with the index above the handle, and three fingers below. That way…” Max walked backwards and slowly collapsed to his knees showing how the edges of the hatchet went into the ground instead of into his hands. “you don’t hurt yourself and even better, get no cuts. Sure, your knees and hands might be scraped a little, but you’ll still have all your fingers when you get back up.”
“The Flip Technique?” Noth queried. “Any particulars on how to use it?”
“Sure, but first I got to ask you about the tomahawk or, the more vernacular- hatchet.”
“What about it?”
“What are they first?”
“A tool.”

“That’s correct Nothie boy. It’s a tool. You can make anything with it. Break a handle on your axe you can whittle a new one, you can make a bow with it, or a house. The only time we throw ‘em is if a: Yar’ showing off. Or B: your down to your last defense and throwing it at somethin’ or someone. A tomahawk in one hand, yar’ knife in the other. Now, as I said before. When some of us get together and want to play a bit. We put a block up there like we did.” Max said, gesturing down towards the target block. As the man continued to talk he squared his shoulders, and got himself into a fencer’s stance with his legs, save the front foot was a little farther out like he was throwing a ball. “Now when you look at… Bring the arm straight back, straight forwards, and follow through! That’s the most important step... “

Again Noth saw the hatchet fly down towards the target and imbed itself in the block before Max stomped off to retrieve it and bring it back. “Now, like anything it’s practice, but the basic thing you want to do is realize the key for the flip technique is the position of your hand on the shaft of the tomahawk, or later, the hilt of a throwing knife. Now see this Nothie.”
Max took one of Antar’s hands and looped the fingers around the hilt, “The best thing to remember when practicing, keep people away from anywhere behind you or in front of you. That way there’s no bounce back. Now, Let’s have you try!”

Placing the hatchet in Noth’s hand, Antar started by holding it at the base of the hilt as Max guided his motions. Keeping his feet shoulder width apart, aiming with both hands to point the hawk at the target, and then release and follow through. He pantomimed the action several times before Max stepped away and gestured at the target. Winding up sort of like a baseball pitcher he sighted down the handle and aimed at the smaller rings that Maxed the center block of the target.

His first throw, bounced back off the target, and down into the field. Undeterred, Max shrugged and motioned for Noth to go get it. “Using this method, pretty much anyone can learn this in a few minutes. Keep trying! The key with the flip technique is to judge how far away from a target you have to be in order for it to turn completely once. It’s a little different for everybody, and all you have to do to adjust if someone’s coming at you is the point where you choke up on the handle.”

On the second throw, the hatchet imbedded itself into the target. On the third time it missed completely. But more and more a routine was gotten down pat as he retrieved, set his legs, aimed, and threw, and after a few chimes he was hitting the target more often than not. It wasn’t much different from any other ranged weapon, longbow included. The key was in the specific technique. With the idea of judging distance better in his mind, Noth spent a few more chimes moving the position of his starting throw and maneuvering his grip on the hatchet hilt. Soon enough he was confident in any ranges out to twenty or thirty feet, and as few as ten.

Finally, with a grunt of satisfaction, Max stopped him to hand over a throwing knife. “Now with the flip technique of a throwing knife, it’s a little easier with a flat blade but basically the same principle, but the difference is in the hold. You hold by the dull side of the blade and when you come forward, the knife is in a flat bladed position with the handle pointing outwards at your release point. Now, like the hatchet your flip range can be changed by where on the blade you hold it. Try it a little before I show you the no flip technique and then get to throw that damn heavy kukri!”

Taking one of the throwing knives Max offered, Noth began targeting the block. His hand lightly resting on the dull edge of the blade as he began to thrown. More than once, the daggers rebounded , and one flew back to land in the dust of his feet. Undeterred, Noth continued his practice, trying to gauge his distance and follow throw correctly so the flipping knife would imbed itself point first. Soon enough he found his range to be a little greater than before, judging by where he held the handle about twenty-five to thirty feet.

Finally, Max judged it alright to continue on “Now with the no flip technique you hold the knife a little different. This doesn’t work too well for hatchets, only for knives. You hold the knife by the side with the hilt resting in the palm. With this hand position, your thumb and fingers are providing the support while keeping the middle one along the side of the knife. The index finger rests along the top of the knife to help guide it during the release.“ Max twisted his hand around to let Noth see what he meant, and sure enough Antar could see the handle of the knife completely, length to length before Max turned back towards the target. “You have to literally cock your wrist, and snap it forwards as you release. Now, like the flip technique you have to follow through! You don’t follow through you waste where the knife is going and you become inaccurate. Moreover, the knife will keep from spinning.”

Taking a windup, Max threw again at the target, and the throwing knife imbedded itself in the block. “Now, I want you to practice a little and realize something, with the no flip technique you’ll find it gets easier the more you throw and you don’t need to judge your distances. However, this means that you may not get as much penetration without the extra flip helping the knife’s momentum so it’s only really good within twenty feet. In short: flip technique if throwing towards an armored person, no-flip towards unarmored, got that Nothie Boy? After you get this down we’ll get to throwing that that giant pigsticker of a kukri.”

“Yep. I got it Max.” Antar said as he began to throw with the new technique. He’d already perfected the stance from the flip technique and nothing about the leg positions was any different. No the real problems was occurring at the wrist snap back. But soon enough he was getting the hang of it with very few bouncebacks.

As the chimes past, throw after throw, his arm began to tire and he asked Max to let him go away for a drink. They were about half way into the lunch break and the most important knife, the one he used the most often, his kukri had yet to be thrown.

by **Antar** on September 9th, 2011, 6:04 am

After a stout drink of water to sustain him, as well as a bit of gnawing on a bit of bread one of the others offered to him, Noth felt right as rain to continue. Soon enough, Max called him back to continue the grueling exercises.

"Alright, listen up. The way I see it, the only time you'll ever have to throw your kukri is in one of three situations. The first is: if your trying to stop someone running towards you. And the second is if your trying to stop someone running away from you."
"So what's the third situation?" Noth asked snarkily.
"I'm getting to that. Hold 'yar horses. Nothie Boy. Yar acting like one of me brood and I want to drown those. Remember?"
"Yeah I remember, sorry. And hey, thanks for showing me this."
"I ain't doing it for free , I'll be learning something else myself from Renaldo. Same as you did yesterday. Now where were we?"
"The third situation."
"Yeah, Okay, the third situation is simple. It's when your fighting one opponent and dispatch him and then turn towards another to throw your knife, whether they're running at you or away from you. I would only throw that sixteen inch knife if you really have to slow someone down though. I know I wouldn't want anyone running off with a blade like that in them which was mine."

Noth nodded and smiled, thinking of how delaying someone with a tossed blade might prove useful to let him draw his gladius. As an archer, no, as someone of his former job description, he thought in the value of a graduated defense. Hitting the enemy hard at range, and successively stopping them from getting close to you with various methods. Finally hand to hand combat with weapons or hand to hand being the last defense.

For that, Max's suggestion made perfect sense. "So what would you want me to do to train for that?"
The other man scratched his head a moment. "That's a very simple answer, and a hard one to put into practice, with the idea of using the knife's making to your advantage. The construction of the heavy blade in momentum with the flip technique already helps user to inflict deep wounds and to cut through muscle and bone. And the only part of the knife to hold it by is the hilt. You actually toss it like a hatchet, or with the hilt in the no-flip method dependant on how close your enemy is. The blade itself does most of the work, and has adequate penetrating power against armored enemies. It can even get an inch or three into steel if thrown hard enough, and can easily behead someone if you need it too."
"Okay, so what do you want me to do here?" Noth queried.
Max sighed, "After you practice a few steady stance throws. Take a few combinations on the training post, then turn and run the few paces to the throw line of the target blocks. This is the only way I think of to help you out. After that, we're done for the day and getting back to the real work!"

Noth nodded a moment, and then set to work. He threw his kukri several times towards each of the multiple target blocks set up, hitting his target with few bouncebacks. After working through both techniques, he realized it was time to get in a little applied practice on the third scenario.

Marching over to the training dummy he assumed the fencer's stance and began working through several slices, thrusts and jabs, targeting the vital points against an imaginary opponent. Switching his hands from the hammergrip, to the ice pick and to the reverse he doggedly continued on, cut after cut. Slice after slice. Thrust after thrust. Stab after stab. Each time the feel of his kukri on the wooden target dummy sent reverberations down his arm, but he didn'st stop practicing. After each combination that ended in what would be a successfull killing blow, Noth turned and ran towards the targets, throwing in the middle of his running movement. It was dreadfully hard, and downright difficult to do properly dispatch a target, turn and find a new one, aim, throw, follow through on the release. The first eight times he did so were met with the failures of off target knives, and bouncebacks. But the ninth clearly stuck itself into the target block with a hail of splintery debris as his reward.

By now the rest of the woodsmen were watching him, and under their ever present gazes Noth continued the grueling regimen until his arms were sore and tired. Finally, after about fifty throws with his kukri, his time was up, and everyone was called back to the yard. Not Noth though, like the days before he was stuck cleaning up the sawdust from the targets and putting it in the barrels. The ranged target blocks were gone for good, battered and chipped beyond all use, so Big Herb instructed him to take an axe to their posts.

Noth felled them like he would a tree, coming with a side swing to split the mast. Afterwards he was instructed to split the remaining wood into as many pieces as possible. So he did, exactly in the same way he was shown to chop firewood. Every single action in the yard, be it work or play, seemed to go towards completely each new task, building upon the skills of the last.

Finally when walking towards the target post they'd set up first, Big Herb told him to leave it until it fell on its own. The lunch breaks would be a little less in time from now on but the idea of practicing for those who wanted to spend a bit of time would remain. Under Herb's direction he gathered all the splintered wood, and the now filled sawdust barrels in the wood shed and was told to come back the next day for the paper making process to begin.

A small weary smile graced his lips as Antar realized their sole purpose for having fun was complete, and that tomorrow, he'd be learning a valuable new skill. Thinking there was a bit of time before sunset he grabbed his bow and mounted his horse to head back to Sunberth proper. Keeping his eyes peeled as Dawstride walked past the greens of Aggrammon's South fields he spotted a luckless rabbit hopping towards a farmer's garden before staying still long enough to test the air with its nostrils.

Noth dismounted and drew an arrow, and cautioned himself on doing everything right. The knocking of the arrow, the pre-draw, the aiming as he drew back on the bow, adjustment for the wind and a bit of exhalation and re-aiming before the final release.

The luckless rabbit ended up in the pot later, after Antar returned to camp, fed and watered his horse and brushed her down. For a little while after, Noth tended the camp chores and whittled a bit, scraping at a stick he'd been working on before he turned in for the night. It had been a long day, and the next would be just as long.

skills requests: :

by **Cachet** on September 27th, 2011, 12:19 pm

Gossamer Said I could

Antar :

Conclusion:
Again another well written training thread. I liked the read.I am beginning to wonder what you will do with all this xp.....

Anything seem out of place? Any questions please feel free to contact me ASAP.