Alcohol Before Noon? (Nero, Open)

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc squared up with his 'teacher'. He shoved the blade of his weapon into the ground and assumed the stance of a swordsman, his legs shoulder length apart with his body turned side-ways toward Nero, his right foot out in front of his left in preparation for a strike. Without a blade, though, he seemed somewhat confused as to what to do with his hands. Although he had been a few brawls they were never so formal and therefore he had never the need to place his fists anywhere but his opponent's face. He shrugged and just put two fists up in front of his chest, his left hand kept back and his right forward in preparation for a jab of some sort. In direct contrast to Nero, Rhuryc's countenance was one of stoicism. There was no smirk, no grin, not even a sporting smile, just a flush, straight lack of emotion. His eyes were focused and his attention set.

"That's a trap." Despite his status as a student, Rhuryc's past experience had taught him at least enough to trust his own senses. "You'd be completely in control if I did that. But, I guess, here's to learning." With a defeated motion Rhuryc took a heavy step forward and brought his left fist forward, his weight sent in tandem with the strike as he put all the power of blacksmith's arm into the punch. His 'style' was apparent in that he possessed no style. Sure, he knew how to throw an attack, but it was all power with no finesse.

Still. A direct hit would most likely send any commoner into a torpor.

[Nero Czan]

Nero was a bit surprised with the force behind his strike. He had underestimated his Blacksmith's muscles, but it was an easy miscalculation. What he did not misjudge was his skill. His punch was telegraphed seconds ahead of impact. His momentum was completely unbearable on his present course. His punch however, was not bad. He had managed to keep it dead on, without sacrificing too much power, and it did not seem like it planned to stop. That was the crucial error, and one he would remember to address. Nevertheless, he intended to stand by Sipher's lesson, and would provide a decent example for such. So with his observations in mind, and less than a second passed, Nero made his move. Taking his right leg swiftly off the ground, he swept it across behind him, allowing his body to shift to a profile view, and putting him into a Back-stance. From here, he refrained from over-thinking, lest he miss his opportunity, and simply decided on a gentle change in direction. Gentle was the operative word. With a fluid hammer-strike from his left arm, carefully aimed to avoid any metal contact, the impact of the strike was aimed at the forearm, and was just enough to cause a subtle shift in momentum, which, coupled with his other sweep, fluidly provided, would provide a nice tipping motion, as the power of his own punch provided the power of Nero's as well. As that went into play, he used the leftover spin from his strike to create a nice platform for a kick, and slightly ducked to concentrate his center of gravity. He then finished the spin to land a kick right above the thigh, his balance precariously placed on his leg leg. He was not exactly fond of that, as one may not be fond of drinking a steaming bowl of soup, and quickly scrambled to his feet to alleviate it. His leg had stopped right at impact, before he had jumped up. Knocking him down would've been a waste at this point, and, arising somewhat panting (He had underestimated the effort in pulling his strikes), he continued into the teaching phase of the sparring. "I'm glad you said that. You see, it was indeed a Trap, But one you supplied. So, my First Rule of Unarmed Combat. Never attack where you are Expected. If I say to attack my chest, it is, as you said, in my control. Therefore, your best option is to come around, perhaps taking out a leg, and after taking out my balance or coordination, come in for the core strike. Another tip, is to watch your Momentum. Granted, it makes it easy on my muscles to simply let you fall forward, or at least open yourself to a few strikes as you struggle for balance." His smirk had not grew, nor changed, throughout the fight. It was seemingly his own stoic expression, or rather, his own intimidating mask. He back-stepped a foot or so, before taking on the same stance, completely neutral. "Watch your footwork this time as well. Try Again."

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc grunted as he felt the impact on his forearm. Weird. He would have just grabbed the arm if he knew where it was going. In any case, he made no effort to retaliate as his body went farther forward than he had intended, most likely aided by the efforts of Nero. The spin was where Rhuryc was lost. With no doubt he was off his balance, but in that precious second of motion he contemplated a sufficient tackle in the man's direction. Still, he was the student, so he stood where he was and glanced down when a foot stopped just short of his body.

"I only did it because you told me too." Rhuryc's baritone was thick with a mild annoyance. His own experience in unarmed combat was vastly different than what Nero displayed and was, at some point, what his previous trainer had warned him about. It remained apparent that his new teacher was better than him, faster, versed in his art, but Rhuryc could not help but disagree with a few of his points. "If I just come at you when you're aware of what I'm doing of course you're going to get around it." He said, squaring back up with Nero. "And what about that momentum thing? If I don't commit to the strike what's the point of attacking?"

For a moment Rhuryc just stood there. He took the time to smooth over his countenance and grasp a hold on his emotions. An aggravated approach was never a good way to learn anything, let alone further his combative prowess. Or whatever it was they were doing. He drew in a large gout of air and put his arms up again, his body assuming the stance he utilized before. Ready now, Rhuryc brought himself closer with a few small steps and eyed his opponent, his hands hovering about his chest without much intention. In a sudden rush of motion he lashed out, his right fist jabbing out in a quick, precise strike sent out toward Nero's jawline, the assault itself lacking any real power, but focused enough to cause some damage if it connected. No matter the result of the first punch, Rhuryc had already committed himself to the next and stepped in with his back foot while he brought his left arm down, his fist twisting as he threw his weight into a second, powerful strike, this one sent on a direct collision with Nero's lower abdomen.

[Nero Czan]

Nero always enjoyed the rough banter that accompanied his teaching. It had to do with the testosterone most likely, because almost inevitably he had found himself in the same arguments time and time again. Nevertheless, he could only chuckle, and answer his questions in earnest. "Well, I never said to just punch me. All I did was set an objective, Like a Target. Hit my chest, and we can move onto further topics. Go about it however you'd like. It would be no fun at all if I controlled every variable." He smirked, enjoying the intricacies of the matter, "I enjoy surprises. Oh, and on the note of Momentum. Fighting is so much easier when I don't have to use even half my strength to make an effective strike. If you're going to strike, make it count, or you may regret it." He shrugged with a smile as he feigned innocence in the matter, before returning to his smirk, and taking up his position once more. Improvement was obvious, there was no visible chamber, and thereby no extended opening. The jab seemed sound, but he doubted the strength of it. He settled with simply bringing his guard up, bypassing any fanciness, and parrying the quick strike with his left forearm. He had mistimed his footwork however, and had no time to evade the second punch. His left arm already in the air from his actions, he swiftly brought it down on his opponents under-cut, striking the arm below the inside of the elbow. Nero's torso twisted into his strike as well, giving it the necessary "Oomph." This didn't stop the strike, but it bent the arm enough to dissipate a substantial amount of the force, as well as cause a decent amount of pain. His hands under handicap due to his self-imposed Gauntlets, he took a rougher option as he brought his left leg and swept it behind Rhu's, pinning his foot against the back of Nero's, his shoulder charging inside towards Rhu's chest. He struggled to bring his right arm across, chambering swiftly above his left shoulder as he pulled out his leg in an attempt to take out his opponents legs. To counter his own shift in balance, he swung out his right arm in a sturdy middle block, as he tried to guess where Rhu's other hand had gone. Nero's eyes took in multiple sights at once as his mind heated in the mind set. He decided against using the knee, as that was a bit too much for sparring, and he didn't want to end the day prematurely. As his leg swept behind him, receiving his weight, Nero shuffled back a few feet, observing the result of his actions. "Better."

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc was caught off guard by the counter. He had expected the jab to fail - it's job, after all, was to distract, but the swift defense was not something he was use to. His common opponent was a bar-ridden peasant, no a trained Martial Artist. Nevertheless, Rhuryc was not one to lose his perspective in a fight. He felt the foot wrap around his leg and suspected he would soon be on the ground, his arms occupied as they were. When Nero's shoulder slammed into his chest all he could do to halt the advance was to tighten his muscles, resisting the impact with as much strength as he could muster. Albeit that was a sufficient degree. He felt his body start to tilt and his weight fall. In protest, he lashed out with his right arm - still stretched by the attempted jab - and reached about Nero's gauntlet, snagging the inner forearm and jerking back with his fall in an attempt to either bring the man with him or, at least, send him off his balance.

"Ooph." Rhuryc 'said' as he hit the ground, the impact leaving him with the wind knocked from his sails. He had no intention of continuing any success he had garnished from the attempted grapple, and instead merely released and hold he might have still had on Nero. With a roll to the side, the young man pushed himself back off the ground and stood once more, a bit more satisfied with that attempt. Now that he was aware of Nero's ideals - admittedly he had assumed too much in his first assault - the experience had moved to a more enjoyable state.

"That was humbling." He said, one hand reaching back to rub the back of his neck.

[Nero Czan]

Nero only grinned as his opponent had shown some progress, and the grip around his arm tightened. He was almost tempted to twist himself into position for an elbow drop onto Rhu's gut, but he resisted the urge, quickly dismissing it. Regardless, he was going down, and action was necessary. His foot dragging speedily across the short grass, and with a subtle bend, Nero allowed himself to fall, his arm twisting to force his opponent's to remain stiffly extended. It was right before Rhu's impact on the ground that Nero had twisted his torso, his gripped arm extending in a snapping motion, performing a subtle whip-lash effect as the thump of a body against dirt became audible. The grip released, Nero stepped back, an eager, but mostly impressed, grin across his face. "Better" He chuckled as he helped his friend up. "I didn't mean to knock you down too hard." He smirked as he got back to his feet, "Glad to see your attitude's changed as well." He smirked tauntingly at his friend, while all in good fun. He began unstrapping his gauntlets, and, setting them on the rock with his other possessions, and staying a good ten feet or so away, his sinisterly-informative smirk returned. "So, Now, we'll see how well you can manage the defensive side of battle." Nero cracked his knuckles, realizing from his previous bout how different fighting without fists is. He wouldn't be too hard on his pal. "Get yourself in whatever stance you want, and do whatever you can to stop me. I'll only strike once, so watch carefully, And Good Luck." After his companion had sufficiently prepared, Nero took up a steady fighting stance, before starting off on a dead-run, a slight swerve to his path, but essentially straight, his arms were maintained in a steady block, as his torso twisted back and forth to compensate for his run. Right as he had reached arm's-length distance, his next foot to land on the ground immediately twisted 90 degrees to provide an anchor. With the built-up momentum of his run, and his torso turning to provide a perfect chamber, he unleashed a piercing spear-hand strike, aimed precisely at the spot where one's shoulder muscles meet the 'pecs,' or pectoralis. His roaring Kia, an essential component of the move both physically and emotionally, was a nice touch, which could aid or hamper his opponent. In this situation, he was preferring the former. Regardless, his face remained a never-changing smirk of self-confidence as his hand shot out towards it's target, an arrow of flesh and bone. There may be some numbness if this didn't go well...

[Rhuryc]

"If there's no pain you didn't learn anything." Rhuryc spouted off some of the harsher logic his original teacher had bestowed to him. He seemed at ease now, as Nero had noticed, his attitude readjusted to one bested by his opponent. Albeit it took him some time to remember the relationship of the student to his master, once done, Rhuryc was easy to both teach and approach. He only nodded as Nero informed him of his intention and he stood as he was, set in some lounging stance without much intent to move.

Rhuryc quirked a brow at Nero's approach. Again, the difference in philosophies was astounding. While Rhuryc was exposed to a myriad of honed, stylized techniques, he himself employed no more than an intimate knowledge with street-wise assaults learned on the fly. He suspected Nero would not like this. With his heels dug into the ground, Rhuryc reacted at the last moment he could, with Nero's momentum suddenly halted by the twist of his foot. Just as his opponent's arm lanced outward, Rhuryc ducked his lower shoulder and threw the full brunt of his weight forward, his arms swinging out from each side as he literally slammed himself into Nero's torso, not dodging nor even defending; instead, he countered with a staunch, hard tackle that employed every ounce of his strength. Despite his movements he felt a fist impact the top of his shoulder but he was quick to shrug off the pain, adrenaline pumping as it was.

While there remained a lack of technique, there remained something to say about the old-fashion take-down.

[Nero Czan]

Nero's face carried a devil's grin as his opponent evaded his move. Although he had still glanced the top of his shoulder, Nero was indeed at a disadvantage, and he enjoyed every second of it. Although the move was an easy one to counter, (Since he had leaned over, a simple knee to the solar plexus would do wonders, and be swift enough due to the lower center of gravity. His extended spear hand would even augment his thrusting knee if he wished.), he instead wished to examine how much this man actually knew, and so, Nero allowed himself to be caught inside Rhu's tackle. He made no effort to break out of this man's grip, but simple raised the arm he had thrusted out towards his shoulder high above his head, and, feeling his balance tipping, quickly shot a precise stab into the back of his neck. Unfortunately, he had over-estimated his height from the ground, and as Nero twisted his torso to create an anchor with his leg, his leverage was not enough to stop his fall. His body slammed against the thick ground, an faint glimpse of pain seeping into Nero's pseudo-ecstasy for a brief moment, before his grin reminded his companion that the fight was not over. With a swift jut of his elbow outward, he created a bit of space between himself and his embrace, and with this maneuvering room, he pushed his elbow against the ground to twist himself, and using his knee as a point of leverage, flipped his companion out and around, his tight grip dragging him in a circular fashion as he slammed his side into the ground. Nero hoped this would weaken his grip enough to allow him to roll out and escape. However, he still was not entirely sure of this man's capabilities, and it was sheer trial and error. And so, with an additional push from his arms, he tried to roll off, to rip the tackle and jump to his feet. An interesting fight indeed, it required no actual teaching on his part. Once Nero had returned to his feet, he gave his usual smirk and a thumbs up to this man as he started the next rule. "Rule 2: The Best Defense is almost Always a Good Offense. You seem to know that quite well enough, however, so that makes things easy for me." His grin was half mockery and half good-hearted Fun. He could guess that he had simply done what came natural, but then, at least his Muscles knew the drill, if not his mind. He shrugged to himself as he tried to recall the third lesson, it's contents not opening to his mind. "Perhaps now would be a good time to see how well you can handle that sword of yours. I'm sure I could teach you some tips on footwork and what not. You'd be surprised how many weapons you actually carry in addition that sword." He smirked at the chance, it had been a while since he had been in a sword-fight, and he always enjoyed the grinding of metal as he caught the blade in the prongs of his specially-designed gauntlet.

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc was quick to back off. Once he felt Nero's balance tip his body wanted to follow through, to slam the smaller man into the ground and snap his neck; a quick death to be sure, one that would ensure the fight did not continue beyond the grapple, yet he did no such thing. Rhuryc was gentle in his dissent. He drew his weight back before Nero hit the ground and almost entirely ignored the other man's movements, content when he heard no breaking bones. He had felt some pressure on the back of his neck but the adverse effects were minuscule, a pain that he remained unconcerned with as he allowed for Nero to escape without protest. With that, Rhuryc pushed himself up and took a step back. He could feel the bruises form on his body.

"No offense, friend, but your rules don't make much sense." He bobbed his head as he turned about and walked to his sword, eying the weapon before he grasped the hilt. "Combat is too fluid for rules. I only did that because I've got height and weight on you. Necks are fragile." With a single heft he pulled the weapon from the ground and held it up with a single hand, inspecting the blade further now that it was free. He would have to take it to the forge when he returned, too much time out in the elements was bound to ruin the weapon.

"I'm afraid I can't give you a worthy spar. I don't have a shield." Rhuryc glanced over at Nero as the man seemed to ready himself. This was going to be strange. Live steel in a friendly duel? And no armor. Rhuryc almost screamed. "Or armor. No shots to the head, eh?"

[Nero Czan]

Nero chuckled, his friend not entirely understanding his meaning. Perhaps calling them "Rules" was not the best way to label these lessons. He, more than most, was familiar with the fluidity of combat, and had strove to embrace it in his Art. But he had always done so while strategically thinking of his opponents moves before hand. Granted, there isn't much time for thinking in a battle, but these lessons weren't necessarily for one's mind, but rather one's body. It was as if one's muscles carried their own memories, and relying on these intricate intuitions, one could fight without thought, simply with sheer force of will. It was something he had first encountered long ago, after a couple years of practice in his Art. He shook off the memory, lest he be drawn away from the matter at hand. To be honest Nero hadn't the slightest idea of how to effectively wield a sword. It was in that regard that he was a bit relieved, as his teachings would involve less actual swinging, and more of the supporting points behind the swings. Less swinging meant Less possible injury, and that was a plus for everyone. Regardless, it was still necessary to see how he fought with it, and then decide where he can help him improve. This should be fun... His gauntlets fastened and his mind psyched, Nero chuckled as he walked back to his position. "I never said Spar. All I want to do is see how you handle your weapon, so that I can find any points I can help with. I'm the one who should be worried, Mr. Swordsman." He smirked as his hands came up into a slanted block, his Sword-Catcher pulled back a bit to allow for a swift release when necessary. He waved him on, his usual smirk occupying the whole of his expression, and readied himself for the Test. Lethal weapons and exposed flesh, this is how Nero bonded with his new friends, although not always in that order.