Flashback It's All About Technique

[Brandon Blackwing]

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Day 84 of Fall 512AV

“I've noticed a couple things about you,” Lethia stated matter-of-factly, her dark hair waving in the cold breeze. Winter was almost upon them, and it showed in the temperature of the outside world. In Kalinor there was no real difference; the cave sheltered its citizens from just about anything. Cold winters, harsh summers, windy autumns... it wasn't felt within. Outside though, where Brandon was being tutored by his mother, it was a whole different story. Today it wasn't that bad a day to train, there wasn't much wind, and even though it was cold, the physical activity created a barrier of heat that countered it.

The young bat was supposed to be doing some push-ups, but since his mother had found that it was too easy for him, she had decided to add some weight. Her own body weight in fact. As a result, Brandon's body hovered just a couple centimeters above the rocky ground, his arms bent and trembling with effort. His torso was bare, and sweaty, but the cold couldn't get a grip of him, to him, it was hot. He wasn't bothered by his mother sitting on his back, nor by the wind that played with his hair, but the fact that he could barely keep his body from collapsing was rather frustrating. “You're not really built for strength,” Lethia continued, her legs and legs crossed. “No … kidding...”, the bat managed to huff and grunt.

“But still, you have to be able to do at least three push-ups. Come on, I'm not that heavy, you know.” Brandon gritted his teeth and his face became a mask of lines, the difficulty etched onto his face. “Easy … for … you to … say,” came the reply, after having given up on success. “Shut up and try harder. You're wasting your energy by talking.” True enough, but that didn't mean it would actually help him lift the woman and his own body higher. Still, the Kelvic tried, and he tried really hard. A bestial grunt rumbled out of his throat while he willed the muscles in his arms to push him upwards, his teeth pressed onto each other so hard he feared they might break. And yet, it was futile, he couldn't manage to increase the distance between his body and the ground one millimeter. He panted, he grunted and let out salty droplets from his pores, but it didn't matter at all. She was too heavy, and his body was,not yet strong enough. He wasn't fully grown yet either. Gallan had said he resembled a fifteen year old human boy, and those could hardly be considered adults. Maybe in a couple years he might be able to do push-ups with his mother on his back, but not now. “Fine, then you'll have to stay like this for a while longer. That's training too. Half a chime, starting now.”

Brandon's mind practically screamed in agony. Thirty ticks? With his mother's weight pushing him down? With his arms already feeling like lead because of his futile efforts and the time he'd just been in the position? Impossible! This was preposterous! Ridiculous! He couldn't hold out that long, and Lethia knew it! This wasn't training, this was torture! Just like the time she'd told him he needed to become tougher, that he had to be able to take hits. That training had consisted of the bear hitting her son just about everywhere. Not even his manliness had been spared, quite the contrary in fact; she'd laughed when he'd screamed in surprise and pain, collapsing on the floor and covering his crotch. Lethia's training was not meant to be used on people. It was pure evil. Lethia was pure evil!

Either way, it had worked; while it still hurt to be hit or kicked in the crotch, and one couldn't simply get used to pain, Brandon had discovered that the pain wasn't that bad anymore. It still felt horrible, but at least he could still move and stand. And he'd developed some incredible reflexes to intercept just about anything that would hit his manly parts. Still, he didn't believe those results had been worth it.

Meanwhile, the trembling of his arms only became worse and before much longer, the bat's body simply collided with the ground, his palms still on the floor as if they still believed in the illusion they could change anything about the situation. “Only seventeen ticks...” Lethia sounded extremely disappointed. “Three sets.” The color drained from Brandon's face. Not the sets! This was beyond cruel! His arms were in tatters and he had to do the sets! What kind of horrible mistakes had he made to deserve this?! Instead of rebelling against the unfair punishment, the Kelvic just kept lying there, feeling like a sloth. He knew better than to argue about the sets; his mother would only increase the amount he had to do. At least for now he could rest a bit, once his mother got up he'd be doomed. As for now he could still lie down and give his arms some rest. Three sets... no that was just as impossible as the previous exercise. There was no way he could complete those.

“Hey, lazybones! Get started already!” his mother spoke happily, getting off of her son and grinning as if this was her favorite past-time. Brandon wouldn't be surprised if it was. Scrambling to his feet, the bat felt like crying.

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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Sets; a series of seemingly harmless and easy exercises that were anything but that. Sure, they were basic. Sure, they were easy. But, their strength was in their numbers. One set consisted of ten push-ups, ten sit-ups and ten squats. One set was nothing, and neither were two, but three? Three was already becoming difficult. It was enough to make the bat start to feel his muscles in his body. Doing the sets when fully rested was one thing, but doing them immediately after having done a taxing exercise was another. The sets were horrible, the sets were a form of torture. It was a corporal punishment of the likes you have never seen before. It was subtle, did not create injuries and it was good for you. Brandon was sure that Lethia had come up with them just so Gallan couldn't complain about it; after all, Brandon wasn't hurt by doing some exercises, right? After all, it was just training the body.

Feeling utterly miserable, the bat got back to his feet, deciding to do the push-ups last and the squats first. Not only would that give him some time to recuperate some strength, but he might also rest his arms a bit. Or so he thought. There was one thing he had forgotten though; while doing the squats, his arms had to be held outstretched in front of him. After having tried to support his mother's weight, his arms were about to fall off or turn into jelly. It would be hard, and painful, and yet the bat had no choice but to comply, who knew what would happen otherwise.

And as such he did the thirty squats, enduring the burning sensation in his shoulders and triceps, his mind shedding many tears while his body sweated and trembled. Even though his knees bent and stretched, the Kelvic didn't feel it at all, his focus was on his arms and keeping them level. Then came the sit-ups, which were another form of torture when done directly after the squats. This time not because of the arms, but because he had to keep his legs raised. Thighs had to make a ninety degree angle with his hips, and his calves the same angle with his thighs. After having done a workout for his legs, that was not a pleasant task, but a lot better than if it had been the arms again.

Last but certainly not least came the push-ups; the part of the sets Brandon dreaded the most. Reluctantly, he got in position and started lowering his body, then pushing it back up. Elbows bent and stretched, his chest, shoulder and upper arm muscles worked hard, but it was difficult, it was too much. They trembled, his face was a mask of scowls and gritting teeth. He made it past twenty just by willpower alone, ignoring the pleads of his body, enduring the burning, the soreness and the exhaustion. However, there was a limit to what willpower could accomplish. If just willing it was enough to move mountains, there would have been a path connecting every city in Kalea. Willpower could help, but it wasn't enough. Despite the bat's best effort, he was stuck in just about the same situation as when his mother had been sitting on his back; he couldn't lift his body any higher. He fought against the gravitational forces, but it was futile. It was a draw as of now, but everyone was well aware that one couldn't outlast a force of nature.

However, with a nudge of her foot, Lethia provided just enough force for Brandon to escape his fate, if only for one push-up. Another nudge, another stretching and bending of elbows. For the next five, that was what Lethia did, aiding and encouraging, and then telling Brandon he needed to do the last three on his own. Only three more, it wasn't impossible, he could do this. With something between a roar and a grunt, the bat managed to push his body up, then falling back into position, sweating and trembling. The next two were done the exact same way, only they were even harder and harder, and after having completed the sets, the Kelvic collapsed once more. Groaning and panting heavily. That's it, his arms were destroyed. He couldn't go on anymore. “Just let me lie here and die...” he sighed miserably.

“Like hell I will!” Lethia snorted, an amused expression on her face, “This was just the warming up. We have yet to start todays training session!” She laughed a cruel laugh, and in that instant the young bat was convinced there would be nothing left of him once he finished training under his mother.

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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Fortunately for him though, Brandon's mother did know when to quit and she did know when people had reached their limit. She'd forced Brandon to reach his limit and exhaust him rather well, so she decided to give him a break. In the meantime, she'd share her observations and make changes to his training schedule and program. “So, as I was saying before, I've noticed a couple things about you during our training sessions.” The bat lazily raised an eyebrow. “You are not built for strength. Though that has been apparent from the start; you have a slender frame, and while you develop your muscles rather fast, that's only because you have very little body fat. You have the figure of a runner, not of a fighter.”

Brandon cocked his head, a bit surprised by her words. “So... you are saying I won't be able to defend myself? That I won't be able to win any fights because of my build?” Lethia shook her head, and the bat rolled on his back to stare at the sky. It also felt more comfortable. “No, I am just saying that you are not meant to become a bulky mass of muscles. You wouldn't even if you tried. Like I said, you are not built for strength. But, strength is not enough to win a battle with. It increases the odds and gives you a chance, but it's not enough. You need other things too. Tactics, speed, agility, technique...” Her voice trailed off at the end, implying that there were still many more factors that could influence the outcome of a battle.

“You are fast, you are agile. You have trained your body, you've built some strength; but if you compare it to what bulking muscles some other people can produce, you have a disadvantage. Sure, you might be stronger and fitter than people who did not train at all, but you're no match for the truly muscular.” He couldn't argue with that, it made perfect sense. “That also means you have less defense. The more meat around your bones the less you will be damaged by hits and blows. How do you block a punch to the gut?” The bat Kelvic frowned. “By bringing your knee up and slamming it into the incoming fist?” Lethia nodded silently, as if she had expected that answer. “Yes, that too. But if you notice it too late? What if you won't make it in time? By tensing your abs. Your muscles are a meaty armor of sorts too. The more bulk you have, the more effective it becomes.”

“On the other hand however, muscles are heavy. Bulky people are slower than runners. And it's extremely disgusting too.” She grinned widely, then starting to giggle like a little girl. “Well, I don't really believe it matters how much you have. For defensive purposes, quality is better than quantity. If you maintain your body and train often, you will be able to make your muscles rock hard. That will make for some impressive armor as well.” A smile, a gentle one. “However, the quantity is a problem too. A lot of meat is still enough for a shield. So, as your punches don't have that much strength behind them, I will teach you some techniques to make up for that.” Now that was interesting news! Brandon's eyes sparkled and he almost scrambled to his feet, halfway stopping and deciding to sit and wait until his mother was done talking first.

“There is a couple things you need to remember though. First of all; if you can't be hit, you can't be defeated. That's a true enough statement, but you have to keep in mind that you will need the stamina to make sure your opponent does not outlast you. Second; you need to stay focused. I've seen it a couple times when we were sparring. You lost your concentration and as a result you made mistakes. You need to focus. Empty your mind. I've also seen doubts in your eyes after the … eh ...incident. You can't let fear slow you down. You can't hesitate in a fight. You need to clear your mind. Focus only on your surroundings, your body and your opponent. Don't think too much. Don't waste your focus on pointless fear or worries; it will only make them a reality. As such, I'd like you to meditate every so often. Practice so you can switch gears when you need to fight. It doesn't have to be for long, just a couple exercises to help you concentrate. We'll do that first and then we'll really start the training.”

With a gesture, Lethia instructed her son to sit like she did; legs crossed and hands in her lap, arms relaxed. Her back was straight and so was her neck. Not the slumped position Brandon had taken. He imitated her then, and she nodded. “Close your eyes.” He did. “Breathe deeply. In …. hold …. and out. In … hold … out.” while she continued to speak the same words over and over again, Brandon obeyed and followed the rhythm she dictated, feeling he was beginning to relax. His attention was with his lungs, feeling the way air was sucked in and blown out. His attention was with his heart, feeling the soft and slowing ta-thump, ta-thump of the organ as it pumped his blood through his veins. He felt a pleasant warmth accompany the flow of blood, spreading through his body.

“Now, focus on my voice. Don't worry about your breathing,” spoke Lethia calmly after a couple chimes, “Don't pay attention to anything but my voice. Shut everything out. The rushing of the wind, you hear it, but pay it no mind. Focus on my voice. Let my voice be the only thing in your mind, no thoughts.”

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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Brandon complied, drawing his attention away from his breathing, the rhythm having become natural for the time being. It was easy to focus on his mother's voice, there was no one else around, and apart from the wind that howled every so often and some birds that chirped, there was not much sound to distract him. It was pleasant to actually sit and think of nothing at all, though to find it pleasant was probably a result of thinking. No thinking meant no emotions as well, didn't it? Hush! Focus on her voice. Focus. “You can even repeat my words in your mind if that helps you to remove everything else from it. Even if your mind is still drifting and wandering, ignore it. Just follow my voice. Only my voice is important.”

That actually worked, repeating the words like some sort of echo did capture his attention. His thoughts didn't stray, they only reproduced what was said. For a couple chimes everything went really well, but then the bat's restless body decided it was time this stopped. His leg twitched, one muscle spasmed and rebelled against the stillness of the Kelvic's body. The sensation alone brought with it surprise and snapped the lad out of his focus immediately, dragging him back to reality and making him aware of just about anything there was to feel, hear or smell. His butt was starting to ache, the wind howled, one bird cawed... He could smell his mother's scent strongly as the breeze carried it towards him...

Of course he tried to get back to that state again, starting with his breathing, but it felt hurried and the sensation of before was gone. He wasn't calm, he was too rushed to get back and as a result he failed. He shifted his position a little bit, his mother's voice cut itself off abruptly. “Seems like you couldn't hold on anymore eh?” she asked rhetorically, to which the bat nodded and opened his eyes with a sigh. “No matter, you've experienced how to do it, now you only have to practice on your own. But instead of focusing on my voice, pick something else. A word, an image, it doesn't matter. But this is of course not really suited for the moment you have when someone's about to start a fight with you.”

“So, we're going to do this. You take a deep breath in and close your eyes. Then, you hold it for a tick or two, and you let it out. I want you to associate deep breaths with relaxation. Inhaling deeply is bringing relaxation and focus into your mind and body. Exhaling deeply is tossing your worries, fears, stress, tension and unnecessary thoughts out. Because of that, you will need to mediate often. Got that?” Brandon nodded. “Good. This exercise is actually nothing more than a sigh, a very deep sigh. But, it will be effective. Close your eyes. You take a deep breath in, you hold it, and you let it out. Open your eyes. Then, your mind has to be clear and focused. Now try it.”

The bat did as he was told, following his mother's instructions as she repeated them, thinking of the pleasant feeling he had experienced as he inhaled and exhaled, but there was no extra focus yet. His mind didn't feel all that clear. He was calm, yes, but other than that? Nothing. “We're going to do this for a couple chimes. But stand up, it will be easier.” And they did, inhaling and exhaling deeply, to -as his mother had explained- get used to the rhythm and condition himself to stick to it when he did this exercise. At the end of the break, the bat didn't feel all that different, but he probably just had to get used to the sensation and meditate more often. He made a mental note to do so every day.

And then it was time to actually start with the new training. Lethia stated she would teach him a couple new moves he should learn to make up for his lacking physical strength. But her way of teaching was not based on showing him the moves and telling him to imitate her. No, it was important to her that Brandon understood what the effects of the techniques would be, and what better way to accomplish that than to use them on the bat? Not very pleasant, but it had been effective so far. And it had resulted in lots of bruises and sore spots on his body. However, there had yet a lesson to come that didn't prove to be not useful to him, for Lethia did actually teach him very well. She knew her son better than anyone else too, so that probably helped a lot. Either way, Brandon braced himself as soon as she had spoken those words. Now he was standing there, he did even more so. Lethia usually attacked without warning, suddenly sneaking a blow in while he was off guard. But, so he had learned, Brandon was not supposed to block or dodge them, and as a result he could only brace himself as the fist sped through the air. It hit him right on the tip of his chin, an uppercut of sorts, but not one that struck the entire area of the chin, but only the tip. It hurt as it was an area with much bone but little flesh, and the bat was glad he had learned to keep his mouth shut.

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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Nevertheless, it still felt as if his teeth cluttered in his mouth as his jaw was forced out of its relaxed state and was shut completely. That was not the worst part though, that was reserved for the dizziness, the weak feeling in his legs, and the sudden loss of balance. His eyes registered the ground coming closer and in response, he placed a foot forward, preventing him from falling on his face. But, with his sense of balance gone, how was he supposed to know how much force he needed to use to stop himself? With his balance having disappeared, how could his body possibly maintain a simple upright standing position? It couldn’t. Brandon struggled to fight it, swaying from side to side, however, his legs felt rather weak.

Awkwardly he fell unto his knees as his legs gave away, he then tried to get back up, but failed. Instead of standing he just fell backwards onto his rear, using his hands for support; without them he wouldn’t even have been able to sit at all. “And, feels terrible, doesn’t it?” Lethia grinned, hands on her hips. Brandon just nodded, not quite trusting his voice was stable, his blood was rushing and his eyes were wide after all. Utterly shocking, that punch. “It’s quite useful if you want to incapacitate your opponent but not knock him out.”

There was a long pause as Brandon kept his mouth shut and Lethia seemed to be waiting for him to speak. Eventually though when the bat believed he’d calmed down he let his questions flow. “How long does it last? And how the heck did you manage this?”
“It differs from person to person. Some manage to stay standing, though they never seem to be able to stop swaying about. As for managing to accomplish this; you should be aware that hitting the head can cause some really strange effects. I’ve been told this actually the same thing as knocking someone unconscious, but only without falling unconscious. Eh, what’s it called… a minor concussion? This one is really minor though.”

It was indeed quite interesting, a blow like that could help a whole lot in combat… To practice it he had to be able to stand though, so Brandon gave getting up another try. The effects hadn’t quite faded yet, it seemed, and he was swaying heavily, tilting to a side no matter what he did to prevent it. However, he did stand, and that was something. “You need some precision to actually hit it right tough. If you hit the whole jaw from below with enough force, you’ll knock your opponent unconscious, and if you strike horizontally and aim too high, you’ll probably knock some teeth out. ” She laughed briefly. “Not that those aren’t favorable effects, but you need strength for that, and you don’t have a lot of that in supply.”

True, true.

Once Brandon regained his balance and his dizziness faded away, Lethia told him to practice the motion of the punch. Precision was needed, thus Brandon needed to know where exactly he had to hit the target. Of course, Lethia told him to go through the motions slowly, since there was no use in punching hard or fast when he couldn’t even properly strike the right spot. And so the bat threw a lot of blows, some were short uppercuts, others were straight punches or jabs, and still others were hooks. Both arms were trained equally, as Brandon was ambidextrous and he saw not being able to fight as well with either side of his body as a stupid disadvantage. After he told his mother he believed he got the hang of it, she made him stop and spoke up.

“Right, now it’s time to some real speed training. How much control do you have over your body? You can stop your fist at any point when it’s being thrown, right?” Brandon nodded slowly; his mother had taught him to be able to do just that when he learned to throw feints. And it came in handy when your opponent saw it coming and was going to counter. Of course you had to realize that first… “Yes, great. I’ll just stand here, telling you what side and what punch, okay. Left or right is a straight punch, left or right upper is an uppercut. If I turn my head to a side, you will throw a hook. And you will stop your fist before hitting me.” Another nod, and the bat got into his fighting stance.

Whatever Lethia yelled was thrown, cutting through the air and ceasing their approach as the distance grew less than three centimeters. She didn’t start with a series of lefts or rights, instead she immediately started screaming complicated combinations, that required more than just mindlessly throwing your fist. It was taxing; not only did the bat have to interrupt his blows every time, and did he fear what might happen if he did accidently hit his mother, but because he used his entire body and not just his arms, he had to change his footing and position every single time. After what the bat gauged to be ten chimes, Lethia made him stop and nodded approvingly.

“You’re on target most of the time,” she stated, “But not right on target, not exactly. You need to be more precise Bran. You have to make sure the knuckle of your middle finger hits the spot. Your entire fist is too large. You do punch really well though, you’re rather quick on your feet, I like the way you change your stance. It looks almost as if you’re never static. You’re like a liquid, like water, always flowing and adapting. I like it. But that doesn’t mean you did a good job with this punch I showed you, so wipe that grin of your face. Get back in position, we’ll be doing it again. Use my advice and get it right this time.”

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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Easier said than done. Brandon tried, he really did, but it was not good enough. His fists would hit the chin if he didn’t interrupt their trajectory, but just hitting the chin was not the point. If you practiced shooting arrows with a bow, you tried to pierce the inner circle. Once you could shoot, it was easy enough to reach the target and make your arrows bury in it. However that was not the point. The point was to improve accuracy, and that too was the point of this exercise. He’d need precision to successfully use pinpoint blows. Just striking the chin wouldn’t do, he had to be able to strike a specific spot on the chin.

Lethia had enough patience to last three rounds of training, and then she just sighed, motioned for Brandon to stop and rubbed her face. “Should’ve known you wouldn’t be able to pick that up in just one day… these things need lots of training… well, we’ll do this again tomorrow. For now, I want to show you something else.” She paused, tapping her temple with a finger, as if pondering where to begin. Brandon just stood there and waited, glad for the rest he was given. It wasn’t much, but it was something at least; he couldn’t keep up this training without a little bit of rest.

“Hm, yeah. So, you have a good punch,” she started, and the bat merely shrugged. “Everyone knows how to punch. Anyone can throw a good punch,” he said, swinging his tired arms around a bit as a means of stretching them and loosening his muscles. “Yes and no. Yes; everyone can punch. But not everyone knows how to punch. People think you punch with your arms, but that’s not true. You use your whole body. True, a punch is a punch, but not every punch is good.” Brandon frowned a bit while he stretched some more, pulling one arm over his head and bending his torso sideways, then switching sides after a couple ticks.

“What I mean with that,” Lethia continued, “Is that not everyone knows the proper technique for throwing a punch.” A snort escaped Brandon’s mouth; it earned him a scowl. “Don’t laugh, there is technique required when punching, otherwise it will be less effective. Remember when I showed you that shoulder throw? I told you to try it, and did you manage? No. When I taught you how, you did, when I taught you the techniques necessary. It’s the same with punching. By using your body, you can put in more strength, and you have more control. It requires timing, body control and a proper usage of your hands. Punches are simple, yes, they are basic, but don’t forget that the basics are the fundaments of your training.”

“Tell me, Bran, what is the point of hitting my palms over and over again? What is the point of doing the same exercise every day?”
“Eh… that you’re getting better at it?” he tried. Lethia made a gesture he had to elaborate, she looked annoyed. “Ehm… That you get better by repeating it over and over? That… the.. eh… that it starts feeling natural?”
“Exactly!” The bear exclaimed, clapping her hands once, then pointing directly at her son with one finger. “You train and train and train, until all the motions become natural, until it is burned in your mind. You won’t have to think about twisting your hips and taking a step forward. You just do. You won’t have to worry about needing to find the spot you want to strike. You don’t need to aim, your body remembers and your body does it for you. If you want to hit one particular spot, you will. Well, unless of course your opponent blocks or deflects your attack. And that’s also why sparring is important. You develop fighting senses. You develop new reflexes to counter, to kick from certain angles, to evade efficiently. That’s why you need to work hard, and that’s why you can’t master something in a couple days. Martial arts is all about technique, Bran, technique and effort. But that wasn’t what I originally was going to say.”

The bat raised an eyebrow. Lethia had made her point hadn’t she? But then again, perhaps he had distracted her and the tutoring had taken a different road than she had planned. Not that Brandon minded, it was interesting knowledge all the same. Slowly he bent over, keeping his legs stretched while he touched the ground with his fingertips. “What I was trying to say is this; you have a good punch, but it can be even better. Right now you’re using your body, and that’s good, but there’s one more thing you can add to give your fists some more oompf. Have you ever heard of weight shifting?” The young Kelvic shook his head. “It’s a technique where you shift your weight when you throw a punch, so your entire body weight is behind it. It makes your punches pack quite a … punch.” She cringed at the pun, her face displaying she was not all that happy with her own choice of words. “That’s what I’ve taught you a long time ago? You’ve been using it the whole time.” There was something off about that statement, but Brandon couldn’t really put his finger on it.

“The problem with that sort of punches is that you have to move back and forth a lot, because you are not perfectly balanced.” That made sense, it wouldn’t be called ‘weight shifting’ if it didn’t have anything to do with weight and balance. “That’s not the best way to punch though. You need to be perfectly grounded, and maximize the power generated by rotating your hips and torso. You will be able to hit harder, and faster.” A frown from the bat, and his mouth opened to speak. “But if I have to be perfectly grounded, doesn’t that mean I won’t be able to dodge or get away as fast?”

“Not necessarily. It doesn’t take much time for you to throw a punch now, does it? And still you need to enter a stance first. It’s the same thing; after a while it will become natural and you won’t have any difficulty with it at all. But of course, that takes practice,” Lethia said happily, “so get to it! Offensive stance, now!”

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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As soon as his ears registered the order, the bat assumed the demanded position, a stance that was meant for offense. One leg slightly shoved forwards, arms raised; he could explode into action whenever he needed to, closing distances and charging an opponent were all applications of this position. Lethia then told him to punch, and that he did. He stepped forward, shifted his hips a little, and twisted his torso as his fist raced through the air, hitting nothing. “Yes, stop, hold that pose!” Lethia said suddenly, and Brandon tried to stop his body immediately, but could not prevent his limbs to travel a little bit further.

“You’re not balanced, are you?” his mother spoke again, poking his shoulder with a finger, as she circled him slowly. She was right, even though it didn’t seem like it, the bat was essentially standing on one leg, able to keep standing because of his sense of balance alone. But indeed, he wasn’t really in balance, his stance wasn’t stable. He could be knocked over without much effort if he kept standing this way. “See, what you are actually doing by weight shifting is letting yourself fall. Because of that, you are not as balanced as you could be. If someone was to counter your punch you would stumble and maybe even be knocked down.”

She then gestured him to reassume his stance, and did the same thing, standing in front of him as she prepared to show how he actually had to punch. “So, instead of pushing with one leg, we’re going to rotate by using two.” She threw a punch and the bat had to admit that it looked way different than what she had shown him before. He frowned, and decided to ask the question that had been bouncing in his mind for a short while. “Say, if weight shifting is bad, then why did you teach it to me? Couldn’t you have taught me this instead?” Lethia stared at him as if she’d been waiting for that query. “It was necessary to teach you to use your whole body.” A simple and straightforward answer. “And weight shifting has its uses in battle too, you know.” She then continued throwing some punches, telling the bat to watch her form and observe.

“See, the trick is that you have to use your two legs. You need to shift the position of your hips, and you do so by using your first leg-” she tapped the leg she used to step in “- to pull, and your second leg to push. That’s the difficult part. Everything else is the same.” Lethia did not stop her demonstration, instead making some combinations of different kinds of punches as to show the way he was supposed to use his legs. He studied the way she moved her legs, the way her hips twisted as she threw her arm forward, and then started to try it himself. From her position in front of him, Lethia gave him critique, such as “You’re not grounded, plant your feet firmly on the ground.” Or; “No, I said pull with one leg and push with the other. You’re pushing with one leg.” After a while, she seemed to decide that verbal commands wouldn’t work, so she closed in on the bat and started to make changes in his form by using her hands. She pushed one foot on the ground fully with the words; “You’re pushing all your weight on your first leg. You’re not balanced. Spread your weight over both feet. Now try again.”

He did, but to no avail, from the sound his mother made, the bat could tell he had done it wrong again. He assumed his stance again, and Lethia kneeled down this time, placing her hand son his hips. “You push with your last leg,” she said, patting the side of his hips where that leg was attached to, “and you pull with your first leg.” She patted the other side. “And then, your hips should do-” she briefly and forcefully twisted his hips a little bit, changing his stance manually “-this. Understand? Now do it right, for Oriana’s sake!”

Truly, Lethia knew how to make Brandon understand, she knew how to explain something to him that he didn’t seem to get. Of course, only about unarmed combat and the likes, but still. Experience was what triggered his memories and what burned things into it. Forcing his body through the motions of the proper way to punch had a positive effect. The bat had felt his muscles work, contract and stretch. He had felt his hips shift and his stance change. Now he had a clear idea how it felt to move the way he was supposed to, and now he understood what he had to do. Still, that didn’t mean he was able to do it right away. Progress wasn’t made in a single chime. It needed practice and determination. Brandon decided to focus on his legs alone instead of throwing the punch. First he had to move his legs and hips like he was supposed to, and then he would practice the different punches as a whole. And so he kept going, trying to get his legs and hips to move the way he wanted them to, twisting his hips, pushing with one leg and pulling with the other. It took a long while before he finally managed to do it right once, but that spurred him on. More often than not, however, Brandon pushed all his weight on one leg, but because he now knew how it was supposed to feel, he noticed and stopped, getting back in the starting position and tried again.

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

The next day
Day 85 of Fall 512AV


A new day, a new lesson. The participants were the same though; the bat and the bear, one listening, the other explaining. There was a bit of wind, the kind you only feel during Fall; gentle most of the time, but every so often it’d swell in size, blowing harder for a couple ticks. It carried with it the cold of Winter already, and it was the main reason both Brandon and his mother felt the hairs on their bodies rise to counter the cold. They did not really pay it any mind though, they were training and as a result their bodies felt hot, and the cold breeze was welcomed.

“Right,” the bear said while pushing her shoulders backwards, pleased to hear a faint crackle. “Warming up is over, let’s get started then.” She smacked her lips a couple times, then yawned and frowned. “So, how did things go after I left yesterday? You stayed for a couple bells, right? Made any progress?” Brandon just shook his head. “Not really. I managed to get it right like five times or so, but no, not really. I just keep using one leg.” He stomped the floor. “It’s driving me crazy.”

Lethia gave him a warm, gentle smile. A mother’s smile she did not show so often. “These kind of things are hard to change. You just need to pay attention to it, and actively stop yourself and try again. Habits are hard to get rid of, but that does not mean it’s impossible.” She patted him on the shoulder and ruffled his hair. “You just have to keep trying and don’t give up.” The bat merely furrowed his brow and looked away, crossing his arms. “Like I was going to give up in the first place. I’m a prodigy; that does not mean I’m either lazy or weak-willed. Or both.”

His mother burst out in laughter, rocking hard for a while before she managed to regain her composure. “What? The truth may be heard, no?”
“You should hear yourself!” she exclaimed amused, “why don’t you go proclaim the truth after you manage to master throwing a decent punch?” She laughed again, and Brandon felt his cheeks glow a little. “That has nothing to do with it! It’s your fault for- I’ll surpass you one day! I’ll be better than you, I’ll become so strong you won’t be able to touch me, and then I’ll-”
“Right, right,” Lethia interrupted, “I’m sure you will, but right now, I’m the one who’s stronger, and you are not even close to catching up to me, let alone surpass me. So get your ass in position and pay attention; today’s lesson will be very useful to you.”

Brandon complied of course, for his mother was right; he still had a lot to learn. However, that did not dwindle his belief in his abilities, it did not diminish his belief of being a true prodigy. Had he not show an aptitude for this kind of thing? Hadn’t Lethia herself told him he had managed to make certain techniques his own in very little time? There was no more time to think about it though, as the bear opened her mouth to speak and the lesson began.

“Okay, so, today I’m going to show you some handy-dandy tricks to deal with your opponent quickly.” She paused briefly to cock her head and ponder where to start. “Perhaps- yes, I’ll start with that. So, Bran, tell me; to knock someone out, where will you strike?” The young Kelvic did not have to think about that, he answered immediately. “The head of course!”
Lethia nodded, “Yes, but there’s another spot right under it; the neck. A major weak spot to exploit. I mean, you can strike the throat to cut off the air or crush the windpipe; you can break the neck and either your foe’s dead or he won’t be moving anything but his head for the rest of his life. And then there’s the side of the neck. Strike either side hard enough, and you can make your foe faint.”

Brandon frowned at that. “So… you mean you just hit the side of the neck and that’s it? There’s no special way to strike it?”
“Well, yes, you use the knife-hand, or you kick it, but otherwise, no, no real special way.” That was surprising; Brandon blinked a couple times. “Huh, I just hit this spot here, right?” he asked, placing a knife-hand against the side of his neck. Lethia nodded. “That’s right. Well, I wouldn’t chop too high though. Maybe the middle or the base of the neck. And if you attack from both sides at the same time it’s supposed to be even more effective. I’m not sure if it’s true though.”

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

When Brandon asked whether they were going to practice that or not, Lethia shook her head, then explaining she did not believe it to be that important. After all, the bat did know where to hit, how to hit and he should be clever enough to know how hard he could hit. Some things were better not taught, but left to experience on your own; or that was what the bear said anyway. Brandon really did not care about it; it meant there was more time for new techniques, like the ones Lethia would show him in a bit.

“Okay, next is this; give me your arm,” she ordered, leaving Brandon a little confused. He frowned, and presented his arm, extending it. “Like this?” Now it was the bear’s turn to frown, a ponderous expression rippling over her face. “No, not quite… maybe it’d be better if you threw a punch or something… yes, do that. Throw a punch.” Not quite sure what this was about, Brandon did as asked, bringing his arms up and letting his body assume a fighting stance. He took a deep breath in and out, as to make that too a habit, and aimed a blow.

It was a great punch; for once he actually did like his mother had instructed him to do the previous day. One leg pulled, the other pushed. His torso twisted, using the muscles in his sides, back and abdomen to add more momentum, and lastly, his arm sped towards the target –which was not his mother’s face, but a spot just a bit next to her head, just to be safe. Brandon immediately felt it was a great punch; he felt the strength behind it, he knew it felt right and yet, there was not much time for him to rejoice. Instead, he found he was starting to yell out in pain as his arm was being twisted painfully behind his back.

Sometime during the punch, his mother had stepped out of the way, grabbing his wrist as his arm had reached the place his target would have been. Before he knew what had happened, Brandon found himself with his arm in a very painful position, his body automatically shifting to lessen the pain. “What the hell is this?!”
“This,” Lethia breathed in his ear, “is what they call a ‘joint-lock’. Or a pain compliance hold.” She twisted his arm a little further, causing Bran to yelp in surprised pain. “Stop! You’re going to break it!”
“Indeed. So you’d better start walking. Come on! ” The bear twisted his arm even further, resulting in more screams, but it also caused the bat to do what she’d ordered. The torque was lessened a little bit, so they were back where they’d started. “Right, now get down. On your knees.”
“What?”
Another sharp twist, and more pain started burning through his arm. Brandon complied, getting on his knees just to have the torque on his arm lessened again. Instead Lethia released her grip on his wrist. The bat quickly brought it in front of him, rubbing his elbow joint and moved his fingers as to ensure nothing was damaged.

Then he got back to his feet, spun around and actually aimed a blow for his mother’s head, with his non-hurting arm. Sadly for him, he saw Lethia’s hand shoot out, encasing his thumb and pushing it in a very awkward and painful position, his wrist following suit. Just like before, his joints were taut and Brandon’s body automatically assumed an awkward position to try and lessen the force applied to the joints. “You don’t learn do you? I said this before, but I’ll say it again. You need to surprise your opponent to land a successful hit. If you’re going to be predicable it’s not going to work. Quite the opposite in fact, but I assume you got that already.” She sighed. “Let me repeat myself here. Observation can mean the difference between winning or losing, Bran. How did I know you were going to punch me with your left hand? Because your right is hurting. A simple deduction. Did I know you were going to throw a punch? No. I had figured you were smart enough not to, but seems I was wrong. Nevertheless, I had my guard up. You know why? Because nothing is certain during a fight.”

“So you don’t trust me, is that i- aaaaaaaaaah!” His thumb was being pulled further back, his wrist following behind it. “Oh, no. It’s just that I know you. If there’s anything you do get angry about, it’s having your bones broken. Which is why I had my guard up in the first place.” Another sigh as her son tried to wriggle himself free and she increased the torque once more. “These are called pain compliance holds for a reason, you know. You can’t get out of them so easily.” Brandon swung his free fist towards her in response, only to stop halfway because the pain was only intensifying. “See what I mean?” Brandon nodded and Lethia let go of his thumb. “Good. Then it’s about time I taught you how to use these.”

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

Grudgingly, Brandon fixed his eyes on his mother, rubbing his thumb in an effort to dwindle the pain a little, though it did not help at all. His eyes shot daggers at the bear, but she pretended not to notice, which only served to irk the bat even more. Nearly breaking his arm, then his thumb, and all the while with a smile on her face and under the guise of training? This was going a bit too far. Experiencing the feel of having those techniques used against you was one thing, but this? Twisting his arm and thumb that far? No, that was too much. Too petching much.

“Oh come now, this is hardly something to be mad about, now is it?” Lethia sighed, finally giving up the pretense. “Yes it is!” Brandon hissed in reply, holding up his thumb, which was quite red and sore. “You could have broken it! How would I have been able to fly with a broken wing, eh?!” Lethia raised her hands and offered a small smile. “I was never going to go that far, Bran, you know that.”
“No! No I don't! I never know what you're going to do, I never know when you're going to do it. I can never just relax and pay attention for once. I always have to worry about you pulling my leg, or hitting me in the petching face!” Brandon fumed, his brow arching down dramatically.
“I've told you already, it's part of the training!” Lethia exclaimed, sounding hurt, “you'll never know what to expect out there-”
“Petch off. I'm not buying it.”
“It's for your own good!”

Something just snapped inside the bat, he felt his hands tighten into fists, and his teeth clenched in his mouth. “For my own good? What?! You hit me over and over! You throw a punch at me, and I'm not allowed to dodge! I just have to take it and endure it? Is that it? How do you think that feels eh? I'm not your personal punching bag!”
“Bran, please, I've told you already-”
“I don't want to hear your excuses! I'm done with this! I'm done with you!” And with that the bat pushed past his mother and stormed away from the entrance of Kalinor, deeper into the Unforgiving. “Bran? Where are you going?! Bran! Come back here immediately!” Instead, Brandon started to run, heading down the mountainside to the valley below. “BRAN! I'll count to three! And then you're back here! One! Two!” A flash of lightening illuminated the sky for a moment, quickly followed by the rumbling of thunder and the splattering of raindrops. “THREE! THAT'S IT, I'M COMING DOWN THERE AND WHEN I GET MY PAWS ON YOU...!”

Brandon stopped listening, instead continuing to run, careful not to slip on the now slippery rocks. Another flash of bright light, but it wasn't thunder this time. Heavy breathing and pawsteps closed in on him; his mother no doubt. Frantically, the bat scanned the area for a place to hide, spotting a narrow hole that looked like a cave. He dove right into it, finding it was a lot more spacious than it had looked from the outside. Not that much later a shadow thundered past, big and brown, panting, pelt heavy and dripping from the downpour. The bear huffed, turning her head to all sides, though she failed to spot the small hole where Brandon was hiding. Lethia made a whimpering sound then, snorting and sniffing the air and ground, though the rain made it impossible to find the scent she was looking for. After a while, she left and headed deeper into the valley, only to return ten chimes later, slumping and heading back to Kalinor, looking quite miserable. Brandon felt a stab of guilt at the sight, though he stayed where he was, his anger not yet washed away entirely.

x

credit goes to Euthisa