Solo Beards Don't Stop Fists

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While Sylira is by far the most civilized region of Mizahar, countless surprises and encounters await the traveler in its rural wilderness. Called the Wildlands, Syliran's wilderness is comprised of gradual rolling hills in the south that become deep wilderness in the north. Ruins abound throughout the wildlands, and only the well-marked roads are safe.

Beards Don't Stop Fists

Postby Karyk on May 29th, 2017, 11:39 pm

Spring 75, 517 AV

Karyk was parking his carriage for their normal midday rest, when he saw Fildred, the scout leader, trotting over atop his chestnut horse. The middle aged man, maybe a decade or so older than Karyk was smiling at the caravan's green leader mischievously. He knew Karyk had been struggling with being a new, inexperienced leader for a while, especially with no real combat practice. It was tough, being in a position of responsibility without the power normally coming with it. But the man had a lot of support from his people, especially his new mate, Salara. Fildred figured he could help push Karyk in the right direction to get better on his own terms.

Fildred called out, "Get settled quickly Southwind, then come with me."

Karyk nodded curtly, coming to a stop near an oak tree. He hopped down, slammed his fist against the side as he always did to let the occupants know they were stopped for good and to get out. Karyk moved around to his oxen, running his hand up Bobertha's flank, reaching the yoke, unclasping it and setting the two hat wearing oxen free. They lowed softly, and wandered over to the shade, and began munching on the grass.

Karyk saw Fildred over next to a beech tree, and sauntered to him, the lead scout standing against it with a smug grin on his face, arms crossed. "I hope you're not too tired, fearless leader," with a teasing tone. Fildred was one of the few people Karyk had mentioned his struggles with, as the scout leader was more experienced. He respected the shipwright for it, which was why he was being more helpful. "Hopefully Salara isn't wearing you out too much..." All the scouts knew of what happened at the pond, and none but Fildred had the balls to tease them about it. Karyk smirked a bit, covering the slight flush in his cheeks.

"Because you're going to need the energy." He smacked the tree, "I want you to punch the tree. Much like I had you do with your axe. Use both hands. Now punch it. Hard."

Karyk nodded, remembering the axe training, and hoped this didn't end with yukmen like last time. Karyk squared up in front of the tree, wrapped his fingers around his thumbs, and swung a wide, arcing haymaker at the tree. It struck the tree with his inside knuckles hard. The poor fist though caused his thumb to throb in pain, and his knuckles hurt mildly, but nothing terrible. Karyk rebounded from the tree, shaking his hand, "Motherpetcher, petchin' hell!"

Fildred was laughing. "Alright, so now you've seen the wrong way to do it. Time to do it right." He moved over to Karyk, taking his hand in his own. "When you make a fist, close it with your thumb on the outside, and put that thumb across your fingers." He guided Karyk's fingers into such a position. "Don't clench your fist too tight either."

He stepped back, and Karyk gripped his fists open and closed, practicing making it the correct way. "Now we'll keep practicing for a bit with your wild haymaker, but you'll need to learn some others too. Just try to focus on keeping that fist, and hitting the tree with your big two knuckles. Hitting with the small ones can break your hand. Hitting with your fingers can break them."

Karyk nodded, and squared up with the tree once more. He made the proper fist this time, and once more, threw a heavy haymaker, arcing wide at the tree. His larger, inner knuckles hit the bark hard, and this time his hand only mildly stung. Satisfied at the immediate improvement, he swung again with his left. He had slightly less control over this one and his fingers hit the bark. That one stung, a lot. But Karyk kept at it. Over and over, Karyk swung at the tree, trying his best to hit with the large knuckles.

He was huffing and puffing, the skin on his hands a bit torn and scuffed and red, but not too terrible. He was sure they'd be bruised tomorrow. But he was smiling all the while, catching his breath. "All right, time for a much better type of punch. They haymaker works as a sucker punch sometimes, but it is too wild and slow to ever be useful in a real fight. Also we need to work on your stance, its very similar to what I showed you before with your axes. Lead with weak leg and hand."

Karyk stepped his left foot forward, pointing forward to the tree. Fildred took Karyk's left arm in his hands, moving it so that it was held out in front of him. Elbow pointed down and slightly to the side. He then moved to the right side. He kicked at Karyk's right foot, pointing it slightly to the side, keeping it under his shoulder but a bit back from the other. He moved the other arm into a similar but slightly lower position. "This is your default position. If you're not punching, your arms protect your face and throat. From this position, you can throw most of the necessary punches. The first two we will learn are the jab and cross. The jab is always thrown with your lead hand, the cross from your rear hand. Punch the tree with your lead hand."

Karyk nodded, keeping his hands up. His hand shot forward, and it struck the tree with his large knuckles. It was clear how much faster it was than the previous haymakers, but it didn't feel nearly as strong to Karyk. "Again." Karyk punched again, striking the bark hard, hand stinging and a vibration moving up his arm. He punched again, his rear hand dropping and he received a punch to the jaw. It knocked him off balance and he stumbled from the tree, his temper starting to rise, "What the petch?"

Fildred smirked, "Keep your arm up when you attack. They protect you. You drop your guard, I'm gonna hit ya, plain and simple. When you punch, twist your body and hips with the punch, this will give you more power, and protection. Again."

Karyk got back into position, making sure to get his feet right, and hold his arms up protectively, but his was slouching his head and torso a bit. He received a punch in the side of the gut. He coughed, and swung a left handed haymaker toward Fildred, which the man easily blocked, and returned with a jab to the jaw. Karyk stumbled backward, not expecting such force from the blow, "Stop, calm down. You just learned several things." Karyk's eyes burned with pain and rage as he glared at the man, but he sucked in some air, and relaxed a bit, his face and gut still hurting.

"First thing, you need to keep your torso straight. This lets you keep your muscles tight, to serve as protection. Hunched over like that, you lose a lot of it. Secondly, you just saw how useless your haymaker is. Even a novice like you can stop one once you learn these simple punches. Third, jabs aren't a joke. They are your bread and butter. Now go again, practice that jab."
Follow your heart, and the plot will follow.
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Beards Don't Stop Fists

Postby Karyk on May 30th, 2017, 4:48 pm

Karyk nodded, squaring up, straightening his torso, fixing his feet again. He held his arms up as guards, bending his knees a bit more to get comfortable. He then jabbed forward, a slight twist in his hips. Fist struck bark, and bits flew off, still stinging a bit, but he snapped it back quickly, just in time to stop a blow to the chin from the side. Karyk was pleased to have gotten his guard up again. He kept at it. Jab, guard, jab, guard, block.

"Punch with your right."

Karyk twisted the opposite direction with his hips, shooting his right hand out, striking the same point he'd been focusing on. As the hand started to snap back, Karyk felt a blow strike him in the chin. "Keep your guard up. Again." Karyk shook off the blow, jaw still stinging, and punched again, being mindful to keep his left guard up. "Good good, that's called a cross. Again. Mix them up." Karyk crossed again, snapped it back, jab, jab, cross, stopped a blow with his guard, jab again. He kept at this until his fists were throbbing and his breath ragged. "Rest."

Karyk hunched over lightly, sucking in deep gulps of air through his mouth. "Stand up straight, hands on your head. Breath in through your nose, out through your mouth. Breathing is just as important as anything else when fighting. Outta breath, outta fight." Karyk nodded and did as instructed. Soon, his breath returned. "These are your two most basic of punches. There's two more you should learn at the very least. The first is the hook. Very similar to your haymaker, but much more effective. Get ready."

Karyk took his stance once more, "Throw your haymaker again, but make it a tighter, faster curve. Don't go for power, go for speed. You can go high or low with this. Throw in other punches with it as well."

A rounded punch was thrown, wide and slow, striking the tree at an odd angle. Karyk knew it was wrong, but followed through with a cross. He tried for a hook again, this time pulling his arm back a bit first. He pulled it in tighter, giving it just a bit of a curve. It struck the tree at an angle, and Karyk felt a much more satisfying blow as compared to his earlier haymakers. He followed with another cross, then a jab, jab, cross, hook. The twisting back and forth was putting some strain on his abs, and Karyk could feel them burning and tightening up. He kept at it, jab, cross, hook, cross, jab, jab, hook. Karyk could feel the beginnings of a sort of rhythm. He focused on his breathing, out when he punched, in when he pulled it back, through his nose, out his mouth.

"Keep going! Do an uppercut, to the bottom of the chin from the bottom, rear hand." Karyk was huffing, lungs burning, but he worked at it. He jabbed then tried to do this uppercut. It felt really weak as he did it. Jab, jab, try the uppercut again. This time he twisted his body more, feeling it strike a bit harder, more satisfyingly. He felt himself clipped on the chin again, and raised his guard back up better. Jab, cross, jab, jab, uppercut again. He continued to punch and punch at the tree, trying the different types and combos. Eventually, breath escaped him and he had to stop, wheezing and nearly hacking up a lung.

"Well done Karyk. Try and make time for this sort of practice every other day. Do your axes on the off days. Won't be long until you can truly handle yourself in a fight." Then the man grinned, "But let us continue.."
Follow your heart, and the plot will follow.
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Karyk
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Beards Don't Stop Fists

Postby Karyk on September 3rd, 2017, 5:08 pm

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Karyk
Skills
Boxing: 2
Endurance: 2
Lores
Boxing: How to properly make a fist
Boxing: A proper stance
Boxing: Throwing a jab
Boxing: Throwing a cross
Boxing: Protect your face with your arms
Boxing: Throwing a hook
Boxing: Throwing an uppercut

Miscellaneous


 
Notes and Comments
CS Checkmarked: ✓
CS Reviewed by Me: ✓
Season Request was Submitted for Grade: Summer 517
Season Thread was Started (IC & OOC): Summer 517 & Summer 517
Is that Season's expenses paid?: ✓
Eligible for grade? Yes



Some closing text here...
Follow your heart, and the plot will follow.
User avatar
Karyk
Player
 
Posts: 326
Words: 273057
Joined roleplay: April 4th, 2017, 4:34 pm
Location: Zeltiva
Race: Human
Character sheet
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Plotnotes


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