Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 4, 2018 19:02:21 GMT -8
Luxeria could feel her body become weary once more as she pushed to the hour mark. Sweat poured down her face and body, causing her clothes to start sticking to her. But she continued to push as hard as she could. Without Gavin or any other opponent, there was no pattern to follow, the attacks to use as guides. In a way, it made her work harder. Her body tense and her knees slowly starting to give, she knew she’d be at her limit in only a few minutes time. Her mind called for her to stop, making her start to think that was all it had to give. But if the previous night taught her anything, it was that she could break the barrier that her mind placed on her body, break passed the current limits she was capable of at the current time. And with that, she pushed further, ignoring her mind’s plea.
And so she continued on passed the hour. In the end, she ended up falling to the ground. It was all she could muster and now she laid there, looking at the sky. She needed to gather her strength again to continue her training with Gavin later in the day. So, despite wishing for a better place to rest, she closed her eyes and focused on restoring herself.
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 5, 2018 16:32:43 GMT -8
It was a few hours before Luxeria woke. Still laying upon the ground, she squinted blinked from the light still in the sky. There was no telling how long she was truly out, but by what she could tell, she still had a couple hours before having to meet back up with Gavin. Feeling a bit hungry, she decided she grab another bite before moving to the library to do some more studying with her remaining time. She had nothing better to do, so why waste it just sitting around? She might have accepted a slower, patient approach to gaining power, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t use every available moment to train.
Standing to her feet, she moved her body about to see where it stood. There was no telling what Gavin would have her do in the later hours, so she needed to keep herself up. Already she was becoming used to the effort and didn’t feel as weary as she had when she first woke up that morning. All she could do was keep going until she was fully adjusted. And with that mindset, she headed off.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 7, 2018 16:53:41 GMT -8
Gavin made his way out of the academy and headed for the outside training area. It has been another successful day of training with the younglings. He felt they were really grasping his teachings and making steady progress. Part of him wished he could make each of them his apprentice and devote the time to training them fully by his standards, yet he knew he couldn’t. There were too many and he couldn’t choose one from among them. It wouldn’t be fair to the others who worked so hard. And as an instructor, it wouldn’t be right. So, with that in mind, he made a note to commit as much as he could to his students.
And that brought about the reason he was here. He would continue Luxeria’s more intense training. Of all people, he knew she would reach that level he wished for all his students to achieve. And with her, perhaps she can be the example the others see, the guiding light that carries them there. The idea brought a smirk to his face as he took a seat and began to mediate while he waited.
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Affiliation: Blackguard Reborn
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 8, 2018 10:33:14 GMT -8
Luxeria exited the academy, finding Gavin meditating in the training area she had used earlier in the day. He was ready and waiting to start the next session. She wondered if he’d teach her something new or work on evasion techniques again. Either way, she was ready.
Reaching him, she took a seat and remained silent, waiting for him to address her.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 8, 2018 13:36:22 GMT -8
Gavin felt Luxeria's approach and began to bring his meditation to an end. When she sat down before him, he smirked before opening his eyes. "I can sense you are eager to begin. I'm glad you have the drive to learn and progress."
He then began rolling his shoulders and neck. It was possible things you pick up in the next session and he wanted to be stretched out. "I take it you have done as I instructed and did some extra training in your evasion practice.?"
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 8, 2018 13:41:16 GMT -8
Luxeria nodded at his question. "I did, indeed. I spent about two hours in this very training ring working on my balancing techniques and evasion skills. Afterwards, I spent a couple hours within the library reviewing the history and philosophy of the Sith." She didn't know why she needed to specify the time she spent. Perhaps it was to assure him of the dedication she put into it. Then again, she could have secretly been trying to impress him and give him more reason to bestow upon her his teachings. It was a question she had no real answer to, but in the end, it didn't really matter. She had said it and that was that.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 8, 2018 17:19:15 GMT -8
Gavin nodded. "Impressive. Many wouldn’t endure such lengths in their training by themselves or when they knew greater lessons were waiting later in the the day. You are to be commended on your dedication. Malvus was certainly a lucky man to gain you as an apprentice. Keep that state of mind and you will undoubtedly learn not only what I have to teach, but that which all have to teach. Great power awaits you, Luxeria."
Standing to his feet, he motioned for her to do the same. "We will be working on the next stage of the basics: blocking. A strong defense can overcome the brute force of nearly any attack. But the best way to accomplish this is not by gaining strength yourself, but by finding the proper stance and foundation. Doing so turns you into a wall. The stronger your foundation, the more immovable you become. However, don’t let these words fool you into thinking you must become tense and focused. If all you do is tighten up, you risk greater damage."
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 9, 2018 5:54:09 GMT -8
As Gavin commented on her dedication and potential, it took all she had to keep her composure and not let let slip her feelings on the matter. Even so, she was unable to keep a small smirk from forming. In the beginning, she had kept such compliments from affecting her. But she had started to notice that it was becoming a bit more difficult. But could she be blamed? She had developed pride in her abilities and her capacity to learn. Now that she was completely new and had skills, it made it harder to keep from developing and ego.
Luckily, Gavin stood and pushed on with what was to be taught this time around. Listening, she stood to her feet. She’d still be on the defensive end of combat, but now learning something else. For the most part, everything clicked and connected quite easily. That was until his last comment. Tilting her head, she looked at him a little confused. "What do you mean? If I’m to become an immovable wall, how is that achieved by not tensing up and hardening your defenses?"
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 9, 2018 8:26:41 GMT -8
Gavin crossed his arms and he prepared to explain. He guessed as much that his words would be confusing. "If you allow your body to be completely tense, you allow the full impact of an attack to resonate on that part of the body. That energy has to go somewhere and with no give, it start forcing your body to break down.
Knowing his words were probably more confusing this time, he looked to give an example. "I want you to jump twice as high as you can. The first I want you to land with your legs locked. Don’t let you knees bend. The second, let your knees give." He waited for her to do so, knowing she’d quickly feel the difference. "Yes, your muscle must be tensed and ready to push back against your opponent’s attack. But you want the rest of your body to be loose and capable of giving. As you just felt, when there is no give to your body, it puts a greater strain on you. By giving a little, you lessen the momentum, thus the impact of an attack before you fully stop it. Energy can’t just be stopped immediately like that. It’s going to go through you one way or another. That’s why giving a little to an attack is important."
His eyes then focused hard on her. "However, the tricky part is knowing how and when to give to an attack. Just giving can steal more energy from you or put you into a far worse position if you aren’t careful. That is what we are going to be working on. Finding the optimal amount of give and positioning for your blocks."
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
Posts: 1,898
Affiliation: Blackguard Reborn
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 9, 2018 16:33:41 GMT -8
Luxeria raises an eyebrow at Gavin’s instruction. It was an odd request in her mind and seemed pointless and childish. Still, she did as she was told, not wanting to upset him and make him deny training her further. However, it didn’t take long to grasp just what he meant. While not at the full depth of what he was trying to explain, she saw that the energy of impact had to go somewhere. When she stayed stiff, the energy surged through her muscles joints and bones. Nowhere near enough to cause pain, but enough to get he picture. When she bent her knees, the joints worked like shock absorbers and lessened the impact to be point it dispersed the energy.
But when he went further to explain that it wasn’t as simple as tensing the muscles and loosening the joints. It required certain stances and approaches to be used properly. Unlike the evasion exercises, this would require proper focus and control.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 10, 2018 5:57:15 GMT -8
Once he was certain Luxeria understood what he was talking about, Gavin continued. "Now, I’m sure you are aware of the points of defense. I showed them to you on Eriadu, but I’ll tell you again. You have the front, above your head, and each side with a higher and lower point. As you can easily imagine, the block used is reflected in the direction the attack comes from. The real fun comes in determining which block is most effective against what kind of an attack. For now, we’ll start with kicks. Most kicks made at your lower point are typically best avoided all together. You can get you arms low enough without bending over and your legs don’t provide the best defense in this case. So let’s start with the higher side kick. The best option is to form a wall with your arm. Keep them bent close together like this with your other arms braces behind it to help support. Also keep it close to your body. Not so close that the kick is on top of you, but far enough out you have the full support of your strength and can afford to give a little. He demonstrated the stance before motioning for Luxeria to kick him to further show her what he was talking about.
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
Posts: 1,898
Affiliation: Blackguard Reborn
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 10, 2018 8:48:06 GMT -8
Luxeria watched as he demonstrated the stance. When motioned to make a kick, she took a stance so to kick him as hard as she could. She knew he was expecting it as it would best show its effectiveness. Building up her power, she swung her right legs around to kick him. The moment she hit, she could feel the force of the impact, letting her know she hit him hard and dead on. Yet, as she made contact, she felt her leg settle into his arm as it grew closer to his body, slowing easily. She observed the action and reaction as Gavin didn’t move or flinch, only his arm allowing movement.
Stepping back, she let what she saw and felt sink in, trying to grasp how it worked so that she could use it when they switched roles.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 10, 2018 16:07:34 GMT -8
Gavin nodded as Luxeria let her foot rest upon the ground once more. "I’m sure you felt it, the way the power in your attack seemed to vanish. Just as if you hit a rock, it doesn’t give and seems to be unbreakable. However, the pressure of the attack ripples through its structure and begins to break the bonds that hold it together. After awhile, it eventually crumbles. However, hitting a softer object absorbs and disperses the energy when it gives, allowing it to constantly take its regular shape with no real damage while your own attack weakens after the initial impact. At this point, the object will mange to outlast your stamina. The same lessons applies."
He then let his hands rest out at the side he was attacked from. "Another method of blocking a kick involved more catching the kick than stopping. The same method applies, but this time, it’s the elbows that must give. Kick me now and I’ll show you."
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 12, 2018 13:23:45 GMT -8
Luxeria nodded and made her kick against Gavin. The moment her leg met his hands, she felt his grip on her and her eyes widened a bit at the realization of what kind of possible she was now in. It wasn't a fear that he would do anything while he had her, but the reality of just how much he had her at his mercy. Before, his block effectively stopped her attack, though it left her able to stay on the move. Even still, it allowed him to push back on her leg to attempt to knock her off balance or move straight in in attempt to get through her defenses. But with his grip on her leg, she was at his mercy in some regard. True, she could make a punch, but that would force her to lean in and severely limit her strength that it might prove a greater boon to her. Her only real option was the risk of kicking him with her other leg. But with his hold on her, he could direct her leg anywhere to benefit him.
She noticed the give in his elbows as well as the way his primary hand was positioned. It allowed him to shift the position of his arm to better allow him to manipulate her leg. In just these two blocks, she was starting to see more of their effectiveness than she had ever though of, despite utilizing them in perhaps a less refined form.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 12, 2018 13:37:40 GMT -8
Gavin let her foot settle, nodding his head. "I can see it in your eyes. You are seeing how these blocks work and the deeper benefit to be gained from them. You experience and training thus far are to be credited, Luxeria. I believe I can glance over the remaining few blocks easily enough. For the side punches, they are mostly going to always be a hook style or chop attack as it is the most effective at getting to your sides unless they are really close to you. As such, these blocks work just as effectively against them. Next, we'll address over head attacks. these are a bit rarer in unarmed combat unless from a downward kick, chop, or an attack from your opponent due to height. Two blocks that work well is the cross, or 'X' block, and the parallel block. The 'X' block will create a point where your arms will, in a way, catch your opponent. By a twist of your hands, you can grab them much like the side block. The parallel block has your arms running nearly side by side as a reinforced wall." He went ahead and demonstrated the blocks before continuing. "Next, you have the frontal block. this has two good defensive forms, like the others. The first is a cross in front of you. It doesn't benefit in catching your opponent. Another brace is to have both arms running upwards like a wall side by side. I recommend that when you do this, you definitely remember to tighten your muscles but keeps your joints loose. Also, let your knees bend in slightly." Once again, he showed her the blocks before showing her the last block he had to show her. "Finally, the last block is a lower block. It is done best by a cross block, or a double palm block. Leaning down should be avoided when possible, so I wouldn't recommend trying to grab your opponent so much as simply block him."
Taking a stance, he nodded. "Now, I'll attack you. We'll go through the blocks one by one slowly to allow you to grasp basics of them before we get serious with them."
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 12, 2018 13:42:52 GMT -8
Luxeria went on to watch as he explained and demonstrated the other blocks. They were relatively basic and well known and used, yet as he explained them, she seemed to see something more from them than she had before. Perhaps it was the reality of the lesson. Before, it was something learn just as a simple block and not touched on with such depth. And now, she felt she could gain more from them.
When he was ready to shift the roles and have her block, she nodded and braced herself, waiting for his move as to know which side he would be coming from. She was admittedly glad that he was starting slower than the day before in allowing her to get a handle on the blocks and how to make them work properly.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 13, 2018 5:36:29 GMT -8
Seeing she was ready, he began his attacks. First, he attacked with a hook with his right, followed by two kicks from the right as well. He did the same with his left before making an overhand chop with his right then left, punching at her chest with his right then left, finally ending the pattern with a kick straight up the center. He’d go through this pattern at least five times, increasing speed and strength with each pass to further get her adjusted to the real sparring session.
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 15, 2018 10:46:06 GMT -8
Luxeria brought her arms up in the wall block, though it was higher than she expected, mostly due to it being an attack from his arm than his legs. But they followed, to which she merely dropped her arms a bit to take the hit. She had stepped forward on her left foot to give her an extra brace. Switching to the gripping block for the second kick, all seemed to be going well. There were adjustments to make in how much she gave to the impact. But that would always need a little time to adjust to.
However, she realized she had made a mistake by stepping forward like she did. While the attacks weren’t incredibly fast, they were quick enough in switching sides that, while she got her arms over, she wasn’t able to adjust her footing. Had he been attacking her as he did the night before, she would have been on the ground now due to her loss of balance. But she made it through the next three hits, following the same patterns as she did on her left.
When he went for a central attack it made her able to adjust her feet in between strikes. Seeing he attacked twice allowed her to use both blocks, first with an "X" the the parallel. Moving down, she did the same cross then straight arm block before crossing her arms to deflect the kick below her.
As he continued the pattern, she grew to better utilize the blocks and better understand her stances. But she also picked up on something else. Trying to block against fast attacks like this was going to be insanely difficult, if not impossible. Moving into position, taking stances, and managing the impact was a lot to manage in the blink of an eye. She only hoped he wasn’t about to attempt to assault with that same speed.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 15, 2018 17:11:20 GMT -8
As he finished his pattern, he stood calmly with a nod. "You get it, don’t you? The stance you must take to most effectively use to manage attacks from any direction. Even more, you’ve discovered that you can’t block with the speed you evade with. That’s a good things to keep in mind. In this training, I won’t go nearly as fast, but I will hit even harder. Eventually, we will reach the point when you will use all I’ll teach you to fight, but for now, we stick to defense. Now, let’s pick up the pace."
With the last bit of words done, he began his assault. He delivered a hard punch straight at her chest with his right hand, while bringing about a hook with his left. Following that came the kick up the center before punching at her chest again then bringing down a chop on her head and a kick at her left side with his right foot.
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 16, 2018 11:18:32 GMT -8
Luxeria gave a nod at Gavin comment but said nothing else. There was no reason for it. His words echoed her thoughts, meaning he obviously knew these things and her nod was all the verification needed to tell him she understood as well. Anything she’d say would ultimately end up being the same thing.
Ready for things to pick up into something more serious, she readied herself just before Gavin went on the assault. Living up to his words, his speed didn’t really increase but she noticed the greater strength. And so she worked to grasp that strength as she began blocking his attacks, looking to apply the right amount of pressure and give against him.
Her arms came up to cross in front of her chest, then shifted her arms to her right into a gripping block when he made his hook. Shaping a the cross position again, she lowered her arms to block the lower kick before lifting her arms, letting them split apart and form up side by side to save herself from the attack at her chest again. As he came down on her with his chop, she let her elbows flare out as she lifted her arms, moving smoothly into the parallel over head block, then dropped into a wall block on her left side.
The major thing she noted in the flow was how easily she could move from one block to the next. Even waiting for him to make his attack, she had more than enough time to adjust her position for the next block. Each could flow easily into the other quite well with little effort. She might not have been able to handle his higher speeds, but she could handle it if he sped up a little more.
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