Completed (Empyreal Demesne) Arming With Knowledge II

[Dessarian]

Timestamp: 75 Fall, 519 AV

While Dess had taken some action to give the Meraki a better place to stand if attackers from the sea attemt to land at the dock, as they had earlier in the season. Buwarks from behind which the could fire and fight, and two heavy bolt-throwers. From that encounter a basic plan was devised, including who would take the front lines, who would man the scorpions and who would prepare to treat the wounded and keep their non-combatants safe. Mages would be encouraged to devise defensive means to employ their craft in whatever meaasure may prove beneficial in a security emergency. The plans would be duplicated for threats from other places up the beach and from the Wildlands themselves, with specific amendments.

But this day was about following up on something he had begun in the summer. Providing personal self-defense training to several of the women of the Demesne. Mercy, Keesha and Ember had been coerced by Dess to practice what they had learned on many occasions through the summer, practicing on stuffed feed sacks, or on Dess or Ebon. But it as time, in Dess' mind, for another lesson. After the arrival of the Dark of Night, the women semed more willing to undertake the tutelage.

Mercry, Keesha and Ember would attend, as they had before. Sona was given leave from the sawmill long enough to travel to the beach for the training session as well. Dess had done a little work with her to get her up to the next level of learning. Darcee, already schooled in self-defense by her Damazar upbringing, had little desire to partake in the training, so she would watch Caitlyn as the girl played in the sand.

They all wore loose but warmer clothes than they did during the summer session. The silliness among the girls improved only a little, and though Ember appeared many years older than she did just a season earlier, she had not matured at an equal pace. "We have learned eye-gouging, crotch kicking and foot-stomping what else is there to learn?" Keesha asked in her snarky tone, her smile the only clue that she was teasing Dess, as usual. The other's giggled, but Darcee laughed out loud behind him, where Caitlyn was playing in the sand with a wooden bowl. "Laugh it up. Obviously no one taught Lynneah enough about paddling arse." He shot back, knowing full well Lynneah was a good mother, and that Keesha was in fact was an admirable young woman.

"I want to teach you about what I will call releases. What to do when someone is trying to grab you. Does anyone remember the main goal if you are faced with an attacker?" Dess tested his students.

"Make him cry like a baby." Keesha shouted out. "Steal his coin purse." Ember chimed in, joining in the mayhem. Finally Mercy piped up. "Get away." The young woman answered with a smile, shaking her head at her companions.

Dess pointed to Mercy. "Yes, thank you. I am glad someone takes this seriously!" He nodded. "Alright, Zreven, front and center, you are my practice dummy." He quipped as he grinned at the teenager.

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[Dessarian]

Keesha rolled her eyes, but obediently stepped forward and stood in front of Dessarian. He was a good head taller than the girl, which made the match up awkward, but it would do. Besides, he had a reason. The teenager was an instigator, and to make her a participant in the training disarmed her distracting comments. Ember seemed to pick up on that attitude.

"So, who has the power between Keesha and I?" Dess asked his students.

"You." Ember spoke up confidently. "You are bigger and stronger." She declared. The other women nodded.

"Well, in a typical situation, you're right. We tend to think in terms of the ability to overpower our opponent. That leaves our tenacious and spry but undersized Keesha in trouble." Dess grinned, patting Keesha on the shoulder.

"Undersized?" Keesha frowned and folded her arms across her chest in mock offence.

Dess gave her a playful nudge. "But, that doesn't have to be the case. The name of the game, and the secret to power, is balance. Strength and size doesn't do much good if you are off balance. In fact, they can be used against an opponent. Look. Keesha, keep me from pushing you." Dess placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and pushed. Keesha planted her feet in the sand and leaned into Dess's push. But soon he had her back peddling.

"Now, this time, when I push, don't push back or resist. Just take a step back and turn to the side." He instructed, placing his hands on her shoulders and guiding her in the motion he described. Then, when she was ready, he again put his hand on her shoulder and pushed. But when Keesha stepped back, her shoulder turned, and Dess stumbled forward, his hand slipping from her.

"That is a simple demonstration, but you can see what happened. When Keesha pushed back agianst me, she was meeting force with force. My force is greater, and I took the advantage. But when she gave way to my force, with nothing to resist me, my balance was thrown off. My own momentum pulled me off balance and my strength and size were useless. In fact, the harder I push, the more off balance I become without resistance against me." Dess looked over the women for signs of comprehension.

"What if they are pulling you." Sona asked, curiously.

"Well, you are getting ahead of me, but I will show you." He took Keesha by the wrist. Instinctively, she pulled back. Dess's strength prevented her. "If Keesha tries to resist..." Dess took a few steps back, dragging Keesha with him, "... she only gives my strength more power. But, if you move quickly towards me..." Keesha caught on, taking several quick steps towards Dess and throwing her weight against him. Dess stumbled backwards, off balance, not expecting the girl to catch on so quick. He laughed. "See! She stole my power by taking my balance. If I have nothing to pull against, I have no power."

"A girl pushed Dess around!" Ember laughed out loud.

The Damazar regained his footing and let go of Keesha. "So, that taking of balance will be the basis of the techniques we will learn. That is how you can have power if your opponent is bigger than you. Now, pair up."

Ember ran to Keesha, while Sona and Mercy paired up. Dess nodded in approval. "What we are going to go over now are called releases. Its basically how to prevent someone from getting a hold on you. From these basic moves, you either flee or use some of the strikes we learned last time to get away."

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[Dessarian]

Dess gently pulled Ember towards him. She was taller than Keesha, and more willing to participant, with a broad, eager smile. "Watch. We will start with a shoulder grab, mirrored. He took Ember's right hand and placed it on his left shoulder. "Grab me like you mean it, don't let go." The Kelvic gripped Dess' shoulder. "When an opponent goes for our shoulder, we move like this." With his right foot planted, Dess slid his left foot across the sand backwards just a step, his posture straight. the motion was slow, so the students could see it. Ember leaned forward a bit. "Did you feel that?" He asked Ember.

"Yeah, I was pulled forward, I felt like I needed to take a step forward to keep my balance." She answered.

Dess looked to the others. "It takes just a little to get their balance off, and just a tick of time. Its in that moment of iffy balance that we have the advantage. Now, I want you to try it with each other, so you can get a feel for it. Go slow at first until you get a feel for it." He gestured for Ember to try it with Keesha. Mercy and Sona followed suit, going back and forth, getting a feel for what Dess had described. He asked each one as they practiced if they could feel the balance shift. If not, he helped them get the small, quick movement down. Sona had a feel for it, the wood worker seemed more confident in her movement, easily tugging Mercy off balance. Mercy was a bit more timid and needed some coaxing to get a feel for the technique.

Ember was having a heyday, taking huge steps back and yanking Keesha off of her feet. the girls giggled "Easy there, Bug. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but If you aren't careful, you can throw your own balance off. Short, quick, intentional movement will do it." Keesha had a good hang of the motion, even reaching to put her hand on Ember's to ensure it didn't slip away. Dess nodded.

"Yes!" He said, pointing out Keesha's hand on Embers. "When you get confident you can trap their hand and ensure they don't let go and regain their balance. But remember, this all happens in the span of a tick or two. That is only the first part of the technique, now for the actual release."

Dess pulled Ember again to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder as before. He trapped it with his to ensure it didn't move for the demonstration. He moved slow, again taking the short step back and tugging Ember a bit forward. Then, he turned a bit more to the side and swung his free arm under Ember's trapped, extended arm. Bringing his arm up, he let go of her hand and broke her grip with his rising arm. Slowly turning back forward, Dess' free hand slid down Ember's arm until he could grab her wrist. When finished. Dess stood on the outside of Ember's extended arm, one hand gripping her wrist, the other placed against her upper arm.

"Now, look, I have control of her." He turned and moved around, pulling on Ember's wrist and keeping her arm straight with the other. "I can keep pulling on her arm, keeping her off balance and move her around. If she tries to go at me with her other arm... " He nodded for Ember to try to hit him with her other hand. When she did, Dess pulled sharply on Ember's arm, causing her to stumble forward and foiling the strike. "As long as she is not allowed to regain balance, I have the power. In theory."



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[Dessarian]

"It's all one motion, the step back, the swing of the arm. Then the grab. For now, make that upswing of your arm big. When you get more adept at it, you can make the moves tighter." He tapped his shoulder again, indicating that Ember should grab his shoulder again. Dess repeated the demonstration, with the small step back and bringing up his arm in a big circle and bringing it down to grab the Kelvic's wrist. The motion was slow and smooth, so the students could see all the movements. "Now, pair up and try that."

The young women faced off and took turns performing the release. Dess noticed they were hunching their backs a bit when they stepped back. He stepped in the middle of them and interrupted. "One thing to remember, keep your posture straight. The real balance break comes with that little step back, which forces them to lean forward and shift their center of balance away from their feet. If you bend or hunch over, you are stealing away the power of the balance break. Keep going." He instructed, watching the students go through the movements several times each.

"Good, are you getting the feel for it?" They nodded in a variety of convicitions. Mercy spoke up. "I got a better feel for it actually when I was the attacker, I could feel my balance shift."

Dess nodded. "True, one of the best ways to understand an unarmed combat techique is to feel how it works on the body yourself. Now, lets try another variant." He proceeded, this time motioning Sona to step forward. "Now, lets try a cross-grab." He pointed to his right shoulder. "Grab it with your right hand." The woman did so without hesitation, gripping it firmly. "Good." He commented. "The same basic movements work here too. Turn away from your opponent, taking a step in that direction. That pulls them enough to challenge their balance." He demonstrated, turning to the right and taking a step to the right and back.

"Then bring up that same arm high, then bring it down as you pivot your other foot back. That will put you on the outside of their arm. You can slide your hand right down their arm to grab the wrist." Dess demonstrated. The motion was swift and easily broke Sona's grip on his shoulder. He tugged lightly on her arm causing her to stumble forward a step before he brought his left hand up to press against the girl's upper arm. "And again, we are in a position of more control." He went through the entire technique again slowly so the mechanics could be seen. "Now, you try." He instructed, and again, the students fumbled their way through the exercise, until they got a feel for the flow.

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[Dessarian]

The students were beginning to show signs of assertiveness when they performed the techniques, which encouraged Dess. If they ever needed to use it, adrenaline would help fuel their commitment to the forms of escape, if they practiced and remembered them.

Darcee had been playing with Caitlyn, not paying much attention to the training. But the little one did, and began to wiggle and move her arms. She thought the women were dancing! They all paused to watch and laugh at the child, even Dess. It was hard to compete with something that adorable.

When they regained their composure, Dess demonstrated what to do if they were grabbed by both shoulders, its release almost identical to a mirrored shoulder grab. Then he taught them released from wrist grabs. They would follow the same techniques as the shoulders, from same side, cross and both. they proved even easier to get a balance break with, since the women could yank with their arms as well. They practiced the wrist grab releases. Keesha started on her own to mock strikes after the releases, like she had seen the Damazar warriors do during their drills. Dess smiled with a bit of pride. Keesha wasn't Damazar, but her family was part of his, or at least use to be.

His last demonstrations involved being grabbed from behind. He had Mercy stand in with him and grab him on the shoulders from behind. It was a similar move as a grab from the front, except you had to turn around more. Taking a step forward and to the side, he swung up the arm on the same side and quickly grabbed the young mother's wrist. "You have to be quick, but don't fling yourself around or you will lose your own balance." The students tried it for themselves.

Last, Dess had Mercy grab both of his wrists from behind. "This one works the same and shoulders. But I want you to see a few softening techniques. If the attacker is close behind you. Take a good stomp back and smash his foot before you do your release." He lifted his foot up and back a bit, mocking a stomp on Mercy's bare foot. "Or throw your head back and smash their face." He didn't attempt that one and risk hurting Mercy. "Alright, try the technique, but don't smash each other's noses." He said, sardonically.

Caitlyn was getting fussy, and Dess decided they had seen enough. It was a lot to work on. As they gathered up to return to the manor, Keesha sidled up next to Dess. "Do it." She said with a smirk, as if challenging him.

"No." Its not a toy. " He replied flatly.

"Come on, lemme see them." She persisted. Ember drew close and chimed in.

"Do it Uncle Dess!" She knew she had him with the uncle thing.

"Do what?" Sona asked, dark brows quirked beneath blond strands of hair.

"Watch." Keesha said to the mill-worker, nodding with a grin. "Go on..." She urged Dess.

The Damazar sighed and pursed his lips. He held up his right hand and made a fist. Then, blades shot out between his knuckles like giant claws. They sung with a metallic ring when they engaged.

"How the petch..." Sona murmured as she leaned closer to look, until she realized what she had said. She covered her mouth and laughed. "Sorry."

Suddenly, the blades withdrew, Dess's hand unmarked by the blade.s passing. With a wry grin, he turned to lead them back home.

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[Alric Lysane]

Hi Hi! If you ever return please PM me, update your CS and I'll post up your grades ~ No Worries