[Kendoka Sasaran]What better way to learn[Namorin]

[Rykanis Dakshata]

23 Summer 497 Wood on wood. Flesh on wood, resounding with a muffled cries of pain. These were the sounds that greeted Rykanis, as he entered the Sasaran on that day. He never really knew what to expect. He himself had been visiting the place for decades, and still had not seen it all. Still was at times surprised. Heading over to the weapon rack, after nodding to the grand master, he chose out a wooden practice lakan to fight with. It was usually his weapon of choice. After that, he simply walked around a bit, looking for a foe. He himself was a full sized Akalak, well past his age of maturity. And he saw similarly aged people, even some older than he, inside. He also saw many youths, young Akalaks not full grown yet, moving around, fighting and learning. He held little preference for either. He would fight whomever chose to combat him. Holding his lakan at the ready, he gazed around, waiting for someone to near him, to initiate a spar.

[Namorin]

23 Summer 497 Namorin stood in a clear area, not far from the weapons rack. He was fairly lost in his own mind, trying to get more comfortable with the lakan. He had worked with it before moving to Riverfall, but he had done so with the various masters of other weapons and on his own. Once he had moved to Riverfall he had devoted almost his every waking hour to learning the proper form of the lakan. So he stood alone, aside, preforming drill after drill. At only 17 he was gaining a great deal of his width and some of his height, but he had not filled out into his full from. None the less he had preformed very well sparring with others his age due to his strange and odd combinations of fighting styles. It was for this reason the grad master had suggested that he spar with a more accomplished warrior. Someone against whom he would be forced to use flawless techniques, and who would push him to let his unique style evolve outside of simple forms and drills. Namorin was still rather socially uncomfortable with the men of his own race, but he was nothing if not the obedient student. So when he saw someone fitting the description and seeming to be interested in sparring he walked over to make his introductions. Greetings... I'm Namorin. He haden't paid as much attention as he should have so he was not sure if there was a traditional way to initiate a sparring session. Are you looking to... train a bit? He said with a clear discomfort at his own social awkwardness at the situation. It would likely escape notice by anyone other than himself, but he was also quite concerned with both having to speak in his "native" language, and trying to avoid any odd cultural customs or "feminine" actions he might have picked up in his youth.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis had been waiting for someone to spar, when a younger Akalak approached him. He gave an overly courteous fight request, to Rykanis, which intrigued him. Even made him raise an eyebrow for a moment. But he shrugged it off, and replied to the youth. Wondering why he was so uncomfortable, and formal. "Sure. I am Rykanis. A spar would be good. Lakans right?" Rykanis asked, raising his own wooden one, to show to the boy. That was all he needed, and as soon as that was said, Rykanis dropped into a ready stance, a bit lower, by bending the knees, his right lakan wielding hand out front with tip pointing forward, and his empty left hand at his side, at waist level. Letting out a "Hi-yah!" he stepped forward, making a stab at the youths chest. Then he made a pair of slashes aimed at his side with the lakan, followed by a kick at his legs, coming in on his weapon free side. That seemed a good enough test, to see how well he responded to attacks. Whether he dodged, blocked, got hit, or whatever, all would tell him a good bit.

[Namorin]

The young warrior was far less rigid in the language of combat. His movement with the wooden weapon was sharp and powerful, if a bit rigid showing signs of someone so concerned with the technique that he didn't remember to relax. He blocked the first blow hard, directly, with an almost agressive style that matched his nature. As wood met wood and the tremors of force ran through his body, Namorin smiled. This was the world he understood, this was where he was happy. The effect was nearly instant, his whole demeanor changed at that moment of first contact. Along with his mood however, his fighting style (or rather intended fighting style) changed as well. His game plan of practicing only techniques that he had been studying gave way to the simple joy of combat. He had not yet developed a feel for the lakan as part of him yet, and so he reverted to a style that resembled more a combination of unarmed combat and wrestling. He jumped backwards to avoid the first slash, to the side to avoid the second rather than bothering with a technical block with the lakan. He seemed very much in a good grove but it would be the kick that would expose the most blatant weaknesses in his game. His tendency to prefer attack over defense, over enthusiasm, and most strikingly... his disregard for his opponents offensive options, especially when they had a weapon in their hand. So when the kick came in, he checked it, hard, to the outside. In an effort to get his partner to plant his foot. When he did so Namorin simply "forgot" he was dealing with armed combat. He shot at the exposed legs. Neglecting to worry or even pay attention to the blade in his partners hand, instead his hips went down, his knee hit the floor just outside of his leg, then taking both arms and wrapping them around his opponents knees, as he pressed up and forward. The double leg takedown was, really very good. It was by far his favorite move at the time and it showed. The problem of course was that the ending position, would have Namorin in a nice top position on the ground, but with his arms tied up around his opponents legs, while the Akalak on bottom still had a lakan in his hand. Not as good a position as it might have been were weapons not involved. Not a very good position at all.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

The first blow was blocked. More than likely a lucky attempt, as in truth blocking a stab was not the easiest or most efficient way of dealing with it. Rykanis himself would have either deflected, or dodged such an attack. But even in its oddity, it told him a bit about his sparring partner. Not to mention that he did not know enough to not try to block a stab. It was only by luck this time had worked. But as soon as that was done, he did a retreat, to get out of range of the slashes, and avoiding them altogether, while losing ground and not gaining any initiative. The kick however caught him off guard. He seemed to have made the foolish assumption they were only fighting with bladed weapons, and forgot that for any Akalak, their entire body was a weapon. He managed to take the kick, and went in for a grab, trying to take down Rykanis. In return, Rykanis went with it, letting him grab his feet, he popped back landing on his rear, twisting in midair to try and soften the blow of his landing and roll into it. His opponent wrapping both arms around his legs in a hold, he used the opening, and attempted to swing in and catch him in the side of his exposed head with several smashes from his lakan. In a real fight, even one such blow would prove fatal, but here it would only give him a headache and a bruise should it land. And if he should release his legs, either before or after his attack, he would throw a few kicks at his chest to further wind him.

[Limey]

Rykanis Skill and Lore Rewards Skills Lore Observation 1 Lore: Kendoka Sasaran, An Old Haunt Unarmed Combat 1 Akalaks: Full Body Weapons Lakan 2 Acrobatics 1 Additional Notes : Namorin, if you do come back, PM me and I'll give you your grade for this. Well, not much to reward or advise, really. You did good, Rykanis, as usual. I see no critique that you need or corrections, and you handled the fight pretty well. Shame nothing more came of it. Any questions or queries, please PM me.