The Learning Curve (Attn Kynwric)

[Sangreal]

Sandre walked the yards searching for a victim... er sparring partner. Lately he had had to spar with other Tower Guards as his skill has been improving. He still couldnt accurately say how good he was in respect to others however. He did remember how a spar with a Tower Guard back when he was a trainee had taught him so much that he managed to attain the skill needed to stay in the yards. So today he readied himself to take another thrashing. A few spars to warm up and he finally spied whom could give him the lesson he seeked just walking on to the yard.

 

Seeing Kynwric walk on to the yards with the intent to train Sandre approached respectfully.

 

"Master Kynwric would you honor me with a spar?" He immediately began taking in the man's stature and posture, and anything else that would help him. He knew he wouldnt win, but he wanted to help the man get a work out at least.

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric had been standing and waiting and watching, trying to fix the problems a particular trainee was having with his stance. While Kyn talked his way through the particular form the trainee was working on he felt someone approach him from behind. When Kyn finished speaking and let the trainee work his way through the form again, Kyn turned his head to see Sandre standing there.

 

"Master Kynwric would you honor me with a spar?"

 

"A spar? Why not... but what are you asking for Sandre? Do you want an honest fight or are am I looking to teach you something specific?" Kyn had already loosened his sword belt and hung it from one of the posts and taken up the lathe he used for training. He loosened up his muscles quickly, testing his balance and footing as well as the weight of the lathe in his hands and awaited Sandre's response. "When you're ready then."

[Sangreal]

"Nothing in particular Master Kynwric. I just seek to learn is all."

 

Sandre knew he was out of his league in this one and began various attacks sometimes mixed hand to hand attacks in his off hand. It quickly turned to Sandre just defending to avoid being hit but to no avail. He knew the moment he made a mistake when Kynwric's lathe landed hard on his back.

 

Careful not to make the same mistakes he started again, pushing himself to move faster and strike harder when there was no chance of his own strength being turned on him but again Kynwric's lathe took his shoulder in a just a small flick of the wrist after a defensive move by Sandre. It was as though the man's lathe slid off of and ignored Sandre's.

 

Scratching his head in confusion he wondered how the heck Kynwric knew every little mistake he was going to make and capitalized on each of them perfectly. He decided to try moving in closer. (Lets see how he handles close quarters, cant dodge a punch then...)

 

OOC Remember hes not suppose to land a hit on you lol. Its an ass kicking thread. Feel free to instruct though. He would appreciate it.

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric was defending to begin with, letting Sandre work his way through whatever combinations of attacks he felt were necessary. Kynwric even provided a couple of love taps as Sandre grew overambitious in his attacks. Kyn noticed Sandre back off at the last shot and then began to work in closer, Kyn decided to let Sandre gain what advantage he thought could be had and smirked when he noticed the loosening and tightening in his fingers. Expecting the punch, Kyn sidestepped again and brought the lathe down hard across Sandre's elbow and then straight back up under his chin. It was then Kyn took a hand from his sword and pushed Sandre in the back of the head, blocking the wild swing headed towards his own head. Kyn the slipped past the other man and waited for him to regain his balance. "You are not focused and you are telegraphing what you intend to do. Let the fight flow and do not force it. This is not about how many forms you know or how many shots you can throw. But about using what is called for in the situation." Kyn was standing in a ready position, waiting for Sandre to again renew his attack.

[Sangreal]

Sandre nodded and regained his composure. He still swore the mans lathe was bending around his own when he tried to defend himself. It was really hard not to telegraph your moved. He wasnt glancing where he intended to strike like some trainee but still every movement and every tightening muscle could betray you. He figured he could try just tightening those muscles before hand but that would look awkward and he would lose some defensive ability which he would clearly need against a superior fighter. He knew you do not tighten those muscles until the moment of the strike. Perhaps he could try delaying the tightening until later in the strike or start tightening during parries and other defensive movements... he would get a few wild swings that looked like they should belong to a trainee while learning to do it and a few strikes that would do absolutely no damage but it would be worth it once he mastered it.

 

(Either way if I dont try hes just going to keep beating me.) he thought. Nodding to himself and stepping back in he began to work out the wild swings. He was doing worse but at least the man wouldnt be predicting his every move.

 

A few more losses and Sandre decided to compensate with his foot work for his wild swings which helped him do a little better and worked in his favor more than once of being out of range when the killing blow could have been used.

 

Considering how the foot work worked to a degree he decided to increase the speed of his foot work and see how that worked out.

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric tightened into his defense as Sandre again came at him, wild swings and fast, careless footwork. Kyn barely took time to block anything, ducking and weaving from the wild swings and after a few moments had tripped Sandre and sent him sprawling to the ground. "Do I need to tell you what all was wrong with that?" Kyn backed off and let the man regain his feet. "Think." Kyn pointed to his head. "It is not always in speed or quantity that you find victory."

[Sangreal]

Frustration was clear on Sandre's face. Already he had enough to start working some errors out in his forms but clearly Kynwric was trying to teach him something. He was wondering all of the sudden why the man cared that he learned whatever particular lesson was on Kynwric's mind.

 

Resolving himself to try again he decided to use only a slight more amount of foot work to gain that slight advantage in defense which he seemed to desperately need. He then resolved to use an economy of motion. Little movement with as much effect as possible. It was not a way of fighting that was very familiar to the path of the blade who was used to chopping though opponents but it was all he could think of and would be difficult to telegraph. He wouldnt try ending the fight quickly but rather would wait for the choice opportunities to strike assuming Kynwric ever made one, and if he saw the opportunity to make one he would.

 

Steeling himself he stepped back in wrapped in the void.

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn could see the frustration, it had become plain on his face as Sandre tried to contemplate what was going on. When they reset Kyn settled into his guard and waited on Sandre, they circled and waited watching for an opening. Every so often Kyn would flick out with his lathe to beat at Sandre's lathe, just to kep things from getting to comfortable for the guardsman. Finally Kyn stopped moving and settled down into a tight guard, resting on the balls of his feet. He quirked a smile and was pleased to see the patience in Sandre's posture.

 

Kyn shifted slightly, looking like he was relieving some tension in his body and when he rested again his guard was slightly to the left of where it had been. It was bait, but it was apparently convincing bait as Sandre began a flurry of strikes aimed at opening the hole even further. Kyn dnaced along, parrying each blow as it came and drawing Sandre deeper and deeper into the lunge that must come at the end. He saw the twitch and Sandre's eyes flick to the hole and prepared himself, it was coming any moment now...

[Sangreal]

Sandre was taking it slower but kept having a feeling of familiarity to the pattern they were sparring. He saw a hole open up and his earlier confusion only deepened. This was a master. Masters dont leave holes do they? Even small ones?

 

Considering everything else he had been drawn into he wasnt sure it was worth the lathe mark. Maybe Master Kynwric would not see a feint to the opening if it was intentional.He was unsure what to use with it though. The thought had struck him that he had played this trick on Edana. However Kynwric was much better at it. Maybe the man was testing him by leaving the hole there to see if he would notice it?

 

Resolving himself to it he went ahead and used a feint to the hole rather than a stabbing lunge....

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn took the feint in stride, either way it had moved Sandre out of his comfort zone. His lathe came down hard and fast, beating at Sandre's blade as Kyn quickly closed the distance between them. In addition, Kyn's right hand came free from his lathe and grasped Sandre's wrist, pulling him further into the feinted lunge. With momentum moving his way Kyn threw Sandre past him, whipping the lathe up and around to swat him across the back of his shoulders as he was moved past Kyn's plane of attack. Kyn turned and stood nonchalantly as Sandre turned to face him again, a smile playing across is lips.

[Sangreal]

Considering the amount of things attempted and discoveries made Sandre bowed his head. "Im afraid I am no match to you right now. Perhaps some other time then?"

 

He turned and walked away his mind already contemplating new things to try and old things to work on. As the duel before he learned as much as he could though it seemed everything he did was wrong. Last time had been simple, experience and physical build. This time, well, he sort of felt the effects of not being very great with his weapon. He would work on it as was required but if he could be man handled so, was he really in the right job for him?

 

OOC thanks Kyn :)