fandomhigh | Energy and Fitness, Friday, December 8, Period 1

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fitness

Energy and Fitness, Friday, December 8, Period 1

The gym was already set up when people got there. There were several kick pads and focus mitts lying around. Zuko was waiting at the front of the class, scowling at the small bot that was currently humming 'Eye of the tiger'.

When everyone had entered the room, Zuko ignored the bot and spoke up. "Administration has asked me to take over classes until Yondaime returns. Apparently we're supposed to be studying about the chakra these weeks, but that's Avatar stuff and seeing how only Alfons can bend, it's a waste of time. I saw how some of you were fighting against the trolls, I think it is time that you learn how to defend yourself decently."

Zuko then launched into an explanation of how to do a front kick, center punch and the reverse backfist. When he was finished, he looked around. "Team up and practise."

((The last three links go to videos which will load immediately upon clicking. They're very clear explanations on how to perform the moves. Zuko's firebending style is based on Northern Shaolin and the moves he has done in canon are similar if not the exact same.

~~Please wait for OCD.~~ Go!))

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"Why don't you give them a try?" Setsuna suggested. "And I can watch how you do them and maybe make suggestions? But, who know, you could end up being able to do them better than me." She doubted that; she could do those in her sleep. But she was trying to be encouraging, knowing Cally didn't have much experience in this kind of thing. Or at least, from their interactions, she got the impression that she didn't.

Cally took a deep breath, and shook out her limbs a bit.

She then attempted a front kick, and almost fell over backwards. "Whoa, eep."

"Eep!" Setsuna was quick to catch Cally a bit from behind, even if Cally was able to hold herself up without her help. Instinct, really. She chuckled a little nervously at her knee-jerk reaction. "Not bad," she said, "but don't lean back. You want to make almost all the movement below the waist, so try to keep a good, strong upperbody."

Setsuna demonstrated a simple front kick, paying extra attention to keeping her own torso still. "See?"

Cally nodded, and concentrated for a moment. She took a deep breath, and pulled off a rather awkward kick. But she managed to stay balanced, this time.

"Much better!" Setsuna beamed a bit. "Still watch that torso, though; you're putting too much energy there and not enough in the kick itself." She paused a bit, tilting her head slightly. "This all really new to you, Cally?"

"When I had a few lessons from Pip," Cally started, "it was mainly punches. And then I sorta completely fell out of practice."

She tried again, this time focusing a bit more energy into the kick.

Setsuna watched her next attempt carefully, thoughtfully. She nodded. "When Pip taught you punches, was it a lot like the center punch that Zuko demonstrated?" She crouched down into a position, and spoke as she executed the sharp, stiff jabs of the move. "Where everything's all contained like this? Or was it something more casual and applicable?"

"More casual," Cally said. "It was more about making sure I wasn't gonna hurt myself with the punch than anything else."

Setsuna nodded again. "Which is completely not what the center punch is for. It's really a very impractical punch, but it's good for learning how to keep one part of the body still while utilizing the other. You should maybe start with that, paying attention to how you isolate the arms, and then try to transfer that into your ki---"

Setsuna stopped herself abruptly, and turned a bright shade of pink. "Ahhh, I'm...I'm sorry," she shook her head. "Listen to me, giving you a lecture on technicalities, sounding like a complete know-it-all..."

Cally smiled. "Totally okay," she said. "As far as I know, you do know it all. So a little expert help is really appreciated."

Setsuna relaxed a little with a relieved sigh. "Okay, good. So long as you don't mind. But I have been doing this sort of thing since I was just wee-tiny, so....yeah...."

"Yeah, and if we were working on refitting an engine, the whole thing would be flip-flopped." Cally concentrated for a minute and tried the center-punch, but sort of failed to keep the body concentrated.

"D'oh."

Setsuna chuckled a little, not at Cally's attempts, but at her comments about reversed rolls. "Yes, I'd definately be in trouble if this were a mechanics class."

"Here," Setsuna said, moving behind Cally and lightly setting her hands over her shoulders before holding them with a surprisingly firm grip, but not a painful one. "We'll help the body know what it needs to do by making it do what it needs to do. Try the punches now; I'll hold you in place against its natural desire to move with them."

Cally may have noticed a brief moment of Setsuna's hold loosening slightly as she realized that she had gone and impeeded very definately on Cally's personal space without even so much as a thought to ask permission, but sharply reminded herself that this was a teaching situation and there for entirely acceptable. Her reassurances to herself didn't stop the blushing, though.

Cally smiled a bit at the grip, for some reason. "Okay, yeah, this will definitely help."

Another deep breath, and another attempt at the center punch, which was definitely more focused, thanks to Setsuna's help, though Cally did try to move a bit from under it, instinctively.

Setsuna was firm in her job of holding Cally in place. "Good! Did you feel any difference there?"

"Definitely," Cally said. "I mean, while I tried to pull forward with it... I could feel what it was like, when you stopped me. There's a definite difference."

"Try it a few more times and focus on that difference," Setsuna instructed lightly, finding herself smiling a little. "And then I'll let go and we'll see if your muscle memory has retained any of it."

Cally tried it a couple more times, each time pulling less and less against Setsuna's grip, as she got used to keeping her body neutral.

"Getting better and better, I think," Cally said. "You're definitely a good teacher."

"A good teacher is nothing if she does not have a good pupil," Setsuna said, quite sage-like.

"Ready to try without my aid?"

Cally nodded. "Totally," she said. "I think I'm getting the hang of this."

Setsuna lifted her hands from Cally's shoulders, but they still hovered nearby.

Cally paused for a second, then threw another center punch. It wasn't a punch that would do much if she actually hit someone with it, but she managed to keep her body steady and focused.

"Better?"

"Much!" Setsuna said, shoulders lifting as she quelled down the urge to glee because she had done well in teaching Cally. "And you felt it, right? The difference?"

"Definitely," Cally said. "It's a whole different sort of thing. I can feel it in my spine."

That made Setsuna grin. "Good. That's showing you how executing good punches and kicks involves a lot more than just merely punching and kicking. If done right, it involves the whole body."

Re: Practise

sogothcally.livejournal.com - 2006-12-09 08:31 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Practise

bound2blade.livejournal.com - 2006-12-09 08:32 (UTC) - Expand

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