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fandomhigh2008-07-15 09:36 am
on-her-korhal.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2008-07-15 09:36 am
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The Right Tools, Tuesday Period Four
"We're going to be starting with the essentials," were the first words out of Kerrigan's mouth when the class met up in the Danger Shop that afternoon. "Knives are your basic, your number one, your default weapon." She flicked the one she was holding into the air, then caught it. "There are any number of reasons to carry a knife. You can use it to cut rope, cut meat, hell, you can use it to eat off if you're careful enough not to remove your own tongue. This is why you take care to make sure they're sharp, clean, and well-cared for. A good tool isn't just used to maim; the first rule of this class is to consider every potential use of anything we bring up here."
She slapped the knife down on a table beside her-- it was by far not the only blade on it. "As a weapon, it's first and foremost close-combat. It'll do more damage than your fist, unless you're some kind of martial arts master, and drawing blood can often stop a brawl in its tracks. Like all weapons, you've got to be very damn sure of your intentions on using it: these babies are sharp, precise killers if you know how to use them. Know your anatomy-- if this were an ordinary class, I'd give you all anatomy books for homework. One minute you're trying to scare a guy off, the next he's bleeding to death through his femoral artery."
She took a breath before continuing. "Close combat is the word here. As is speed. If you're not fast enough to confuse your enemy, don't take on multiples. In fact, in most instances, you're going to want to avoid their use unless you're sure you can get a first, decisive blow in. As the proverb goes, nobody wants to wind up bringing a knife to a gunfight, but if you don't keep your eyes peeled, you can wind up killed taking one to a fistfight, too."
Suddenly, she ripped a knife off the table, spun, and threw it at the back of the class: it soared neatly past the students and embedded itself in the wooden wheel there. "Number two. Throwing knives. Precision, precision, precision. Throwing your weapon means you're without it, which makes both the need for knowing the anatomy and knowing your own aim pretty much tantamount. Don't do this unless you have a clear view of your target and you're confident enough to know you can take 'em out: don't do this in a brawl, don't do this in overly confined or too open spaces." She leaned back. "Throwing knives generally don't have a handle: they're supposed to cut through the air, so check the aerodynamics of your weapon before you throw it."
The next thing, she was launching into an intensely technical ramble on the topic of weapon balance and purpose; it lasted most of the class before she fell silent. "So take a poke at those knives," she said, finally, "Try throwing a few. God knows I need a laugh."
[wait for the ocd up! ]
She slapped the knife down on a table beside her-- it was by far not the only blade on it. "As a weapon, it's first and foremost close-combat. It'll do more damage than your fist, unless you're some kind of martial arts master, and drawing blood can often stop a brawl in its tracks. Like all weapons, you've got to be very damn sure of your intentions on using it: these babies are sharp, precise killers if you know how to use them. Know your anatomy-- if this were an ordinary class, I'd give you all anatomy books for homework. One minute you're trying to scare a guy off, the next he's bleeding to death through his femoral artery."
She took a breath before continuing. "Close combat is the word here. As is speed. If you're not fast enough to confuse your enemy, don't take on multiples. In fact, in most instances, you're going to want to avoid their use unless you're sure you can get a first, decisive blow in. As the proverb goes, nobody wants to wind up bringing a knife to a gunfight, but if you don't keep your eyes peeled, you can wind up killed taking one to a fistfight, too."
Suddenly, she ripped a knife off the table, spun, and threw it at the back of the class: it soared neatly past the students and embedded itself in the wooden wheel there. "Number two. Throwing knives. Precision, precision, precision. Throwing your weapon means you're without it, which makes both the need for knowing the anatomy and knowing your own aim pretty much tantamount. Don't do this unless you have a clear view of your target and you're confident enough to know you can take 'em out: don't do this in a brawl, don't do this in overly confined or too open spaces." She leaned back. "Throwing knives generally don't have a handle: they're supposed to cut through the air, so check the aerodynamics of your weapon before you throw it."
The next thing, she was launching into an intensely technical ramble on the topic of weapon balance and purpose; it lasted most of the class before she fell silent. "So take a poke at those knives," she said, finally, "Try throwing a few. God knows I need a laugh."
[
Re: The Wheel
He remembered she'd held the knife strangely and he moved his hand around the blade a few times before he found one that looked about proper. Then he shifted his weight on his feet, considering.
He knew from Ino's instruction that you could get more power from the legs than from the arms. He also knew that how you shifted your legs could affect where your punch landed and assumed the same of knives. He would have to keep his legs in a row then, not to go off course.
He considered how thrown objects moved. Terribly enough (or perhaps funnily depending on your point of view) most of his knowledge came from the monkeys of Kiamo Ko on that score. He'd learned trajectories well, where something would land if thrown, if only to avoid being covered in things best not considered at the end of the day. As he slowly went through the motions of what he thought would be his knife throw, he made sure to remember not to throw it down, to release early enough.
After a few minutes of slow and less slow and almost time-appropriate movements, he faced the wheel. With a swallow, he lined himself up, stepped into the throw, and let fly.