fandomhigh | Basic Sword Skills [Thursday, Period Three]

This week Max had the sword rack from the first class out again, but there was a difference if anyone was paying attention. Rather than having the blades arranged by weight, as he had the first time, they were arranged by curvature. Rapiers, arming swords, jian, and even a pair of katar on one side, sabers, dao, tulwars, and other similar blades on the other.

"Our first meeting I allowed you to select a blade pretty much at random, and there are actually worse ways to select a blade if you are a beginner. However, we'll spend the next three weeks discussing blade selection. Blade selection matters for two simple reasons. First, a strong knowledge of how to select blades ensures that you select one that plays to your strengths and conforms to your personal style. Second, and perhaps more importantly, understanding blade selection can tell you a tremendous amount about the options an opponent has open to him."

"Blade selection is a rather involved process, and today we'll be focusing on two aspects that go hand in hand. We'll look at blade curvature and single- vs double- edged weapons. A quick look should reveal," he waved at the weapons behind him, "that most curved blades are single edged while most straight blades are double edged."

"At the risk of stating the obvious: curved blades with single edges are built to favor slashing while straight blades with double edges are designed to favor thrusts." Max drew his gladius and held it out for illustration. "The gladius is a straight double edged blade. It's designed for very close fighting and when you're in close thrusts are much more versatile than slashes." He put his blade back up.

"When fighting for your life you'll discover that it is difficult to recover a straight blade that's been used to cut deeply into someone while a curved blade slides free much more easily. And by the same token you'll discover that thrusting with a curved blade tends to be less precise and less powerful than doing so with a straight blade. While very few blades force you into only one type of attack, all blades support one type better than others and that means that most fighters will prefer the supported attacks."

"Today's assignment is simple: you will select one blade of each type and get a feel for it. You will be practicing with one another and with me, and before you leave you will tell me which you feel more comfortable with and why."

Max looked at each student in turn and nodded sharply. "Get to it."

[My availability throughout the day is likely to be spotty as I shall be leaving on a jet plane. To Lansing, MI! I will be around when I can, but bouts of SP virtually guaranteed.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Crooked or straight

Pay attention or else. Also feel free to ask questions or pipe up with any bit of knowledge Max doesn't cover. He's open to that.

Pick a blade and get in some time with Max so he can evaluate you.

Pick a blade of the opposite type and practice against each other.

Remember that you're supposed to tell Max about your choice. This is also the place to ask questions or tell Max important things.

As mentioned above I'll be off and on as I have plane time. Huzzah for vacation-y weekends, though! That's the main reason this is up so dang early.

Karla

Karla was nervous today. Very nervous. She was jumpy and fidgity, easily spooked and tended to shy away whenever anyone came too close.

Why this class on today of all days? she silently begged the Darkness.

That being said, she tried to pay attention to the lecture, but some of the subtleties were certainly lost upon her.

A very different Karla than the one he'd sparred with edged over to him while the rest of the class was picking out weapons. "Excuse me, sir?" she asked, voice only a little above a whisper. "I would like to ask not to spar with you today. And to only spar with females."

Max? Coming at her with a sword? Today? Yeah, she wouldn't lose her shit or anything. Riiiight.

Max had sensed Karla's uncharacteristic sense of unease during the lecture, but he'd been planning on ignoring it as long as she was willing to. Such things didn't affect combat unless one allowed them to, after all.

At her request, though, he frowned. Then he looked her up and down assessingly. "You'll need to give me a reason." And a believable one, even if it weren't the whole truth. Or even the truth at all.

Jack Priest

Jack picked a curved blade and a straight one and took experimental hacks through the air as he waited for a partner.

Karla wasn't about to lie, but she wasn't going to give him the whole truth either. "Most days I can ignore the fact that the last time a male like you came at me with a sword, he and two other friends were trying to--" she swallowed hard "--hurt me. Today I can't."

Hell's fire, just being this close to him was an effort. She didn't say so, though her body language was probably making it blatantly obvious. There wasn't reticence or concern or even nervousness in her eyes when she looked at him. It was straight out fear.

Max's eyes narrowed sharply and his entire body tensed. Not because he was insulted, but rather because the very idea pissed him off. He almost growled out an angry 'Are they still alive?' and a follow-up offer to fix that problem if they were, but she wasn't really concealing her emotions. Max rather doubted that Karla was going to find a big and obviously violently angry man very comforting at the moment.

So instead he took a deep calming breath, which didn't calm him down at all, and nodded sharply. "Permission granted." Then, after a moment, "Is this going to be a regular issue? Do you need to withdraw from the class?"

"No, I don't think so. And I need to learn this, so it never, ever happens again!" A little bit of the normal Karla perked up for a moment of fierceness. "I got lucky the last time. But there's no guarantee that I'll be that lucky again. And I don't like being...this way. Helpless and vulnerable. But today is just really bad timing. Next week, I can stay late and make this lesson up, too, if you like. And I should be fine, sparring other females. They don't" she groped for a good way to say this "represent the same danger to me as males."

Max's eyes hardened. "Underestimating the threat a woman poses is foolish." He might have said more but cut himself off and shook his head. "We'll talk another time. Can you come by my office on Wednesday?"

Oh, Karla knew all about powerful women. She came from a matriarchy, after all.

"I know females are a threat," Karla said, a bit on the sharp side. "It's just a different kind of threat. They can't--" She bit back the rest of what she was going to say. "I will see you on Wednesday, sir. Thank you for understanding."

Once Karla was out of earshot Max allowed himself an angry growl. He had decided to teach this class because it was a subject he knew well and one which was beneficial to know even if you never had to use the skills in earnest. He hadn't planned on having to teach girls how to gut bastards who tried to... Well. It was what it was.

Max tried to get his fury under control. He wouldn't do his other student's much good if he lashed out at them, after all.

Zayne Carrick

Eric van der Woodsen

Basic Sword Skills [Thursday, Period Three]

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During the lecture

Practice with Max

Practice with a partner

Talk to Max

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