Amaya Blackstone (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
special_rabbit) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2021-08-05 05:32 am
special_rabbit) wrote in fandomhigh2021-08-05 05:32 am
Entry tags:
Weapons 101; Thursday, Fourth Period [08/05].
The thing about having a good chunk of your workshop cut in half due to your teacher and some of your students being stuck in a hole for a lot of the lessons was that you had to be a little more discerning with what you actually got a chance to cover. As it was, a summer session wasn't nearly enough to get through all the weapons Amaya would have liked to have gone through, and while there was a lot to be said about covering all the basics and high-points and giving a firm comprehensive study, there was at least one weapon that Amaya and Rosa were both in firm agreement could not be missed, even if, technically, there were probably more diverse topics they could be covering.
"Morning, everyone!" Amaya greeted the class with her usual eager grin. "So far in this class, we've talked about some of the more sophisticated of the basic weapons that have proven worthy through the test of time and improved on various technology through the ages, but today, we're going to step back a little and explore a more primative weapon that you don't really see as much of today, but realyl goes to show how diverse weapons can be, and that you don't even need a whole lot of fancy metal and steel to have a good effective weapon! Don't get me wrong! Sometimes, nothing's going to beat a solid sword or axe, and I'm not just saying that because my career depends on it! But that's the beauty of weapons, really. You have choices. And today, with that in mind, we're going to be be talking about the atlatl!"
And this was when Rosa stepped aside to gesture at the table that was behind her, with several atlatl's waiting to be used, with the world's most unenthusiastic "Ta-dah."
Look, wasn't it enough that she'd even let Blackstone convince her to do a 'ta-dah' in the first place?
Amaya's grin went a little crooked. "Now," she continued on, "atlatl is basically just a fancy word for 'spear-thrower,' which basically means it's a tool to help make your spear throws more effective, which was incredibly useful when it was developed way before the bow and arrow and back when societies were mostly based around hunting and gathering and you were chasing down your dinner for most of the day. I know what you may be thinking. You may be thinking, 'But Ms. Blackstone! Shouldn't we focus on knowing how to throw a spear before we jump into improving our spear throws?' And the answer to that is, 'maybe!' But another answer to that is, 'but the atlatl is a lot of fun,' and also, a third answer could be, 'why not both?' After all, one wouldn't have needed to develop a spear-thrower if they didn't first have a spear. So we'll start with a little work on the spears first, and then you can try the atlatl. But first? " She reached behind her to grab one of the tools. "Let's get to know it a little first."
And this was, of course, the part where Amaya would talk at great length about both the basic make-up of a spear as well as the atlatl, which usually consisted of a shaft with a cup or a spur at the end that supports and propels the butt of the dart, which in this case would be their spears. It's held in one hand, gripped near the end farthest from the cup, and the dart is thrown by the action of the upper arm and wrist, which Rosa would demonstrate for them then and go over in more detail when they got to that part. "The throwing arm, together with the atlatl, acts as a lever," Amaya continued, with the sort of enthusiasm of a person who thought simple machines were the greatest thing ever and became even greater when your own body was acting like one. "And it almost works like an extra joint, adding length and power the limitations of your natural arms. It allows for a low-mass, fast-moving extension of the throwing arm, increasing the length of the lever. This extra length then allows the thrower to impart force to the dart over a longer distance, thus imparting more energy and ultimately higher speeds, and therefor, hopefully, a bigger dinner!
"Since they're primitive," she added, "they are extremely easy to make, as well," and she delved into the specifics of the construction, encouraging the students to come in a little closer or grab an atlatl for themselves to have a closer look, talking about the simplicity of the tools, but the complexity of ensuring a proper balance and weight to the base of the weapon.
And, once that was finished, Amaya turned it over to Rosa, who then, arming herself with a spear first, went over some tips for throwing the spear alone, emphasizing being aware of the balance point (and how to find it), a couple alternate grips, and the proper form for optimal force, not distance. And then she moved onto demonstrating how to throw the spear using the atlatl, which involved hooking the spear into the device, aim, and snapping it forward in a similar, but slightly different way than with just the spear.
How exactly did a early modern 21st century former Brooklyn cop learn to be so good with a primitive hunting tool that was actually illegal to use in several countries? That was a good question. No, she would not be answering it.
"And that," Amaya concluded, "is that. Now it's your turn. If you have any technical questions, feel free to ask them, otherwise, head on over to the training ground, grab your weapons, and give it a try!"
"Morning, everyone!" Amaya greeted the class with her usual eager grin. "So far in this class, we've talked about some of the more sophisticated of the basic weapons that have proven worthy through the test of time and improved on various technology through the ages, but today, we're going to step back a little and explore a more primative weapon that you don't really see as much of today, but realyl goes to show how diverse weapons can be, and that you don't even need a whole lot of fancy metal and steel to have a good effective weapon! Don't get me wrong! Sometimes, nothing's going to beat a solid sword or axe, and I'm not just saying that because my career depends on it! But that's the beauty of weapons, really. You have choices. And today, with that in mind, we're going to be be talking about the atlatl!"
And this was when Rosa stepped aside to gesture at the table that was behind her, with several atlatl's waiting to be used, with the world's most unenthusiastic "Ta-dah."
Look, wasn't it enough that she'd even let Blackstone convince her to do a 'ta-dah' in the first place?
Amaya's grin went a little crooked. "Now," she continued on, "atlatl is basically just a fancy word for 'spear-thrower,' which basically means it's a tool to help make your spear throws more effective, which was incredibly useful when it was developed way before the bow and arrow and back when societies were mostly based around hunting and gathering and you were chasing down your dinner for most of the day. I know what you may be thinking. You may be thinking, 'But Ms. Blackstone! Shouldn't we focus on knowing how to throw a spear before we jump into improving our spear throws?' And the answer to that is, 'maybe!' But another answer to that is, 'but the atlatl is a lot of fun,' and also, a third answer could be, 'why not both?' After all, one wouldn't have needed to develop a spear-thrower if they didn't first have a spear. So we'll start with a little work on the spears first, and then you can try the atlatl. But first? " She reached behind her to grab one of the tools. "Let's get to know it a little first."
And this was, of course, the part where Amaya would talk at great length about both the basic make-up of a spear as well as the atlatl, which usually consisted of a shaft with a cup or a spur at the end that supports and propels the butt of the dart, which in this case would be their spears. It's held in one hand, gripped near the end farthest from the cup, and the dart is thrown by the action of the upper arm and wrist, which Rosa would demonstrate for them then and go over in more detail when they got to that part. "The throwing arm, together with the atlatl, acts as a lever," Amaya continued, with the sort of enthusiasm of a person who thought simple machines were the greatest thing ever and became even greater when your own body was acting like one. "And it almost works like an extra joint, adding length and power the limitations of your natural arms. It allows for a low-mass, fast-moving extension of the throwing arm, increasing the length of the lever. This extra length then allows the thrower to impart force to the dart over a longer distance, thus imparting more energy and ultimately higher speeds, and therefor, hopefully, a bigger dinner!
"Since they're primitive," she added, "they are extremely easy to make, as well," and she delved into the specifics of the construction, encouraging the students to come in a little closer or grab an atlatl for themselves to have a closer look, talking about the simplicity of the tools, but the complexity of ensuring a proper balance and weight to the base of the weapon.
And, once that was finished, Amaya turned it over to Rosa, who then, arming herself with a spear first, went over some tips for throwing the spear alone, emphasizing being aware of the balance point (and how to find it), a couple alternate grips, and the proper form for optimal force, not distance. And then she moved onto demonstrating how to throw the spear using the atlatl, which involved hooking the spear into the device, aim, and snapping it forward in a similar, but slightly different way than with just the spear.
How exactly did a early modern 21st century former Brooklyn cop learn to be so good with a primitive hunting tool that was actually illegal to use in several countries? That was a good question. No, she would not be answering it.
"And that," Amaya concluded, "is that. Now it's your turn. If you have any technical questions, feel free to ask them, otherwise, head on over to the training ground, grab your weapons, and give it a try!"
Sign In - Weaponry, 08/05.
Re: Sign In - Weaponry, 08/05.
Re: Sign In - Weaponry, 08/05.
Listen to the Lecture/Watch the Demonstration - Weaponry, 08/05.
Like NERDS.
Practice! - Weaponry, 08/05.
Re: Practice! - Weaponry, 08/05.
Dwight had good aim thanks to years of hunting with a bows as opposed to firearms. And yeah getting enough ummmph being the spears shouldn't be an issue.
Figuring out the combination and balance between the two... that could prove to be a bit of a challenge.
Talk to the Teachers - Weaponry, 08/05.
Re: Talk to the Teachers - Weaponry, 08/05.
Probably with the addition of spikes.
You can never go wrong with the addition of spikes.
Re: Talk to the Teachers - Weaponry, 08/05.
Although that would have meant dealing with alots and...mmmm. Pass.
OOC - Weaponry, 08/05.