thenearshore | [open] time for the training montage

Entry tags:

[open] time for the training montage

Who: Yamato no Kami Yasusada and you!
Where: Menrva's school grounds; Tuesdays and Thursdays in the ballroom, Saturdays outdoors
When: Throughout April, beginning April 5th. Schedule here!
What: In a shocking turn of events, a sword spirit has offered to teach a swordfighting class. AMAZING.
Warnings: sparring, and Yamato

The basics

Since his suggestion for a sword class was sanctioned by Elsa, Yamato has been busy. Gathering supplies, searching for students and volunteers alike--a lot of effort has gone into preparations for this class.

The first class, and all subsequent Tuesday/Thursday classes, will take place in the ballroom. (Indoor shoes are required.) Introductions will be made, along with a few fun demonstrations of strikes, take-down methods, and other skills that will be covered in the class. Questions and suggestions are always acceptable.

With that out of the way, it's time to practice! Repetitive sets and form practice will make up the majority of Tuesday/Thursday classes. It can get tedious, but it's arguably the most important part of training, and Yamato is a strict and relentless teacher regardless of your level. Done with 50 reps of this strike? Great, time for 100 more! Think you've mastered this particular footwork? Time to trip you on your face! No mercy and no breaks until you fall down, or class is over.

The fun part

What would a sword class be without fighting? Wooden swords and protective gear have been provided. Usage of wooden swords is required, and protective gear is required for beginners and recommended for advanced students. Still, if you insist you don't need it, nobody's going to argue. Yamato won't hesitate to bruise or break bones either way.

Experienced fighters are encouraged to participate in demonstration matches, emphasizing the unique characteristics of their skills and styles. For practicing purposes, lower level students will be paired with more advanced fighters whenever possible. If there are no advanced partners available or a student is ~~afraid for their life~~ uncomfortable, lower level students will be paired together with supervision. A few training dummies have also been scrounged up for uneven numbers.

Competitive matches may take place on Saturdays, when the class is held outdoors. These will be 3 or 5 point matches, with each contact strike meriting 1 point. Students may challenge whomever they wish, Yamato included, as long as there is an advanced fighter around to referee and prevent ~~death~~ grave injuries.

The aftermath

The end of each class will involve a thorough cleaning of the ballroom-- and yes, it's just like it sounds. If your arms aren't about to fall off and you aren't covered in bruises, feel free to turn it into a competition! Races are fun, and the sooner it's done, the sooner you get to collapse. Food and beverages have also been provided outside the ballroom, so get some rest and chat with your fellow students. Group trips to some near shore restaurants for some post-practice bonding time are allowed and even encouraged. We're all comrades here, right? Right.

---

OOC notes:

-This is an open mingle for Yamato's sparring classes throughout the month! The first class will take place on April 5th, but feel free to use any date there is a class. Prose or brackets is fine!
-Tuesday and Thursday classes will take place in Elsa's ballroom, which means they'll be more restrained (practice sets and instructional sparring only). Please don't break the chandelier!
-Saturay classes are for competitive sparring matches, as well as anything a student would like to work on. This is where you can fly around and knock each other into trees and such.
-The class schedule is available for everyone to see, but Yamato has gone around recruiting and inviting people throughout March. Feel free to handwave getting an invitation if you'd like to come and play!
**NEW** -For anyone curious, Yamato practices and teaches Tennen Rishin Ryu style. I've linked some videos here if you want a visual reference!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sora takes a step back to allow them both to reset and reevaluate each other. It was still strange to use this wooden sword over his keyblade. The weight was different and it made him hold it in a way he wasn't exactly an expert at yet.]

You're good at blocking, Nagi!

[He smiles at Nagi, enjoying himself. He likes spars like this. He moved in again, going for a two hit combo.]

[ Sora smiles, like he's having fun. Maybe it's supposed to be fun? Like how kids sometimes play competitive sports, for fun. Nagi knows he's never participating in anything like that before. Any kind of talents he has, it was all built up from necessity. Team sports, martial arts, they all require someone else to make them work. Maybe this is why he's never done them much before. ]

... thanks.

[ It's mumbled, and maybe he's somewhat pleased, since he's still quite new at this. The two hits that come next are in close succession, the first one blocked, the second connects. Nagi takes the blow and then swivels with his sword coming in an upward slice to the side. ]

[Nagi's attack hits him in the side and Sora winces. A well earned hit and Sora tries his best to counter by taking a step back and then doing a thrust forward.

They were now two to one, and it wasn't over yet!]

[ His strike actually connects. It's kind of odd, the sensation of it that travels down his sword to his hands. Nagi's not used to combat like this, where he's actually connected to the thing that makes contact. It feels a lot more close somehow.

The score is still in Sora's favor, but at least Nagi has one on the board. When Sora lunges with a thrust, this time he dodges and brings his sword against Sora's with a twisting motion. If applied correctly, it can disarm his opponent. ]

[Sora is taken by surprise and yelps as the counter hits and his sword is successfully disarmed. It goes flying into the air and hits the ground with a clack!

Sora stills and stares at the sword his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

After a long moment he perks up and looks at Nagi with admiration and glee.]

Whoa!! Nagi, that was crazy! Where did you learn that!

[A disarming skill probably meant the fight was over right? Like a finishing one-hit combo WHAM BAM! K-O!]

[ Nobody is more surprised than Nagi that a move he saw on paper actually works in execution. Though he did study it diligently, knowing that it would be useful to know for a newbie like him. Though he also knows that it won't work again. Not against an opponent who knows it might be coming. ]

Um. In some manuals.

[ He ducks a little sheepishly, as he's not really used to being praised so openly. ]

[It might have been a surprise to Nagi but Sora is very impressed. He always gave compliments and praise when earned and he smiles brightly at Nagi.]

Really, that was so great! There are only a few people who’ve been able to do that to me!

[That being Riku and Roxas, both very skilled keyblade wielders. So he gives Nagi a thumbs up and pats him on the back.]

Teach me that sometime? I’m not great with this style of sword fighting but Yamato is trying to teach me.

[ Nagi teach Sora? He blinks. He didn't think it was more than some study and luck that worked out. He doesn't have any swords skills. ]

I guess. I'm just a beginner, though.

[ He tilts his head curiously. ]

What sword style do you usually use?

[It's okay Nagi, Sora still thinks that was pretty excellent.]

Well normally I use this, my keyblade.

[With a little wave of his hand, his keyblade blinks into grip. Unbound emits a faint glow.]

I don't have a sword style really, I'm completely self taught!

[ Oh. It's almost like a shinki, except it appears out of thin air instead of transforming. And he didn't call its name.

Nagi lowers his sword to his side and steps closer to take a better look. ]

That's really neat. It's not a shinki?

Haha! No not at all! So it's kind of dead weight against an ayakashi, but it's still a very special weapon to me.

[Sora lets Nagi look all he likes with a smile.]

What about you, have you used a lot of swords?

[ He doesn't get that. This whole battle business with ayakashi. Why should a sword be any different than a shinki? Rending an ayakashi is the domain of gods and shinki alone, even if the shinki is just a laptop. How does that make any sense? But Nagi's never been much of a magical thinker. He understands ones and zeroes, science and machinery. Where his own ability lies on the spectrum, he's not sure. ]

Me? No, not really. I'm more of a supporting type. [ To use video game analogies. ]

I think, anyway. I'm still figuring out what I know.

[Had Nagi shared those thoughts Sora would have agreed. He firmly believes that every shinki had potential and ability, if it be a sword or a laptop. His keyblade though, really wasn't great here aside from temporary stunning and the like. A shinki had skills to share with their god and that was always more helpful.]

Oh I get it! Well if you need any help with that let me know. It took a while for my shinki and me to figure out everything too, but we're managing.

[ He perks up a little bit at that. There's a lot Nagi still doesn't know. In fact, it's hard to know where to begin. He's been poking around the BBS a bit, trying out hacks here and there. But he always seems to end up with more questions than answers. ]

Do you think these things are happening by accident? The new shinkis and gods, I mean.

You mean us? Being here?

[Sora tilts his head, thinking. Well... He certainty didn't ask to be here. It was a complicated thing, wasn't it.]

I would think it's all an accident... I mean- I'm here as a god, but before this I had other things I was doing. I never died like... you- [Sora looks apologetic and corrects himself quickly.] like shinki have. I'd like to think I can go home after whatever is happening, happens.

[ Sora wouldn't be the first god Nagi knows who was brought here without dying. Kurama seemed rather upset by his situation. Nagi thought it was inefficient at the time. But if people are falling into this world by accident, then maybe it's something else, altogether.

He also doesn't mind that Sora points out the obvious -- that Nagi is dead. It is what it is. ]

It doesn't look like people really know what's going to happen.

You're right. It's super annoying that no one really knows what's going on but at the same time I know we're helping people. Each prayer done, each soul healed, each ayakashi killed, you know?

[Sora crosses his arms, thinking deeper. He liked being here, it allowed him to be with Roxas and Namine and Axel without fearing they would die or vanish. At the same time he knew he had to finish saving the worlds and his friends. Sora was pretty on the fence about all of this.]

I guess all we can really do right now is exactly what we're doing. Until the heavens decide to do something different.

[ If Nagi were to be perfectly honest, he doesn't really care about helping people. But Omi seems to care, and Nagi will do what Omi wants to do. If there's one thing Nagi understands, it's duty and efficiency. Compassion and altruism, not so much. He suspects Sora is somewhat like Omi in this regard. ]

I guess...

[ Sitting around and waiting for the penny to drop doesn't feel right, though. ]

Will you let me know if you find out anything?

Sure. I will.

[Sora nods. Nagi seemed like a pretty intuitive person. It was nice to know people like that. Someone who was really thinking about what was going on around here. If he could help, he would.]

And if you ever need my help, don't be afraid to ask.

Thanks. I will.

[ Nagi isn't usually the sort to ask random folks for their help. But with information being at such a premium around here, he's branching out as much as he dares to get what he wants. He tilts his head toward the ballroom. ]

Do you wanna get something to eat?

[Sora smiles because he is feeling a little hungry. Sword fighting always worked up an appetite.]

Sure! That sounds great! I wonder what they got around here?

[ Nagi pulls out a handkerchief and wipes his hands forehead with it before tucking it back in. ]

I don't know. I guess we'll see.

[ ooc: Good place to stop? :) ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[open] time for the training montage

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I used a randomzier to see if the disarm works!

okay!

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