3rd wave | catchall for sword training

[rebonding]

Who: Korra and those poor souls who agreed to train her, plus anyone in the appropriate locations who would like to poke her
When: Various dates, mostly backdated, later dates may be added
Where: Isla Empieza and The Charming Murderess
What: Sword training in response to this
Warnings: none so far
Style: Prose, but feel free to switch.
Status: ongoing

Isla Empieza, afternoon of December 27
Shortly after Korra snapped her journal shut from her open request for a swordsmanship teacher, she retrieved her gift and made her way excitedly for the docks of Isla Empieza. It was barely mid-morning, but she was far too excited to care. She could wait. And... wait. When noon rolled around, she bought herself some sort of mystery meat (on a stick!) to tide her over through training.

She sat with her feet dangling over the edge of the docks, eyes peeled for Haytham and her swords sheathed at her side.

The Charming Murderess, the week of December 29 (note that Korra will return to the Spade Pirates as soon as this happens on January 3)
The trip through the Nav was no more difficult than stepping through a door, Korra quickly discovered. It was slightly disorienting, suddenly being on a ship, but little more.

The Murderess wasn't so different from the ship she was used to. Perhaps a little smaller, but that could have easily been because Ace's... erm. Loud personality wasn't ever-present.

"Sasuke?" She peered over the rail onto the main deck, taking a better look around.

Comments

[rebonding]

Korra jumped to her feet, slightly startled when Haytham was suddenly just... there.

"No! It's no problem! I just got here early." Very early. She brushed off her clothes. "I'm more than ready, though." She slung the sheath over her shoulder.

[orderispeace]

The area around the docks was a bustling place with men and women rushing about, unloading freight or bartering for the best price on fish. It was an excellent location for these activities but a poor one for any kind of training.

"Excellent. Then shall we head to an area better suited?"

He lead the way to a small clearing near the woods. Here there were no people to accidentally get in the way and the only obstacles were a few downed trees at the far end of the field.

"This should do nicely."

Haytham walked in a small circle inspecting the area before coming round and facing Korra.

"Would you draw your blade?"

[rebonding]

Korra brought herself to focus and slipped the twin swords from their sheath. She stared at them for a moment before looking up to Haytham.

"Should I start with both...? Or..."

[orderispeace]

He watched carefully as she drew the weapons, trying to note how easy the action proved for her, whether or not the weight of the swords would be a problem for her and which hand she favored.

"No, just the one for now. Once you become more adept with a sword then we can add the second."

[rebonding]

Korra had trained rigorously in martial arts her entire life, so her strength was fairly balanced. Train your weak side harder, they always said. She was solid, especially for a woman. The weight of the blades proved no problem.

She nodded at his instruction and dropped one of the swords, letting the remaining blade hang comfortably in her dominant hand. This was probably for the best, eager as she was to get started.

[orderispeace]

"The way you stand during a sword fight is very important."

The Templar stepped forward, giving her stance a few verbal adjustments as he paced around her.

"Ideally you should aim to have your feet placed with a wide measure of distance between them, about the width of your shoulders. This helps to give you more balance."

By the time he is done her stance ends up looking a great deal like a fencing position. It was more the style Haytham himself used. It was an elegant method of battle but relied on speed and a agility to successfully master.

Then he took up a similiar position and drew his own sword.

"Now, would you like to attempt a lunge?"

[rebonding]

Of course, she told herself, stance was always the first and more important aspect of anything. Yet getting too caught up in it led to disaster. She followed his direction perfectly, taking a balanced and focused pose.

"Step through and stab?" she offered, perhaps preemptively. Sounded like a lunge to her.

[orderispeace]

"Precisely, but mind your step. Many are undone by forgetting to keep one boot on stable footing."

Haytham held his position, waiting for her to strike, personal experience was the most effective way of training. It was odd though. Following through the same motions, showing off the same stances that his Father had shown him so long ago.

[rebonding]

So far, the instruction all made sense. Basic forms meant you keep yourself rooted to the ground as much as possible. You had to feel the earth before you could send it flying, that sort of thing.

Korra lunged, striking forward powerfully and exhaling as she did so. It wasn't as natural a motion as it would have been if she were bending. The movement itself was familiar to her, but she had never fought with anything in her hands before.

[orderispeace]

Her blade was quite easily caught with his own and swept to the side. The extra power she placed behind the weapon would serve her well once she learned how to direct the sword, but for now it did little but make her stance uneven.

Haytham allowed her the chance to recover before directing a lunge of his own. It was weak strike and very slowly done to give her plenty of opportunity to react.

[rebonding]

Korra stepped forward, regaining her balance and realizing that she was vulnerable. This was different. Very different.

She reacted well, though, fighting the urge to bend the air around her to improve her agility. Korra struck out at Haytham's blade and knocked it to the side, the motion having more force behind it than likely was necessary.

[orderispeace]

Since she had not been ready for his attack but had reacted so well a rare moment of praise seemed in order. Haytham stepped back and away, giving a pause to the small skirmish.

"Excellent, you adapt quickly. How long have you been training in your martial arts?"

[rebonding]

"They found out I was the Avatar when I was four. That was when they started." Korra stood straighter, also taking the moment to relax.

"Bending training takes up so much time that I've never used weapons before, though." Many benders would round themselves out with something more physical, but the Avatar didn't have time for that.

[orderispeace]

"Using a sword is different than using your body to fight. The two styles can be combined but you will have to work with the swords until they become an extension of your arm instead of something you are merely holding. I think the best way to learn is to try a skirmish. Are you game for one?"

[rebonding]

"A... skirmish? Like sparring? Sounds good!"

Korra did take his mention of treating the sword as an extension of herself to heart. She hadn't done much training with the staff, the traditional weapon of an airbender, but she could remember Tenzin telling something similar to his kids. As soon as you learn to treat the weapon as an extension of yourself, everything falls into place much easier.

[orderispeace]

As she agreed he took up a ready stance again, similiar to the one he had settled into earlier, but this time with a shadow of a smile. A good fight, even one meant for instruction, sounded fun to him too.

"Then, when you're ready."

[rebonding]

Korra readied her own stance and began to circle, taking note of how Haytham stood, how he moved. After a moment of consideration, she opted to let him make the first move. She could hack and slash all she wanted, but she knew that he would likely be able to parry her attack easily.

[orderispeace]

He moved when she moved, maintaining the same stance and keeping the same distance between them. They ended up walking in a small circle as they each sized the other up, waiting for the first move to be taken.

When it was clear she would wait he lunged forward himself, aiming a weak swing towards her right side. It was more of a faint than a true strike. A test swing to see how she might react so his next move could be decided.

[rebonding]

Her sturdy reflexes jumped to life once again as Haytham aimed a strike to her right. She knew better than to bat it away and leave her stance open. Korra stepped into her parry, the clanging of metal on metal ringing out as she struck Haytham's sword (hopefully) off to the side.

Block, then counter, right? If that worked, Korra reversed the movement of her sword and tried for a horizontal strike of her own. Lightly, of course. You don't just start flinging fire at your sparring opponent when you're only learning.

[orderispeace]

Haytham's sword swung easily out of her way as she shoved it aside. Should have been a warning really, it was far too easy and there had been no counter force exerted to prevent the movement's success.

Her sword neared his middle, wholly unimpeded, looking for all the world like it might just hit... until a blade hidden beneath the cuff of his sleeve flashed down to catch the edge of her sword. It was her turn for the weapon she held to be directed away. With the hidden blade on the left he pushed her blade aside while with a simple pivot of his right wrist his sword came back into play long enough for the blunt edge to lightly tap her shoulder.

Tag.

[rebonding]

"Hey!" Korra's attention caught on the blade that had just sprung from Haytham's sleeve. She lunged forward, aiming for a stabbing attack.

"That's cheating!"

[orderispeace]

"I don't recall setting any rules."

So said with a sly smirk as her next attack was batted away in similiar fashion.

"Besides do you think any enemies you might face would play fair?"

[rebonding]

"Of course not!" She swiped at him again. And again.

"I'd be bending this whole time if I knew you had blades poking out your clothes!" Korra grinned slightly, though. It was a cool trick, she had to admit. And not really a dirty one, if she could just swallow her pride and admit it.