backinthsaddle | Chapter Three: Combat Training

Chapter Three: Combat Training

Cole's managed to get signed up, last minute, for one of the self-defense courses at his college to use as a refresher, and to learn some new techniques. But for now, he plans to start passing along what he already knows, so long as he can figure out the best way to be a teacher.

He has the workout room outfitted with floor mats and cleared of machines so there's enough room to spar without tripping over or falling into things, and he has handwraps in case things stray into boxing type territory. But he's going to see what she seems more comfortable with first, then go from there.

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"I'll be okay," she says, with a reassuring smile, though she's a bit twisty on the inside. "Thank you. For bein' so sweet, and patient, and all."

"Not a problem. I just want to make sure you feel safe and as comfortable as possible." He smiles faintly, almost unconsciously.

"You're a really good dude."

"I do my best." And sometimes he worries, given the family history. It's good to hear it from someone else, even if she is a bit biased.

She shifts forward a little bit, cautiously, and touches his elbow in a way that she hopes is reassuring and friendly. Then she scoots back a bit. Smiles at him.

He smiles back, mostly on autopilot, but still grateful anyway. And a little bit of that shyness is creeping back in, though he hides it well. "Ready to try again?"

"I am." She takes a deep breath to get herself ready, smiles winningly. She can do this. She will not run like a little wimp.

He nods, and puts his hands back up, waiting for her to do the same before he tries another short jab, gauging her reactions as much as he is her reflexes.

She brings her arm up to counter him, quick as a lizard, wide-eyed and watching every move. It's not a refined motion, but it's fast, and forceful, and it might just block.

He pulls this punch too, and is satisfied that she's not rabbiting away like before. He tests her with another pair of jabs, one-two, just like how people think of boxing.

Another wild block with the flat of her forearm, and she leans back to limit the impact of the one she doesn't block, and she reaches out, hands on his chest, and pushes him backwards, telling herself don't-run-don't-run-don't-run.

He's a little surprised that she did that, since she didn't want to try hitting anyone, and lets himself be shoved back. He holds his hands out to his sides, palms open, to make himself look non-threatening.

"Was that... did I do okay? Did I do good? I didn't hurt you or anything? I figured, I mean, pushing to redirect could be a good defence?"

"That's just fine," he assures her, especially now that he knows it was a deliberate, calculated move instead of a wild panic move. "Not a boxing move, but you won't really have people following the rules there, so that's fine."

"Good! So this way, I can do that, and for sure probably no one'll get hurt." She smiles widely. "You know, this is pretty fun."

"There are other moves I think I can teach you too, once we get there," he agrees. "One thing you might want to try for now is pushing at an angle. You got me pretty solid just backwards, but that can fail if you hurt your wrists or the person attacking you has too much momentum. If you push at one side and try to side-step, you can sort of push them past you if you hit them right."

((closing time!))

"Awesome," she says, hopping from foot to foot. It reminds her of a dance, of learning how to direct momentum, and it reminds her of that time she tried meditation and learned about the flow of chi. This is just as fun as watching movies, and helping him with homework (she loves homework, she's a freak).

((Rest well when you do!))

He watching her footwork, and although she still has a lot to learn, she's at least got the basic idea. "All right, let's go again." He's hopping a little bit too now, more like he would if they were really boxing, her growing enthusiasm a little infectious.

She grins like a cheshire cat, hands up, copying him. This is the first time in an altercation that she felt empowered, even if it's a fake altercation. "Let's do this."

He's beginning to enjoy himself a little now that she's responding in kind, now that she's gaining confidence, and he likes that he's helping her do that. Teaching is more fun than he thought it'd be, although it still remains to be seen whether he's any good.

He comes toward her just a little, a single hop, for another one-two pair of pulled punches.

She leans back a little and pushes his arm to the right with a block, more redirection than blocking (and if she gave him a solid push to his shoulderblade on his punching arm she probably could have almost made him fall, but that's a little tai-chi-y, and Vic doesn't have those kinds of skills). She misses the other punch entirely, and she stumbles a little, because leaning back was a mistake.

"Careful. Remember your feet. Try shifting one foot a little behind you for support if you lean back, or step back entirely."

"To keep a balance," she says, "because otherwise I'm not distributing my weight properly?"

He nods. "Exactly. And to compensate for the force you're trying to counter or redirect." He knows by now that she's a lover of science, so he throws in a physics term. "It's Newton's laws of motion on a practical scale."

"Yes! Okay, I was just thinking how Newtonian mechanics relate to physical fights. Hello, mind-reader."

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