Gym, Tuesday Afternoon

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip popped his neck as he entered the gym and threw his gym bag to the side. He still had some time before Peter showed up and started going through a few warm-up exercises.


_{[[Gym's open. Pip's here to train Peter.]]}

Comments

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

After the England/Sweden match, Peter went to meet Pip back in the gym. "Afternoon to you," he called as he entered. "How goes it?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"It goes well," Pip responded. "Despite my boys tying with everyone."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter grinned. "I saw that. Tying with Switzerland seems rather like kissing one's sister. Absolutely pointless."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip winced. "Don't remind me. So. Been practicing what I showed you?"

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Absolutely," Peter said. He demonstrated the three kicks on both legs. He'd definitely been practicing and his balance had improved greatly though his form was still a bit off.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded . "Excellent. Although your form needs a little work. Watch me and try to copy." He demonstrated the three kicks.

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter nodded and copied Pip's movements. "Ahh, I can feel the roundhouse now. Or rather where I was going wrong."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "Feeling it is important. It shouldn't feel overstretched or unnatural. The idea is to make it a completely natural movement. A total reflex."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"I can tell that with a sword," Peter replied. "Just need to develop that same sense in my legs." He tried all three kicks again. "Better?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "Much. Know any blocks?"

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Do the ones we've learned in class count?" Peter asked.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"I think so. Alright then... a little limited sparring, I think. Go grab some gloves."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter did and returned with a grin. "Sounds good. Shall we?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Hang on..." Pip said, rooting through his bag. "Put these on," Pip said, tossing a pair of feet pads.

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter looked at the foot pads with a bit of dismay. "You're the instructor, but I'm feeling like I'm fighting in my slippers."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I know. Trust me, your feet will thank you."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Very well then," Peter assumed a ready stance. "Shall we?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip assumed a ready stance as well. "We shall." He snapped out a front kick.

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter pivoted back out of the way of the front kick, threw his balance back and sent out a side kick in response.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip blocked the kick and pushed out against it to try and throw Peter off his balance.

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Which worked because Peter hadn't thought of that as a possible tactic. He stumbled to keep his balance and regain his footing.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Gotta watch for that!" Pip said. "Never kick long enough for soeone to use it against you!" He snapped another kick at Peter.

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter threw a downward block, attempting to guide the kick away from him. Then he returned a much quicker roundhouse aimed at Pip.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip leapt back and shot his hands up to block the roundhouse. "Very good! Care to try again?" he said, dropping back into a ready stance.

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Thanks," Peter said with a grin. He did, in fact, try again by snapping a front kick towards Pip.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Excellent!" Pip blocked the kick. "You're getting better." He spun around and threw a spinning roundhouse kick at Peter.

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter attempted a block, but it was neither strong enough or in the correct position and so got kicked. He recovered from the kick grinning. "That? Was brilliant. How does one do it?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip grinned back. "That's a lesson for another time, maybe. How about I show you a jump front kick for now?"

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Very well then," Peter agreed easily.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "The thing here is that you lift the first leg as a feint or a distraction," he said, demonstrating. "Then jump and kick with the other leg while they're focused on the raised one. Do it quickly and you lose none of the force." He finished the kick.

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter listened closely before attempting his own jump kick. He tried once, then asked, "where do my feet land? THe same place they started or doesn't it matter so much?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Roughly the same place as where you started, although it doesn't really matter as long as you're balanced enough to keep fighting from that position."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter tried it again, paying less attention to his feet and more to the kick which unsurprisingly made it work better. He tried it again focusing on the speed at wheich he lifted the second leg into the kick. Probably overly focused because he wasn't lifting his first high enough. "I think that makes sense then. Does it look right?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Lift your first leg higher," Pip said. "Try to make it feel natural. If you have to think about it, it won't work in a fight. Though that comes with practice more than anything."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter nodded. "Like any other fighting style really." He tried it another few times. "That's starting to feel better." He paused then tried a jump kick into a roundhouse kick. Which worked better than he expected.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip raised an eyebrow. "Feeling experimental? Here, if we're going to do that, let me show you." He demonstrated a jump roundhouse kick of his own."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter watched for a moment then tried his own. It was not even close to a proper strike. "I think I need to work on the jump kick some more before bringing that one into the mix." He did try it again though.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "Well, forget about it for now. Just keep practicing the jump front kick. Maybe we'll try an on the ground combination as well."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter grinned. "I'd like that. I'm used to using forms for swordwork. It seems odd to learn without them really."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "Well, there are a few katas I could show you if that would help?"

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"If you'd like, I'd be thrilled to learn them," Peter replied.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "Alright then, watch and learn."

He demonstrated a basic kata.

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter watched carefully and repeated Pip's kata. Slowly, yes, but all the moves were there.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "Excellent. Practice that and everything else. And try linking the kicks. Like so."

Pip demonstrated a series of rapid fire kicks. "But don't count on being able to do it perfectly immediately."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter raised an eyebrow at the linked kicks then nodded. "I can do that. Certainly." He grinned at Pip. "And thank you for showing me all this. It's greatly appreciated. I owe you one."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip shrugged. "'Course. They say that teaching's a great way to learn. Or something."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Or something," Peter agreed. "Though I'd agree with it."