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 Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 3:31 pm
Requirement: Post 10 times in RP format. Each post needs to be 3 paragraphs long, and there needs to be 4 good sentences to each of these paragraphs.
First Post: Boxing Stance
Second Post: The Jab
Third Post: The Cross
Fourth Post: Footwork
Fifth Post: Bobbing and Weaving
Sixth Post: The Uppercut
Seventh Post: The Hook
Eighth Post: The Haymaker
Ninth Post: Combos
Tenth Post: Finale
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 4:27 pm
Aero was never that astute when it came to directions, and it appears that dying has not improved that. "This... is no where near a koi pond..." He commented to himself, sighing under his breath at his own ineptitude. He saw a man approaching him, and maybe his luck was about to change. Perhaps this man will know where the koi pond is. Or even where the first squad's barracks.
"Excuse me sir, I was wondering if-" But Aero was cut short. The man delivered a solid punch directly to Aero's face. It was like getting hit by a bullet the size of a fist. There was no time to act, and it was not like Aero was prepared for that.
"No." The man said. Aero recognized that accent. He was a Westerner. Not just a westerner, but a Brit.
"What the hell was that for?!" Aero asked, nursing his freshly wounded face. Two wounds in one day, this was clearly not a good day to be him.
"How long have you been here Kiddo? A few days? A week, tops? And you can't even dodge a punch like that? Pa-thetic." He spoke with utter disgust, judging Aero and finding him wanting.
"Well this is actually my first day here and I-" Aero began to speak before he was cut off.
"Follow me." the man said, beckoning Aero to follow his lead. The man turned his back on Aero, and began to walk around a corner. Aero was conflicted about what he was going to do. Should he follow him? Was he going to get jumped if he turned that corner? There were too many questions for Aero not to act.
He followed the man, and as he turned that corner he saw a wide clearing about the size of a schoolyard. The concrete had patches of blood and scratches where swords had been scraped across the ground. It was clear that this place was used for training. Aero walked out closer to the middle of the clearing, looking at the walls that had been repaired more than once.
"You right handed, or left handed?" The man asked from behind Aero. Aero jumped a little, wondering how he had done that.
"Umm.. Left-handed?" Aero said hesitantly. What was the man asking him that for?
"Alright Kiddo. Pull your right leg back, and bend your left leg alittle." The man instructed, standing back to judge Aero on his stance.
Aero pulled his right leg directly back, and bent his left leg like he was asked to.
"Come on Kiddo! Bend it like you mean it! And pull those arms up, you want to get punched in the face again! Higher than that! And stick your right leg out more. You're going to need to pivot on it, it needs to be open. This is a boxing stance for christ's sake! You need to be able to take a punch in this stance!" The man barked these orders, and sure enough Aero followed them.
"Boxing stance?" Aero asked, holding his arms up to defend his face and having his right leg stand out ever so slightly. He was balanced surprisingly well actually. He could probably take a good hit without falling down in this stance.
"Damn straight Kiddo. I am going to teach you how to box." The man spoke with pride and a wide smile. "And that's a pretty decent stance... or a beginner that is."
Aero smiled, but he was still taken aback by how fast things were going.
"Now stay in that stance until I get back. If you move even one inch, I will beat the living crap out of you." he said, turning his back on Aero and began to walk away.
"Say what now?" Aero said, his eyes widening. This was going to be a long day.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 8:14 pm
Aero's legs were starting to get weak, but he dared not move from his directed spot. He arms felt like they were weighted, and he knew how easy it would be to just sit down. I mean, who was this man who thought he could just order him around. This was his first day here! He didn't have to do all this! It was unnecessary! His right leg was about to give out when he saw the man returning.
"Oh thank god your here. I want to ask-" Aero said, as he lifted his right leg to walk towards the man. But as soon as his back foot lifted off the ground, the man darted like lightening towards him and delivered a shattering palm strike to his chest, knocking Aero flat on the ground. Aero was winded from the swiftness of the blow. He tried to pick himself back up, but his legs were still weak from standing still.
"You move with your front leg, and the back leg slides. Stay vigilant when your in that stance, don't leave a single opening for someone to knock you down. Because by god they will." The man spoke,his British accent shining through with gritted sincerity. Aero pulled himself up and nodded, though he appreciated the lessons, the man could have taught them in a less physical manner.
"Now get back into the stance. You need to learn how to throw a punch kiddo." the man stated authoritatively. Aero picked himself up and took his stance, unsure of what was going to happen next.
"Now punch me." The man said, taking a similar stance to Aero's. Aero was confused to say the least. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to try this out on a training dummy before hand?
"But what if I-" Aero began to speak, but before he could even get a word in the man delivered a straight punch directed at Aero's face. Aero's hand's were up, so it caught the majority of the blow, but it still left like he was getting shot with a cannon.
"What? You think you are going to hurt me? Kiddo, I've been doing this since before you born. If I could get hurt by a greenhorn like you, then I would need to hang up my gloves and quit. Now punch!" He said, waiting for Aero to make his move.
Aero was hesitant, but the man was right. He didn't know what he was doing. But god damn it if he wasn't going to try! He lifted his right leg, and pulled his left leg forward to meet the man. He threw out a right punch, aimed straight at the man's face with all the speed and strength he could muster.
A hit! Wait, was it a hit? Aero felt his knuckles meet the old man's face. He hit him alright. But the man let him hit him. The man was glaring at Aero, like looking into a burning furnace. Aero never really noticed what the man looked like until now. How old the man looked. He must have been 60 when he died. But he was sprawl, like a man of his own age.
"Pa-thetic kiddo. You call that a punch? You left yourself wide..." The man spoke, but as quickly as the words left his mouth the man delivered a thundering left hook. "Open!"
Aero was sent crashing into a nearby wall. The sheer force of it! But Aero could feel... he could feel that the man was still holding back. What was this man? Was this the strength of a Shinigami?
The old man walked over, and held his hand out to help Aero up. Aero took the hand and picked himself off the ground.
"Let me show you kiddo. You got to cork your hand, you see? So you don't leave your chin open to the enemy. That's called a jab. It's your most basic attack, it is also your most useful. Whether your attacking, or defending know the strength in your own right hand. It doesn't matter who strikes first, but when you strike, strike fast, strike hard." The old man said, taking a stance of his own again and showing him how to correctly throw a jab.
Aero tried it out a few times, taking a stance and delivering quick decisive punches. It seemed easy enough. The old man smiled, but Aero wasn't quite sure what he was smiling about.
"Just one more thing..." The old man said, reaching into a bag he had gone to get. He pulled out four massive weights, and proceeded to attach them to each one of Aero's limbs.
"I want you to start jabbing the wall with these weights, and don't stop until I get back." The old man smirked as he started off again, heading to god knows where for god knows what.
Aero groaned, not knowing what to expect next.
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 2:59 am
Aero's arms felt dead by now. He had been punching this wall for over 6 straight hours. The weights were making his arms feel like they were going to fall off. But for some reason he couldn't stop. No. He knew why he couldn't stop punching. It was that man. The old man that roped him into this. There was something about him, something about that power he had that made him want to keep training under him.
"You haven't even noticed, have you?" The old man had snuck up on him again. Aero couldn't help but jumping a second time.
"Noticed what?" Aero said as he stopped punching the wall. He let out a heavy sigh of relief. But he didn't quite let his arms go. He let his arms hover over his chest, ready if the old man was going to attack him.
"Your hands..." The old man said pointing to Aero's knuckles. And sure enough, Aero's knuckles were cut and bruised, blood running down his arms. Aero hadn't even noticed it yet. His hands must have been numb from punching concrete.
"That's good. You got focus kiddo. Now I am going to teach you the cross punch." The old man said, taking a boxing stance.
Aero sighed, and started to take off the weights so he could fight the old man. But this was not part of the old man's plan. No sooner did he touch one of the weights then the old man delivered a solid right punch to Aero's face, knocking the poor boy back into the wall he was punching.
"No. You keep the weights on. This is training. And by god you will train like you never have before. Now take a bloody stance or I'll beat you where you lay!" The old man ordered, his eyes burning again like the furnaces of hell. Only a Brit could be so adamant about training.
Aero was breathing heavily, he couldn't keep taking these beatings. He wasn't use to this. He should be relaxing, or hanging out by that Koi pond. Not boxing with a strange old man. It was his first day for crying out loud. He pulled up his arms to defend himself, taking a solid (for his condition) boxing stance.
"You have your speed in right hand. Now hit me with your left hand. I want you to curve your body into the blow, and don't give the opponent any hint that you are swinging at them. You have your whole weight to fight with, so use it. This is going to be your strength. It's your job to keep these two powers in balance. Speed in the right. Strength in the left. Use both to win." The old man said, demonstrating the blow again. This time stopping his fist mere centimeters away from Aero's face.
Aero nodded, keeping his hands in the basic stance. He stayed silent and still for a few seconds before getting ready to attack. He began to cork his body, twisting into the blow. It landed square in the old man's defense. He was too slow. It was the weights. He couldn't hit the old man if he tried.
The old man smiled, "That was good, keep it up."
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 6:44 pm
Aero's body felt like it was going through hell with this training. The old man just stared at him, waiting for the young Shinigami to make his next move. But what was Aero suppose to do next? Right now he was just standing still, his arms held up to defend his body. The old man started to move, and all he could do was stay still and watch the old man carefully.
"For god's sake, move!" The old man screamed at Aero, jabbing him with his left hand. The punches were a mere fraction of the speed they were before, but he could feel the strength behind them. Aero caught the blows, but they were still taking a serious toll on his body. How was he suppose to move? The old man was circling around him. He could barely stand up straight, let alone move.
"Your feet. Move them now or so help me I'll break them. Pivot when your enemy moves. Stay lively, you're in a fight for Christ's sake! When you move, move your front leg first then your back. Always be ready for an attack, and be steady for when it happens." The old man said, and Aero's eyes fell on to his feet. The old man's feet were moving side to side around him. They barely seemed to float over the ground, but Aero knew the old man was ready for a punch.
Aero lifted his weighted feet and tried to imitate the old man. He hadn't had to move for quite some time now, and he could feel it in his legs. But his feet kept moving. They had too. There was something about the way the old man said that he would break his legs that seemed like he meant it. Aero circled around the old man, just as the old man did in return.
"Good... Good. Mind your feet. You set the pace of the fight, not your opponent. You want to set up some distance, you set up some distance. But that's not you is it?" The old man was looking directly at him. Looking into his one eye. "You want to get up close. You follow the danger, and you dive right into it. Your legs will carry you, but your fist have to be ready when the time comes."
The old man seemed to know how Aero fights. But how? Who was this old man?
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 3:09 am
Aero's feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground, and each time he pulled them up his ankles ached tremendously. But he continued to circle the old man, who seemed completely unphased by both his attacks and the amount of energy he must need to keep fighting like this. Who the hell was this guy? And how did he know Aero? Surely this man didn't just pick up strangers around Soul Society and just beat the crap out of them. Maybe he got off on it. But Aero doubted it. Aero spat, and the ground turned red with his blood. He must have gotten hit a little harder than he originally thought.
The old man kept on looking at him with those piercing eyes. Those judging eyes that never seemed to close, not even to blink. "So are you going to throw a punch, or are you gonna ask me to dance Kiddo?" The old man uttered with conviction. Aero took that as his que to strike, and with all the speed he could muster he delivered a solid right jab aimed at the old man's face. The punch was solid, corking as extended, just as he was instructed. It would have been a fantastic punch, if the old man was there to receive it.
Wait, what?
Sure enough, the old man seemed to vanish into thin air. But he wasn't gone. Aero looked down and sure enough the old man was there, readying a punch to his defenseless torso. The old man, swiftly socked Aero straight in the stomach knocking him back. Aero was left clinging to to his chest, gasping for air. "That's called bopping and weaving. You get under an opponent's attack, pull in close, and strike where he is most vulnerable. You have to be willing to put yourself so close to the enemy, your breathing might get confused with his. You will be good at this, I know it. And next time kiddo..." The old man said, with the smallest hint of a smile on his face. "Don't be so quick to fall for a taunt."
But Aero was less than amused, in fact he was getting pissed off with this old man.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 4:38 am
Aero regained his composure as quickly as he could, not wanting to leave himself vunerable for even a second around this man. He gritted his teeth, and glared at this cruel, heartless old man. He held up his hands and moved around him. The weights around his arms and legs were hardly of notice anymore, now he was fueled by something. Fueled by drive. Fueled by determination. Fueled by anger. And by god, he wanted to beat some answers out of this old man.
He would jab at the old man every few seconds, not to do any damage but to test him. To keep him aware. To test his guard for weak points. But there was something amiss with the old man. He was still as energetic as ever, not gaining any fatigue as the fight progressed. Aero did note that the old man was not wearing any weights, but there should have been some sign of this old man wearing down. And for a brief moment, before he blocked Aero's punch, he could see the old man smile just slightly.
"Now you have your speed, and your strength. Now let me show you focus..." The old man bobbed underneath one of Aero's punches, and turned his body into the punch. He bent his knee, and with his arm brought in tightly he lifted his forward hand to deliver a rising punch straight to Aero's chin. This blow knocked Aero, weights and all, off his feet and flat on his back.
"You got cork your body, and rise up when your inside an opponent's defense. Get in tight, and use your body to deliver the blow. That's your focus. That's your uppercut. Now get up Kiddo, there are still a few things I got to teach you." The old man said, practically bouncing up and down on his toes. Aero wasn't sure how much more of this his body could take. Or how much he could take of this old man.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 7:41 pm
The old man was bouncing on the toes of his feet, waiting for Aero to get back up. "Come on Kiddo, get your a** up. I'll probably die of old age before you get your a** up. And I don't think that's rightfully possible." The old man jested, smirking at the fallen rookie. This was the last straw. Aero couldn't take it anymore. Aero rose from the ground, and spat out the blood that was pooling in his mouth from the uppercut. He felt a surge of energy from god knows where, and grey mist surrounded him. What the hell was this?
"You got some spiritual energy surrounding ya now kiddo. Good. Means your serious. None of this weak s**t you've been trying so far. Now I get to see your rage. Come at me with a circular punch from your back hand. Let it turn your body, put some weight into it. This is your rage, now show it to me." The old man said, beckoning Aero to charge at him, and by god Aero was happy to oblige.
Aero charged at the old man, staying as strongly in form as he could. But his rage was over taking him. He corked his body into every punch, forcing what speed he had left into his punches. He wanted to use what the man had taught he against him, but he could barely see right now he was so out of it. He swung at the old man wildly, which seemed to displease the elderly gentleman.
"Come on Kiddo. You're leaving yourself wide open! Keep a defense! Keep your rage in your fist, not in your head!" The old man said, dodging the rookie's punches with ease. But the words didn't go through. Aero was lost in his rage.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 11:30 pm
Aero was losing it. His eyes were getting blurry from the head trauma, and it was showing in his fighting style. He was breaking form, swinging wildly. "Why are you doing this to me? Why are you torturing me like this?" Aero screamed at the old man, who effortlessly dodged each of Aero's blows. There was a new look across his face. It wasn't a glare of unimaginable fire. It wasn't the slight smirk he gave when Aero accomplished something. It was a new look. But Aero knew this look all to well. It was the look of disappointment.
"Because you need to know how to fight if you want to survive here." The old man said, avoiding all of Aero's punches without even trying. Bobbing and weaving, slipping under and round them. Aero was angry, slow, and heavily beaten. Dodging him was about as easy as dodging a house. He might as well be moving in slow motion.
"But why now?! It is my first day here! I shouldn't have to learn-" Aero was cut off. The old man caught his hand, and was slowly tightening his grip.
"You shouldn't have to what?! You shouldn't have to learn anything just because it's your first day? That don't mean s**t kiddo. It doesn't matter if you've been for here for a day or a century, if you don't know how to fight you won't get any where here. In fact, you'll be a hindrance to your comrades. You will bring them. And you will get them killed. I will not let a solider do that." The old man said,gripping so tight that it felt as if Aero's fist was about to implode. He let go, and push Aero back.
"Now I never want to see you use those types of punches ever again. Those are called Haymakers. They are wide. They are heavy. And they leave you vulnerable. They don't become a true fighter. So don't use them unless your desperate." The old man said loosening his stance. This was the first time Aero had seen the old man not in a fighting pose since he started fighting.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 12:18 am
The old man looked into Aero's eye and something seem to come over him. Something was possessing him to teach Aero. It was more than obligation to Soul Society, it was something personal. But what was it that bound him to Aero? What might have happened that made him take Aero under his wing like this?
"You can take off your weights now. You've got all you can from them for now. But if your going to train, you might as well have them on." The old man said, taking a fighting pose waiting for Aero to remove the weights from his arms and legs. Aero obliged him and removed the weights, and it felt like a large stone had been taken off his back. He jumped lightly from one leg to the next, and felt how light he was. He assumed his own stance, and jabbed a few times to see how his arms were feeling. Sure enough, it was like lightening compared to before. He might even be able to land a few solid punches on the old man. He stayed on his toes, and awaited his next instruction.
"Now you got everything that makes a good fighter. You have your speed.." He jabbed with his front fist, corking it as he extended. "You have your power...." He delivered a solid cross in the blink of an eye. "You have your focus..." He tilted his body into a perfect uppercut. "And you have your rage." He delivered a thundering right hook into the air.
"Use them together. We call that a combo. Together, they make you the perfect fighter. Now come at me. Show me I haven't just been talking to the air this entire time!" The old man order Aero. He stood firmly, awaitng the first punch. Aero could feel the man was serious. No more dodging. Just a straight fight between two men. Aero had to fight. He had to give him his all. It was the least he could do.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 4:12 am
This was it. Aero could feel that this was final test. He circled around the old man, minding his feet ready for anything. He kept up his guard, awaiting the first punch. But he knew that it was going to have to be him that made the first move. A quick jab every few seconds to keep the old man in check. His punches were so much faster, it was almost hard to believe that not a few minutes ago he was so slow.
"Pull them together Kiddo." The old man spoke softly, also so soft that Aero could catch it. Aero understood. A lightening quick jab to the old man's face, followed immediately by a left cross. A basic one-two combo, but it would be effective in wearing down his guard. Well, it would if this was in any way a normal person. The old man stood there, taking the beating. Seeming unphased by all of it. Aero gave him another one-two, closing quickly to not give the old man any opening for a counter. Again and again he would punch him. One-two, quick as lightening.
Aero's state was not as stable as he would like but he would stand as long as he had drive. The old man was still as firm as... Wait. Aero could hear it. He could hear it in the old man's breath. When there was no sound, he could hear the old man's breathing get heavier with every blow he landed. He was masking it this whole time. Provided, Aero didn't give him too much of a work out. But still, it was starting to show. Aero kept punching, loosening his guard. Waiting for the time to strike.
The old man was getting more tired by the minute, and Aero was no better. His eye was still blurry from the damage he had already taken. But he wasn't about to give in. Not now. The old man's body tighten. He was going to strike.
Jab. Cross. Jab. Each blow felt like getting hit like a bullet. But Aero could see that they were getting progressively weaker. They were getting ever so slightly slower with each blow. Until... An Opening! Aero could see it! He bobbed underneath the old man's jab, and turning his body into the punch his fist rose up to land squarely on the old man's jaw.
"Not bad kiddo, but not-" The old was cut off for once. Aero's right fist met with the old man's face in an astounding right hook. The old man didn't expect it, and that made it hurt even worse. The old was knocked onto his back by the shock and power of the blow.
Aero was left standing there, his breath heavy and sweat dropping from his head. The old man moved himself into a sitting position, and gave Aero a smile. He caught him. It wouldn't happen again in a million year the old man thought to himself, but he got him this one time. The old man picked himself up and walked towards Aero, and extended his hand.
"Well done Kiddo. You made me proud. I knew they were right about you, I just had to get through that thick skull of yours." The old man laughed a little as he spoke.
"You called me a solider. How did you know? And who told you what about me?" Aero asked, accepting the man's handshake but refusing to let go until he got his answers.
"Back when I was among the living, I use to be a solider too. But not like any of you brave boys on the field, no. I was a Commanding Officer during the war, and I remember the bloody things I saw and they still haunt me to this day..." The old man's grip tightened as he spoke those words. "But I remembered seeing one case that stays with me. It was of a young lad who was beaten to death in a Prisoner of War camp. Beaten so badly that he lost the use of his right eye. When I asked about him, the officers at that camp told stories of his valiant, if not hard headed attempts to escape and to never be sated to just stand around doing nothing. 'A man who would never be broken' they said. And they were right."
Aero was so proud he could feel tears about to swell up in his left eye. He released the old man's hand and immediately saluted him, as was the custom for a commanding officer after all.
"At ease solider..." The old man smiled, unaccustomed to being saluted in such a western fashion for some time. He picked up his weights quickly, and with almost no time past he was already on his way.
"Wait!" Aero cried out. "I never even learned your name."
The old man gave him a final smile before saying, "Thomas. You can call me Thomas."
Aero watched as he walked away slowly. And in turn, he too began to walk off towards, where he hoped, the Squad One barracks were. He could use a rest. And an ice pack. And I think he could use a new set of molars, he was missing a few.
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 12:56 pm
Well done. I have read through it and it was good, you can now add Boxing to your list of martial arts.
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