Ensign Delphina Wren- I don't know if you respect me, but I respect you
Grace McDermott
((Azure Falls, Azure Horizon Beach & Spa, Lolagi IV))
Delphina’s head was spinning slightly from the sudden movement. She was trying to focus, she really was, but T’Fearne was surprisingly good at blocking her thoughts. Rolling back onto her feet, Delphina tried to copy the pose T’Fearne was doing, but that didn’t feel right either.
This time, she waited for T’Fearne to move first.
Wren: ::stumbling back to her feet:: Sorry, I- ::immediately gets knocked flat on her back::..... Okay, don’t stop to apologize, got it.
Solana: With knives you not only have to track your opponent’s movements with their body and limbs, but also the weapons themselves. It barely takes much rotation of the wrist with a knife to be able to slice multiple times. Even while blocking an incoming strike.
Taj’el: Noted.
T’Fearne: Response
This time, Delphina let herself slow down a little. It didn’t feel natural to do so, she was so used to running everywhere to try and keep up with everyone else, but her Mok’bara teacher had told her once that her unrestrained energy was only useful if she knew how to use it. Distantly, as she and T’Fearne circled each other, she heard Solana’s voice.
Solana: When your opponent is wielding a pair of weapons it’s vital to learn to make use of your offhand, to block their limbs if possible. You can also attempt to grab for them, ideally their opposite wrist depending on the weapon they have to try and prevent them from hitting you with it. You can also punch with your offhand. The best targets being the wrist, inner elbow and joints. But staying mobile is also important. Dual wielding is difficult. So I would only recommend it if you’ve gotten ample training.
Taj’el: Grabbing the wrist is not the most effective choice if the other hand is also armed… ::They mused aloud, thinking through the implications of the exchange as it unfolded..::
T’Fearne: Response
Wren: oO She’s distracted. Oo
Delphina took the opportunity to move, flipping the training dagger’s blade flat against her inner wrist. This time she used the pommel of the dagger to get a lucky strike against T’Fearne’s shoulder, driving it into the weak space of the joint. Then, digging her feet into the sand, she used the loose grains to move smoothly back to a safe distance while she considered her next option.
Solana: If you are having a hard time disarming, striking or grappling an opponent you can try and attack their foundation instead. Everyone needs to have a solid structure when fighting. And unless your foe floats or otherwise can’t be rendered prone, like Gra’vel, our resident Horta, going for the legs is always a valid option as long as you can do so without opening yourself to a hit.
Taj’el: I admit, I was overly focused on your hands. I will take care to correct that moving forward.
This time Delphina let herself stay close, letting the blow land, turning with the spin oO Ow, that hurt a lot more than I was expecting Oo and let the dagger slip out of her hands. It landed point-down on the sand for a split second, before she kicked it hard. She’d been aiming for the Vulcazoid’s chest, but she underestimated the power behind the kick, and ended up knocking it right into T’Fearne’s face
Wren: Oh sh- I am so s- ::scrambles back to avoid getting hit again:: oO Aaand now I’m down a dagger. Oo
T’Fearne: Response
Solana: Good. Adaptability is key in any fight.
This time, Delphina didn’t wait for T’Fearne to make the first move. She ran forward in an attempt to reclaim the dagger, but wasn’t fast enough. She didn’t have time to get out of the way, instead throwing her arms up to block the incoming blows. Then, as T’Fearne drew closer, she dropped her arms, grabbed hold of T’Fearne’s wrist, and attempted to force her to drop the dagger. Which turned out to be the wrong move, as she’d forgotten how strong Vulcans were.
Taj’el: Alright. I am ready to continue.
T’Fearne: Response
This time, when Delphina hit the ground, she was a little more prepared for the impact, and reacted accordingly, not letting go of T’Fearne’s wrist. She pulled the Vulcazoid down with her, kicking a leg up to catch T’Fearne in the chest, and throwing her to the ground. Her victory was short-lived, however, as T’Fearne seemed to recover much more quickly than she was expecting.
A flash of admiration went through Delphina as the security officer easily turned the situation around, now both in possession of her knife and the higher ground. For the first time since Delphina could remember she…. Kind of saw the appeal of security. The ability to be strong enough to protect the people around you, the confidence to know you could handle yourself. That was something Delphina had never really had before.
((OOC, at this point, Delphina is no longer focused on Solana and Taj’el, and isn’t quite hearing them.))
Wren: Okay! Okay, I’m out, I’m tapping out! ::nervous laugh:: I should have stopped when I lost the dagger… ::small groan:: Where did you learn that?
T’Fearne/Taj’el: Response
As she slowly sat back up, shaking the sand out of her hair, she realized Solana was still teaching, and did her best to pay attention.
Solana: The best training is the one that incorporates what you already know and your body is comfortable with. But at the end of the day, when it comes to knives at least, they are just another extension of your body. No different than wearing shoes. Or EV suits. Now, in your case, I think I have a suggestion on gripping a knife.
T’Fearne/Taj’el: Response
Jenta held on hand out, open palm and the other hand she gripped the knife reverse grip in the other hand but with said hand angled slightly. And Delphina realized it was similar to what she’d been doing earlier, just…. Significantly less afraid of actually stabbing someone with a fake knife.
Solana: Like so. This is versatile since you can either have the blade out in front of you, with your open palm behind it at the ready. Or vice versa, depending on the needs of the moment. This is the more defensive style, while still allowing the freedom to strike as needed. As you can block with your forearm or elbow and have the knife free to slice along an opponent’s arm or strike more vital areas. It also gives a foe a larger threat to defend against so you can use your open palm to slap, grapple or further defend yourself as required. Don’t forget, reach is king. Knives have little of it, so closing into your opponent’s space provides you with more options whilst limiting them depending on what weapon they’re employing.
She demonstrated a few and varied movements where she used the knife to hook at their limb, even going so far as to show how to potentially disarm a foe by doing so to Taj’el a few times.
Wren: ::getting to her feet, trying the new hold style, before looking at T’Fearne:: Wouldn’t it be easy for your opponent to make you cut yourself by…. ::holding the knife out and pushing against the blade until it pokes into her wrist:: Like that?
T’Fearne/Taj’el: Response
Solana: Go ahead and try some of those on me. See if you can disarm me of my knife. For this I’ll only use the one.
Wren: ::To T’Fearne:: Just a second, I’m still catching my breath.
Solana/T’Fearne/Taj’el: Response
Delphina took a few deep breaths, before stretching, wincing as all her joints and bones protested. For a moment, she just let herself bounce on her toes, before she faced T’Fearne again, knife held up to her chest. This was…. Well it wasn’t her strongest showing, but she liked working with T’Fearne. For most of her life, Delphina had wondered if she even liked being around other Betazoids, but now that she was aboard the Ronin and had had the pleasure of working with T’Fearne, she was starting to realize that wasn’t the case. The Vulcazoid was…. So much more solid than she had expected. Reliable in a way that Delphina hadn’t experienced very often with her own family. oO I’m glad she has my back. Oo
Even if T’Fearne was about to wipe the floor with her again, Delphina couldn’t help but smile a little as she readied herself.
Wren: Okay…. I’m ready when you are.
Solana/T’Fearne/Taj’el: Response
[Tags/End of scene for Delphina]