Another young student to teach, and Swiftfire was wasting no time in getting Dovepaw's training underway. She was a firm and calculating mentor, she liked to think. Fair, but no nonsense. She was there to teach all she could to give the best chance of survival, and she decided this time, they were going to try some defensive moves.
Long legs carried the thin and lean tortoiseshell over the sweeping moorlands, and one could say as the warrior prowled the open grasses and sloping hills, there was no denial that she belonged there, and knew it. She slid her gaze over to Dovepaw, giving him an unreadable look. He had some muscle definition, so he had some training, and he was a larger than a totally fresh 'paw. His was a reassignment, and Swiftfire decided...she wasn't going to protest. She had no clue where Dustypaw had gone, or whether he wanted to train with her still, so she decided to focus herself on Dovepaw's training.
They reached a place that Swiftfire liked, personally. The Sky Glade. It was a beautiful place in Swiftfire's opinion. She walked up to the old pine, sitting on the floor of brown, thin needles as she addressed Dovepaw. "So, Dovepaw...I am Swiftfire. I apologize for not meeting you during the reassignments." She twitched her ear and moved on, "Today we're going to learn some defense moves; How to protect your softest places when you're flipped on your back, for example. How to wriggle free from a grapple from behind."
She paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "Any questions?"
Another young student to teach, and Swiftfire was wasting no time in getting Dovepaw's training underway. She was a firm and calculating mentor, she liked to think. Fair, but no nonsense. She was there to teach all she could to give the best chance of survival, and she decided this time, they were going to try some defensive moves.
Long legs carried the thin and lean tortoiseshell over the sweeping moorlands, and one could say as the warrior prowled the open grasses and sloping hills, there was no denial that she belonged there, and knew it. She slid her gaze over to Dovepaw, giving him an unreadable look. He had some muscle definition, so he had some training, and he was a larger than a totally fresh 'paw. His was a reassignment, and Swiftfire decided...she wasn't going to protest. She had no clue where Dustypaw had gone, or whether he wanted to train with her still, so she decided to focus herself on Dovepaw's training.
They reached a place that Swiftfire liked, personally. The Sky Glade. It was a beautiful place in Swiftfire's opinion. She walked up to the old pine, sitting on the floor of brown, thin needles as she addressed Dovepaw. "So, Dovepaw...I am Swiftfire. I apologize for not meeting you during the reassignments." She twitched her ear and moved on, "Today we're going to learn some defense moves; How to protect your softest places when you're flipped on your back, for example. How to wriggle free from a grapple from behind."
She paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "Any questions?"
Dovepaw followed Swiftfire to the Sky Glade. It was his favorite part of the Windclan territory that he had seen so far in his time as an apprentice. His blue eyes scanned their surroundings when they stopped. The area around the two cats was ravishing to the apprentice.
This was his fourth mentor. The first was Sheepgrowl... Then Heatherwhisker... and the fourth didn't really teach him much. But he did ask a warrior to teach him how to hunt. Heatherwhisker was by far his favorite, and the most helpful. Heatherwhisker was also the one he had the closest bond to ever since Bunnywisp went missing. The grey and white tabby apprentice missed Heatherwhisker a lot.
Though, as soon as his new mentor started talking, he turned his attention to her."No worries... It's alright." This lesson seemed like it was going to be useful so he paid closer attention to her words. "Nope... No questions.."
She wasn't sure what to think of this one. Quiet, but not entirely enthusiastic either. Nor was there a complain, question or protest to learn something else. This might actually be a pretty easy one.
"Alright," Swiftfire sniffed, "We'll start with the belly kick. If you are ever pinned on your back, tucked your hind legs in as far as you can." Swiftfire flipped herself over onto her back and drew her legs in close and tight to her belly, "Doing this keeps your soft spots protected, and gives you the option to either push your opponent off, or do some serious damage to their own exposed belly." Flipping back onto her paws, she looked over at Dovepaw, "Now let's try it. You'll be defending. Ready?" She would wait for his answer, her head tilted to one side as pale, narrowed eyes scrutinized her latest pupil.
She wasn't sure what to think of this one. Quiet, but not entirely enthusiastic either. Nor was there a complain, question or protest to learn something else. This might actually be a pretty easy one.
"Alright," Swiftfire sniffed, "We'll start with the belly kick. If you are ever pinned on your back, tucked your hind legs in as far as you can." Swiftfire flipped herself over onto her back and drew her legs in close and tight to her belly, "Doing this keeps your soft spots protected, and gives you the option to either push your opponent off, or do some serious damage to their own exposed belly." Flipping back onto her paws, she looked over at Dovepaw, "Now let's try it. You'll be defending. Ready?" She would wait for his answer, her head tilted to one side as pale, narrowed eyes scrutinized her latest pupil.
Dovepaw listened intently. Belly kick... tuck your hind legs in... They nodded as Swiftfire asked if they were ready. "Yeah." He prepared himself for the upcoming activity.
Good. She was very glad to see a cooperative spirit. Her ears flattened and so did her body to the ground, and for a moment, Swiftfire weaved, almost snake-like, toward Dovepaw, only to strike just as quickly. Her paws hooked his out from under him, flipping the apprentice onto his back, and Swiftfire leaned over him, one paw planted on his chest.
Dovepaw let himself get flipped over by Swiftfire. As he landed on his back, he tucked in his hind legs. Then, with all the force he could use, he slammed his legs upwards into her stomach. His blue gaze was focused as he completed the action that Swiftfire had taught.
She felt those paws strike up against her stomach, and she let out a hard gasp as the air left her lungs. She leaped backwards with a grunt, walking off the pain in a tight line back and forth across the training area.
"Goo- ah....good kick. You have some strength in those hind legs." Swiftfire rasped and sat down. "Now let's try some backside defense." The pain was receding now, and yet she grimaced as she imagined what this apprentice could do. "You pick up quickly. So," She trotted over to a bush grabbing a stick with her teeth and breaking it off. Long legs carried her back over to Dovepaw, and she set the stick in front of them.
"Pretend this is an enemy warrior. And in this exercise, I want you to be the attacking warrior, and attack me; Jump on my back, bite my tail, try to knock my legs out, but it has to be from behind. I will be defending myself from you. Without having to lay a paw on you." The tortoiseshell and white warrior smirked then. "Let's begin."
Swiftfire crouched down in front of the stick, staring at it and lashing her tail.
@Kaybug.
Last edited by Tiabirb; June 8th, 2024 at 07:43 PM.
Dovepaw rolled over once Swiftfire got off. "I- sorry- I didn't mean to hurt you." He said hurriedly, it was the first full sentence he had even said to his mentor. The rest were just one or two word answers.
The blue-eyed apprentice listened thoughtfully to his newest mentor about the new plan. He decided that he was going to get up on his two feet. He had pretty decent balancing skills. That way he could "punch" Swiftfire to roll her over, or at least try to.
Quickly, he ran at her, and at the last second he stood on his hind legs. Then he attempted to push his mentor over with a hard shove to her back left hip.
Swiftfire bunched her muscles, ready for the attack. She kept her ears angled backward, and when the sound of four running paws became two, the tortoiseshell warrior reacted. She dipped to the right, her left hind leg shooting out to snag Dovepaw's right hind leg from beneath him, hooking the curve of her paw just behind his knee before jerking.
Whether he kept his balance or not, Swiftfire would remain standing, looking at Dovepaw with a twitch of her whiskers.