Finding Finesse (Xardus Folidaar)

[Darth Ferus]

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Naboo.​

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It was yet another planet Krest enjoyed spending his time on. But this time he wasn't alone. [member="Xardus Folidaar"] , one of his apprentices and soon to be one of the Seven, was here for one reason. Training. The red man stood within a field of green, his hand idly gripping the hilt of his blade. Makashi was a form of amazing finesse and terrible thrusts. The point of it was to avoid your foe, keep your blade, and use light jabs to defeat your opponent. It, however, lacked any blaster defense, and was strictly for dueling.​

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It did, however, have a defense against the Force. So long as the user of the form was open minded, quick thinking, and generally smart, the form could dispatch single opponents with ease. But that was with a lightsaber. With a real metal blade the style would have to be adapted and changed to cover for the lack of cutting ability.​

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And so Krest waited for his student, his arms crossed over his red chest. It was time to see how adaptable Xardus really was.​

 

[Levi Hutch]

Xardus didn't know the reason for this really. He understood the idea of the seven swords, but was having an actual sword really necessary? Facing his teacher, he unsheathed the blade and examined it, a fine piece of art in the place of his lightsaber. This weapon wasn't shrouded in darkness. Either way, at least he had something to swing, and not a clumsy blaster. "Okay, where do we begin?"

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"First, you will show me your footwork. You will not be using that blade until I say, and in the mean time I have a little dance for you to do." It seemed childish of Krest, even insulting, but the Zabrak had a reason. Makashi was a dance, and the one he was going to teach [member="Xardus Folidaar"] would be far deadlier then the man could imagine. Waving the man over, Krest would take up a stance, both hands in front of him, his palms open. His left foot would shimmy back, and his right would go forward as he turned himself sideways. Smaller target after all.

"Take up this stance."

 

[Levi Hutch]

Putting his sword away, Xardus was part thankful he wouldn't have to use it, and part annoyed he wouldn't be able to learn to wield it yet. Standing in front of the zabrak, he took up the same stance, putting his hands forward and outward as the other did. Once he was satisfied he'd got it right, he nodded. "Ready."

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

[member="Xardus Folidaar"]

"Good, now its a jump to the left." To demonstrate, Krest literally jumped to the left. It was a basic jump, but he landed exactly the same way as he started, his hands not moving once. "And then a step to the right." His right foot would slide to the right before digging in. His left would be brought over fairly quick to return to the base position. "Simple right?"

 

[Levi Hutch]

Giving the horned man a strange look, Xardus mimicked the maneuver almost perfectly, keeping his hands in te same place they'd been. "How does this help?" He wasn't being crude, he was genuinely curious. This was so entirely different from any other form, and it interested him. When was a fight a dance?

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

[member="Xardus Folidaar"]

"Makashi is more about footwork then any other form. A true master looks more like they're dancing then fighting, making a lethal ballad instead of just another form. Asides, dancing is the best way to train your footwork. You shall be dancing for some time now." Krest offered a small smile before he would begin to move again. The two stiff movements from before would turn into a graceful step, he bringing himself around Xardus. His feet would be stepping deliberately, making him look as if he was gliding across the ground instead of just stepping. Once more however his hands remained where they were, and even as he did a slight spin on his right foot they never dropped.

"Mirror me."

 

[Levi Hutch]

Replaying what he'd just seen in his mind, Xardus carefully mirrored the zabrak, though he did slip a few times. However, he would not stop until he got it right, which happened around the third time, when he was able to mimic the move without any mistake. "What's next?" Now, he could feel a certain understanding of why this form was so different. He wanted to learn.

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"What's next? Well." The Zabrak, upon him finishing, brought up a hand to his left. There was a river there, around ten feet wide. With a slight grin, Krest would bring up rocks from its depths, laying then across randomly over the water. "I want you to dance across the river." Blue eyes would turn back to [member="Xardus Folidaar"], brimming with excitement.

 

[Levi Hutch]

Xardus looked at the river, then to Krest, then back to the river, then back to Krest again. "No way. You... alright." Smirking, he walked over to the edge of the river, starting in the stance he was shown, then began to dance in the same fashion across the river. He did rather well, for the first four or five feet, then took a slip and ended up on his back. "Ow..."

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

[member="Xardus Folidaar"]

"Again. Watch your footwork. Pay attention to the ground." Krest had moved to sit by this point, watching the man from the riverbank. With a slight smile he wold wave him on. "Again, the footwork."

 

[Levi Hutch]

Nodding both to himself and his teacher, Xardus returned to one end of the bank and tried again. Dancing and weaving through the rocks, he seemed to do much better the second time. He slipped once, but quickly regained footing and let himself from falling down. Soon enough, the man found himself on the other end of the river. "How was that?"

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

[member="Xardus Folidaar"]

"Do so again. And again, until you can do this with your eyes closed." Krest had started a fire at this point, and was heating a small tea cup. "Sound fun?"

 

[Levi Hutch]

Xardus would have complained, but he knew the reasoning behind practice. He would do just that, until he got every move correct. Every time he even as much as thought about going the wrong direction, he would start over from the beginning. This would go on for at least an hour, until he finally returned to the man, and sat down.

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest sat there with his tea in hand by this point, motioning for the man to take up the other cup. "Very good. Now, once you are done with your tea we will be moving onto something else. Makashi is about fluidity, and using the same dance as you did will end with your head away from your body. We're going to make your own dance, aye?" Blue eyes eyed [member="Xardus Folidaar"] for a moment before the red skinned man took a sip of his drink.

 

[Levi Hutch]

"My own dance..." Xardus pondered this for a moment, while he picked up the other cup and sipped it. "Mm. Good tea. How will we be making my own dance? I don't even know how to dance!"

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"But you do know how to fight yes? Stop thinking of the two as different. Makashi is about making the dance lethal, aye?" Krest nodded once to [member="Xardus Folidaar"] before returning to his tea. This was not going to be a short exercise, but it should help him get ready to use his sword. Time will tell though.

 

[Levi Hutch]

"Alright then", Xardus replied, still confused. He knew how to fight. And he knew how to fight well. But could he learn how to dance, to make the two one in the same? Only time and practice could tell.

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Now, begin again, yes? Dance through, close your eyes. Leave your hands in your pocket however. This is the balance of footwork, nothing else." Krest motioned forward, smiling wide. "And don't stop. I'll kick you if you do."

 

[Levi Hutch]

Xardus nodded and closed his eyes gently, before pulling himself inward. He would let himself loose, letting his body do what came naturally, and what flowed through him with the force. Soon enough, the man would start his own dance of makashi, and his mind became lost in the rhythm.

[member="Krest"]