First Reply So You Want To Learn K'thri

[Meneso Ryevu]

It was a calm evening at the House of Still Waters, and Elder Ryevu was enjoying a quiet meditation session after classes had finished for the day. He could feel the energy of the force surrounding him, from the highest mountain to the tiniest insect on the grounds, but he sensed something else approaching.

A person filled with determination, the essence of all beings in the galaxy, yet also potentially dangerous if one became too consumed by the need to prove themselves, regardless of the risks to others. Usually, he would not accept students at this late hour, but this was a personal request from a former student who had assured him, based on a good recommendation, that this pupil was more talented than most, which piqued the Anzat's interest for the moment.

The letter stated that they wished to learn K'thri, an ancient martial art that dates back to the pre-gulag plague era, which focuses on quick movements, fluid strikes, and effective footwork to overpower an opponent. He was well-versed in the fundamental principles of the art and would provide assistance with the correct stances and first moves.

Failure was not an option, as anyone could learn with the right guidance, and he was neither aligned with the galaxy's heroes nor against them, so it mattered little who the individual was or where they originated from. What mattered now was if they could apply his guidance to the field of combat where true skill was involved.

"I am honored you could join me here in the private gardens, I trust the journey to Anzat was no trouble." He took a moment to brush his beard, glancing up at the person to observe them before lowering his head in respect. He slipped off the rock, his feet landing softly on the ground as he tucked his arms into the long sleeves of his robes.​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Anzat
Tags: Meneso Ryevu

Delta-7, Lothal Jedi Temple​

Jalen stepped into the garden, his bare feet brushing against the ground to take in the feeling of everything around him. His long hair and cloak billowed gently in the breeze that wafted by, carrying with it the coolness and fresh scent of the Anzati mountains around them. Already he had learned the way of Zama-shiwo and the martial arts of the Matukai. To truly be a martial artist, though, one needed to strive for further learning.

So here he was.

"I am honored you could join me here in the private gardens, I trust the journey to Anzat was no trouble." He took a moment to brush his beard, glancing up at the person to observe them before lowering his head in respect.

"The honor is mine to give, Master Ryevu," Jalen responded, folding his hands and dipping his head in response. "My path here was generous. I only hope that I've not kept you waiting for too long."

K'thri was a style based around speed and fluidity, a style that thrived on rapidly blending motions together into a stream. Jalen wanted to experience it for himself first hand so that he may incorporate it into his fighting style. That was what made him drop everything and leave Farworld space.

"The atmosphere of this place is immaculate," the young man noted, "I could feel this place from miles away..."

 

[Meneso Ryevu]

Meneso felt the light side energy around Jalen Kai'el as soon as he stepped into the garden, yet he showed no sign of hostility. Historically, the Anzati and the Jedi have not been allies, and from his own experiences, some viewed his kind as monsters for consuming the life force of others, while others accepted their feeding as a cultural norm.

However, it did erase some of his concerns about whether his new student could match his pace, since Jedi are trained to act quickly and decisively to conclude a conflict before it starts.

"You have not kept me waiting, Student Kai'el. Time is of no consequence to an Anzati." He replied with a slight smile in recognition of his own long lifespan as he could wait for a hundred years and still be ready to train someone at a moment's notice.

His eyes moved from the top of Kai'el's head to his bare feet, to see which part of his body they would need to focus on moving forward. They had a strong core likely honed by other martial arts training so they could build off of that to learn the style more easily.

"The Force is strong here, but you should be cautious if you explore the grounds of the school. We Anzati have a reputation for disappearances..." He let the statement linger for a moment, ensuring Jalen understood that venturing beyond his protection was unwise, even with the force on their side. Meneso moved from the garden to the interior of a nearby dojo, where protective mats lay beneath them. He opened his arms from his robes, letting them hang at his sides in a ready position.

"Before we start training, I want to assess your skills. The best way to do this is for you to try to hit me in the shoulder. If you can land a single blow and withstand my counterattack, then you show potential. If not... well, I'll let you figure out what that means." He expected his student to understand the consequences of failure. It should be easy for him to strike his shoulder since Meneso was not defending himself; he simply wanted to understand the Jedi's abilities.​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Anzat
Tags: Meneso Ryevu

Delta-7, Lothal Jedi Temple​

"Before we start training, I want to assess your skills. The best way to do this is for you to try to hit me in the shoulder. If you can land a single blow on my shoulder and withstand my counterattack, then you show potential. If not... well, I'll let you figure out what that means."

"Understood."

Jalen centered himself and trained his focus on the energy of the martial artist. The Anzati had a unique signature in the Force, considering their requirement to consume the energy of other beings in a manner many saw as unnatural. Of course, Jalen understood well enough that it was only nature. Not an overt act of evil, even if it seemed cruel.

He also wasn't going to take the skill of someone as old as Master Ryevu lightly. Jalen let out a breath before he sprung into action, taking the offensive as requested.

The young man moved with proficiency, each motion calculated and purposeful. He would drop low and perform what would look like a sweep towards the Anzati's legs. A ruse, as the Jedi would instead spring up and to his opponents left before attempting to deliver a good three palm strikes.

 

[Meneso Ryevu]

Meneso observed Jalen Kai'el as he settled into position, keeping his attention on the young Jedi's hips and distribution of weight. The sweep appeared convincing at first, but Jalen's leg lacked the commitment needed to carry it through. His planted foot and coiled posture betrayed the spring that would follow.

Rather than expend energy fighting the attack, Meneso executed a leg sweep as soon as Jalen jumped to deliver his three-palm strike. His foot connected with the side of his student's leg as it moved left, causing him to lose balance in one swift motion without expending much energy. This was sufficient to send Jalen potentially crashing to the ground while Meneso utilized the momentum from his sweep to regain his stance.

"If this were a real fight, you'd be lying dead on the floor as soon as you left your legs vulnerable" he said with a noticeable sigh. His red eyes looking at him with disappointment for being so reliant on a feint against a Master Martial Artist. The Jedi needed to understand that not all opponents would be the same, you must recognize who you are fighting and adjust your strategy as needed.

"Your feint was a clever move to throw me off before your main attack, but consider using the sweep to push your opponent back. The momentum will help you spin around and deliver a palm strike while they are still recovering from the attempt on their legs." Meneso demonstrated the move on the mat, sweeping his legs to catch an imaginary opponent by surprise, then using the momentum to rise and strike their hips with a palm strike, aiming to destabilize them and potentially end the fight then and there.​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Anzat
Tags: Meneso Ryevu

Delta-7, Lothal Jedi Temple​

It didn't take long for Jalen to realize that his reflexes were faster than anticipated. Taking a leg mid air sent him stumbling back, but rather than fully falling he sprung back into a standing position with his hands. Perhaps he had gotten sloppy. It had been a while since Jalen had gone into combat. The Anzati seemed to already be offering suggestions on what to do.

"Your feint was a clever move to throw me off before your main attack, but consider using the sweep to push your opponent back. The momentum will help you spin around and deliver a palm strike while they are still recovering from the attempt on their legs."

"Right."

No disappointment in his tone, only acceptance. He probably shouldn't assume that tricks should work here. So instead, Jalen decided to lean into his senses. He kept his feet on the ground this time and slid forward to close the gap, making a strike for the man's core. He also kept one arm back to anticipate an incoming blow to catch it. And, just in case...

Jalen poured some energy into his legs to solidify their guard.

 

[Meneso Ryevu]

Meneso moved forward on the mat as Jalen Kai'el accepted his advice without any objections. This showed that Jalen was open to suggestions and willing to acknowledge the possibility of making mistakes. Such openness was a true mark of a Master, and Meneso felt a moment of pride for his student.

However, that pride quickly faded when Jalen lunged forward, aiming a strike at Meneso's core. The Anzati shifted his body just enough to let the blow pass by him. One of Jalen's hands brushed against Meneso's forearm, not stopping the attack but guiding it further into the empty space where Meneso had been.

The arm that was poised to strike found no target. Meneso stepped outside of Jalen's leading shoulder and placed his free hand on the back of the young man's upper arm. With a slight twist of his hips, he redirected Jalen's strike, turning his shoulders while his strong legs stayed firmly planted.

The potential outcome was a awkward twist through Jalen's waist and spine. Although his stance remained solid, the rest of his body was pulled out of alignment, leaving him turned away from Meneso with his attacking arm extended. In the event that failed, he jumped back slightly to disengage, avoiding any chance of a counterattack being successful.

"Keep up the pressure, do not allow me to recuperate from your offensive." He gestured for him to keep attacking, wanting the Jedi to prevent him from catching his breath or planning his next move. The aim of martial arts was to finish the fight swiftly and effectively while conversing energy.​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Anzat
Tags: Meneso Ryevu

Delta-7, Lothal Jedi Temple​

Jalen let out an exhale as the man moved to the side to dodge his blow. When he moved to redirect the blind Jedi's arm, Jalen accepted it. Instead of staying firmly planted in place, he twisted his body to follow the motion. His bare feet slid across the ground below in a sweeping motion as he flexibly repositioned himself. The benefits of his less broad frame in action as he contorted himself back into a fighting stance.

"Keep up the pressure, do not allow me to recuperate from your offensive."

Jalen took in the guidance only for a moment, then followed through on the instruction. He slid forward again and pressed, performing a series of jabs this time to keep up the pressure and prevent himself from being redirected again. He'd let out six in total, three for each hand. Two aimed at his target of either shoulder, four all together, and two additional aimed at the gut. If that was in any remote way successful he would move to sweep the legs again.

This time, though, the young man would follow through on the action. Committing to the attack as advised.

 

[Meneso Ryevu]

Meneso had to give up his wide movements for a more compact defense since six strikes came quicker than one. He raised his forearms near his body, creating a slim barrier over each shoulder. The first jab skimmed off the edge of his guard, while the second hit the strong point of his elbow.

He didn't try to block every hit as one fist struck his abdomen, followed by another to his ribs, each impact drawing a lengthy breath. The pain was manageable thanks to his reinforced body as instead of fighting against the second hit, Meneso moved with it. The impact assisted in rotating his hips as he stepped into Jalen's range, where the younger man's quick punches had less space to reach.

His forearm moved across the inside of Jalen's attacking arm, not to trap it, but to push it away from both shoulders while Meneso held his other hand up to shield the other side. Jalen had followed his instruction. He had kept up the pressure, accepted the risk of commitment, and even forced several blows through Meneso's defense.

Yet the shoulders remained untouched as the sweep was avoided with the use of Sai to allow himself to leap back to maintain distance. "Better, my student." Meneso said with a slight smile adorning his face despite the lingering pain of Jalen's attack.

"You kept up the pressure, allowing me no chance to maneuver or plan ahead. But lets see if your defenses fail when encountering an opponent who actually strikes back with the intent to kill." The Anzati would bow before sliding forward to execute a Fifty-two Fists style of martial arts. As the name implied it was a lightning fast movement designed to overwhelm then obliterate an opponent in less than a second. A Jedi should be able to counter if properly trained.
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[Jalen Kai'el]

Anzat
Tags: Meneso Ryevu

Delta-7, Lothal Jedi Temple​

Jalen was lacking in offensive prowess to some degree, but when it was suggested that he endure an attack himself he immediately became more comfortable. As a Medic, he tended to prefer healing and defending before striking. To that end, he adapted very quickly. The Jedi Knight assumed a Soresu stance and prepared for the flurry to come. Jalen didn't think of lightsaber forms as requiring a lightsaber, rather philosophies that could be applied to such combat. As an individual who didn't carry a blade, his body became the lightsaber.

The Jedi would give into his senses and let his body be guided by the Force. Jalen would raise his palms in rapid succession to dissipate the energy of each strike as they came, a defensive flurry that was far more impressive than his offense had been in many regards. Paradoxical as it might initially seem, a true Jedi would know that the Force was not a weapon, more an ally that offered guidance.

To that end, in this moment, Jalen was the spitting image of his creed where he had not been whilst attacking. He seemed intent to weather the storm and wait for an opening.

 

[Meneso Ryevu]

Meneso observed that Jalen Kai'el 's movements had become more composed, influenced by the practice of Soresu instead of using a defense that felt unfamiliar. Jalen's hands rose to block the quick incoming strikes, successfully deflecting the Anzati's punches before they could hit anything important.

However, Meneso understood that a solid defense did not equate to having control over the fight. Each time Jalen's palm connected with one of his fists, Meneso adjusted his actions accordingly. A strike that was deflected turned into an elbow aimed at Jalen's ribs, while a hand that was pushed away from the centerline rolled down to threaten his abdomen with the other fist.

He chose not to fight against the Jedi's defense when he could simply maneuver around it. Meneso kept his shoulders tucked behind his guard as he moved forward, ensuring he did not expose the target Jalen was trained to hit. He shortened his stance and kept advancing, closing the distance between them so that Jalen's defensive actions would have less space to operate.

His use of the Fifty-two Fists style changed suddenly, a series of quick strikes turned into one slow feint that was soon followed by another quick attack aimed at different parts of his student's defense. Meneso targeted the head, ribs, abdomen, and legs in turn, not putting enough weight behind any single hit to risk losing his balance if Jalen managed to parry.

He didn't need every hit to connect. He just needed Jalen to keep responding. Whenever Jalen's palm blocked him, Meneso took advantage of the brief contact to adjust his position, stepping outside the Jedi's guard before pushing forward again.
​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Anzat
Tags: Meneso Ryevu

Delta-7, Lothal Jedi Temple​

Jalen was beginning to sweat. The old man had attrition down, and he started to change up where he was striking. With the pressure on, Jalen started to bob and weave instead of just dampen the blows incoming with his hand. Fortunately, being blind, the feint didn't register with him. The intent to strike didn't flare up in the Force around him. What followed he did react to. He ducked under the strike to his head, than began to shift quickly between the strikes to his torso and legs.

Inevitably, one strike finally connected at his shoulder. It wasn't anything he hadn't experienced before, but it was enough for him to slide back and take a moment to reorient himself.

"You move like a machine," Jalen noted. "You're preserving your energy far better. Is it something about the way you're breathing?"

Or was he just that good about maximizing the value of every movement?

Whatever the case was, Jalen devised a new plan. He remembered something Jasper had taught him about opportunity cost. What damage could be taken to ensure that you achieved your goal? Jalen would wait for the man to strike again, and he intended to let himself get hit. If he could, he would grapple the arm while it was in his reach.

And if that worked, he'd choose then to fully commit to sweeping the legs.

 

[Meneso Ryevu]

The strike against Jalen Kai'el shoulder brought no satisfaction to Meneso as it was not part of the training objective merely proof that even a disciplined defense can eventually crumble beneath sustained pressure from a determined opponent. He slowed his advance only when his student created distance, lowering his hands without allowing either shoulder to drift beyond the protection of his frame.

"Breathing is a part of it," the Anzati replied with a gentle motion. "However, breath means nothing if the body squanders what it offers. In Martial Arts, every action should serve multiple purposes; otherwise, you will exhaust yourself faster than your opponent." Meneso took a measured breath through his nose as he adjusted his stance away from Fifty-two Fists into one that was more familiar to a Jedi Opponent in the form of Teräs Käsi.

Meneso stepped forward again, but did not resume the same barrage. His lead hand snapped toward Jalen's centerline with a short palm strike, delivered without extending the elbow far enough to offer an easy lever. His opposite hand remained near his shoulder, ready to close whatever path the Jedi might attempt to exploit.
​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Anzat
Tags: Meneso Ryevu

Delta-7, Lothal Jedi Temple​

Jalen knew Teräs Käsi. He had fought against it before, against practitioners who struck with the intent to kill. It was not a martial art that was to be taken lightly, which told everything about what he needed to do. The next few decisions were going to need to be decisive, something that allowed him to land a blow of some sort. So he decided to act.

The Jedi Knight would let the blow aimed at his core land. Using the technique of Soft to Solid, a core staple of the Matukai martial art, he reinforced the rigidity of his body and became as stone. Hurt as it might, Jalen was familiar with pain. He would attempt to reach out with one hand and clasp onto the wrist of the Anzati. If he managed to succeed, the Jedi would pull with all of his might to bring the old martial artist back into close quarters. If such a thing materialized, Jalen would not strike for the shoulder where his hand was anticipating a blow. Instead, Jalen would move to grab hold of the other arm and lock them both in place with arms clasped together.

If he managed to succeed in these series of actions, then the Jedi would rear back his head and make the blow at the shoulder with his head. If not, he'd push off and move back to try and not allow an opportunity of attack.

 

[Meneso Ryevu]

Meneso felt the palm strike connect with Jalen Kai'el body but it was rendered ineffective with the technique of soft to solid.

As the Jedi reached for his wrist, Meneso did not immediately pull away. He turned his palm downward and dropped his elbow, narrowing the angle available for a firm grip. At the same time, the Anzati stepped forward instead of retreating, moving into the attempted hold before the younger man could use the full length of his arm for leverage.

His free hand left the protection of his shoulder only long enough to meet the second arm from the inside. Meneso pressed his forearm across its path, keeping his elbows close while rotating his hips. Whether both arms were secured or not, he refused to let the grapple become still.

Meneso shifted toward the outside of the Knight's stance, turning his protected shoulder away as his opponent drew back his head. His forearm rose between them, not striking toward the face but creating a barrier across the path of the incoming blow.

At the same time, he lowered his weight and moved his lead foot closer, threatening the stability of the Jedi's stance should he lean too far into the attack.
​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Anzat
Tags: Meneso Ryevu

Delta-7, Lothal Jedi Temple​

Jalen, tall as he was, didn't quite reach his target. Rather than leaning in to try and seal the deal, he instead changed his approach as he sensed the shifting of the Anzati's feet to anticipate such an action. He was quick to adapt, Jalen noted. The grapple didn't seem to pin him down, he knew where to rotate his body to best deter attacks. It was like two breezes blowing into each other at the moment. Jalen needed a different course of action.

Rather than overthink, he kept it simple. He was close quarters after all, what he had been hoping to achieve. So Jalen simply let go of the man's arms and unleashed a flurry of palm strikes aimed at the torso. Just to try and keep his opponent close, the Jedi would attempt to move his foot to step on the toes of the foot the Anzati had moved closer to try and keep him from stepping back.

 

[Meneso Ryevu]

The moment Jalen released his arms, Meneso knew the grapple had only been meant to bring them closer. The palm strikes came almost immediately afterward, forcing him to tighten his guard around his torso.

He turned with the first blow instead of taking it directly, letting the strike scrape across his ribs. His forearm knocked the next palm away from his center, while his other elbow dropped to protect his side. The movements were small, but each one fed into the next without giving the Jedi much room to reach either shoulder.

When Jalen moved to step on his toes, Meneso did not pull his foot back. He shifted his weight onto it and turned on the ball of his foot, bringing his rear leg around to change the angle between them. The movement kept him close while taking his shoulders out of Jalen's reach.

Another palm struck his abdomen, but Meneso rolled with the impact and used it to turn his hips. His forearm came across to redirect the next attack as he stepped farther toward the outside of the Jedi's stance.

He then lowered himself beneath the next strike, keeping one hand near his shoulder while the other moved toward Jalen Kai'el center. It was not a fully committed attack. Meneso could still turn it into an elbow, a shove, or another block depending on how his student responded.
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