sixthiterationlogs | make the choice to choose

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make the choice to choose

WHO: Ashley Magnus
WHERE: South Village, by the water
WHEN: random Mornings throughout the month
OPEN TO: Everyone
WARNINGS: Updated as needed

un: magnus

One more day of this normal routine and I'm going to fucking lose it. South Village. By the mill. Sparring partners needed before I go fucking nuts without work. Any morning from dawn until lunchish.

Ashley never thought about how much of her life was spent constantly on the go. Even in her downtime, she realized she wasn't likely to sit around long, coming up with reasons to get out and move. It's a restlessness that she took for granted when she had the Sanctuary work to do, and an entire city to traverse. Not to mention abnormals to contain, especially with the uptick because of the Cabal before this place.

Now if this place is Cabal or not, she doesn't know, but if it is, they already know what she's capable of so there's reason to hide it.

Mornings start with a run, heading out further each day, taking new routes, trying to not only learn this place but learn every path she might need for any reason. Not to mention the creatures, the resources, anything to keep her on her toes and know what she might need no matter what happens.

By the mill she practices with the few weapons she's gathered, using them in various ways so she knows the heft and weight of them in case. Everything is in case, even if here she has no idea in case of what. There's only so much a person can practice alone, so she hopes sending out that message will draw a few people to practice against. Will keep her on point, not to mention meaning she could get a chance to know more of those here. It's already been eye opening, and she's curious what else this place holds.

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"Something like that."

It was a comfort to Danny who had grown up in a monastery, most people probably didn't think Dojo when they thought of their homes. "Are you interested in learning or sparring?" The space was open for anyone who wanted to use it though Danny did expect people to share it. Right now he was using the room for his forms but he'd much rather do something they could bot do.

She glances around, considering what he's been doing here before turning her gaze back to him. "Honestly? I think there's a lot I could learn here. If you're up for it."

She can spar with many people, but she suspects that Danny has a lot to show her.

Danny nodded his head in confirmation and then set to talking about the Dojo and what he had planned for it. He was very focused and animated when talking about fighting, clearly eager to help the village in his own way. "I am taking students and I nearly have enough for a full class. I'd like to have set times where I can teach classes but right now I teach one on one and I spar with those who have already mastered forms."

Mastery involved syncing mind, body and soul. It wasn't something that could be taught and learned quickly but many older fighters were set in their ways and even if Danny thought he could teach them, the styles wouldn't different enough that they'd be starting at square one. It wasn't an ideal time to teach people because it could conflict body and mind. This lead Danny to offering a chance to just spar separate from lessons.

"What have you studied? I know I asked briefly but it's easier in person." Danny sucked at texting.

Ashley is attentive as he talks about the space, the things he has planned for the dojo. It's a lot of work, and given that as far as anyone knows, they're here for life, she's impressed. Making their lives here is going to make things easier if they never figure a way out of it all. Especially if it truly is another dimension as some think.

"Most of it is armed fighting. Firearms, blades of many sizes, and random weaponry. You know, whatever was on hand. Most of the those I fought were bigger than me, usually with more natural defenses, and often times not human so hand to hand was useful to me but not usually enough to keep me alive. That said, it was mostly mixed martial with a bit of Krav Maga and definitely Judo because if I could throw them, I could run if I had to. Not so much studio studied learning as it was street fighting to survive."

Danny listened and nodded. "Weapons are harder to come by here. Krav Maga uses an opponents strength against them. That is similar to what I do." Though Danny knew a lot of martial art forms and weapons, the one he enjoyed the most was hand-to-hand. There was a rush in fighting something off and blocking blows that he didn't get from anything else.

"We can use swords for sparring. I have katana length sticks I found but I prefer hand-to-hand combat."

He gestured at the room opposite the stairs where the equipment was stashed. On one of the bookshelves were two sticks that were about the size of a sword. "What would you prefer?"

"I would prefer the hand to hand. I haven't gotten nearly as much experience with that as I have armed fighting so that would be great." She nods eagerly, smiling at him. Maybe they'll end up with things that much larger than she is, but beyond human form she hasn't seen yet outside of animals she has no plan to take on unless she has to.

"I'm also okay with getting my ass handed to me," she adds with smirk. "Because I'm pretty damn sure it's going to happen." It's been an advantage she's used in the field, but one she doesn't want to have in learning to fight and protect herself in a whole new world.

Edited 2018-12-27 00:48 (UTC)

"Let's start with dance and breathing."

Danny's mouth quirked into a teasing smile as he waved for her to take the spot next to him. "I want you to follow my motions. I'll show you three stances and when we're done I'm going to call them out and you'll have to shift from one to the other. I'll adjust you as we go. These will help you with balance and core. Then we'll see how you strike and block."

He paused thoughtfully. "After you got the basics we'll spar." And he'll put her on her ass.

She nods, smiling as she drops her jacket and moves to slide into position beside him. "That works. I'm here to learn," she says, not having had times long these in longer than she can remember. She nearly misses it, and the excitement she feels in this moment to do so again shows.

"Sounds good." Knowing she's facing a beatdown and not minding. You don't learn without them.

Danny nodded and began to show her the stances that she'd need to remember. He ran through them twice and then relaxed his postured to turn and watch her shift through the same collection of movements. "Keep your back straight. Your legs shoulder length apart." He stepped behind her and gently adjusted her dance using the heel of his foot or his palm.

"There. Again."

He waited until it was perfect before stepping in front of her and holding up his palm. "Good. Now punch my hand." He wanted to see her form as she punched. He assumed that it'd take some work but hopefully she'll remember what they'd just worked on.

There's no objection to the guidance, having been raised learning constantly from one moment to the next. Never letting herself be upset by those corrections, knowing they're going to help her in the long run. Knowing they will help her in one way or another. Every method she can learn here will help save her life at some point.

Giving a tight smile and a nod when she gets it right, glancing at his palm and then at her. She's definitely a street fighter, and it shows, though she puts her weight behind it, careful to ensure her fingers are tucked right and her wrist held so that there's little chance of damage to it.

"Okay." He watched her strike and nodded. "Keep your knees bent as you strike and you want to keep your momentum before locking your wrist at the last moment." It was good and she didn't really need a lot of adjustment. The main point of his adjustments was to help her roll out of a failed attack as well as retreat after a good strike.

"Let's see what you got."

Danny peeled off his shirt as he took a step back. He held out his hands in front of him and then moved one arm back as he readied his stance. "Ready?" She would walk away with a few bruises but hopefully she'd learn something.

Nodding at the instruction, bouncing a slight bit as she flexes her knees, thinking about it.

Her own stance is certainly that of a street fighter rather than one trained in a more formal way. She gives him a nod, knowing this could end up being painful, but you don't learn otherwise.

"Ready," she agrees.

He watched her fall into a lose fighters stance. It already told him a lot about her training or lack-there-of. His misty green eyes were sharp and focused as he centered himself and readied for an attack. He wanted her to strike first, to see how she moved and struck but she looked as if she was in a defensive pose.

He stepped forward quickly and a second before punching her, he dropped to the ground and swept a leg just below her knees. It was the only place that he knew he wouldn't break anything if he hit her. She'd gone down, be bruised but be fine.

He didn't give his actions away and was testing her reactions.

Being a monster hunter means being trained not to rush in, and not to start the fight first. It bleeds over into a lot of what Ashley does, a defensive fighter trying to keep things from escalating.

Taking the punch with a slight feint to absorb the impact before swinging out with a hard punch meant to stun, to buy time at the least. it likely shows what her life has been like, the things she's been trained for. And possibly that she's used to opponents bigger than her, sometimes with less forethought into her attack.

She goes down, but rolls closer rather than away to put herself in range, tightly close as if used to dealing with long limbs and lumbering forms. Springing to her feet instantly, orienting on Danny as if it's second nature as she follows through with a kick aimed at his side.

Danny wasn't large but he was fast and precise and those were the skills that he relied on when he fought. Unless Ashley began to plan her strikes, she wasn't likely to hit him. He saw the way her body moved and while she was quick, it was clear that she didn't want to leave herself open for an attack.

It was interesting watching her and for a brief moment, Danny wondered who exactly she was fighting. Was it him or was it something else. "Fight me." He growled at her as he rose to his feet. He didn't press the attack but waited for hers and caught the swing of her leg with his hand. He took her force and let it continued in front of him, adding to it to throw her off balance.

"Adjust for who you are fighting." She had a lot of skill but Danny could see ways that she'd be able to hone her abilities with just a little bit of training. "Knock me off balance."

He waited for her to steady herself, holding his left arm out in front of him with his shoulder forward. It shrank the area she had to attack and gave him quick access to both defense and offense. He thought about taking her down now but that wasn't the point of this exercise.

And that is, oddly enough, not an opponent Ashley is not used to fighting. Even those that seemed human enough, her father included, tended to be larger, darker, more bulk and magic and supernatural twists than they were quick, well trained people closer to her own size.

It's an adjustment she's never had to make, and being called out on that sits heavy and sour in her gut. Not that he's wrong, but that she hates that she's fallen into that trap. More upset with herself than on being called out on it.

Drawing back for a moment as a means of regaining her balance, at least having enough skills to think about recovery, about what it takes to get herself back on her feet rather than ending up a downed target. Drawing a deep breath and trying to make herself focus on Danny and not on the fights she's spent her life fighting. Exhaling slowly, thinking about center of gravity, about balance points.

When she came in again with a series of punches and then a sudden, less telegraphed kick to try and plant the sole of her boot just below his sternum. Aiming lower on his torso, working to try and hit vulnerable points, ones that might have longer lasting effects.

It took a little while longer but one of Ashley's strikes finally hit Danny in his chest. He stepped back then and stopped. "Good." His mouth curved into a smile. "You're finally learning." She had a lot of talent and a lot of skill but it was easy to fall into the same routine of what you knew.

"That's enough for now. I'm going to design a training program for you." It'll take him some time to figure out what's best to compensate for what she needed to improve while continuing to practice what she knew.

"You'll need to find a few different kinds of people to spar against. Your problem is that you're all in your own head. You have the skill and the talent but you need a clear head when you fight and you need to see your opinion." It was a difficult thing to master and something that was impossible for a lot of people.

Huffing out a breath, taking a few minutes to truly draw herself back, to try and get herself back to a place that isn't that of focus on the kill.

"Cool. That would be awesome, thanks," she says, nodding.

She chuckles at that. "I spend a lot of time on the hunt, and usually I fight against those that are less... I'm a monster hunter," she admits. "So my opponents usually act on instinct, and I act on not dying in an alley. So I can't argue that you're right."

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make the choice to choose

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