Basic Course in Combat | OTA

[skyward_eyes]

WHO: Nida Nomura
WHERE: House 54 Dojo
WHEN: Afternoons Dec 14-21
OPEN TO: Seifer Almasy, OTA (feel free to message me here or on discord for custom starter)
WARNINGS: Fighting and taunting, others may be added

---

The Only Way We Know How To Talk - For Seifer Almasy


A whole week since Seifer had arrived, and other than that first conversation, they hadn't said so much as 'boo' to each other. In most cases that would be a less than surprising feat, Seifer and Nida hadn't exactly run in the same circles back home, and it was clear that was holding true here. But when they'd been at Garden together there had been hallways between them, not a few thin walls. And there had been shared classes too, plenty of common spaces where Nida might run into Seifer, though rarely. Now though they were housemates, and that meant proximity in a new ways. And when you added in the fact that Nida had started to shadow Seifer every now and then, just to check in on him, well.. it was impressive. Thing was, he felt Seifer was hovering around too, drawing his own conclusions about Nida and his intentions.

In a way, he almost knew what the best way to pin down Seifer was. None of it was logical, but the way they were brought up? Not exactly heavy on the logic all the time. Instead it was about the best way to take people down, the best way to establish pecking orders, and perhaps the best way to communicate that you had someone's back. And that you could protect it if need be.

Nida waited until he was certain he had himself a tail, and then made a beeline for the dojo. He'd looked in before. Now it was time to make use. Once inside he headed straight for the mat and started stretching. If they couldn't use their words, maybe fists would do.

 

Staff Fighting 101 - Lessons for Beginners - OTA

Fist fights weren't really Nida's thing, never had been. Not that it wasn't useful to have hand to hand combat experience, not that he didn't mix his own style up with different moves beyond his weapon of choice, But sometimes there were things you needed to do other than just punching people. And from what he'd read in the records of the village, fists might not be the best approach to everything the had to take on. Maybe he was a bit old fashioned, at least by comparison to some of the things that might be found on other planets, but there was value in something a simple as a staff. Especially if later on you added a spear point of an axe head or something else.

For now, though, there was something to be done here, and that was to offer a different approach to combat training. Yes, there was still the importance of discipline and bettering one-self and all those self-improvement things, but there was something more to this. There was understanding the specific sort of leverage that came at the end of a six foot stick, there was the way you could turn things into weapons and give yourself some distance, and there was the simple fact that with even a stick in your hand you would feel more powerful.

He still lacked fall proper equipment for it, but Nida had managed to take a knife to a set of saplings he had found, and while they wouldn't hold up to real combat, he had managed to get them more or less worked down to manageable lengths and smoothness. Even now he was going through a warm-up kata with one, moving slowly and fluidly through stances and basic strikes, reveling in the feeling of having a bo in his hands once more.



Sometimes You've Got To Punch It Out - OTA

Of course fitness was more to staying fit than working with a staff. Fact of the matter was that sometimes you got disarmed. Sometimes you got attacked when you didn't have a weapon (or even a broom) close at hand. And sometimes you offered yourself up to just about any takers, just to keep yourself sharp. Nida worked on stretching himself out, just in case someone came in and needed a partner. Sure he wouldn't be the most skilled opponent, but a workout was a workout and he wasn't going to shake a stick at that chance. Mostly because he'd left the sticks over by the door.

 

Comments

The only way

[firacrux]

It had to be fairly remarkable how skilled Seifer could be at ducking social situations and obligations when he wanted to. Between the orphanage and Garden he'd spent a lifetime honing the skill of being alone no matter how many people were around. Even living in what was possibly one of the most awkward situations possible he was trying to make it work by just straight up avoiding making it especially known he was there. That's the healthiest way to deal with it, right?

So far he'd been doing a damn good job of it too. Helped that he'd managed to keep himself busy. Barely a week and he'd snagged himself a job, went to learn about knitting, and on a scouting adventure. And in the downtime he had, out of curiosity, spent a little time ghosting Nida out of curiosity. Normal people would ask what he was doing, Seifer just observed from a distance. Part of him was still not entirely convinced against the possibility of a late-night knife in the back, as time went on he was coming to realize that he was being unreasonably paranoid about the whole thing. Nida didn't appear interested in starting anything. Had even been kind enough to allow him his avoidance game.

Today, he was bored, and thus out of curiosity had indeed decided upon tailing Nida just for a bit. See where he was going, see if there might be anything interesting to learn or watch. Should probably know something about the person he was sharing space with. You know. Without actually talking to him because who does that? Not Garden students that's for sure.

The dojo was a place Seifer had heard rumors was being put together but hadn't yet had an opportunity to peek in. Now was the perfect time, and the nearer they moved the more he had to wonder if Nida wasn't leading him there with intent. It piqued his curiosity enough to follow him inside. Just what might the quiet SeeD be up to? Something fun, he hoped. With Nida stretching Seifer leaned back against a wall to watch, folding his arms over his chest to wait for Nida to make the first move.

[skyward_eyes]

"You'll probably want to stretch. Don't want to pull a muscle," Nida said as he worked through a number of stretches.

Almost as an after thought, he stooped to pull off his shoes. His training involved quite a bit of kicking, having the added weight of boots probably wasn't a good idea. Once he felt he'd stretched enough he checked the mats on the floor. Pretty good quality, all things considered. From his understanding they'd made the things here in town, maybe he'd see if he couldn't trade some foraged food for a smaller one for their basement. Because frankly, he preferred doing pushups on mats to dirt floors.

"Or are you going to claim you came here by pure coincidence?"

[firacrux]

Oh? An eyebrow arched at that along with a faint smirk. Were they going to spar then? Alright, Seifer could never say no to a spar.

Accepting the invitation Seifer moved forward, kicking off his shoes just before he stepped onto the mat himself then fell into his own stretching routine. Nida was right, he'd rather not pull a muscle with whatever it was they were going to do. No weapons, was it to be hand to hand practice then? Fine by him, his was rusty from disuse. Not a bad time to brush up on the basics.

"I think we both know the answer to that." Nida had waited for him to follow, Seifer took the bait.

[skyward_eyes]

Nida's main hope here was that was that Seifer wasn't all that great with hand to hand. Everyone had a minimal qualification to meet, and Nida wasn't very far above that point. Still, as he watched Seifer he could tell that the man was still fit. He hadn't thought to ask Seifer when he was from, but whenever it was, he was fighting trim. Which Nida, now as ever, appreciated on him. Even after everything he couldn't deny that Seifer was a gorgeous man, but he had learned more than enough to keep that appreciation far from his expression. Yes, Seifer would be able to tell that Nida was checking him for fitness, but he hoped the blonde would pick up on nothing more than that.

"We really do. You're not that great at following people. But I'm an infiltration and intel expert so... I guess I have different standards."

[firacrux]

Nida should know that Seifer has never been content with doing things by halves. Granted Seifer was very out of practice with his hand to hand, he'd studied it fairly aggressively while he was doing it. Confident as he was in never allowing himself to be disarmed there's always that slim possibility. Nice to have a backup.

"Combat specialist, I wasn't required to be quiet about it," He offered as he straightened up, rolling his shoulders to loosen them. There was another distinct look at catching Nida looking him over, though he was correct in he only assumed it was appraising his fitness. Not far out of the war, only a few days at most, he was still in prime condition. "Besides I wasn't trying that hard to hide."

Staff Fighting 101

[demiurgency]

Billy doesn't really have much reason to ever be in Danny's dojo. Not that he's not at least semi-interested in learning how to fight; without his magic, he could use some kind of self-defense, something that isn't just the knife Wanda had given him, just...there's always more books to read, more projects to volunteer for, more basic survival skills to learn from Frank, more wood to chop with Kamala. He's not even heading to the dojo proper. He's on his way to Anne's house, actually, the next one up the road, but there's movement in the window of Number 54 that makes him pause.

Inside, there's someone he doesn't recognize going through warm-ups with a staff, moving with the grace of a dancer, and while he knows he probably shouldn't be staring, it's hard to look away. He'd never known using a staff could look like that, like it's another limb. It's kind of hypnotizing, and that's how Billy finds himself heading up the walk and into the house, pushing the hood of his hoodie down as he peers through into the living room, just as the guy practicing comes to a stop.

"You're really good at that."

Does he sound impressed? It's because he is.

[skyward_eyes]

It's as he's going still with a smooth exhale that the voice comes, and frankly, it makes him smile. Perhaps he shouldn't turn to face the source of the absolutely familiar voice. Maybe he should just leave Billy with a view of his back so he doesn't have to turn and be disappointed that the young voice was coming from someone in their sixties with warts or something. Not that he's shallow, but he liked to think the person he'd been talking with had been honest with him. Such assumptions hadn't always been possible back home.

But a conversation had while you've got your back to someone isn't exactly polite, and from their conversations Nida doubted such a tactic to provide comfort wasn't a needed one.

Another deep breath to steel himself, and then Nida was turning and offering Billy a smile.

"Like I said, I'm a polearms specialist, with teaching certification," Nida answered, playful amusement in his eyes. One that turned to an appreciative look. "Good to know your looks go so well with your voice, Billy."

[demiurgency]

If Billy knew that Nida half-expected him to be a warty sixty-year-old, he might be mildly offended, protesting that while he might not be drop-dead gorgeous, he was at least cute enough to not cringe from. Also, most definitely not that old. He's a perfectly respectable eighteen, thank you, and while the lack of pomade and/or conditioner isn't doing his hair any favors, he's still doing all right. Not as pretty as most of the people in this place, but all right.

But he doesn't know any of that, even if it turns out he does know the guy with the staff. The second Nida turns around and opens his mouth to speak, Billy's expression changes, and the grin that illuminates his face could light a room all on its own. Go figure. Of course it would be him, wouldn't it? He feels mildly guilty for discreetly checking him out, now. Probably not peak friend behavior, but the body is weak. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment, thanks," he laughs, reaching up and rubbing at his right ear and the place an earring used to be, an unconscious gesture. "And I mean, you're one to talk, look at you. When did you get a staff?"

[skyward_eyes]

No chance Nida would feel like getting checked out by Billy was a bad thing. In fact, he was a bit more subtle about it, but he was definitely appraising Billy as well. Maybe Billy wouldn't give himself credit, but Nida would. And since Nida wouldn't give himself much credit, well it was a fair trade.

The nervous gesture was definitely caught and Nida tilted his head as he considered the gesture. Nerves, was he that intimidating right off the bat?

"Well, it was definitely meant as one, so I hope you take it. As for this..."

Forgive him, he's got to show off. He spins it between his fingers, throws it into the air and catches it behind his back with a smile. Without looking.

"It's a practice one. Made two. They're not too great. Not durable. But I know my way around a shaft, so I guess getting them done wasn't impossible."

[demiurgency]

He doesn't know much about a fair trade in that regard, but he's welcome to look. Not like Billy's about to notice it, he's always been more than a little oblivious when it comes to anyone looking at him that way. Anyway, not like his current wardrobe of 'as many layers as possible' is doing his slender frame any favors. And it isn't that Nida is intimidating so much as he is...unexpected, maybe. Not that he'd had any expectations at all.

Even though he'd known Nida was trained in the use of polearms, there's a difference between hearing it and seeing it, and the sound Billy makes as he twirls and catches the staff is an appreciative one, as is the expression on his face, followed by a brief round of applause only slightly muffled by his fingerless gloves. "I guess you really do," he laughs, and to his credit doesn't blush at Nida's wording. This time, at least. "It looks pretty good. Are you just getting warmed up? Maybe I could stay and watch." Okay, there's the blush. At least it's faint. "I mean, since you're gonna teach me, too, right? How to fight like that." Yes. That is the right clarification. Probably.

Punch It Out

[womanofvalue]

With a promise in hand, Peggy had gone to find Nida after their discussion, bringing with her the wraps she'd received some time ago and a determined gait as she made her way to see just what skills the man had. It doesn't take her very long to find him, hiding a smile when she sees just what it is he's been using, but also the frame he sports.

He certainly doesn't need the bulking up that she'd implied, now does he? Before she can linger too long and become a bit of a stalker, she clears her throat to get his attention. "Are you sweeping or working out?" she can't help her quip.

[skyward_eyes]

Sweeping? Hardly. Nida had taken one of the practice staffs from the place by the door just a moment before, having finished basic stretches and warm-ups, intent on testing the strength of the things for holding weight, Mostly because he wanted to know if they'd be practical for support with certain kinds of kicks. Peggy had stopped him from getting very far. When he heard her voice he twisted, a bit faster than he would have had he not had a weapon in hand--some things got too ingrained when you were armed--staff held defensively in front of him.

Only when he processed the question did he relax and lower it with a smile.

"Working out," he answered as he tucked the staff in close to his side and bowed. "Would you care for me to make room for you?"

Not right to assume that people came here to see him. The dojo was open to anyone at any time from the way Danny had described it on the network.

[womanofvalue]

Peggy works her way into the room and finds herself a spot to lean against the wall, because she'll get to it, but for the moment, she's content to simply sit here and watch what's on display, not intending to push for too much. After all, she'll prove herself, but she'd like him to do it first.

"By all means, continue," she encourages. "I'd like to see if the man I agreed to spar with is any good, not to mention get the inside edge," she adds, giving herself away.

[skyward_eyes]

"I've already assured you that you're probably going to kick my ass in CQC," Nida answered, but if she's in that sort of watching mood, he can agree with that. Because he can only think of one woman he agreed to fight with, and that would make him Peggy.

He moved to put the staff by the door before returning to the mat. Muscle work then. The man went easily into a handstand and started doing push-ups that way. They didn't exactly have a pull up bar, they could at least do this. After a few reps of that he slowly lowered himself and moved instead to standard push-ups, followed by crunches. After all of that he rolled back to his feet and looked at Peggy.

"If you're going to keep watching I'll take the staff then."

[womanofvalue]

She gives him a shrug, as if saying 'what if I will' because she's not exactly going to go easy on him simply because of that. When she gets mildly chastised for watching, she gives a wry smirk and offers out the staff to him.

"I don't have to keep watching if you're ready to spar and see if you're right in your assumptions," she suggests, though she keeps a hold on the staff for when he does reach out for it.

Staff Fighting 101

[vidal]

Reyes' interest had been piqued ever since hearing about the dojo -- new skills were always a plus, and particularly needed when this place was so far out of his wheelhouse, all his resources stripped from him. So he found himself gravitating towards staff training for the same reason as others: he had a firm grounding in hand-to-hand combat, but wrestling and strangling a wendigo certainly didn't seem like the safest approach. He missed his pistols. He missed blasters, warp ammo. In their stead, however, he would pick up a bow and melee weapons.

But when he entered the building, a different sort of mild relief hit him when he realised he actually recognised the instructor.

"Nomura!" he called out, cheerfully, sauntering over towards where the young man was warming up. "Fancy seeing you here. Are you teaching today?"

[skyward_eyes]

The voice was a familiar one, and given how few people in town Nida had met so far, he was rather impressed to run into a 'familiar' face again. Still, as Reyes approached he held the staff to the side and smirked. Someone amusing had just shown up.

"So far as I know, I'm the only one here qualified to do this. I've run into a lot of people clearly trained in knives or swords, I get it, they're flashier."

Of course he hadn't run into people who had staff or polearm training or practice. Even if he had, they might not be qualified in instruction like he was.

"Did you ever find yourself a drink, Reyes?"

[vidal]

“Alas, not yet. I wanted to take on one of those peakittens you mentioned, but the litter all got adopted before I could swoop in. Popular, aren’t they? Seems I’ll just have to cross my fingers for one of these mysterious Observer gifts.” Reyes’ voice was dryly bemused, as usual, but that humour served as a gloss over his irritation at the position they were in: stranded, often subject to the whims of their ineffable meddlers.

He paused by the row of carved saplings propped against the wall, running a hand along them, selecting his training stick seemingly arbitrarily. “I’ve been practicing with bow and arrow, which I’m alright at, but I need something for close-range. I think this might be more my speed than knives and swords.” They were so up close and personal; Reyes didn’t mind getting his hands dirty, but preferred keeping his threats at a manageable distance.

[skyward_eyes]

"Sorry about the peakittens. Rinoa apparently had placed a dibs when they were found," Nida shrugged. "Downside is that I have to constantly wear gloves to manage little Julia. I'm not big on the bursts of intoxication."

Gifts, yeah, Nida had heard about those. There was some guy on the network offering over paper of all things. One, why would observers send that. Two, why would the guy give away a hoard of such a useful item? Perhaps that was just Nida's mercenary mind giving through. Sometimes you just had to work with people, right?

"Technically I'm not a trainer here, though. Just a guy that knows his way around a staff," Nida said. Not that he wouldn't help someone out if they asked.

As for right now... There was just something about Reyes, about their previous encounter, that made him fall back into those dodging routines he'd been trained in. Give information, but not necessarily what is wanted or is useful. Don't speak too much about yourself. See what you can get from them.

"If you're curious, the enhancements haven't come back. Nothing to show."

[vidal]

"To my great and everlasting disappointment," Reyes said, with a flash of a smile, adding, "I've been hearing about these possible augmentations in the meantime, though." He tapped the device on his wrist, indicating the streak of navy blue to Nida's hunter green. "So you're green. From the sounds of it, you might be able to toughen your skin?"

Had he gone through the many comments on Frank's entry and taken mental notes on all the various colours and what they might mean, power-wise? Yup. Of course. Like recognised like, perhaps, and this pair were used to being cagey, to offering up only the bare minimum. (The question remained as to what would eventually break the cycle.)

He gave a few experimental swings of the sapling he'd chosen; his grip was off, a bit too close to center, and the man was clearly unaccustomed to a melee weapon. He sighed. "Alright. Care to tell me exactly how I'm doing this wrong?"

Dojo - Kinda Wild Card

[theimmortalweapon]

Danny had noticed Nida working at the Dojo but hadn't said anything at first. He wanted to people to use the space and feel free to work there.

After a few days of seeing Nida he decided to approach and introduce himself. He was always around the Dojo though he took his meditation and form practice outside if there was more than one person using the large clear room. It made Danny think he should draft up a schedule or something that people could use... he wished that Colleen was here. She actually knew how to run a Dojo.

He didn't try and hide his approach, he really couldn't with the two large six feet staffs in his hand. "Hey. You're the one I spoke to on the watch right?" He flicked his wrist and presented him with the staff.

"As promised. I have another. I was going to add this one to the equipment here but you can keep that one."

[skyward_eyes]

It had gotten pretty easy to tune Danny out, or so it may have seemed. No guarantee of course, because sharp focus would indeed show that Nida was careful, even as he worked with his own clumsy approximations of a bō. Clearly the kid had training, if not the greatest skill with working wood. It was something he was still working on. Still, to actually be approached was another matter altogether, and when Nida turned there was a readiness to his stance that said even that much of an unexpected approach had him ready to defend himself. And then he saw it...

A bō. One of which was being passed into his grip. Stronger wood than he'd found to work with, mostly regular along the length as he ran his hands over it. Not tapered in the way he typically preferred, but all in all? Thank Hyne for self control because he might otherwise have made a joyous noise to be handling the thing. He could finally do something, feel like himself, with a weapon back in hand.

Now what would it take to get the smith to make him a head for a halberd?

"I am the one you spoke with. Thank you. I felt a little dead without the weight in my hand."

Additional note to self, see if he couldn't find a way to add weight for a practice staff as well. It was weird training without his metal version. Granted they had whole other areas of metals to work with at home, but this thing was light, and light meant fast.

Damn was he smiling.

"Thank you again. You... can't imagine what it means to have a bō back in hand."

[theimmortalweapon]

Danny hadn't known for sure but since the person he had texted claimed to be proficient in staff's, he had guessed that it was Nida. He watched those who went in and out of the Dojo and he could tell that Nida was a skilled fighter with years of training, practice and form at his disposal.

He nodded his head, glad that Nida approved of his work. Danny couldn't use a hammer but he knew how to make weapons.

"Want to take it for a spin?" He flicked his bo staff into his palm before resting the end on the floor to his right side. It wasn't as well made as Nida's but he had been going for quantity with this one and quality with Nida's. It was going to be a training staff and it's imperfections weren't bad enough to hinder anyone who used it.

His eyes were a clear light green that studied Nida with a steady calculating gaze. He would have grossly underestimated this kid, if he hadn't been watching him the last few days.

[skyward_eyes]

Take it for a spin? Frankly he'd want to get used to it before a sparring match, to get a feel for the specific quirks of the length of wood before a fight. For now he turned it a few times in his hands to grow used to the feel of the grain, the specific center point of the balance, even the diameter. All of it had to be considered.

"I could be convinced," Nida agreed after a long moment.

There hadn't been a chance for him to go bō to bō with anyone since he got here. In fact, as the other staff fighter at Garden had transferred to Trabia, he hadn't had a good match with someone else trained in it that he wasn't helping teach in, what, four months now? He wouldn't be rusty, not by any means. Just... overly eager.

"Half-strength," he said, even though it went without saying. Sword training you could use wooden or blunted blades. Axes you could get wood mock ups with chalked edges. Even maces you could get foam versions of and lots of padding.

There was nothing that kept you safe in a full force fight with polearms of any sort. One of the first lessons his trainer had given him, back when he was eight, was to put a melon on a table in the full practice gear that was normally given to trainees. The stuff take kept you safe, kept you alive. The melon had been absolutely smashed by the most cursory of blows.

People always underestimated just what damage could be wrought by a staff in the hands of a master.

"No head. Try not to break bones. A lot harder to deal with given the lack of healing magic."

Of course Nida didn't realize that when it came down to it, if the fight got intense his ability from being here would keep them both more or less safe.

[theimmortalweapon]

Danny took a step back and waited for Nida to get a feel for the weapon. He knew the weight, balance and extension of both bo staffs but that's because he had been the one to make them and he had wanted to make sure they were suitable for training before letting them be used.

He'd give Nida whatever time he needed but he also wanted to make sure that the staffs would hold up in a fight. The best Danny had to practice that outside of fitting was hitting them against a tree.

...Which he'd already done.

"Sounds good." Danny wasn't used to holding back. His training had been brutal and the monks had thought that pain was the best way to teach a young boy. He was trying not to do that here, remembering the look on Colleen's face when he struck one of her students, but it was difficult not to fall into the training that he knew.

He shook Colleen from his thoughts and focused. "Sounds good. I have medical supplies here if something happens." It was a pathetic excuse for a first aid kit but it was what Danny had managed to scrounge together.

He flicked the staff into both hands, holding it out in front of him. His style was very similar to staff fighting used in Aikido.