Some damn pride. [ Yeah, nobody ever gets her. Most people here hate the fighting because they're made into it. No one's ever liked it like she has.
Though she doesn't entirely dismiss it, either. Even with her love of it, they find a way to perverse it and make it nearly disgusting to her. It's just that it's not all bad. It's what they do.
He raises his fist and she appraises him, circling him slowly. ]
Show me your stance. Like someone's about to come at you. No joke.
[ Was it pride that drove him? Pride that left him beaten and feeling victorious?
Shaking the thought from his head, he gets into position. Fists raised in front of his face, left in front of right. He's up on his toes, legs shoulder width apart and slightly bent, left out in front, right slightly back. He bounces a bit there, looks to Zoë for approval. ]
[ As he gets in position, she can't help but grin. ]
Not bad. So you're not a complete loss. [ It's good foundation already. Something she wasn't really expecting. Seeing it, she realizes he probably could be doing so much better than she originally imagined. He's not just got bulk, he's got something of a brain in there. ]
Throw a punch. Both arms. [ She imagines he's a rightie, putting more force on his right arm by having it back farther. Maybe she's wrong, though. She's known some who had good jabs and shit back punches. ]
[ Bell nods at her, then shifts his focus to the wall across the room. Bouncing on the balls of his feet again, he shifts his weight back, then forward quickly as she shoots out first his right arm, then his left. Both punches are fair.
Dropping back down to flat feet, he grins sheepishly at her. ] Well, that's what I got, I guess.
[ Her mouth drops with a slight gasp. ] He smiles!
Not bad, newbie. [ She winks at him coming around him. She doesn't mind his personal space, so hopefully he doesn't mind it either.
She's close, touching the elbow of his right arm. ] Rightie, right?
Next time pull your elbow back, almost parallel with your shoulder. [ She lifts with a surprisingly gentle touch, guiding his elbow back. ] You throw your weight back, so if you pull your arm back it's more momentum to go with your strength. You'll get better power.
[ He steps clear from her. ] So like...this. [ He says, doing a slow motion repetition of the movement she'd just shown him. Now he looks up at her. ] Makes sense. [ There's two more punches into the air, this time with more power. ]
[ She nods her head as she circles around him again. ] Yeah, you got it.
[ She stands in front of him, raising her own hands up. She moves into her own defensive stance. It's more languid and she rests on the balls of her feet. Less movement, but she's also not waiting to strike. Her hands are open palmed as she mirrors his stance. ]
Now try it. Your jab is fine, just make it sharp and fast. Don't need to pull back, though, or you'll defeat the purpose of a jab.
[ He considers that last bit, thinking through how it would affect his movement. ] Okay.
[ He sends a punch, elbow pulled back, into the air to her right, then a quick jab to her left. The first punch is good form, the second he forgets and pulls back a little. He stands in a relaxed posture, laughing at his mistake. ]
Whoops. Lemme try that again. [ A jab to her left again, this time flying without having been pulled back first. He stands relaxed again. ] That was it, right?
[ The right one is good. She doesn't even have to feel it to know. He had it decently before, the little tip was barely anything. More like perfecting something that wasn't so bad to start with.
The jab is loose. It lacks speed and the pull back takes away from the surprise of it. Not that she's surprised, but it telegraphs. She's about to say as much when he tries again.
She grins. ]
Caught before I could tear you a new one for it, huh?
Not so bad, though. [ She winks at him. ] You look good when you're really smiling.
Now teaching you this isn't going to mean jack shit if you can't avoid a punch. Think you can dodge and throw?
Unless you want me to pummel you in the face instead. [ She winks back at him. ]
We'll start with dodging. It's good to get practice with the motion of it first. [ Staying in stance, she drops her upper body bending at her knees and bobs back up slightly to the right. She doesn't shift her feet at all. ]
Try that a couple of times, like you're moving under a rope....
[ Idly she looks around. ] Shame we don't have one. Probably don't trust us enough with it. Might hang ourselves or some shit. [ She gives a half-hearted shrug. ]
no subject
Date: 2016-05-18 10:42 pm (UTC)Though she doesn't entirely dismiss it, either. Even with her love of it, they find a way to perverse it and make it nearly disgusting to her. It's just that it's not all bad. It's what they do.
He raises his fist and she appraises him, circling him slowly. ]
Show me your stance. Like someone's about to come at you. No joke.
no subject
Date: 2016-05-19 01:03 am (UTC)Shaking the thought from his head, he gets into position. Fists raised in front of his face, left in front of right. He's up on his toes, legs shoulder width apart and slightly bent, left out in front, right slightly back. He bounces a bit there, looks to Zoë for approval. ]
So?
no subject
Date: 2016-05-19 01:24 am (UTC)Not bad. So you're not a complete loss. [ It's good foundation already. Something she wasn't really expecting. Seeing it, she realizes he probably could be doing so much better than she originally imagined. He's not just got bulk, he's got something of a brain in there. ]
Throw a punch. Both arms. [ She imagines he's a rightie, putting more force on his right arm by having it back farther. Maybe she's wrong, though. She's known some who had good jabs and shit back punches. ]
no subject
Date: 2016-05-19 03:03 am (UTC)Dropping back down to flat feet, he grins sheepishly at her. ] Well, that's what I got, I guess.
no subject
Date: 2016-05-19 03:07 am (UTC)Not bad, newbie. [ She winks at him coming around him. She doesn't mind his personal space, so hopefully he doesn't mind it either.
She's close, touching the elbow of his right arm. ] Rightie, right?
Next time pull your elbow back, almost parallel with your shoulder. [ She lifts with a surprisingly gentle touch, guiding his elbow back. ] You throw your weight back, so if you pull your arm back it's more momentum to go with your strength. You'll get better power.
no subject
Date: 2016-05-19 03:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-19 03:22 am (UTC)[ She stands in front of him, raising her own hands up. She moves into her own defensive stance. It's more languid and she rests on the balls of her feet. Less movement, but she's also not waiting to strike. Her hands are open palmed as she mirrors his stance. ]
Now try it. Your jab is fine, just make it sharp and fast. Don't need to pull back, though, or you'll defeat the purpose of a jab.
no subject
Date: 2016-05-19 09:52 pm (UTC)[ He sends a punch, elbow pulled back, into the air to her right, then a quick jab to her left. The first punch is good form, the second he forgets and pulls back a little. He stands in a relaxed posture, laughing at his mistake. ]
Whoops. Lemme try that again. [ A jab to her left again, this time flying without having been pulled back first. He stands relaxed again. ] That was it, right?
no subject
Date: 2016-05-20 03:55 am (UTC)The jab is loose. It lacks speed and the pull back takes away from the surprise of it. Not that she's surprised, but it telegraphs. She's about to say as much when he tries again.
She grins. ]
Caught before I could tear you a new one for it, huh?
Not so bad, though. [ She winks at him. ] You look good when you're really smiling.
Now teaching you this isn't going to mean jack shit if you can't avoid a punch. Think you can dodge and throw?
no subject
Date: 2016-05-20 06:53 am (UTC)In answer to her question, he shrugs. ] No idea, never tried. Got the feeling I'm about to though, right?
no subject
Date: 2016-05-22 05:47 am (UTC)We'll start with dodging. It's good to get practice with the motion of it first. [ Staying in stance, she drops her upper body bending at her knees and bobs back up slightly to the right. She doesn't shift her feet at all. ]
Try that a couple of times, like you're moving under a rope....
[ Idly she looks around. ] Shame we don't have one. Probably don't trust us enough with it. Might hang ourselves or some shit. [ She gives a half-hearted shrug. ]