So .... You Want To Learn How To Use A Sabre? - Wei

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria sat crossed legged in the center of the room, munching on some fruit for lunch. Considering how hectic her schedule was this day, she opted for a quick meal before her training lesson with Wei. Trying to run from the Council Chambers all the way down to mess hall and then try and make it to the sparring room before Wei came in was ridiculous.

The art of fighting with a sabre needed a focus and dedicated mind to impart the knowledge on her pupil. An example had to be maintained.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei walked in, holding two rolls in his hand. He stuffed them in hos mouth, quickly chewed them and swallowed.

"So, master, lunch is over. What are you going to teach me today?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

She just swallowed some canalone and licked her lips before speaking.

"First you have a seat and relax. Prepare yourself for the lesson today."

Navaria emphasized for Wei to sit by point at spot in front of her with the fork.

"Will start in a moment. Almost finished."

The bowl was down to a few pieces of fruit left. Besides, nothing wrong with Wei learning some patience as Navaria noticed the bread crumbs littered on his tunic.

"Lunch was good I presume?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Please take your time eating. I'm in no hurry." Wei rubbed the back of his head, remembering his chopsticks and his mother's wooden spoon. He'd be patient.

Wei noticed hi smaster looking at his clothes. Wei looked and noticed some of his lunch had gotten on them. Wei brusehd off the crumbs and sat, waiting.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Humor shined somewhat in Navaria's eyes that peered over the bowl of fruit.

"Good."

Three bites more and she was finished and started to clean up her small mess.

"Do me a favor? Bring that box over here, please."

It was a four foot by two foot metal container that was resting against the far wall by the window.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei got up and went over to the box. He lifted it easily and brought it back to where she sat.

"Here's the box."

Wei wondered what was inside, but didn't bother to ask. He would know soon enough.

[Navaria Tarkin]

She took the box and opened the lid, hearing the hinges squeak from countless uses. Navaria reached inside and handed Wei one of the objects.

It was a sabre but not one that the Padawan had seen before. The hilt was rather plain and only had one control switch unlike some of the more intricate hilts that some of the other Jedi wielded.

"For you."

Her hand produced another sabre which might have been odd since Navaria had one hanging from her belt.

"And one for me."

The Knight closed the box used the Force to make it float to a secure place towards the exit and rose to her feet. Wei didn't have to do all the leg work.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei took the thing and turned it over in his hands. "I suppose this is a lightsaber?" He asked

Wei looked at the ends. "Which side does the blade come out of?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Actually no. Not quite a sabre."

She held out the weapon length wise and pointed to various locations on it while she spoke.

"This is the trigger to have the blade extend. It comes out on this end."

Wei could now see the difference. One end of the weapon was round and smooth, about the same size as the actual hilt. The other end had a wider top and when he looked in the middle, he could see that it was concave around the sides. In the middle, there was a small raised opening that had tiny prongs all around it.

Navaria flipped her switch and watched the force blade extend.

"These are specially made for training. The blade emitted is not like that of a real sabre. It is quite harmless, acting more like a force field then anything else."

She turned off her weapon and lowered her arm.

"Turn on yours and hit me with it. Not hard ... mind you."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"I'll try." Wei turned it on and held it out. The he tapped Navaria on the shoulder with the blade.

[Navaria Tarkin]

And nothing happened. Navaria only felt that something was tapping her shoulder. Almost as if a being was trying to gain her attention.

She smiled.

"As you can see, unlike the Sith, we do not teach how to use a sabre in training at first. A Padawan would get killed more often then not. Granted, the harder you get hit by it the more it will hurt. Basically, you are being hit with a compressed force field that is taking the place of the real sabre blade.

Much preferable then having a limb lost, no?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Yes, very."

This was going to be so much fun.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Now, the key in this is wielding an object that has no weight. As you can feel, the only weight you are holding is the hilt. The blade itself has no substance like a real sabre blade would not."

She ignited the force blade once again but pointed it down towards the floor, a sign of respect.

"Try it out for a bit to get the feel of it."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Ok." Wei took it and swung it about, turning it awkwardly in his hand. "This is new."

Wei made sum rather clumsy movements with the balde before he stopped again. "It is light. But still hard to use."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Of course it is hard to use."

Navaria stepped alongside Wei and held out her sabre away from her body, holding it with one hand.

"To be able to weild a sabre correctly, you need to hold it correctly as well. You are new. Hold it with both hands like this."

Her left hand was gripping the sabre towards the top and then she placed her other hand underneath it. With this hold, she was covering all of the hilt except for the part of the sabre that protected her fingers from the blade. Importantly, her hands were not laced togethere at all.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei did as his master did. "Like this?" he asked, checking his hand positions against hers.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Yes."

Navaria move several paces off towards Wei side to leave enough room for maneuvering.

"Now. Basic katas that will help you to understand how a sabre feels like in your hands. How it feels as it passes around your body. This might be somewhat easier for you considering your background in martial arts, Wei.

Most importantly though, you need to have your senses immersed in the Force. They will help guide your actions and with time, your movements will be following your instincts even before you knew what they were."

She said with a smile and lunged forward, extended the blade completely out in front of her. Pivoting on her left foot, the blade circled low around her body and arched upward to where Navaria twirled the blade in her hands twice and stopped. Her right leg shot back as if going into a defensive posture and she kept the blade above her head. Slowly she let go with one hand, until the sabre rested behind her body with the other arm outstretched palm outwards.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei watched, astounded. "I hope that is not the basic kata."

Suddenly he laughed.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"No."

She laughed, bringing herself up to a regular position.

"Just an example of one. I guess I got a little carried away. My forgivness, Wei. I do not usually end up in combat too much and it feels good to be holding a sabre again."

Navaria titled her head to the side.

"Perhaps you should try and do one on your own. With opening yourself up to the force and your own training with your Grandfather, I think you could make up something basic on your own."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Ok."

Wei shut his eyes and held the saber as he had been instructed. He melted into the Force. Suddenly, the saber wasn;t really there. Wei released the saber with one hand and swung it in a large arc. He brought the saber back the way it came and stabbed with it, then turned and brought the saber down in a horizontal slash before returning it to its original position.

[Navaria Tarkin]

His eyes were still closed but Wei was channeling the Force.... Navaria quickly stabbed forward at her Padawan's side.

Nothing wrong with a small test of course.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei turned and flicked his master's saber away with his own, tapping her on the wrist and then her temple.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Hmm..."

She replied, half smiling.

"Want to actual have a go at it?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei shrugged. "Sure. If you think I am ready."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Well ... using a sabre is an odd talent. Some comes from raw ability. Most of it comes from relying on your instincts and belief in the Force."

Holding up the sabre vertically to where it almost touched her head, Navaria offered her respect and brought the weapon down.

"As we do this, we will go slow. Incase I have to stop to help instruct you."

With a one-handed motion, Navaria spun the sabre in her hand off towards her right side and brought it to rest. She was now ready.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"I guess I am ready..." Wei said. "Ok, let's go!" Wei bowed in respect and assumed the stance Navaria had showed him.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Impressed that he did not attack first, Navaria came in swinging upwards, trying to attack Wei from a high vantage point.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei brought up his saber and blocked her attack, letting his blade slide down hers. just as his blade reached the hilt of her saber, he came down in a large sweep, cutting in a cirlce to hit her legs, hands and head in one large arc.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Sees the impending attack coming at. A powerful one at that and calls upon the Force to aid in her strength and speed.

In one quick and fluid motion, Navaria flips into the air as the blade cuts the air harmlessly. She moves over Wei and lands on her feet behind him.

Taking advantage of the situation, Navaria pivots around and brings her sabre down towards his right side.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei took the sword in his right hand and held it so that the blade pointed behind him and held it approxiamtely where Nav's blade woudl strike his body, relying on the Force to guide his hand to the right place and keep him safe.

[Navaria Tarkin]

And it blocked her attack.

"Good."

She said, not moving from the defensive and offensive position that they were in.

"Another lesson in sabre sparring."

Suddenly, a backfist hit Wei in the face. It wasn't very strong but it proved the point well enough.

"You can use more then just your sabre. A Sith will take any available opportunity to harm you."

Hopping back to another defensive stance, Navaria waited.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled. "I hope you don't mind master, but I got curious about sword fighting and found a book in the library on the subject. It mentions hitting out with a fist if I have to."

Wei turned on his toes and did a jump swing kick at Nav's head before following up with a vertical saberstrike as he landed.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Her only response to Wei was retreating backwards with agile feet to escape the powerful kick and raising her sabre to block Wei's. They were locked together, each one trying to get the upper hand.

"Of course I do no mind. Knowledge can be found anywhere within the Academy walls."

Deciding that a different tatic was better suited for this situation, Navaria dropped low and swept her student off his feet. She knocked his legs out from under his body by wrapping her own leg around his right.

As he was on the way to the ground, Navaria was already positioning herself on top of his chest, sabre ready at his throat.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei stopped and looked at the saber pointed at his throat.

"I remember once i did this sort of thing to you and you got mad. Am I detecting a double-standard from my master?" Wei asked, grinning, and trying not to laugh.

[Navaria Tarkin]

She half smiled.

"But did I actually hit you?"

Navaria tapped the end of the sabre against Wei's adam's apple.

"No. There is a difference in out right killing your opponent and offering them a chance to yield. Which, I have done."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"I was going to do that too!" Wei laughed. "Blade at my throat. If I could reach the hilt, I'd disarm you."

Wei thought a bit. the blade of his saber was a little long to wield effectively enough to knock Navaria;s sword away from his throat. Then it came to him.

"I quit."

[Navaria Tarkin]

Sometimes her students forgot that Navaria was an empath and sensed intent.

"Trying to trick me?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"No, ma'am." Wei looked uncomfortable.

"You have a saber at my throat, and I cannot move without endangering myself. I seriously put myself at your mercy."

Wei switched off the saber and dropped it, holding up his hands.

"Can I be let up now and we can start over from the beginning?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Hmm."

She got up and stepped backwards, giving Wei the space needed to retrieve his sabre.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei picked up his saber, reacitvated it, and assumed the stance that he had been shown.

"We begin on your mark. You are the teacher, after all."

[Navaria Tarkin]

She nodded and swung the sabre in a figure eight motion before her, advancing on Wei. If he wasn't careful, it would hit him on his shoulder, hip and chest ...

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei watied for Navaria's saber to reach out to the side before running and planting his left shoulder in her chest. "HOO!" Wei let out his breath as he hit her. Navaria was knocked back a few feet and Wei followed her with a stab at her neck.

[Navaria Tarkin]

She stabled herself and was careful to not tripped over her feet. Regrouping, Navaria dodged to the left and planted a roundhouse kick across Wei's face ... sending him backwards.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei landed on his rather clumsily on his rear, but managed to back-roll to his feet.

"I think I am getting used to saber duels..." He said.

Wei held the saber in his right hand, cutting downwards and then back up again.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Two swift motions with her wrist and his attacks were blocked. Navaria spun around, gripping her sabre with two hands, towards Wei's back.

But it was a feint. In reality she was pivoting around from where she came to attack his front. The sabre was coming in at an awkward angle, point thrusting towards him closely, that was heading for his abdomen.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei sucked in his tummy, and managed a clumsy somersault over the saber. Wei felt the blade graze the tip of his toe, though.

"Aww....I missed." Wei rolled up to an attack postion and moved so that he faced Navaria's side before cutting strongly at the backs of her knees.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria flipped forward, aided by the ally that all Jedi could call upon. She landed deftly and spun around, kicking Wei squarely in the back.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei was thrown off balance by his master's kick. "Lightsabers are fun." Wei said for no particular reason.

Wei turned around and stabbed at Navaria's heart. Wei decided he would try his hand at a feint and changed the direction of his stab, aiming at the nape of Navaria's neck.

[Navaria Tarkin]

The thin dark eyebrows of his Master furrowed in disappointment as her sabre came up to lock blades with Wei. It was done in such a manner that he could not pull his weapon back unless he turned it off. Which would leave him open ...

"Fun? Lightsabers are fun? Do you even realize what would have happened to you if these were not practice weapons?"

She pulled away and tapped at his foot with the sabre blade.

"You would have no toe to speak of right now. Does that sound fun?"

It was a teacher's tone, reprimanding her student. She was not angry, Wei knew that.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei frowned. "No, I guess losing a toe would not have been fun. But I love to learn, and learning about lightsabers is interesting to me."

Wei sighed. "Learning lightsabers is not fun." Wei pulled his saber to him, and put the hand that held the lightsaber into a tight chamber. Then he held out the other one, his open palm facing his master.

"Hyyaahh!" Wei jumped into the air, spinning around and around, tucking in his arm to make himself spin faster. The blade of the lightsaber looked like a helicopter rotor as he descended on his master.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria tucked herself in tightly and dove forward, going into a roll. Wei had left enough room that she could escape to the side of the room and avoid any unpleasantness that was coming her way.

As she extended her limbs, she threw him a sideways glance, her sabre blade pointing downwards.

"Why must you do that? Sigh everytime I try and explain things that you want to learn?"

Slowly she turned around and gave her own shallow sigh.

"If it is me that you do not like, let me know now."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"OH!" Wei was surprised. "When I do that, I am not upset with you. But upset with myself. I should have known better." Wei frowned. "I really try my best."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Ah, I see."

Navaria stepped forward and placed a gentle hand over her pupil's shoulder.

"But in a sense I was right to stop. Do not take my critism personally. No one knows everything. Not even the great Jedi Masters of old. Take the points I make and store them in your mind to not make mistakes in the future and never bring yourself down because you do not understand something that is being said.

Okay?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled. "Ok! Wow. I need to practice sabers more often. How can I get one of my own?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

She smiled at his enthusiam.

"I figured you would ask me that at the end of today's lesson. One moment."

Navaria turned off her practice weapon and returned it to the metal box it came from. Then she returned to her cloak and pulled out something from within the folds. Wei saw a book and datapad.

"These are for you. Schematics and information about making a sabre of your own. A necessary ability in your training."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei turned off his own practice saber and took the things from his Master, bowing as he did so. "Thanks, so much! I'll be sure to make a good saber!"

Wei paused for a moment. "Does this mean that lessons are over for today? You said you would give me the instructions after my lesson."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Yes. They are. But I want you to do some homework. Practicing with me in sabre combat will only get you so far. I want you to find someone amongst your peers and face against them. Learn from them and believe in yourself, and the Force to guide you.

If you have any problems with your sabre..."

She nodded her head.

"You know where to find me. Any questions?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled. "No ma'am not at all! I got lots of friends to spar with, so I wil have plenty of opportunity. Oh, and one question. My friends all know how to move things with the Force. I'm afraid this might put me at a disadvantage, especially if I somehow lose my saber. Ummm, were you going to teach me that later, or do I already know how to do that sort of stuff?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

OOC~ :p http://www.swforums.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20911

IC~ "I remember you lifting me with the Force in one of our first lessons?"

She grinned.

"Or have we forgotten our abilities so quickly?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei thought about it some. "Oh yeah! I remember that now. You got mad and I never tried to do that again. I must have forgotten." Wei did that sometimes. "Thanks for reminding me, Master. Have a nice day."

Wei walked out to go build his saber.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"I was not ..."

She watched Wei leave and shrugged with a small laugh.

"... mad. Oh well."

Navaria put on her robe and took leave of the room, making sure to call for a droid to clean out equipment that was used.