Alva's Fencing & Boxing Training

Alva furrowed his brow as he concentrated on watching the exchange between the three as he rested his hand on his practice rapier. A last he wasn't completely bullshiting when he told Lorelei that he'd be focusing on learning how to use a rapier in battle. While he wasn't going to use it as his main weapon of choice he was going to attempt to learn the ins and outs of it through various repetition and observation of others doing the same. Thankfully he was able to scrounge up enough gold (or yen) to gain a practice one, which he had already damaged because he was so used to using a broadsword that his muscle memory hasn't fully kicked into the fact he was using a much lighter sword made for thrusting attacks than full swings. (1)

"Okay, so that's how one does it," he said paying close attention to the Astraea family as they continued. "Hrm, apart of me should've asked Anna for some advice," he spoke aloud as he continued to sheepishly watch the others. (2)

Alva didn't use a rapier, but he did study the technique, or at least practice with it before when he was young, at least, he remembers having some issues a bit especially when he was doing it with a broadsword, and yes he still had that issue even when using the practice rapier in his hand. He scratched his head a bit trying to think of a good way to actually practice this for a few times once he did learn how to use a rapier recently. (3)

Keeping a steady stance he shifted his position with the broadsword in hand lifting the blade up forward a bit as he started to thrust a few bit times, it wasn't in a rapid session since he was still trying to accommodate for the weight of the broadsword. (4)

Thankfully he was used tot he weight so he held the weapon a bit more properly before he started to make a few more rapid-paced attacks, before eventually lowering his weapon To take a few breaths. (5)

Alva stroked his chin noting that it was a counter. He soon took a small breath as turned his attention over to Kane, he was going to at least ease up on the force of his attack and slowed his speed for a moment just to give the Uladh some time to carefully counter his attack. Also, he as pretty sure they were practicing the technique. He wasn't entirely too sure about that, but he's at least fifty-five percent sure he this was practice. (6)

He turned his gaze over to the female steeled himself carefully as he held his blade on his side as he stepped forward soon launching himself forward with a pivot in his step as he came into Kane's range before tightening his grip and slashing at her side waiting to see if they'd do the return stroke they're supposed to be practicing. (7)

Alva knitted his brow, he couldn't exactly break Kane's defenses with such attacks, he needed stronger blows to be fair as he exhaled a bit while he slightly lowered his weapon a bit. If he was going to fight like an Astraea then he'd need to be more fluid with his strikes, "Feh, easier said than one." he shook his head a bit as he ended the image training as he leaned back before he sat down as he slowly started to take steady breaths after a while. (8)

"Haaa..I'll continue a bit later after some rest." Alva Loewe felt the recoil of iron colliding with both weapons clashing with one another, luckily he was able to keep his weapon steady as he was being guided along the blade's path once he noticed he was caught in a parry. If he was fast enough he would've attempted to break away from the parry, but he noted he was still caught in it and helpless without a proper shield or gauntlet to ease up on the damage if any was dealt not now at least. (9)

"Hmm." he rubbed his neck for a moment trying to think of a few different ways when trying to devise a way around trying to recover from a parry. Either this technique seemed like a way to deal with a rapier's various thrusting attacks. "Okay, I see how it works, but I need to figure out a proper way to countering a parry...which is already a counter, so a counter to a counter." (10)

Alva tapped his practice rapier on his shoulder as he approached the male, good thing he sheathed his broadsword for this moment. "You're a meek person, not a whole lot of self-confidence, but you'll become a great knight one day because of your personality unless I got that completely wrong." He stated carefully observing Kane for a moment as he narrowed his gaze aiming his rapier down using it as a mere extension of his body as he continued to point the practice sword int he males' direction making sure to follow him as he moved. He seemed to be getting the hang of the flow of the weapon as he stepped in. (11)

Once Alva stepped in the wrenched his arm back a bit before stopping and thrusting his blade forward at a much slower pace trying to see if the new Squire would get the timing right with his parry before aiming to attack him. (12)

Alva stretches his arms a bit as he drew out his practice rapier, He was assured with himself that he'd at least get the basics of this weapon done. Although he did have a fair advantage of having -some- practice with watching others and the other day using the weapon to practice a couple of justus, which seemed like the optimal way to train since he was pretty sure he didn't have a sparring partner as of yet to bother. (13)

"So, I have to thrust then drawback." He told himself doing just that as to demonstrate to himself by applying a bit of force with each thrust he made in the air before quickly drawing back into a neutral position. He seemed to have the basic gist of it down when he did the small mental spar with Kane when he was helping him get the timing and feel down when using the tip of the rapier to follow his opponents movements before eventually stepping in to strike making careful motions to not screw himself up by accidentally falling into the water while he listened to the sound making sure he heard the 'wooshing' noise as he thrust before resetting his position and backing up a tad. (14)

"Okay, I think I got it." Alva squinted as he swapped his footing before he started to rapidly thrust as he attempted to strike the air a few times both training his fencing and the technique as he rapidly struck the air about five times before he drew his blade back. He was fairly certain he witnessed the Astraeas doing this ten times, so twice as many as he could output so it would be something he'd want to replicate, maybe with a broadsword. (15) "I think I'm doing goo--" As Alva thrust, he lost his footing by stepping in too far as he slipped, almost like slow motion he watched the water slowly watched the water starting to rapidly approach his face and body, the young Squire yelled out as he confined himself to is fate. (16) Ker-Splash! Alva went before he eventually bubbled out of the water tossing his practice sword out before he slowly picked himself out of the pool of water coughing a bit before soon laughing out loud at his own mistakes. "Ah geez, I kinda messed up," he told himself as he started to wring out his clothing before he looked at his body. "ah, I'm soaked." (17)

Alva Loewe took a breath as he started to focus his mind a bit, the sounds around him was starting to slowly get drowned out little by little at a time as he was slowly starting to be alone with himself all over again. The Loewe's hands grasped the sandbag as he narrowed his gaze ever so slightly as a wave of thoughts started to rapidly flood his mind, he was active enough that such exercise wouldn't exactly be as taxing as he originally thought. (18)

Shaking his head free, of such things he slowly applied the hand wrapping around his fingers. This practice was normally here so that if he threw a punch his knuckles, which were essential to boxing wouldn't get dislocated or injured in any other kind of way. Once that was done, he applied the iron wrist weights around his arm and tightened them, since his body was naturally used to swinging around an iron broadsword he figured he needed to simulate such a feat with weights alone, for an added challenge he also had weights around his ankles as well in case he started to get overzealous with his movements. (19)

Alva exhaled a bit as he readily prepared himself mentally as he shifted his stance. He had to make sure he was solid from his hips down to his feet, no bouncing required, his hips also needed to be parallel to the ground since if he tipped himself he'd already be entering an improper stance for boxing. (20)

The Loewe's feet shifted with his front toe being in line with the rear heel of his other foot, slowly he raised his real to keep himself balanced. While micromanaging himself he'd also properly keep his feet a shoulder-width apart, too wide and he'd be locked into a position, if he had them too close together he'd be knocked off balance and knocked over, at least the thought so. (21)

The front leg remained stiff, his back leg bent, from what he recall most of his power was coming from the position of his feet. Alva's reasoning for focusing on his positioning was simple, it was for directing power, his knees would easily bend to stabilize himself and act as a human spring to generate power whenever he threw one, if he hips and legs weren't stable then his blows wouldn't have the much power. Because he recognized this, Alva started to bounce and remain in a stationary spot, doing this would always keep his knees bent so he'd be able to properly direct power from his lower body towards the sandbag. (22)

Sweat started to roll down the male's body as he visualizes the straight punch in his mind. His dominate hand was tucked against his chin while his free hand remained since he really couldn't do this with a blade he made use of this technique given he had the gloves on. Alva kept his non-dominant hand in front, it was at the same level of his dominant one, possibly about four to ten inches in front of his face, this was both his defense and offense. (23)

He was ready to throw this straight. Alva kept his breathing steadied as he knitted his brow, he raised the back of his heel while keeping the ball off his foot stable, his goal was to generate torque from the lower body to his upper, that was the power to really pull off a straight punch. He wanted to practice this motion a few more times to get it right, sometimes he did find his leg dipping a bit, but that was okay as he pivoted himself inwards. (24)

Alva stucked in a breath as he twisted his hips and chest towards the target, the sandbag, to properly execute his back foot and knee would need to finish twisting before he could begin rotating his hips and chest since he was already in the proper fighting position. Once he extended his fist he turned his arm inwards before striking the sandbag. (25)

Alva Loewe immediately started to feel the effects of the weights on his arms and legs. He was a bit strained, but he didn't want to simply stop he took a breath as he drew his hand back a bit before tossing out another straight to keep the bag back. He had to quickly adjust his stance slightly to continue the one-two punches he wanted to deliver after all. (26)

He had tightened his elbows at his sides, if he was going to be successful he'd need to keep his body compact for this. For the most part, his stance was still the same as when he threw his previous, he didn't need to rotate his hips as much with this one, the straight would leave him too open, and it was a follow up after all. Alva exhaled a bit as he shifted himself a bit, keeping his dominant hand sealed for now. (27)

Form what he read he didn't need to twist, rotate or pivot as he tossed a simple jab. To do this he extended his non-dominant hand towards the sandbag a few times, it wasn't a punch meant to be for knocking someone out, after all, it was just there to bait out someone. There wasn't much power flowing into such a punch after all. "I need to keep at it." He told himself as he continued to throw jabs at the sandbag before he pulled himself back a few times. (28)

When throwing jabs he had to make sure he flicked his wrist towards, it was a proper punch that was aimed somewhat downward so he could quickly snap the arm back so he could throw another jab at the bag. Which each jab he quickly pulled his arm back and returned his non-dominant hand back to its original position. It was a set up for his straight, one he didn't land just yet. (29)

Alva seemed to be feeling it as his body was drenched in sweat as he shifted himself back a bit. The Loewe simply narrowed his gaze as he continued the motion once again, he gritted his teeth as he pivoted his back leg and raised it, his hips twisted before he buckled himself down before connecting a straight into the bag before sending it upward with a nice sound. (30)