(no subject)

[fry_sandhu]

[oom: Fry stands up for his mate, and finds a practical use for all those wrist twists]

Fry's looking rather happy today. Not only has he stopped his friend from getting hassled, but when he reported back to his sensei, he was told it was time he learned some ways to safely disarm bigger kids, should the need arise.

He's out in the back garden, experimentally kicking one of the training dummies. He's actually rather good at kicking; the main problem is kicking too hard and too big, leaving himself open.

On the advice of his teacher, he has driven a stick in behind the training dummy, and is trying to kick it so that it touches the stick, but doesn't knock it over. So far, he isn't having a lot of success, not least because he has fallen over twice trying to stand on one leg.

Comments

[ostro_goth]

"You are learning to fight," Teja says, with great approval in his voice. "Your enemies will know fear, and justly so."

[fry_sandhu]

Fry glances around.

"Sort of." he says. "I know how to hit people, I'm just learning to do it properly rather than just smack them in the willy because I'm cross."

[ostro_goth]

"That is important," Teja says. "Who are you learning from?"

[fry_sandhu]

"Mummy and Daddy and Kitamura-sensei and Morgan-sensei." Fry says.

[ostro_goth]

"That would be one from Japan?" Teja says.

[fry_sandhu]

"I think they're from Holby." Fry says.

[ostro_goth]

"Even the one called Kitamura?" Teja says.

[fry_sandhu]

"I'm from Holby." Fry points out. "And my surname is Indian. I can't assume Kitamura-sensei is foreign just because his name is. Maybe his mum and dad were from Japan."

[ostro_goth]

"Indeed," Teja says, "people will wander far over the world -- after all, my people were a tribe from a time now known as the Migration Age for just that."

With Goths ending up in the Roman heartland, and Vandals in what used to be Carthage.

[fry_sandhu]

"There was a big boy and he called me a mean word." Fry says. "But I didn't kick him in the willy, I just pulled him when he grabbed me. Kitamura-sensei said that showed 'reasonable restraint' and that means I'm ready to learn how to kick people."

[ostro_goth]

Teja nods.

"Indeed, one would not arm a student before one knows he can handle the force he is given," he says. "Which is why all beginners will wield wooden swords."

[fry_sandhu]

"It's hard not to hit if I'm scared." Fry says.

[ostro_goth]

"One must think first," Teja says, "so one would hit in a way to deal most damage to the enemy."

[a1enzo]

"Hey, Fry. That's a good exercise. You need to watch your centre of gravity, though."

[fry_sandhu]

"What's that?" Fry asks, falling over on his bottom again.

"Ow."

[a1enzo]

"Okay, when I stand up straight, all of me is right here." He draws his hands down the sides of his torso, close in. "So gravity's pulling me straight down towards my feet. That's where my centre of gravity is, right in the middle of me. With me so far?"

[fry_sandhu]

"I think so."

[a1enzo]

Enzo nods and sticks out a leg; he promptly starts to wobble.

"But when I stand like this, some of me's over there. So my centre of gravity is more like here." He waves a hand out toward his knee, quickly, before recovering his balance. "Which isn't above the foot that's on the ground, so if I don't compensate, I'll fall over."

[fry_sandhu]

"But that bit of you is bigger." Fry says, pointing to Enzo's body.

[a1enzo]

"Right, so the centre's closer to my body than to my foot. But it still puts it out from my body a little, and that's enough to put me off balance."

Then there's the whole business with the gravity on his foot producing a greater torque, but better not overcomplicate things.

[fry_sandhu]

"So I need a lighter foot?"

[a1enzo]

"No, you need to move your centre closer to your body. You can put some of you on the other side, like this..." He moves his arms and leans a bit until he's better balanced. "Or you can just pull yourself in closer." He rights himself and draws his knee in close to his body. "That works better, because you have to lean less to get your balance. Of course, you also want to stay on one foot for as little time as possible."

[fry_sandhu]

Fry has a go at this, experimentally. He's never been very good at standing on one leg - in fact it's the one thing he consistently fails when he has developmental assessments.

It may be apparent that his co-ordination is not very good, and he falls over several times attempting to do this. But since it's grass, it doesn't matter.

[a1enzo]

Enzo watches and considers.

"Is it okay if I touch you? Just for a n... moment."

[fry_sandhu]

Fry hesitates.

"Where?" he asks.

It's not a no.