Post by TRICK on Jan 23, 2012 13:09:11 GMT -5
Fighting Techniques
FIGHTING TECHNIQUES
One of the most important skills a mentor must teach an apprentice is how to fight. Warriors are often called upon to defend the borders or protect the Clan from attack, whether by enemy Clans or predators like badgers and foxes. Even medicine cats must learn enough fighting technique to be useful in battle.
Frontpaw strike
Frontal attack. Slice downward with your front paw at the body or face of your opponent. Claws unsheathed.
Frontal blow
Frontal attack. Bring your front paw down hard on your opponent's head. Claws sheathed.
Back-kick
Explosive surprise move to catch opponent from behind. Judge opponent's distance from you carefully, then lash out with your back legs, taking your weight on you front paws.
Belly rake
A fight-stopper. Slice with unsheathed claws across soft flesh of opponent's belly. If you're pinned down, the belly-rake quickly puts you back in control.
Upright lock
Final, crushing move on already weakened opponent. Rear up on back legs and bring full weight down on opponent. If opponent does same, wrestle and flip him under you. This move makes you vulnerable to the belly-rake, so requires great streangth and speed.
Leap-and-hold
Ideal for a small cat facing a large opponent. Spring onto opponent's back and grip with unsheathed claws. Now you are beyond the range of your opponent's paws, and in position to inflict sever body wounds. A group of apprentices can defeat a large and dangerous warrior in this way. It was deployed to great effect against Bloodclan's deputy Bone. Watch for the drop-and-roll counter move, and try to jump free before you get squashed.
Teeth grip
Target your opponent's extremities--the legs, tail, scruff, or ears--and sink in your teeth and hold. This move is similar to leap-and-hold, except your claws remain free to fight.
Scruff shake
Secure a strong teeth-grip in the scruff of your opponent's neck, then shake violently until they're too rattled to fight back. Most effective against rats, which are small enough to throw. A strong throw will stun or kill them.
Play dead
Effective in a tight situation, like when you are pinned. Stop struggling and go limp. When your opponent relaxes his grip, thinking you are defeated, push yourself up explosively. This will throw off an unwary opponent, and put you in attacking position.
Killing bite
A death blow to the back of the neck. Quick and silent, and sometimes considered dishonorable. Used only as a last resort.
Drop and Roll Counter
A useful move to counter leap and hold move. When an opponent leapes onto your back, you roll, squashing your opponent. Takes alot of strength, if your enemy is large.
Partner fighting
Warriors who have trained and fought together will often instinctively fall into a paired defensive position, each protecting the other's back while fending off an opponent on either side. Slashing, clawing, and leaping together, battle pairs can be a whirlwind of danger for attackers.
