Tribal Dorin Zinn'ka (self mod||Asharr||pm if you want to join)

[Asharr Gnar'rhou]

*~Winter: Solaria, Cycle 3 of Kalendryas, Era XIII Post Fractum~*

Northwest of Zenith, in the heart of the rolling hills of the Arakmatan Frontier Lands is where one could find the nomatic pack of dorins who branched themselved from the Graw'Shata clan, but still remain very close with their bretheren, and are still concidered Graw'Shata.

The Graw'lak Ritual had just finished three brightenings prior for young Asharr, who was now ready to explore the lands of the Allerian Empire away from his pack. HIs first plan was to go to Imperia to see the sights of the city and smell the sea drifts in the breeze. The young dorin was now 9 years old, concidered an early adult by the dorin society, but the other races may see him still as a young pup and take advantage of him. So it was up to one of the elder dorins of the pack to teach the new adult to defend himself in such a case.

"Asharr!" An older sounding voice called out in the dorin language. It was the voice of one of the pack elders, Shik'ka. He walked up to Asharr, who was busy helping one of the hunters stretch some leather for waxing, and put his paw onto his jet black shoulder. "Has your paw fully healed from the Graw'lak Ritual?" Shik'ka asked, still in the dorin language.

The furry head of the newly declared adult turned his head and gave a smile, then looked down at his paw and replied. "Serale, Shik'ka. Yes it has scarred over." Asharr raised his right paw for the elder to inspect for himself.

"That is good news, Asharr, then rise and follow me." Shik'ka instructed as he turned and started walking toward an open space past the moveable huts that dotted the area they inhabited for the hunting season.

Asharr turned to his hunter friend and gave him a slap on the back as he stood up. "I'll be back, my brother. Do as much as you can without me... I wonder what Shik'ka wants with me..." He then jogged up to Shik'ka until they were walking side by side. Asharr was much taller than his elder, and a lot larger in muscle, but the pack knew all to well that Shik'ka was not one to be messed with, for the elder knew the ways of unarmed combat. When Shik'ka had turned a man many eras ago, he traveled to Medonia where he learned the Zinn'ka art of Rhingorda from an elven master, in which Shik'ka then modified for his dorin body, which included alot of teeth and hind leg strength.

As the two dorins walked, Asharr, curious to know what was going on, looked over at Shik'ka with wondering eyes. Even though the elder was faced forward, he could see Asharr was confused so he explained.
"No doubt you're wondering why I've summoned you, Asharr. I hear you plan on traveling to Imperia towards the end of winter. In my travels to Imperia, I have seen what kind of city it truely is..." He paused for a moment when they arrived to their destination and turned to the jet black dorin, who's red mohawk blew wildly in the wind.
"It is a place full of thieves, assassins, and pirates. A place where, even though you are tall and strong, they will find a way to try to take advantage of you, rob you, or even kill you. But as a child of Aslan, you have the strength to learn how to protect yourself, Asharr. I, Shik'ka, wish to teach you the Zinn'ka I have learned on my travels, and have had to use numerous times."

Asharrs black tail started to sway back and forth as a large grin appeared on his face. He had seen Shik'ka practice his Zinn'ka a few times before and had wanted to learn since he was a pup, but now that it was a reality, he was at a loss of words. The large dorin cleared his throat and commented. "Shik'ka... I do not know what to say! I am honoured that you have chosen me as a student. May the hands of Aslan guide me and allow me to master this art!"

A smile befell Shik'ka's face as he placed his paw on Asharr's shoulder and said. "It brings me great pleasure to do so. You have proven yourself a worthy child of Aslan, as I am sure he will bless your travels and studies. So, then, are you ready for your first lesson, my student?"

[Asharr Gnar'rhou]

Shik'ka took a step back to create a decent amount of space between the two dorins. He stood with his legs about shoulder width apart, but he had his left foot forward and his right foot back abit. "Do you see how my feet are spaced apart, both sideways and front and back? This will help me maintain the freedom to move about in a fight. After all, a moving target is harder to hit, and is more confusing about which move will be carried out next." He instructed to Asharr.

The young pupil absorbed the information as he, himself copied his master's footing and did the same. "Like this, Shik'ka?" He asked he pivoted from foot to foot in that stance.

"You are correct, young Asharr." Shik'ka replied as he continued on with the lesson. "Stance is the first step into this Zinn'ka. Without it, you will be less of a match for your opponent. Now go ahead and move around, switch the placement of your feet with each other. Think of it as dancing... to an extent. Watch how I hop back and forth, but I move with minimal effort as to not fatigue myself to early in the fight." Snow kicked up as Shik'ka bounced on his feet and moved side to side and forward and backward. Asharr watched with a slight grin on his face, as seeing the elder bouncing almost like a child was amusing to him.

"Go ahead! Try what I am doing." Shik'ka commanded the jet black dorin. Asharr moved his feet about. Back and forth, side to side, him and Shik'ka started circling around each other creating a ring of scattered paw prints. Asharr's red mohawk bounced up and down as if it was a fire on his head. "How am I doing?" The newly adulted dorin asked his trainer.

Shik'ka nodded his head, while still bouncing, and commented. "Not bad for a beginner. I think you'll catch on to this very quick. I think your about ready for the next step!" Just then a furry fist snapped at Asharr's face, stopping just an inch from his snout. Asharr flinched and stepped back, nearly tripping over his own feet.

"Oh, come on, Asharr! Had this been a real fight, you would be laying in your own blood on the ground! Now come step back over hear and start your footing excersize again, but this time dodge my punches from side to side... Never step back when a punch is being thrown at you because nothing will stop a haymaker from finding its way into your head. At least if you side step, noone can gain enough force to punch hard to the side of them, which allows you to drive a right paw into their upper eye. Now start bouncing and dodge my punches, if you side step, throw a punch at my face, but try not to conect it." The older dorin lectured as he continued bouncing in front of Asharr, who joined back into the foot work. "Ok, here we go, I'll start off slow with my punches so you can get used to it."

After a moment of bouncing around each other, Shik'ka threw a left jab towards Asharr. The younger dog-like beast instinctivlely backed up, not being used to side stepping, which gave Shik'ka the chance to teach him not to back up. A right haymaker blew itself, not at full force but hard enough to knock some wind out of Asharr, right in the chest.

Asharr grabbed his chest and coughed as he stopped his foot work. "I apoligize, Shik'ka... I shouldn't have... backed up like that. I'll try again..."

Shik'ka stopped as well and said to his student. "I'm sorry that you had to learn the hard way, but worse things can happen from mistakes. At least you can walk away from this being able to learn from them. We shall try it again, but let me teach you how to punch first." Shik'ka held up his fists and regained his stance. With a demonstration he explained to Asharr. "When you throw a punch, let's say with your right paw, if that is your stronger one, you want your arm to be like a whip..." He extended his arm out in slow motion as if he was punching. "Keep your paw loose. Do not throw a closed fist. You can get more power if you keep it loose, then at the last second, when your arm is fully extended or your an inch away from contact, create a fist, then quickly retract your arm to cover your face if any counters are tossed." He then showed Asharr this explanation in standard speed, which was pretty fast, from years of honing his technique. Shik'ka's arm snapped forwrd then immidietly back guard his face with his forarms. "Your arms alone do not make the force of your punch. You have to heavily rely on your feet. When you have your left foot forward when your are going to throw a right punch, you have to pivot puch off with your back, right foot and pivot on your left turning your body in the direction that your arm is going. This puts your body weight behind your punch. Now, I don't expect you to master this right this second, but with alittle practice, you will accept no other substitute!"

Asharr nodded as he listened to what he was being taught. He then tried to copy his teacher by raising his fists into the air and slowly at first going through the motions of the punch he was taught, then going faster until he figered he got the hang of it.
"Now hit my paws when I call out either one or two. One being a left jab, and two being a right punch. For jabs it's the same method as your right, only you'll have your left foot forward, you just twist your body the same way as your arm is going, and snap your fist at the end. Don't expect as much power as your right, because jabs are meant to suprise your enemy and catch them off guard, but a good jab followed by a right haymaker will usually finish the job." Shik'ka started to bounce around, as Asharr followed him doing the same. "One!.....One!....One,Two!....Two!....One!.....Two !....Two!...
He called out as Asharr punch with the coresponding fist. He was still getting used to the punching method, but would occassionally connect with a resounding slap of his fist crunching into Shik'ka's paw.
"I think I'm starting to get used to punching like this. I can feel the power behind my punches alot more than how I used to punch." Asharr stated as him and his teacher danced around in a circle.

"That's good! I can tell you are improving as well. Ok, I am going to toss a few of my own punches at you in between these, so I want you to continue punching the number I call, but I just may counter so side step... I don't want to see any back stepping or I'll tan your hide! Side step and toss a punch at my head, don't worry if you connect... It happens, and I've conditioned my self all to well. Let's go! One...two...one, two, one!... Shik'ka went on with the counting as Asharr made sure to correctly hit with the right paw making each blow heavier and faster recoiling to guard his face. Just then a quick left jab came straight at the black dorin's face. Asharr stepped to the left side and fired off his own left jab right back at Shik'ka's face. He wanted to stop intime, but his fist kept going. He felt the the hard skull of his teacher connect with his fist as he quickly retracted and apologized while still stepping around.

"Hah hah! Don't worry about it, Asharr. You hit like a young pup anyways! Shik'ka teased as he threw out a right blow. Asharr snickered at the older dorin and retorted. "Don't get to cocky, old timer! Soon, I'll be the one instructing! He side stepped to the right but did not throw a punch because there was another right going straight forward to him that he had to side step again, this time to the left as he tossed another left jab at his master's face. He didn't connect as hard this time, but he still ruffled Shik'ka's fur on his face.

"You lucky, I'm taking it easy on you! You have my mercy because you are so weak!" Shik'ka playfully spited Asharr. As he called out more numbers.

Throwing a left, then a right, then another left, then two rights, Asharr snorted.
"Then let's see what you got! Your bones are growing weak and old!"

Shik'ka laughed as he held his paws up for Asharr to hit, then responded to the big mouthed pup with a flurry of left and rights, that each connected past Asharr's forarms straight into his chest and face. The youger of the dorin's fell over onto his back, blasting a pile of powdery snow into the air.
"Ohhhh!...I... take that back..." He said as he spit blood form his mouth into the snow.

"Hah hah! I'm sorry I had to do that again, but never underestimate your opponent. Did you know there is a Zinn'ka for fae folks that allows them to take down giants? I have seen it done. Here, grab my paw." Shik'ka extended his paw to the fallen dorin and brought him up to his feet. Asharr shook his body, flicking all the snow off his fur. Running a paw through his mohawk, he said. "I'll take that into concideration."

"Well, we have been out here for a couple of candlemarks now. This training is extensive and not to be taken to the excess at the start of learning. I want you to go have a meal and rest for the latter half of the brightening, and we will continue this next brightening. Remember all I have taught you, as we will be doing this as a standard warmup for the next little while, but I will eventually ease you into learning how to use your knees, elbows and teeth as well. As a son of Aslan, you have been given a body that will allow you to harness the power within it. Take care, my brother. Shik'ka said as he placed a fist over Asharrs heart, who did the same in return.
"Thank you for this brightening, Shik'ka. I will remember all you have taught. May Aslan brighten the rest of this brightening for you."

The two dorins parted ways for the brightening. Asharr went back to his duty stretching leather after a good meal and some rest so he could learn new knowledge from Shik'ka the next Brightening.

[Asharr Gnar'rhou]

It was a crisp Dianara morning in the Arakmatan Frontier Lands. The hunters were already out and about, some were bringing in their kills to the skinners, so they could get back out there and get some more meat and leather for the tribe. Asharr had already eaten a meal and was wandering about the small huts chit chatting with his brothers and sisters about his Graw'lak ritual and the past brightening lessons from Shik'ka. Some of the luckier dorins that inquired more about the Zinn'ka got a demonstration of his newly learned punches and the proper way to do them. The other pack members loved Asharr and always found him to be a gentleman as he always offered to help the older dorins and would often take the young pups out for games and harmless mischief.

About 2 candlemarks after he had awoken, Shik'ka walked up to him as he was stretching in the cool air. "How are you feeling this brightening, Asharr?" The elder asked, knowing he would be sore from the blow he recieved previous.

"Serale, Shik'ka! Heh heh! My chest is sore, but the swelling from my lip went down. Shall we go back to our sparring ring?" The young dorin replied.

"Your enthusiasm impresses me, Young one. Let's go." His teacher said as they walked to the trampled makeshift battleground. Once there, Shik'ka held up his paws and spoke up. "Ok, let's warm up our bodies on this chilly day by doing some foot work and tossing a few punches. This time I'm going to call out four numbers. One being your left jab, two being your right punch, but this time three will be a left hook, and 4 will be a right hook. And how you do a hook is simple. You pivot with your forfoot and swing your upper torso to the side that your arm is going. So a left hook looks like this... Shik'ka pivoted on his left forfoot and swung his left paw over to the right. The air made a whoosh sound as the fist snapped at the end. "You see? Your right hook does the same thing, only you pivot on your back right foot." He demonstrated that as well. Then Shik'ka did a 1,2,3,4 combo for Asharr. The young dorin's tail began to sway backand forth with the excitment of how he was already advancing into this Zinn'ka. Without even being told to do so, Asharr copied his teacher and practiced a right and left hook. Once he learned how to move his upper body it didn't seem all to hard.

"Ok, lets go! One...Two...One... Two... One, two, three, four!... Shik'ka shouted as him and Asharr bounced around back and forth as smacks sounded off from Asharr's fists connecting to Shik'ka's paws that were made to represent targets. "Faster! Get those forarms up, your body can is a natural defence, your face is not! One,two!...One, two, three!... three, four!... When you hook, aim for my face, line it up as if your were going to knock my head to the side!" Shik'ka called out as Asharr adjusted his hooks and picked up the pace a bit. The black dorin raised his forarm up, just off to the side of his head so nothing could connect from that side as he drove forth his other fist.
"Good! Keep that up! Another thing you could try is to keep your arms in close to your body then extend them out while twisting your torso, anyone can spot a far swung arm coming their way, but one that springs forth from a tight compact position will always surprise your enemy! Two!... four... one,two,three,four!!... good! Now throw me an elbow! When I say one, step forth with your left leg but swing your left elbow up at me as well. Then when I say two side swipe your right elbow at the side of my head. Ready? One!...two...one...one...two.." Shik'ka demonstrated while keeping up his foot work. Asharr tried it out as well. He could tell that the elbows had alot of power that if aimed properly could end a battle fairly quick. As the numbers were called out, he slammed his left elbow upward into Shik'ka's paws that were guarding his chin, then as two was called Asharr raised his left forearm to guard the left side of his head as he brought his right elbow over to the side of Shik'kas head, but was blocked by his paws for the learner to hit. "Very good! Now when I call three you side swipe your left elbow, just as you did with your right, and remember to pivot on your feet just as you do when you hook. On four I want you to bring your right elbow down and to the left on an angle. Three!....four!....one,two,three,four!..." Shik'ka commanded as he blasted out numbers over and over again as Asharr responded with the correct elbow strike.

This excercise was definetly what the two dorins needed to warm up their bodies in the winter air, not that they needed much warm, because their fur provided more than enough protection. After a steady excercise of elbows and punches being mixed into the combos, the two took a breather for a moment as Shik'ka explained. "You are starting to get the basics down with your upper body. As you can already, no doubt, tell that your upper strength relies on your whole body, such as your legs and waist. The techniques you have learned are apart of the traditional Rhingorda, but as a dorin, Aslan has given us the gift of our teeth. Our strong jaws can crush any opponent, but if you combine that with the rhingorda you can anihilate anything that obstructs your path." The elder dorin demonstrated in slow motion how to use your elbows followed by a neck bite, for Asharr to observe.
"Elbows are used primarily for close combat, which will allow you to have your head close to your opponent. Let's say, for example that you drive a right elbow to the side and knock their head over to your left, that leaves their neck wide open for a bite attack. Careful with this though, young one, because it can prove very fatal. Only use it if you want to seriously render your enemy useless. There isn't really a safe way for use to practice using your teeth, its more for your own judgment, just remember though, that you can always tear a muscle in their arm if you strike it, which wouls delete their strength in a hurry. There is a large margin for you to play around with."

Asharr, nodded his head and felt the tip of one of his fangs to see if his would cause much damage. They absolutley would. It felt like a razor and could draw thicker blood than most steel weapons.

[Asharr Gnar'rhou]

After the short break and explanation from Shik'ka, he decided to teach Asharr about kicking and kneeing. Upper combat was always a good thing to learn first, because the legs part was a bit trickier, but when combined they were harmony that was a force to be reckoned with.

Shik'ka backed up and quickly shot a knee up in the air for Asharr to witness. "Your knee is one of the strongest parts of your body. If you can manage to wrap your arms around the back of an opponent's neck and pull then down, you can then drive your knee into their solarplex or abdomen which will end the fight pretty quick. Even a good knee to the face will be the last strike you'll have to make for that fight. Come here and I'll gentley show you the proper way to knee someone." The older dorin said as he moved in on Asharr and wrapped both arms around his neck and yanked the 7 foot dorin down, bent at the waist. He then drove his right knee which was kept back up into the area he would have struck had this been a real fight. "That is how you do it. It's trickier to do, because it doesn't always work, but sometime a good belly punch will bend them over setting themselves up for the knee, now I want you to wrap your arms around the back of my neck and hit my amrs which will be guarding my gut area." The teacher instructed as Asharr started to bounce around again, then quickly grabbed the back of Shik'ka's head. The old dorin bent over and held his fists near his abdomen, as Asharr drove his knee into them. He could feel and hear the connection made by his powerful knee, even Shik'ka was grunting a bit, but managed to instruct. "Keep driving that knee into my fists, 100 more times, then 100 more with the other."

Asharr raised an eyebrow at the thought of doing that one hundred times with each knee. He was in shape, but surley that would drain all the energy he had left for the brightening. "You got it, Shik'ka! The black dorin said as he winded back his knee and drove it in and repeated over and over again. By the end of the hundred for his right knee, he started fatiguing. It was hard work to do the same motion over and over again, but without complainging he got to work with the other knee and completed his excersise.

"I know its hard work, but endurance is a large part of this training. Hang in there." The teacher encouraged as he allowed another break from their training. The brightening was now at it's warmest moment with the sun as high as it could be. Asharr ran through some punches at the air to warm up abit before Shik'ka continued on with his lesson, introducing some shin kicks.

"Now we will begin with some kicks, then call it a brightening. When you kick, you should try to strike with your shin. This is something you need to practice over and over again because your shins may seem abit raw at first and hurt, but over time as you kick at various things you will condition them to be as hard as stone. Now watch me." He said as he got into his stance then flicked his leg into the air, snapping it at the end then retracting it back to the ground. "It's important to use your arm on the opposite side your kicking to block your vulnerable leg thats keeping you in the air. Drop it your side to provide the best shield."

Asharr moved back a step and prepared for a kick. He did as instructed with his opposite arm to shield his other half, as he snapped his leg out from the side. Shik'ka nodded his head then told the young dorin to attack him with some kicks to get a feel for them. "Ok, strike at my sides, I'll block them without hurting your fresh shins. One....two....one....two..." He called out as Asharr snapped his right leg, then left leg into the thick of Shik'ka's thigh. "Very good! Keep it up! One...two...one...two" The fatiguing from the knee excercises began to take their toll after a while of tossing kicks, and Shik'ka could see this. He halted the excercises then spoke. "You are doing very well, Asharr. Take the next brightening off from any formal training. Stretch and practice as your will, then we will continue the brightening after. I shall see you then." He extended a fist to Asharr's chest as the jet black dorin did the same. "Agreed, Shik'ka. I will practice on my own, until I see you next. May Aslan bless your brightening."

[Asharr Gnar'rhou]

Asharr had spent most of Ioannolia practicing his stance and footwork, then moving into some punches and kicks. His legs were deathly sore from all the kicking and kneeing excercises from the previous brightening. But this brightening, Carmelyana, was when he would train with his teacher, Shik'ka again. He was starting to get the core basics down on this Zinn'ka and was loving it! The workout alone was worth the effort, he just hoped that when the day came to use it, he would be ready beyond all doubt.

Asharr was feeling pumped as he walked through the nomatic village to find his teacher. Near one of the elder huts was Shik'ka who greeted his brother with a fist placed over the heart of Asharr. "Aye, Asharr! This brightening will prove a good one for you... and for me as a teacher. I have taught you alot of information in the past few brightenings, which are the basic techniques of this particular Zinn'ka. Now you still have much to learn, my student, but that training will come at a later time, maybe even after you return from your travels. Now... let us find our way to the sparring ground."

Asharr greeted his teacher, then nodded in agreement to get the brightening started. The two of them walked through the trampled snow to where they had practiced before. Shik'ka turned to face his student and said with a serious look on his face. "Now, I want you to fight me with everything I have taught you. I will be fighting back, but I will not be giving you all my ability, as you are not ready for that yet. When ever you are ready." Shik'ka took a step back and got into his stance ready for this makeshift combat. With a stretch of his arms and legs, Asharr did the same. "Ok. I'm ready, Shik'ka." The tall dorin said as he started to bounce back and forth on his feet. He raised his fists up and moved in closer to Shik'ka.

Shik'ka snapped a left jab straight towards Asharr's face, but with instinct he raised his forarms, which absorbed the shot. His arms stung for a moment, so he stepped back to regain some ground. "You're only allowing me to move forward for a heafty blow, Asharr." The teacher insisted as he moved in and made it look like he was going to toss a punch, but instead he threw a kick to the dorin's left leg. "Never assume your opponent will play fair... If this is too much we can stop." Shik'ka said as he raised his arms again.

"I'm only warming up, I may recieve a hit here and there, but rest assured I won't give up!" Asharr firmly said as he closed in with a right straight punch. The blow was deflected by Shik'ka's raised forarms, which Asharr thought would happen so he quickly moved in with a left elbow that ended up hitting the side of Shik'ka's neck.
"Oo! Not bad! That did catch me off guard, but I am still standing!" Shik'ka exclaimed as he hopped backwards then slid in with a shin kick that caught the younger dorin's waist. The impact was forceful and sent Asharr off to his left side, almost falling to his knees. He managed to regain some footing and bounced up towards Shik'ka and snapped a right kick of his own, but followed through with a right punch using the momentum of his kick for force. The kick connected to Shik'ka's calf, but the punch connected to his cheek which threw him back a step.

Seeing he had an open advantage, Asharr moved in with a left jab that connected to Shik'ka's chest. Upon doing so, Asharr forgot to block the right side of his face with his right forarm which was smarted by a driving elbow to the face from Shik'ka.

Blood spat off to the side as Asharr fell to the snow. Shik'ka allowed him to get back to his feet, but instructed. "You are in too much of a hurry to win this fight, that you are forgetting to defend whilst you attack. Offence is good, but defence will keep you standing longer. Now get back up and try again." Asharr closed his eyes for a moment and asked for a blessing from Aslan. He then grabbed some of the snow and rubbed it into the fur over his heart. Back in his stance he raised his fists up and focued on Shik'ka's solarplex so he had peripheral vison of all his limbs.

Moving about, Shik'ka snapped his right arm out towards Asharr, but because he was able to see the launch, he sidestepped to his left and tossed a left jab which connected to Shik'ka's snout and in the midst of being distracted Asharr raised a knee and drove it into Shik'ka's stomach. The old dorin bent over winded and in the process of gasping for air, Asharr sidestepped again so he was almost behind his teacher and he kicked the back of Shik'ka's knee so he fell down on one knee, still winded.

It was a nice combination on Asharr's part. For his last move he grabbed one side of Shik'ka's head from behind, whih was also at his waist and pretended to drive a right elbow into the side of his head, but stopped short.
"How was that, Shik'ka?" Asharr asked in between breathes. The elder coughed and leaned forward, knowing that if this had been a real fight, he would have been unconscious right now from that elbow to the head. Once he had his breathing back from that knee to the stomach he got up and placed a fist over Asharr's heart. "I think you are ready to go out on your own, my brother. Aslan has blessed you this brightening, as he will for all the brightenings to come. Let us go back to the village, I am getting to old for this."

"Hah hah! You got it. You have shown me much and I could not have done this well if it was not for your's and Aslan's guidance."

[Ragman]

OOC: Approved Nice work.