Zinn'ka: K'tesh

”I thought that I saw a pussy cat!” ~ Final words of a gate guard to his companion before being killed by Katta assassins from behind

K’Tesh:

General

Another common name for K’Tesh is “Shadow Skill”. The name came about for the seemingly amazing ability of a K’Tesh practitioner to merge into the shadows. This ability to merge into shadows employs a wide range of tactics and skills. And that is not all K’Tesh can do.

K’Tesh is considered a vastly different school from the other schools of Zinn’ka. Of course, all schools of Zinn’ka are different in one way or the other, but K’Tesh is so different from the other schools that some schools do not consider K’Tesh a school of Zinn’ka. It was only after a fight between a Katta skilled in K’Tesh defeated another Katta that had learned Shaasskah in Era 9888 that K’Tesh is officially recognized as a school of Zinn’ka.

K’Tesh to some, is more than just an unarmed combat skill; it is a combination of skills needed for spying and unarmed combat. As it known, K’Tesh is learned mostly by spies and thus, tending heavily towards skills that can help spying like stealth and endurance, and tactics to let the spies do their work. There are also a few techniques in K’Tesh that teach the student on how to escape successfully, and maybe, this is why some say K’Tesh is a coward’s skill. But never underestimate a student of K’Tesh as K’Tesh can be used to kill and maim as well as any school of Zinn’ka!

History

The history of K’Tesh is long and it is hard to pinpoint in history where did K’Tesh appear, as K’Tesh is the natural development of the innate skills in a Katta to become a combat skill. It is like pinpointing when did fire appear in history. From when there was Katta history, there was already K’Tesh in its various forms.

However, there are many myths and legend about K’Tesh. One version actually talks of Jalat appearing before the first Kattas and taught the Kattas K’Tesh to help them survive the harsh climate of Arakmat and to fulfill their work to Jalat. Many versions also exist to explain why K’Tesh is called K’Tesh. One version is K’Tesh is actually the sound of claws slicing flesh.

One of the earliest records where K’Tesh is written openly was in an order issue by a female Lionoid Commander to collect what is that of K’Tesh and to write it all down. This writings are then distributed and taught to all Kattas in an effort to defeat the Dorins in the early brightenings of the Dorin-Katta conflicts.

There are also variations of K’Tesh among other clawed races of the Aelyria Empire. The Dorins, having the enmity between them and Kattas, are among the first to create their own variation to K’Tesh. It is also observed that Dracons and Saurids have their own variation of K’Tesh.

The adaptation of K’Tesh for the clawless races can be attributed to a Nexus spy known as “The Face” in the brightenings when Queen Michelle du Starkville controlled the Selrak’rya.

“The Face” was a famous spy whose real face was never seen or so it was rumored. This is because the appearance of “The Face” kept changing and was never the same, though he or she always has the signature mark of a rose somewhere in the appearance. How, where and when did “The Face” learned K’Tesh was of course not known, what was known was that “The Face” taught what he or she knew as K’Tesh to a group of underlings. Metals claws was used in some techniques and in some techniques, “The Face” taught on how to conditioned the fingers and hands to become claw-like. These groups of underlings later spread these techniques and the unclawed races have their own version of K’Tesh.

The Levels

Basic Level

K’Tesh students start off with the basic claw techniques and should not be taught any form of tactics yet. This is to build a solid foundation on the use of claws so that the students will be able to merge the use of claws and tactics effectively later on in the higher levels. However, do not underestimate such simple techniques as such techniques can be used quite well in fighting.

Examples of techniques at Basic level:

Basic Claw Punches – Basic Claw Punches are straight forward attacks with the claws. The execution of the Basic Claw Punches is somewhat like punches done with the fist, except for the fact that the claws are the points of impact.

Basic Claw Stances – How one maintain a stance with claws is very different from how one will maintain a stance without claws. So it is vital that students get to learn how to maintain stances with the claws as the points of focus.

The Basic Kicks – With the hands techniques covered, a student in K’Tesh also needs to study leg techniques. The legs techniques are usually kicks. For students that do not wear shoes and have clawed feet, the kicks may incorporate the use of the claws in the kicks.

Basic Claw Blocks – Like Claw Punches, how one blocks depends on how one positioned the claws. If the claws are positioned properly during blocks, it is possible to actually use the claws to hurt an opponent during a block.

Intermediate Level

With the foundation of basic claw techniques build at Basic level, the student can now start with the learning of tactics. The tactics at Intermediate level are of the most basic and easy to use. However, tactics as always are hard to master. This is along with the more complex claw techniques that a student will learn. Already, a student at Intermediate level can start some simple spying assignments to gain experience…

Example of techniques at Intermediate level

Claw Upper Cut – The Claw Upper Cut is based on the upper cut that one often seen in other schools. Again the difference is in the way that claw is used to deliver more damage in an upper cut.

The Cat’s Stalk – Cats are by nature good stalkers and this is the same for Katta. However, such stalking by instincts alone is not perfect. So in an attempt to perfect this technique, the details of how the body moves and works is taught in the Cat’s Stalk. At the highest level, even a human student can easily stalk a Katta without the Katta knowing.

Clawed Hold – The Clawed Hold is a handgrip technique with claws. A handgrip by itself is formidable already. And when claws are added along with special techniques for claws, a handgrip can be hard to shake off.

Double Kick – The most important quality for the Double Kick is dexterity. This is because the dexterity is needed as one tries to jump up and use the legs to slap the opponent at the same time with both legs up.

Advanced Level

By Advanced level, the student should already have some practical experience in the use of K’Tesh. If not, the student needs to go out and try to get some experience. For without the experience, the theory alone is not enough for the student to truly understand K’Tesh and to go on to the next stage.

At Advanced level, the claw techniques are not so emphasized as compared to the earlier levels. The emphasis will be instead that of tactics and techniques, which may include some strange uses of the claws. Conditioning which help in the execution of tactics will be encouraged too.

Example of techniques at Advanced level:

Claw Cut – Claws are sharp and it is very naturally that a technique to use the claw as a cutting edge will be invented. The Claw Cut emphasis on condition to make the claws sharp and how to use the claws so as not to hurt oneself.

The Shadow’s Way – Shadows are always around even in the brightest brightenings and the Shadow’s Way teaches a student on how to use the Shadow in all situations to achieve a goal.

Chameleon’s Skin – A Chameleon can changes its skin color to hide itself among the surroundings and this is what Chameleon’s Skin, a useful skill, aimed to do. The Chameleon’s Skin concentrates on how to use the surroundings, along with some minor equipment to help oneself from an enemy.

The Feet of Aslan – Some consider a cowardly technique to learn and some consider this technique to be a great tactic to use, depending on how one looks at it. The Feet of Aslan is a special skill to let to be able to travel on one’s feet by using breathing techniques and special evading movements in a straight line for an extended period of time.

Expert Level

Experience at Expert level is more important than ever before than at the earlier levels. Without experience in the use of K’Tesh, the student will find it almost impossible to understand the techniques at Expert level. So a student is expected to go in search of ways to get the experience. Another aspect of K’Tesh at Expert level is the beginning of the trials of a student’s abilities and other intangible qualities. Such trials can start at Expert level and end at Master level. The students need to pass the trials up to a satisfactory level before moving on to higher levels.

At Expert level, the techniques learned are the result of the gradual merging of tactics, claws and other techniques. So it is not surprising to that in a particular technique, many aspects of other techniques learned before can be seen. And with this merging, the student is now a deadly fighting creature of the shadows.

Examples of techniques at Expert level:

The Blocking Hand – Though the name of this technique sounds like it is a block, it is not a block technique. Instead, the Blocking Hand is a tactic. The Blocking Hand teaches the student on how to use objects to divert the attention of an enemy and when the enemy is distracted, attack the enemy. At the highest level, it is possible to use just the hands to distract the enemy and hence, the name of this technique.

Shedding of the Snake’s Skin – Snakes often shed their skin as they grow, leaving behind a skin that looks like snake. So the Shedding of the Snake’s Skin teaches the student on how to use external objects to deceive the enemy to help the student escape. Even one’s clothes can be used at the highest level.

Own Stare - A hypnosis technique that helps the student to achieve strength, speed or endurance for a short time. Be warned that this technique can backfire with physical injury if used incorrectly.

The Climbing Claw – Claws can be used for a lot of things, and using the claws to climb up stonewalls is be one of them. The Climbing Claw teaches the student on how to use and condition the claws to use them for climbing up tough obstacles. It must be noted that certain claw techniques may not be used if one learns the Climbing Claw.

Master Level

With lots of experience in the use of K’Tesh and finishing some of the trials, a student should try his or her best in the completing the rest of the trials needed for a student to go on to Master level. When all the trials are finished, there is still one last task that a student needs to do before the learning and experimenting of the techniques, to pass the Judging of the Masters. The Judging of the Masters is not fixed to any single form, but it can be consist of many parts as practitioners of Master level gather for the judging of the student and each will judge the student in the ways of K’Tesh.

When a student has pass the Judging of the Masters, he or she can start learning the technique of the Master level. At Master level, the merging of all that the student had learned should be completed and the student can now use tactics in claw techniques and claw techniques in tactics with ease. So the emphasis is now on the ability to do more damage and for the conditioning to increase the efficiency of the techniques, rather than just learning the forms of the techniques and not the spirit of the techniques.

Examples of techniques at Master level:

Cat’s Stare – A dangerous but useful technique to have when one is in need. The Cat’s Stare is a hypnosis technique that a student can use on other people to make them do things for a short period. The danger in this technique that the student must be very sure that the person that the student is going to use it on is susceptible to hypnosis or it may backfire on the student and the student may do the bidding of the person that the student is trying to use the technique on!

The Snake’s Walk – Students can get into tight spaces like a snake if a student learns the Snake’s Walk. Students will know how to judge whether he or she can get into the spaces and various techniques like how to dislocate a shoulder without serious injury to get into tight spaces.

The Needle Cut – Not all cuts need to be large for it to be fatal. With the Needle Cut, a student can execute a small cut that is so strategically placed that an enemy will die from bleeding slowly and painfully after many brightenings.

The Disintegrator – A technique that may only be used in the greatest need as this technique is so physically demanding that a student that used this technique will be drained of strength after the technique is executed. The Disintegrator is a technique that uses the claws to strategically attack an enemy with all of the student’s strength and endurance. The enemy will die, as vital parts of the body will be cut out.