Training Area

Pyotr took her hand and hopped back up. "I have fought before, but not nicely."

Kora smiles, "Once you get the basics down, then you can put your own twist in any way you like. Plus it helps to build the muscle you need to do other things. Now I'm going to try to push you down and your job is to find your center of balance so that way you cant fall no matter what." Kora says as she pushes him again.

Pyotr went down with a grunt but scrambled up again.

Kora smiles, "Remember, once you are down your opponent has every opportunity to attack. Again." She says pushing him once again.

Pyotr used the momentum to push into a half roll, half flip and hopped back up onto his feet a metre or two away.

Kora smiles, "Good. If you ever think that there is an opponent that is  too big, or too strong, and you cant run, use their strength against them, and make them play to your abilities. Should you ever do get knocked down, never stop moving. Now I want you to try something different. Try not to get pushed down by just standing there. " Kora says as she balances on one leg, "A friend once showed how fight, when I broke my leg. Balance was key to this. Now try to push me over."

Pyotr walked over, confused, and pushed gently at the centre of her chest.

Kora forwns, still standing there, "Come on, you can do better. A little harder, like you mean it."

Pyotr frowned, but pushed a little harder.

Kora remains standing, "See? You can shift your foot ever so slightly to adjust to the force pressed on you. Keep that in mind, as we move on."

Pyotr nodded, fiddling with the gloves on his hands.

"Now we are going to go right into some simple martial arts. Think fast." She says as she throws a punch aiming for the chest.

Pyotr blocked it quickly, his street-rat instincts kicking in.

Kora smiles, "Good, but you're a little stiff in your movements. Loosen up a bit more, and allow to make your movements more fluid. Again."

Pyotr nodded, and stepped back, keeping his arms loose at his sides.

Kora attacks.

Pyotr blocked her blows quickly, then tried to get in a jab of his own.

Kora grabs his arm and flips him, "Better." She says holding out a hand to help him up.

Pyotr exhaled slowly then got up.

"You're strong with defense but weak on the offence. We'll work on that later, but I think that is enough for one day. Why don't you try doing some yoga to keep working on your balance. We'll meet back here tomorrow. " She says with a smile as she packs up her workout gear.

"I do not need this yoga," Pyotr shook his head as he stripped off the gloves.

Kora gives him a look, "You are too distracted, by what might happen and not focusing on the current moment. Doing something like that could mean life or death in real fight. So, yes. You do need yoga. Overthinking a situation, is just as dangerous as not thinking about it at all. Yoga helps you with focus and to keep practicing balance, as well as good breathing, which is crucial during a fight."

"I danced with the Bolshoi. I know breathing and concentrating but has not worked. I cannot concentrate and this is not going to change. Have been like this since baby."

"Well you are going to have to, otherwise the next place you will find yourself is the Underworld. All of us here have some form of ADD/ADHD one way or another. Even me. But all of us here have learned to either work around it or use it to our advantage. If we didn't none of us would be here or live to our 18th birthday. Sadly percentagewise not many of us do. Try it and see if yoga works, if not, then we'll try a different approach. There is no harm in trying and failing, but the worst failure of all is failing to even try."

"You think I have not tried?"