He nodded approvingly as they shifted their hands to a more stable grip, and grinned at the strike that Quanil unleashed. It might have been a little wobbly, but it showed promise and he was pleased at the potential they had with the weapon. "Once you've gotten comfortable with the staff we can think about putting a sharp end on it, taking what you've learned and expanding it to spears or glaives, perhaps, if we can find a teacher for those," he encouraged. "But for the basics, you're doing well for your first day!"
He saw them bounce on their toes and winced a little, but held that back for a later lesson. "Slide your hands back towards the middle, so you're holding the staff like you were at first," the bard explained. "If you're going to block, you want to do so where you and the staff are strongest; trying to block with the long end of it from where you were holding it for the strike will make it easy for me to overpower you, but if you slide your hands back to the middle you can use both your arms and your upper body to block - like I did when you hit." He demonstrated again now that he was holding the staff properly, sliding a foot back as he raised the staff over his head. "Later on we'll learn deflection, but this is a basic block against someone who has a similar strength to you."
Then he shifted again, turning his body sideways to Quanil so the staff crossed his stomach. One hand held it towards the end of the staff at his hip while the other arm was bent so that the staff rested at an angle across his body. He moved slowly, drawing his rear leg up and as he straightened he pulled the staff back over his left shoulder, front hand sliding back along its shaft. Then he stepped forward, bringing the staff down in a smooth motion towards Quanil's head - and hopefully the center of their own weapon - as his left hand slid back to its starting place, a shoulder-width from his back hand. He didn't hit hard, and he would stop an inch above their skull if they failed to block, but he studied how they moved and especially their feet.
He saw them bounce on their toes and winced a little, but held that back for a later lesson. "Slide your hands back towards the middle, so you're holding the staff like you were at first," the bard explained. "If you're going to block, you want to do so where you and the staff are strongest; trying to block with the long end of it from where you were holding it for the strike will make it easy for me to overpower you, but if you slide your hands back to the middle you can use both your arms and your upper body to block - like I did when you hit." He demonstrated again now that he was holding the staff properly, sliding a foot back as he raised the staff over his head. "Later on we'll learn deflection, but this is a basic block against someone who has a similar strength to you."
Then he shifted again, turning his body sideways to Quanil so the staff crossed his stomach. One hand held it towards the end of the staff at his hip while the other arm was bent so that the staff rested at an angle across his body. He moved slowly, drawing his rear leg up and as he straightened he pulled the staff back over his left shoulder, front hand sliding back along its shaft. Then he stepped forward, bringing the staff down in a smooth motion towards Quanil's head - and hopefully the center of their own weapon - as his left hand slid back to its starting place, a shoulder-width from his back hand. He didn't hit hard, and he would stop an inch above their skull if they failed to block, but he studied how they moved and especially their feet.
