[Ariadne, for her part, is immediately distracted by the space they're in. Arthur is no Architect, he doesn't have the knowledge base, the structural expertise necessary to pull off anything really complex, but he's worked with Cobb long enough to have picked up some tricks. He has a good eye, and his attention to detail is, of course, impeccable.]
I'm sorry, were we planning to do something? [She turns from the view of the outdoors to offer him a smile.]
You're going to get your first self-defense lesson today. [Arthur quirks one corner of his lips up into a smile.] I assumed you'd prefer this over an Everlast punching bag.
It's a nice spot for learning how to kick butt. [As though she'd expect anything less from Arthur. He doesn't strike her as a punching bag kind of guy, anyway, not if he has a choice.] So where do we start?
[He hands her a ponytail holder, plain and black.] It's a nice spot for learning how to defend yourself. [It's almost a correction, but light. Kicking-butt might be a little out of her scope; at least for today.]
There's a couple basic principles of striking. Body mechanics, speed, and range.
[He's right, of course - Ariadne doesn't have any illusions. Even in a dream, she'll be happy with just being able to get out of a potential fight in one piece.
She switches immediately from 'teasing and flirtatious' to 'listening and learning' - not an uncommon thing for her. She genuinely wants to know what he has to teach, and they've been doing this even longer than they have the flirting.]
[It's a good distinction to maintain, and Arthur enjoys having her as a somewhat-student. She's a good listener and a quick learner.] When you hit something, the power comes from the follow through. Hitting someone with just your arm--[He extends his, a slow punch at the air without moving his body]--isn't going to hurt much. Move from the ground, your foot, follow through with your hip and into your arm.
[It's a basic principle that most people understand even if they've never done. Arthur shows her again, another punch, this time pivoting slowly with his body into the cross.] Try it slowly.
That makes sense. [Making use of all your weight - especially given how small she is - makes perfect sense.
She feels a little silly, slowly miming the way he just had, but she can feel the difference.] It feels stronger. So you just find ways to maximize what you have.
[He smiles.] Exactly. It won't hurt to remember what I taught you about shooting, either. When you shoot you stand on your back foot. When you hit someone, you start the same way and shift your weight with the motion. [Arthur watches her do it a few more times before nodding.]
Second is speed. Think of the impact like a snap. [He extends his arm in a slow punch, just touching her cheek with knuckles and pulling away. The motion is repeated when he takes a step back and the punch is fast. In and out.] You don't want to push an attacker, you want to hit them. [Stepping in again, he fake-punches Ariadne again, touching her cheek and pushing lightly, sliding his hand passed her ear.] And pushing will unbalance you.
Right. [It makes sense; it's just a matter of working out the best way to do it - put her weight behind the hit, but remember to snap back instead of allowing her center of gravity to get thrown off, which does make her feel more vulnerable. It'd be easy enough for Arthur to pick her up and throw her down anyway; off-balance, she'd be like a rag doll.]
Which leaves range. Your range for a strike is two to four inches behind your target. It sounds a little specific but it's just a number. [It was calculation of maximum damage, but that was getting technical.] The length of your fist, from wrist to knuckles. [He touches her nose and then her cheekbone, before curling fingers into a fist against the side of her face.] You aim that far past your target. That way if you pull your hit you'll still connect. But further than that and you're pushing again.
[He stands in front of her, holding a palm open, toward her, at about the level of her head.] Punch my hand. Aim just behind it, a fast strike, and follow through.
Okay. [She's not worried about doing any damage; just concerned that she'll embarrass herself by, say, missing his hand completely or worse, overthinking, overbalancing and falling over.
She tries to remember everything he told her; follow through, put her weight behind it; don't push; aim behind the target.
In the end, she doesn't miss his hand or fall over, though it's not a very impressive hit anyway, she's sure.]
[This is why she likes having Arthur teaching her. This is why she likes Arthur, that doesn't change (even when they're teasing and flirting with each other). He never jeers at her, never laughs to make her feel incompetent. He encourages without coddling, pushes for more without being harsh.
He knows she's capable, given a basic understanding and some experience.
She tries again, focusing on putting more force into the blow, though her aim is a little off this time. She'll correct it on the next try.]
[The encouragement, at its core, never changes. Arthur points out what she does well when she does it and points out how it can be made better. And again. And again. This sort of thing is muscle memory, you do it until reaction is breathing, until your body does it without you. It will take more than today, of course, but she'll have the basics and can practice on her own.
When she's gotten into a rhythm with her fist he stops her.] Now try open your fist and striking with your palm. Same steps.
A very painful high-five. [She doesn't smile at her own joke; she's too busy concentrating, following his instructions as best she can.
Ariadne may not like rules much, but she's also smart, smart enough to know that you need to know the rules before they can be effectively broken. Before improvising becomes feasible.
She understands, and Arthur makes it easy to focus on the task at hand - his presence, the trust they've built between them. She doesn't have to worry, or be self-conscious. Not in his mind, which is even more familiar to her than his body - she's spent more time learning it.]
[The thing about Arthur's mind is that creativity is a trade-off for stability. He may not have been able to spout a Greco-Roman fountain in the middle of the garden on a whim, but his landscapes have weight and the patterns of his subconscious are reliable and ordered.
He takes Ariadne through the same set of exercises with her palm--high, mid, low, lets her work until she moves with comfort before stopping her again.] Last major arm strike is with your elbow. It's a good one to get comfortable with because you'll be able to use it at close range when a full punch won't be effective.
I'm sorry, were we planning to do something? [She turns from the view of the outdoors to offer him a smile.]
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There's a couple basic principles of striking. Body mechanics, speed, and range.
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She switches immediately from 'teasing and flirtatious' to 'listening and learning' - not an uncommon thing for her. She genuinely wants to know what he has to teach, and they've been doing this even longer than they have the flirting.]
'Body mechanics,' what do you mean by that?
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[It's a basic principle that most people understand even if they've never done. Arthur shows her again, another punch, this time pivoting slowly with his body into the cross.] Try it slowly.
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She feels a little silly, slowly miming the way he just had, but she can feel the difference.] It feels stronger. So you just find ways to maximize what you have.
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Second is speed. Think of the impact like a snap. [He extends his arm in a slow punch, just touching her cheek with knuckles and pulling away. The motion is repeated when he takes a step back and the punch is fast. In and out.] You don't want to push an attacker, you want to hit them. [Stepping in again, he fake-punches Ariadne again, touching her cheek and pushing lightly, sliding his hand passed her ear.] And pushing will unbalance you.
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[He stands in front of her, holding a palm open, toward her, at about the level of her head.] Punch my hand. Aim just behind it, a fast strike, and follow through.
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She tries to remember everything he told her; follow through, put her weight behind it; don't push; aim behind the target.
In the end, she doesn't miss his hand or fall over, though it's not a very impressive hit anyway, she's sure.]
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He knows she's capable, given a basic understanding and some experience.
She tries again, focusing on putting more force into the blow, though her aim is a little off this time. She'll correct it on the next try.]
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When she's gotten into a rhythm with her fist he stops her.] Now try open your fist and striking with your palm. Same steps.
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Ariadne may not like rules much, but she's also smart, smart enough to know that you need to know the rules before they can be effectively broken. Before improvising becomes feasible.
She understands, and Arthur makes it easy to focus on the task at hand - his presence, the trust they've built between them. She doesn't have to worry, or be self-conscious. Not in his mind, which is even more familiar to her than his body - she's spent more time learning it.]
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He takes Ariadne through the same set of exercises with her palm--high, mid, low, lets her work until she moves with comfort before stopping her again.] Last major arm strike is with your elbow. It's a good one to get comfortable with because you'll be able to use it at close range when a full punch won't be effective.
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