ILLUMINARRPG: (4- 1300)- Security PO3 Hercules Devers, Jardek and Ponn-iffla Master Teluk

[Charles Gatling]

Mission: A Cure Delayed
Day: 4
Stardate: 2445.10.28

(Xen’Tal - Vulcan Institute of Defensive Arts - Security PO3 Hercules
Devers, Jardek and Ponn-iffla Master Teluk- 1300)

After having some rest and water, Devers found a corner where he could
meditate as he had been taught.  Slowing his breathing, visualizing the
traditional forms one by one, centering his mind and preparing for the
battle that was to come.  While this was more of an exhibition, both
ponn-ifla and karell-ifla were like Muay Thai, which lacked a traditional
scoring system.  They were designed to fight and win.  He didn’t want to be
overconfident, having watched the student practing ponn-ifla this morning.
This would be bloodless combat, as his StarFleet instructor used to say
about training missions.

Well about as bloodless as two experts practicing their arts.

Centered and ready, he approached the front of the training ring.  Stepping
inside the ring, he began the Wai Khru ram muay.  The ‘war dance that
saluted the teacher’.  This was the traditional way to salute and honor his
teacher, Kru Petcyindee, as well as paying respect in this case to this
place and teacher here.

Walking around the ring, counter clockwise, he stopped at each corner,
bowing his head three times.  At each stop he softly spoke a quiet mantra.

The Vulcans at the Academy stopped to watch the human perform this strange
ritual.

After he completed this ritual, he started into the ritualized ram muay, a
series of movements like a dance.  Slow, deliberate, patient.  Taking him
through the classic forms as he was taught.  Each one led into a pivot to
start the next move.  Devers performed them with his eyes closed, to help
him focus on the feel of the ring, the sounds he might hear and more.

A practitioner of Muay Thai could learn a lot about his opponent from how
they performed the ram muay.

As he finished up, he looked out to see the whole class watching him.
Jekkos entered the ring, bowing to Devers.

“Years ago, the Vulcan Institute had the honor of hosting your teacher, Kru
Petchyindee for a week.  He had come here, under our invitation to learn
more about your Muay Thai.  I was fortunate to have the opportunity to be
hosted on Earth at his training gym a year later. It is fortuitous that
your ship came to Vulcan and we could renew the friendship between your
masters training facility and the Vulcan Institute of Defense Arts.”

“What Mr. Devers has performed is a traditional opening before any bout
such as we will have here.  It is known as the War Dance to Honor the
Teacher, or the Wai Khru ram muay.  You do us honor to have shown us the
courtesy of this honor.  Our martial arts do not have such rituals.  V’Lyss
here has agreed to serve in your corner.”  Jekkos pointed to a young man,
“He is a practitioner of karell-ifla.”

“If it is agreeable, and you are willing, would you be willing to
participate in matches against practitioners of our two main schools -
ponn-ifla and karell-ifla?”

Not one to back down from a challenge, Devers nodded. “I would be honored.”

“Very well then. Up first will be Teluk, master of the ponn-ifla.  Second
will be Jardek, practitioner of the karell-ifla.”

Teluk moved toward the circle of testing, he had been standing behind and
to the side of  Master Jekkos as he spoke. The human had shown remarkable
ability, discipline and deference. This was his reward from the Masters of
the VIDA, to allow himself to be tested to expose his strengths … and his
weaknesses. Weakness was not an illogical word nor was it spurned for if
one knew not their weakness how were they to be expected to strengthen it?

His step was a measured glide as the loose clothing he wore similar to a
human Gi moved about him. The sash was the same color as his clothing.
Adornment was unnecessary to one who had mastered his craft. He passed into
the circle and moved to the center. There he stopped and inclined his head
slightly in acknowledgment of his opponent. He was neither short nor
remarkably tall and his face was placid, serene, utterly at peace. This was
the way of ponn-ifla. His stance was compact, closed but relaxed and his
jet black hair was cut short. His eyes regarded Devers with serenity. His
hands were loosely clasped before him. He stood in the eye of the storm
unmoved and unhurried.

Devers watched the Vulcan move with grace.  This would be an interesting
challenge.  Devers moved to test Teluk with a combination.  He moved
quickly and started into a right hook punch that would lead him to rotate
counter clockwise into a spinning elbow strike.

The Vulcan's head moved backward a fraction causing the blow to miss as his
left hand snaked up and grasped the wrist of the human in a grip as firm as
steel. He pulled his arm in front of and past him causing Hercules to spin
to his left off balance and exposing the side of his jaw and neck. The
Kroika redirection was expertly applied giving the Taroon opening for a
neck pinch. Teluk passed up this opportunity as he released Devers' wrist.
The strength of the Vulcan and momentum turned the human 180°. It was at
this time that the Vulcan's foot lashed out in a blur and connected with
his posterior. The kick launched Devers sprawling to the mat and facing
away.

When he turned he could see the Vulcan had returned to his placid stance,
seeming to have never moved. This was at the heart of the storm. This was
ponn-ifla. The near absence of resistance and redirection of momentum. The
application of minimum force without aggression. Aggression would be
applied only when needed and in measured amounts.

Devers arched his back and sprung to his feet.  He slowly circled his
opponent, watching how he moved to match Devers position.  He started to
feign to the left, then launched to his right as his foot planted, he was
trying to move around Teluk to execute the muay thai djab ko, a clinch that
would allow him to land a series of khao khong, or the curving knee strike
to the Vulcan’s side.

As Devers started to make contact with the Vulcan, Teluk seemed to melt
away from him as he dropped to the mat and to his back. His feet came up
and were planted in Devers midsection with knees bent. As he rolled
backward his knees straightened and Hercules' momentum carried him forward
launching the human through the air.

When he came back up from the throw the Vulcan was once again standing
loosely in the center of the mat facing him.

Devers bent into a front roll, and landed on the mat.  Turning again to
face his opponent, Devers smiled and inclined his head to acknowledge the
throw. Power attack and an attempted clinch were ineffective.  At least as
an opening salvo.  It was clear that he needed a better feign to get Teluk
moving in the wrong direction.  He backed up and launched into the Kradot
Chok, the superman punch, as he launched forward and started to throw a
punch.  Seconds later he pulled his punch back and continued a backflip
motion, with his trailing leg kicking out to contact the side of Teluk’s
knee.

The Vulcan moved at the last instant as he had been doing, spinning away
from the kick. The leg was withdrawn and he bent slightly as his right hand
snaked down and cupped the human's heel. His arm came around and up and
Devers legs were swept out from under him causing his back to impact the
mat. The heel still in hand Teluk turned and squeezed as he rotated the
ankle while grasping his shin in the other then pushed down and locked the
knee while gently exerting pressure in a clockwise motion causing both knee
and ankle to scream in unison. The Narilk joint lock was excruciating. He
held it only for a moment then released the limb and stepped back to await
the next attack.

Devers was getting frustrated.  His attacks were being turned against him
quickly and efficiently.  He had been told when his frustration started to
feed into a fight, he had lost.  Closing his eyes, he centered his
breathing, slowing his heart rate and visualizing how to draw his opponent
off balance.  He would have to try a feint.

He moved forward fists up by his face, balanced on the balls of his feet.
When he got within striking distance he opened his hands moving his right
arm to grab his opponent's left wrist.  As his hand got close, he pushed
off with his legs as he moved his left arm towards the Vulcan’s chest.

Teluk dropped into a crouch and spun on the ball of his left foot as his
right leg shot out in a Ponn-K'sin sweep and whipped through Devers' legs.
The human lost his footing and went head over heels, helped along by the
Vulcan's left hand grip on his arm and right hand in his gut which added to
his air time.

“Kroykah!” a voice called out.  A much smaller Vulcan walked out into the
arena.  He looked at Devers, on the ground, trying to catch his breath.
Then he looked at Teluk and nodded.  “Ya’akash kal-tor?”  (I ask for
permission to continue)

Teluk inclined his head in acknowledgment of Jardek's request. "Kar-i-far."
He spoke. (Begin). He bowed to his human opponent.

Devers stood up, and faced his opponent.  He raised his hand in a Vulcan
salute, “Peace and Long Life,” he said, before bowing to Teluk.

"Peace and long life." Teluk had raised his own hand in a salute. "You are
well versed in your art, however force can not prevail where there is no
resistance. Trees of your world give way before the wind or are uprooted.
Water flows around obstacles. Learning the way of non-resistance gives you
power over force. To redirect and capture it and return it to your opponent
without aggression." He then bowed again and moved from the mat with that
gliding gait that seemed effortless.

(Reply: None, more coming)

(Posted by Tim Bushnell (Devers)
Charles Gatling (Master Teluk)
Al Muir (Jardek)

NRPG:
A compendium of Ponn-ifla terms:

Kroika : a central move of Ponn- ifla which involved deflecting an
opponent's fist
Taroon : this aspect of the fighting style was to use the opponent's own
attack as a means of getting an opening for a nerve pinch.
Narilk : a joint lock and counterpressure move with many different
techniques existing.
Ponn-K'sin : borrowed from the more aggressive kareel-ifla but modified by
ponn-ifla masters, this move involved a leg sweep.



Charles Gatling
Commanding Officer
USS Illuminar
NCC 61240


"The light shines brightest amidst the deepest darkness."
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