Cashmere’s Training (feat. Oleander, Velvet and Alena)

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Cashmere is caught off guard by her sudden reversal while grunting as Alena’s arm is wrapped around her neck, doing her best to stay conscious.

[CaptainL]

"Haha!~" It seemed like Alena's ploy had worked! A satisfied grin lit up across her face as she settled into the position, keeping her arms locked around Cashmere's torso to compress her airways. Cashmere might have been a skilled striker, but she had a lot to learn when it came to her mat game. As an expert in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Alena knew plenty of tricks with which to exploit leverage and momentum, using her body weight and mobility to roll from place to place. That was what helped her make such agile counters - now, she had just proven how effective they could be! Even Cashmere's finisher wouldn't take her down for long!

Of course, Alena was here to teach Cashmere, not to punish her. Before the girl could pass out, she loosened her grip on her - still resting atop her, but not holding enough pressure to threaten her losing consciousness. "See, that's a good start," Alena explained. "But a really skilled grappler will be able to work their way out of your holds, and maybe even get themselves into a better position. Right now, I've got what's called side control, which is one of the better positions to have. But you can still get out! In fact, I think that with your striking expertise, you could do some damage if you can get a knee up..." She looked back at Cashmere, noting how they laid perpendicular to one another. If Cashmere so chose, she could easily knee Alena's ribs.

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Cashmere: Vell, zhanks for ze tip!! (She preforms a knee strike to Alena’s torso in order to escape the Von Flue choke as she rolls backwards and get some space between the two) Like I said, the clinch and choke are ze only grappling techniques I know.. so I’ll need to know as many as I can!

[CaptainL]

"Guh-!" Cashmere's knee swung upward, clipping Alena in the side, and just like that, the Russian grappler had been knocked for a loop. She coughed and sputtered as the air was driven from her lungs, and she was forced to let go of her opponent, dropping down at her side as her grip went slack. There, she rolled over on her stomach, panting for breath. She had to admit, even though she should well have been expecting that given how she had instructed Cashmere to take advantage of the opportunity...she still hit hard! Still, she was taking well to Alena's advice. That was a good thing - it meant she had the makings of a good student in her!

"Well, there's an opportunity for you right here!" Alena quipped. A smile came to her face as she looked back over her shoulder at Cashmere, rising onto her hands and knees. "At this point, I'm on the ground, and you can get onto my back, which is the strongest position you can attain. You can target my throat or my limbs, and there's only so much I can do about it!"

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Cashmere: Hm, let’s see here.. (She soon gets behind Alena on her back, putting her in a sleeper hold) Am I doing this right?

[CaptainL]

This was a new experience for Alena - she hadn't exactly coached anyone in her style before. But Cashmere was learning the ropes fast! Once Alena pointed out that she had her back exposed, and Cashmere had the perfect opportunity to take advantage, the Norwegian seemed to get it through her head pretty quickly. Even if her primary area of expertise was in her strikes, she clearly had a good understanding of the basics of grappling. She knew where to be, and what to look out for. That could well take her far!

Alena winced a little as Cashmere's arm came around the side of her throat, pressing against her airways. Of course, it was nothing she hadn't experienced before - and she nodded her head to Cashmere a moment later. "Yes, like that! The sleeperhold's definitely a good option for a position like this. If you can keep it held in long enough, you can even choke your opponent out. But if you throw your legs around my sides, that'll help you anchor yourself in place while also dealing damage at the same time!"

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Cashmere: Like this? (She wraps her legs around Alena’s sides to anchor herself onto the grand duchess) I vasn’t sure vhat you meant by anchor, so I just wrapped my legs around your waist..

[CaptainL]

Cashmere was still getting used to thinking in the mindset of a grappler, but she was getting started on the right foot! Alena smiled to her, nodding her head. "No, no - you're doing a fine job of it!" she explained. "You can see that your legs are giving you an additional point of contact, so it's harder for me to break your grip. And if you squeeze your legs, you're putting pressure on my diaphragm. If you combine that with your grip on my throat, you can wring the air out of my lungs pretty quickly. Of course, an experienced grappler can still power their way out..."

Tensing up her muscles to shore up her strength, Alena planted her feet against the mat, pushing down against the canvas as hard as she could. She would squeeze her fists tightly to brace herself as she tried to shoulder the burden of all of Cashmere's weight hanging off her like a backpack. She hissed and groaned every inch she lifted herself higher, but if she could bring herself up to her feet, she would turn and drop down, trying to slam Cashmere into the mat beneath her!

"Not everyone can do that, though," she explained, rolling off of Cashmere and onto her knees. "So don't try to force yourself through something you aren't ready for."

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Cashmere: Hgh! (She would end up flat on her back from Alena’s sudden slam as the grand duchess rolled away) Noted, vhat else is there?

[CaptainL]

Alena had just demonstrated one of her greatest assets - her single-minded refusal to back down. Even when she was in a dangerous predicament, it seemed like she could always find a way to fight her way out. It didn't matter how much it hurt, or how slim the odds seemed - to Alena, taking a risk like that was far better than admitting defeat. She was willing to shoulder all of Cashmere's weight against her back if it meant getting out of her embrace!

Now, the Russian girl rose to her feet, dusting off her hands. "Ah...that may have been a bit much for where you are, but it does demonstrate something else I think you should know," she explained. "There's the holds and the takedowns and everything, but a big part of BJJ is counters. If you're in a hold, you want to think of how you can use leverage and your opponent's momentum to your favor in getting out - and ideally, setting up a hold of your own. I showed you one of my counters, but for you we probably want to start with something simpler..."

Alena stepped closer, sitting down in front of Cashmere. She brought up her legs, throwing them around her sparring partner's thigh as she pulled her leg toward her so that her arm was wrapped around Cashmere's ankle. "Now, I have you in a straight ankle lock. But if you want to, you could push your weight back from this leg and try to get away from me. Try that!"