[Elros Amandil]

When Elros awoke the next morning he brought himself to a near by tavern and treated himself to a good, hearty breakfast before returning to training. As he went to the training facility he did various stretches that he could as he went to prevent cramping and damage to his muscles.

Once he arived Markner turned to him and said, "Put on these weights, and start running. Do about a dozen laps or so. As you run, do some puches in the air." As Elros started to run Markner turned his back and started practicing on the manaquin again. When the laps were finished Elros came to a panting halt near Markner. "Good," he commented, "take off the weights and get a drink of water. I'll show you the proper kicking technique."

Elros took off the weights and put them back on the shelving on the wall and then got a drink of cool water. It felt good as a drop of water dripped down his chin. The hot humid air of the late summer made his skin stick, and his fine skilky hair friz. He came over to whare Markner stood and waited for his instructions to continue.

"First thing you need to know is that you NEVER kick with your toes. You'll break them every time. If you can, strick with your heal. This means keeping your toes up and back. Now, watch as I demonstrait slowly."

He came into his stance, his arms were positioned in a way that made a triangle. He slowly raised his leg at his knee, he held it in this position for a moment to say, "This is step one of the kick. Notice that I didn't shift my weight, the only thing I changed was the position of my right leg. Notice the position of my foot. Flexed, with toe up and heel pushed forward. The next move, of cource, is to kick your foot outward and forward. Like so."

Markners foot shot out from it's lifted position and kicked outward. His leg stuck strait out at an upward angle. Holding this position Markner commented, "See how my leg is strait, as well the only change of posture I've made is a slight turn. Which, like punching, gives it a slight bit more power, in addition to helps your balance." He returned back to the starting pose and then relaxed, "Now your turn. Slowly at first, of cource."

Elros nodded his head in understand and said "Yes Master Markner." He went into his pose. Legs shoulder width apart and arms forming a triangle, with his body leaning forward slightly. As Elros lifted his leg he shifted his weight and Markner quickly nocked him over.

"If I can see you shifting your weight then I know what you are going to do, I'll nock you on your backside everytime. Now, don't project your motions to me. Again!"

Elros got up, back into the pose and this time he raised his leg even slower thinking of how to keep his balance back on his other leg. Once again he was nocked down. Elros was already getting annoyed by this. Again he got up and went into his stance, almost as soon as he moved his leg Markner kicked Elros in hip nocking him over again. Elros hear Markner laugh. "That one was just becuase I like seeing you fall. Alright, once more. If you can't get it this time then we'll have to go into some balance excersizes."

Elros, was very annoyed, but he was determind to get this right. Squareing off into his pose he was already thinking forward, weight automaticly shifted over the forward leg and his arms forming the triangle. His body was a little less forward and more upright, centering his balance over the forward foot. He raised his knee slowly as he held this position. Focused on proveing Markner wrong. He got his knee all the way up, and then he heard Markner say, "There you go. That is what I was talking about yesterday when I said that the posture was good enough. Now you've really got it. If your weight is already on the forward leg then you can move your back leg with out adjusting your weight and that lets you move your leg faster as well. Now, go ahead and continue the kick."

Elros, with his leg bent at the knee pushed his foot away from his body, as he did so he let his back level out with his leg as he twisted to add a slight bit more power. This all of cource was done slowly. He tried to hold it in this positio for as long as he could and then he drew his leg back and back down into the pose. "Good, again," was all that Elros heard.

Again with his newly formed position Elros went through the process of the kick slowly this time instead of holding his leg out he brought it back in and down right away. "Good, faster now. Just a little at first, but do it a little faster each time until you get it as fast as you can go," Markner instructed.

"Yes Master Markner," Elros said as he continued the process, soon Elros was kicking at full speed with good form, at least for someone learing how.