Chapter 10: Training
Riven did what Liam said, getting into the right stance. Liam smiled and nodded. "That's better. Now grip your sword tight, but make sure it's still comfortable and you can still move it around easily," Liam said.
Riven nodded. He gripped the sword like Liam said, making sure that his grip was sturdy, but he didn't hold it too tight.
"Good, that's perfect. Now, you were trying to practice swings, right? Then that's what you'll do. Take the sword above your head, but not too much to the back.
A common misconception is that the blade gathers more power from a fully overhead slash, and that's true in some cases, but for a sword like this, it just has to be slightly above your head.
You start the swing with your shoulder, but midway through it, you change the main power point to your elbows. That way, you generate a whip-like slash movement that's fast and very impactful," Liam explained as best as he could.
Riven nodded. He took his blade over his head, doing exactly what Liam said he shouldn't. Liam palmed his face and let out a small laugh.
He got behind Riven and pushed his hands forward a bit, putting it the right distance. "Now remember—start with your shoulder, move into your elbows, and finish the slash," Liam said.
Riven didn't respond. He simply did what Liam explained. The sword whistled through the air, but it didn't get that power that Liam spoke of on the first try.
But after the first one, he had an understanding of what he was to do, and so he tried again, this time getting it correctly.