Niman: The Living Form by Esme Roi

[Meatslopper]

The Way of the Rancor

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How does it prepare?:
The Element of Order
There are innumerable numbers of sub-species of Rancor. They adapt to almost any environment despite their bulk and can be found pretty much anywhere that hasn’t been torn down and replaced, as they are destructive to wherever they find themselves within. This is Niman’s adaptability incarnate, how ultimately, though Niman has a core, there are many variations of these techniques, many practitioners bring their own ideas to it and build it around themselves and where they personally belong.

There is really no shame in being you if it works, if it doesn’t, evolution will build a better version, if you do not. Just like Niman’s history, it is built upon filtering out the wrong ideas into something more whole and just like it, we as practitioners should be doing the same for ourselves, there are those who practise a form and those who embody their form on the deeper level of life, through its evolution it was able to see Patterns in it’s opponents and exploit them.
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How does it outmanoeuvre?
The Element of Air
Intentional or otherwise, the hounds were attracted to a fallen corpse as bait, leading them into the Rancors feeding area. It emerged from the forest where its camouflage skin blended in with the shrubbery with Sokan, announcing its presence with a roar, using surprise and intimidation to achieve a rudimentary form of Dun Möch to scare the hounds. Its high up position allows it to observe the battlefield without putting its eyes at much risk, letting it easily See and Prepare at a distance, which in ideal circumstances is where it keeps its opponent.
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How did it withstand?
The Element of Earth
Through impossibly tough skin. The Rancor is able to use a version of the Checking Technique with its arms, as they are conditioned for this, the strikes made against these are mostly meaningless, through these contacts it can strike unafraid, taking hits upon its arms, just as one would do with the strong of the blade to open it up for counters. Its large frame is balanced well by a low posture, and flexed knees, with massive hands either side to balance or stabilise if need be, there’s a reason the Standing Rancor is the term to use the techniques of Niman. It is balanced in all departments like the form.
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How did it overwhelm?
The Element of Water
The hound only has so much it can attack with, by comparison the Rancor takes full advantage of its two arms and reach. It was used both independently and in tandem to both ward off the multiple attackers, with one motion using it’s fist to counter one and to grab and kill another. It showed intelligence by throwing a rock to occupy a weaker hound, while it followed in behind for the kill, much like the Rancor Throw who’s name it inspired, combining the use of all its tools unified and further showing its use of Sokan.Its swings are thrown loosely and flowingly, able to defend most angles and shift from one attack to the other.
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How does it overpower?
The Element of Fire
You probably already know how it finished those it opened up. The Rancor is mostly and primarily known for its strength, to the point people look past the technique takeaways rather easily. It crushed one’s neck with it’s hand, reminiscent of Force Choke and another with a Grip into a bite which is similar to Draw Closer, which side-swipe swing, which could be applied akin to a Slicing Technique or a Pushing Slash given it was occupying with it’s other arm with the Checking Technique. It concluded with stepping on the injured hound to finish it off, there’s a lesson there as well for the Sith, never hesitate, on the battlefield people can and will get up and all it takes is the wrong time, down, does not mean totally out. It generates most of its power from the turn of the hips, allowing each hand to come in naturally with some force behind it.
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How we use this.
The Element of Chaos
Building from everything we’ve learnt so far. We start putting it into practice. Using this Rancor as an example, we are going to build a Dulon and then a [color=#ccb1f3]Velocity before showing how these techniques would be used in a live combat scenario.

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The “Encircled Rancor” Dulon
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A Dulon for those unfamiliar is a form of lightsaber drill, designed to hone technical skill with a set of movements. You can build them around what you need to practise or in this case around a scenario idea. It’s also a good way to show off and reaaally hammer home what you should know. Learning against an active opponent who doesn’t always throw what you want or encourages you to just go a little harder, doesn’t encourage memory retention of the more technically intricate, in a real engagement, nothing will be performed to perfection because it can be practically unfeasible, so this is a method of really hammering home your techniques. If there’s anything in this document you’re struggling with, make a Dulon of your own to practise them.


Example A:
The “Encircled Rancor” Dulon

Esme ignited her lightsaber, holding it in the low-guard stance, by her left hip, the length pointing out and back, feet close together with her right foot forward. She turns with her hip, sliding her right leg out behind, the blade following it, to point outwards from her side and down behind her. The Sith Apprentice turns into an overturned parry, the blade forming a rising semi-circle with the point downwards and the hilt in the air above, her offhand swings with her motion to point the same direction, it lies open with the fingers curled.

Esme twists back the way she came, clamping her offhand down, she pulls it across herself throwing a small crate across the room to her left, with this motion the blade scoops up and into an upwards thrust, as she lunges the same direction as the crate, twisting her wrist slightly to displace an invisible attack and cut a small line with the top third. She then takes a half-step backwards rotating her blade around to check the invisible foe to her right, leaning to the opposite side, she fires off a Force Push, rotating her wrist slightly for a downwards diagonal chop at what would be the left shoulder.

The offhand pushing in sees them join together, and she presses down with the blade, her knees slowly bending until she’s almost crouching before drawing the weapon backwards rising gradually from her stance, the moment it touched her hip, she snapped out her left-hand open in the opposite direction from where she started, pushing out the blade once more to the side, a mirror of the Diplomats Stance, that slowly, tightens as she stands further joining her hands to look directly at the camera, with it slanted backwards at her hip in the Moderation Stance. There it was extinguished.



Formula Example 1:
Standing Rancor, Low-Guard Stance to Diplomats Stance to A - Soft,
Begin [Outside Measure], B - Moderate Opener to A - Soft Closer, End.
A - Soft Technique to A - Soft.
Begin [Inside Measure], B- Moderate Opener, B - Soft Closer, End.
B - Soft to A - Soft [Break]
Diplomats Stance to Low-guard Stance.
(Ignore Diplomat to Low-Guard in velocity)

Or

Standing Rancor, Low-Guard Stance to Diplomats Stance to A - Parry Technique,
Begin [Outside], B - Force Grip Hard Sokan Opener to A - Strike Technique Closer, End.
A - Checking Technique to A - Drawing Technique.
Begin [Inside Measure], B - Force Push Opener, B - Chopping Technique Closer, End.
B - Pressing Technique to A - Drawing Technique [Break]
Diplomats Stance to Low-Guard Stance.
(Ignore Diplomat to Low-Guard in velocity)

Or

Low-Guard to Diplomat to 10, Force Grip Hard Sokan Opener to 2 Closer, 9 to 4, Force Push Open, 1 Close, 4 to 13 to 4 to Diplomat to Low-Guard.
(Ignore Diplomat to Low-Guard in velocity)
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The “Encircled Rancor” Velocity
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A Velocity is a sparring drill. These are set motions, both defence and attack to drill home the proper speed against an opposition. You aren’t trying to outplay the opponent but simply be faster, the first to make contact or have the opponent yield wins. This is the technique of honing them to a fine point before you get yourself beaten up in a proper spar. As this is based off the Dulon. The first person's formula remains the same, the additional formulas are focused on the opposition, it’ll show you how these motions build beyond sparring the great evil that is the air.

Example A:
The “Encircled Rancor” Velocity Dulon

Esme engaged her lightsaber, she held it in the low-guard stance, by her left hip, the length pointing out and back, feet close together with her right foot forward. She turns with her hip, sliding her right leg out behind, the blade following it, to point outwards from her side and down behind her.

The Droid activated its training saber. It mirrored Esme’s gesture exactly, standing a fair distance apart. It pulled backwards with its hand and a little training remote flew at Esme’s back, as it stepped towards her.

The Sith Apprentice turns into an overturned parry, the blade forming a rising semi-circle with the point downwards and the hilt in the air above knocking the droid aside, her offhand swings with her motion to point the same direction, it lies open with the fingers curled. Esme turns back the way she came, clamping her offhand down, she pulls it across herself throwing a small crate across the room to her left, with this motion the blade scoops up and points forward as she follows in.

The Droid continues forward and swings its blade upwards from its right-side in a slicing technique, with the hilt ascending leftwards to be taken in both hands, battering aside the crate as it comes in, entering into measure for a sudden thrust to stab at Esme’s chest.

Esme pushes the blade forward into upwards thrust, as she lunges the same direction as the crate, twisting her wrist slightly to displace the thrust attack inwards and cut a small line with the top third.

The Droid stepped back a half-step, dropping low, it flicked its hand and hilt downwards to bring the point upwards towards Esme’s blade-hand.

Esme stepped backwards a half-step and rotated her wrist to check the blade with the strong to off to her right, as she lent in the other direction using her off-hand for balance then to mime a Force Push, rotating her wrist simultaneously for a downwards diagonal chop to the droids left shoulder, her right, to her left.

The Droid rotates its wrist, pushing upwards with its knuckles pointing skyward in a pressing motion to counter the downwards chop, opening up its left to mime a pushing gesture back, as it pushed in naturally to take the hilt in both hands.

Esme stepped in her offhand rejoining her main, applying counter pressure with a pressing motion, attempting to get the top-third overtop then drag backwards on retreat across it#s shoulder.

The Droid brings it’s weapon up and around countering the point with strong force as she retreats in a stirring technique, attempting to rip the weapon from her as it is pulled back as well.

Esme continued backwards, their weapons twist in the centre rotating, as she loosens her grip to go with it, she retreats from the contact, it returns to the Diplomats Stance, pointed behind as her offhand comes in, quicker this time, for a Force Pull on the training probe now behind the droid, as they swapped roles, quicker this time.

Formula Example 1:
Standing Rancor, Low-Guard Stance to Diplomats Stance to,
Begin Outside Measure, B - Moderate Opener, A - Soft Opener, B - Soft Closer, End.
Begin Inside Measure, B - Soft Opener, B - Moderate Closer, End.
A - Soft Technique to A - Soft Technique
Diplomats Stance
(Repeat until contact)

Or

Standing Rancor, Low-Guard Stance to Diplomats Stance to,
Begin Outside, B - Force Pull Hard Sokan Opener, A - Slicing Technique Opener to B - Stabbing Technique Closer, End.
A - Flicking Technique
Begin, B - Lifting Technique Opener, B - Force Push Closer, End.
A - Checking Technique to A - Stirring Technique.
Diplomats Stance
(Repeat until contact)

Or

Low-Guard to Diplomat to Force Pull Hard Sokan Opener, 3 Opener to 6 Closer, 8 to 12 Opener, Force Push Closer to 9 to 11.
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Niman Sparring
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Example A:
Niman Exhibition Sparring

Esme activated her lightsaber. She flicked a switch and held it in the Moderation Stance, her offhand sitting atop her chest, with the mainhand pointed in the direction of her opponent and slightly up, the rest of her body angled behind, leading with her right..

The Droid activated its training saber. It assumes the two-handed high guard, held out slightly in front, pointed up and slightly back, overhead. It then stepped in opening up with a two-handed diagonal chop aimed at Esme’s right shoulder, left to right cutting inwards from shoulder to centre chest pointing forward between them..

Esme stepped backwards, not meeting strength for strength, she rotated her wrist to check the point with the strong of her blade downwards, coming overtop to score the droid's shoulder using her superior one-handed reach..

The Droid stepped backwards the top-third almost grazing it. It twisted its wrists to bring the blade beneath Esme’s, pressing upwards with both hands on the centre, then releasing one hand to stir the blades around, controlling her point to twist it from her hands if unable, it’d try to use the top-third to slash across her legs as it twisted downwards..

Esme deactivated her blade in the middle, pushing off into a Force Jump, she threw her legs out backwards in an effort to avoid the low slash, mid-air, she reactivated her blade spinning it in a defensive figure of eight, to land gently poised a little distance away..

The Droid’s slash missed Esme’s legs as it delayed behind, using that slash to open space, it pushed it’s offhand forward and its wrist fired off a few yellow training bolts at her mid-air that were all deflected by the aerial defence, as she landed, it followed at a slower pace..

Esme, using the distance between them, curled her offhand, as the blade rose to its original position between them into a Force Choke, attempting to curl the force around the droid's neck.

The Droid’s metal throat seemed to feel nothing but the pressure was there, controlling it a moment, the droid pulled back on it’s left-hand and the training droid swept in to strike at Esme’s legs and continued on in its journey, once reaching her, entering into a loose thrust at left side of her chest more likely to be exposed in defending herself.

Esme turned, releasing the choke into an overturned parry, the hilt in the air projecting the blade downwards to a point as it made a semi-circle, aiming to slice through the droid in one clean motion, her offhand following to rest two fingers near her wrist for strength. She used that momentum as the droid came in turn into a Jung Su Ma rotation, to slip her left shoulder away and to knock the blade aside with the strong of the blade and perform a slicing motion, carrying up towards its hip, her offhand thrown out for balance, landing again with her knees flexed.

The Droid’s stab was redirected, its hip was opened in a shower of sparks from the shiim contact. It used the given momentum to bring the blade around and down into a diagonal chop, which should it meet the blade, would turn into a pressing technique to push down on her guard.

Esme met the chop, with both hands initially, attempting to push upwards from her flexed knees to provide herself so more power to lift it slightly and open up beneath, using that, her offhand shot out, firing off an angled Force Push, to knock it back and slightly up in the air an opening simultaneous with her driving her hilt down, attempting to flick up and score along the inside of its leg.

The Droid was shunted off, the blade scoring another mark. It landed with a thud and staggered a few steps, the blade being brought down into the Moderation Stance, with one hand over the chest, the blade presented in line with its shoulder, the body behind.

Esme pulled back on her offhand and with it the Droid. She followed in simultaneously with her blade for a slice aimed right to left, across its chest.

The Droid used that momentum to its advantage. It brought its own weapon in for a diagonal chop at Esme’s forearm.

Esme met the blade coming around. They connected and she had to turn into the left to use its momentum and leverage up and over her, without any balance, it would tumble using her left hand to control it around but not before as it did it dragged backwards scoring along her armour plated shoulder.

The Droid went for a low slice right to left, aimed at Esme’s legs, as it came in again.

Esme stepped backwards avoiding them with well timed steps, she tapped her blade downwards overtop, marking the droid's hand with the point.

The Droid a little slower from its overuse still sent a slash still ascending rose to its left side, angled downwards, it thrust in at her chest.

Esme stepped to her left, throwing her hand out, she formed a Force Bubble forming a hard block between them in an effort to see the training saber catch it at the wrong angle and deflect it aside. Then she released it, taking a few steps back, as if achknowledging it was a risky move.

The Droid was deflected off, it came back in for a loose reverse strike, twisting its wrist and snapping it out back with the point aimed to make a small line across Esme’s leading leg, as it came up.

Esme swapped hands with her blade. The left-hand checked this time coming around in a small rotation of her wrist, she fired off a shock with her right hand in tandem, aiming for its eyes, then following up, into a slicing motion overtop right to left aimed at its hips.

The Droid was caught in the eyes. Its head started to spark, it flicked up its blade defensively, lucky to be in a position to counter her slice. If the block succeeded it then tried to push into the bind and press forward.

Esme’s blade caught on the droids. As it pushed in she gave it her left, turning with it, her offhand grabbed its hands letting it push her blade down, she controlled it there, pushing slightly it gave her room, to free her blade, rotate her wrist and come overtop as she turned, left to right straight through the middle and escape with its weapon.

The Droid was cut in two. Each part, golden as the lightsaber had severed them. Esme was left with the training blade in a reverse grip held within her grasp.

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