fighting techniques

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The following techniques are important skills that your characters, as mentors, need to teach their apprentices. In the midst of battle, you do not have to use these techniques, but you can if you want to. You may also create your own unique fighting techniques and PM me so I can put them up here.
ps. Remember, even medicine cats need battle training!

Back kick: Explosive surprise move to catch opponent from behind. Judge opponent's distance from you carefully; then lash out with your back legs, taking your weight on your front paws.

Belly rake: A fight-stopper. Slice with unsheathed claws across soft flesh of opponent's belly. If you're pinned down, the belly rake quickly puts you back in control.

Front paw blow: Frontal attack. Bring your front paw down hard on your opponent's head. Claws sheathed.

Front paw strike: Frontal attack. Slice downward with your front paw at the body or face of your opponent. Claws unsheathed.

Killing bite: A death blow to the back of the neck. Quick and silent and sometimes considered dishonorable (see Warrior Code). Used only as a last resort.

Leap-and-hold: Ideal for a small cat facing a large opponent. Spring onto opponent's back and grip with unsheathed claws. Now you are beyond the range of your opponent's paws and in position to inflict severe body wounds. A group of apprentices can defeat a large and dangerous warrior in this way. It was deployed to great effect against BloodClan's deputy, Bone. Watch for the drop-and-roll counter-move, and try to jump free before you get squashed.

Partner fighting: Warriors who have trained and fought together will often instinctively fall into a paired defensive position, each protecting the other's back while fending off an opponent on either side. Slashing, clawing, and leaping together, battle pairs can be a whirlwind of danger for attackers.

Play dead: Effective in a tight situation, such as when you are pinned. Stop struggling and go limp. When your opponent relaxes his grip, thinking you are defeated, push yourself up explosively. This will throw off an unwary opponent and put you in an attacking position.

Scruff shake: Secure a strong teeth grip in the scruff of your opponent's neck; then shake violently until he or she is too rattled to fight back. Most effective against rats, which are small enough to throw. A strong throw will stun or kill them.

Teeth grip: Target your opponent's extremities—the legs, tail, scruff, or ears—and sink in your teeth and hold. This move is similar to the leap-and-hold except your claws remain free to fight.

Upright lock: Final, crushing move on already weakened opponent. Rear up on back legs and bring full weight down on opponent. If opponent does same, wrestle and flip him under you. This move makes you vulnerable to the belly rake, so requires great strength and speed.

Unique Battle Skills.

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Each of the five Clans have its own unique battle skills. Generally, each tactic is used only by the Clan that created it, though some skills are known to all five Clans.

ThunderClan.

Forest Attacking Tips:

• Move quietly and communicate with signals. Cracking twigs, startled birds, and rustling bracken will tell the enemy exactly where you are.
  
• Keep downwind of the trespassers so that your scent doesn't give you away.
  
• Look for freshly broken twigs, overturned leaves on the forest floor, remains of prey, or a clump of fur caught on a bramble. Any animal that moves through the forest leaves behind signs that its passed by-and signs like this could lead you straight to the invaders.
  
• Keep your mouth open to search for unfamiliar scents. Be careful: if there is scent when there is no breeze to carry it through the forest, it could mean that your enemy is very close by.
  
• Light-colored pelts are easily seen against brown and green foliage, so stay in the thickest cover. Keep low- the enemy will be looking for movement at normal head height, not close to the ground.
  
• Never miss an opportunity to perfect your tracking ability. In the nursery, kits sneak up on their mothers and pounce with their moss-soft paws. Apprentices leap out on one another from behind bushes and tree stumps. These are more than just games. One day, these skills could save your life and defend your Clan.

Lightning Strike:

• Crouch behind the enemy with your patrol unseen.
  
• Wait for the leader of the patrol to give the Attack Tail Signal [refer to tail signals, below this section].
  
• Spring squarely on top of the enemy, aiming for the ears, as they will bleed easily; caught by surprise, they should be easy targets.
  
• As fast as you attack, retreat back into the undergrowth.
  
• As the enemy lets its guard down, attack from an opposite angle; do this over and over until the enemy, thinking they are outnumbered, retreats.

ShadowClan.

Night Ambush:

• Hide in the shadows of the night with your patrol and your enemy spotted.
  
• Make sure your scent isn't drifting toward the attackers.
  
• Wait for the leader of the patrol to give the Attack Tail Signal.
  
• Strike your enemy fast and hard; the enemy will be caught off-guard with a battle at night.
  
• Cut off all your enemy's escape routes, encircling them with your patrol.
  
• If they try to attack, battle again. If they do not, let them through with a warning.

RiverClan.

Double-Front-Paw Slap-Down:

• Splash water into the enemy's face with your front paws, temporarily stunning them.
  

Underwater Leg Sweep (Front or Hind) :

• Crouch under water, holding your breath.
  
• Sweep the legs from under your enemy as their head is raised above water-level; they struggle for breath, as other Clan cats naturally panic underwater.
  

Push-Down and Release:

• Wrestle your enemy under water.
  
• Keep their head below water-level until they surrender, as other Clan cats don't know to hold their breath underwater.
  

Underwater Clinch:

• Use your enemy's weight to hold him underwater.
  
• With a firm grip, raise him to the air so he can breathe, then send him under again. Do this repeatedly until the enemy gives up.
  

Tail Splash:

• Similar to the Double Front-Paw Slap-Down, splash the water into your opponent's eyes with your tail, temporarily blinding them.
  

Underwater Push-Off:

• Holding your breath, crouch below the water's surface.
  
• Aim an accurate pounce to the warrior on the water's edge, knocking him off-balance; the element of surprise should win you this battle.
  

Rushpaw Splash:

• Flick a splash of water at a distance to create a decoy for the enemy, leaving room for a surprise attack.
  

WindClan.

Approach from Above Your Enemy:

• Gain high-ground.
  
• Wait for the leader of the patrol to give the Attack Tail Signal.
  
• Charge down your high ground; your enemy will be weakened by having to fight uphill.
  

Use the Light from the Sun:

• Attack your enemy with the sun behind you, which should dazzle the enemy and block his view.
  

Know Where the Wind is Coming From:

• If there is a strong wind, it should blow from behind you; that should hold them back and blur their vision with dust. However, if stalking, make sure the wind is blowing toward you, as it could give away your scent if blowing toward your enemy.
  

Conceal the Size of Your Force:

• Have your attackers in sight from a distance.
  
• Avoid bundling; this will appear as a small attack force and encourage the enemy to be overconfident. If wanting to intimidate, spread out your Clanmates into single file, which will appear as an impenetrable border of warriors.
  Attack the enemy.
  

Attack Both Ends of the Enemy Line First:

• Attack both ends of your enemy's line, leaving the middle cats to fend on two fronts; this will leave them outflanked, vulnerable, and in disarray.
  
• Attack the rest of the enemies until they run.
  

Keep Fresh Warriors in Reserve:

• Always keep strong, fit warriors to replace injured ones.
  

Feigned Retreat and Ambush:

• A group of strong cats screech and attack the enemy line.
  
• The group of fit cats retreat; repeat this until the enemy line breaks.
  
• Other warriors, usually tunnelers, jump out of rabbit holes and dips in the round on the other side of the attackers.
  
• Attack from both fronts until the enemy surrenders.
  

Tail Signals.[/i]
(a more in-depth guide to tail motion can be found here.)

Tail Held Erect: Stop
Tail Rippling: Move Forward Slowly
Tail Held Erect and Sweeping Slowly from Side to Side: Retreat Silently
Tail Pointing Low, Parallel to the Ground and Sweeping: Spread Out
Tail Flattened: Get Down
Tail Bobbing: Enemy Sighted
Tail Hooked: Danger
Tail Pointed Sharply: Go That Way
Tail Held Erect and Waving from Side to Side: Stay Behind Me
Tail Kinked over Back: Follow Me
Tail Flicking over Back: Leave, but Be Careful
Tail Tip Facing Other Way: Attack
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oh my glob !

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