Battle Moves

[Dawn]

B a t t l e M o v e s

One of the most important skills a mentor must teach an apprentice is how to fight. Warriors are often called upon to defend the barriers or protect the Clan from an attack, whether by enemy Clans or by predators like badgers and foxes. Even medicine cats must learn enough fighting techniques to be useful in battle.

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 are pinned down, the belly rake quickly puts you back in control.

Front Paw Blow- Frontal attack. Bring your front claw 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 deathblow to the back of the neck. Quick and silent. Sometimes considered dishonorable. 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 this way. Watch for the roll counter-move and try to jump free before you are squashed.

Partner Fighting- Warriors who have trained together 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 dangers 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/her 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 opponents 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 opponents’ 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 against an already weakened opponent. Rear up on back legs and bring full weight down on opponent. If opponent does same, wrestle and flip them under you. This move makes you vulnerable to the belly rake, so requires great strength and speed.


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**Taken straight out of Erin Hunter's Warriors Field Guide.