She could tell that her son was discouraged from his quiet demeanor - she knew that he did not like to fight, but it was certainly a necessity rather than an option. However, his willingness to learn was the only thing that was needed right now - if he was willing to learn, he would have an easier time doing so.
She appraised him as he tried another attempt at swinging the knife - he took it more slowly this time, which was good - unless he was a prodigy, he would not complete the move perfectly and quickly the first time. This time, he kept his balance, and she nodded slowly, approving.
She then stepped forward, with her own knife, in front of Robert.
"Now," she said, "most of fighting is instinct - you don't have time to recall special moves unless you've practiced them so much that they are also instinct. And the only way to condition yourself to fight well is to practice fighting well."
With that nugget of advice, she leapt, taking on a fighting stance, and jabbed at Robert as if she were an enemy about to stab him. Of course, she wouldn't harm him - if he happened to be too slow or too surprised to defend himself adequately, she would pull back the knife; although it seemed quick and ferocious, she was only performing at a fraction of her abilities.
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