Serix watched Cassie attempt to perform the uppercut. Contrary to the grace of her last technique, she moved in a less confident manner this time. It made her clumsy and a bit awkward. Still, he could see an underlying shadow of her true potential. While she wasn’t a natural-born fighter, she definitely had the ability to become one. She just needed to be more sure of herself.

[b]“Is this right?”[/b] Cassie asked as she readjusted her stance. [b]“Or do I just look like a goof?”[/b]

“That looks right at a glance,” Serix replied. He stepped over to her and gave her shoulder a push, knocking her off balance. “But you’re still not using your core. You’re relying too much on your arms and legs to do the work.” He took the proper stance next to her. “See? It looks the same, but if you try to knock me over, I’m not going to budge.”

He followed up by doing a slower demonstration of the uppercut so Cassie could see the motion better. He pushed his palm upwards with his wrist bent back at a ninety degree angle, straightening his legs from their bent position to add extra force to the move. Then, he dropped his arm again and turned to Cassie.

“Do you think you get it now?” he tilted his head slightly. “Here, go back to the first position.” He waited for her to do so, and then moved to stand behind her. He rested one hand on her waist. “Remember to keep your core activated.” With his other hand, he took her wrist to guide her arm in the uppercut motion. “Also make sure you brace your shoulders. You won’t feel it until you actually hit someone, but the impact can be jarring if you’re not prepared for it. For now, just try to imagine your hand actually connecting with something.”

Serix realized he was still unnecessarily holding on to Cassie’s waist and arm. He stepped away and continued talking to cover it up, “Okay? Try it one more time.”