The torf is an Andalite tail-blade fighting technique. You begin a common strike and then, millimeters before impact, twist your blade to the side so that only the flat of the blade makes contact. It obviously won’t do much against something like a Hork-Bajir, but it will knock most humanoids out cold and eliminate the need for further violence. It results in many combat fatalities anyway while the technique is still being perfected.
Advertisement