Even the more savage species such as the Goblin and Kobold, especially the Kobold, aim for the abdomen against opponents who are taller than them. (Editor: … I get the feeling if kobolds learned chinese kung fu they’d have taken over the world. Google up “monkey steals the peach” to see what I mean.) Therefore, even expert warriors have difficulty fighting against Kobolds due to their small size, quick movements, and the fact that they would wear the taller opponent down by focusing the abdomen. Marida may be aiming for the element of surprise against expert swordsman like Christina.