| [SKA] First Class is Free; Open to members and non-members (see inside) | |
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| Topic Started: Jul 25 2017, 10:28 AM (1,365 Views) | |
| Chizu | Jul 25 2017, 10:28 AM Post #1 |
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Knight Radiant
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It had taken a lot of work to get the kendo club up and running again. First, Yukina had had to renew the club's registration with the school, which had somehow gotten out of date in the past year. Then, she had to find a way to secure practice times for the club in the dojo, which had been difficult to do with a lot of the necessary contacts taking the summer off. After that, she'd had to make sure they had equipment and uniforms, and rule books and all of the other things the club needed. It was a lot of work just to find a way to learn swordsmanship, but finally, finally, it was done. And now there was only one thing left to do--recruit members. Yukina and Ayane, a second-year who had latched on pretty early to the idea of rebuilding the kendo club, had settled on the idea of having the club's first regular practice session be open, just to see if anyone who was around over the summer would be interested in joining. They had printed out flyers for the club and placed them at various points around campus with the date and time of today's practice, and instructions to come in gym uniforms or other comfortable exercise clothes if students were interested. Yukina had even--and she shuddered at this memory--handed them out to people personally. And although she couldn't remember where every single flyer in their printed pile had gone, they had significantly less flyers than they had started with. That meant that some people had to have seen them, right? Maybe? Yukina stood around the dojo barefoot in her gym uniform, occasionally peeking over at the open door nervously. There were still fifteen minutes to go before the practice time that they had indicated, but the dojo seemed...worryingly empty. Maybe nobody would be coming, she thought. Maybe it would just be her and Ayane. Oh God, why was she doing this? Had she lost her mind? Why did she even think a martial arts club would be a good fit for her? And why the heck was she president? What was even happening with her life? Spoiler: click to toggle "Calm down, Shiromizu," a green-haired man said from where he was seated cross-legged on the tatami mat, a shinai close at hand. "I can hear you thinking from here. Relax, people will come if they come." Spoiler: click to toggle "Sensei's right, Yukina-chan," said another girl dressed in a gym uniform, coming out of the back room with an armful of shinai. She gave Yukina a cheerful smile. "Don't worry about it. Come help me with the equipment. We'll need some bokkens too." Yukina stared at the two of them in distress, wondering how they could both be so calm about this. But it occurred to her that she had just been asked for a favor, so she jumped, turning towards the girl. "R-Right away, Katagiri-senpai," she said, hurrying off to the back room. "And show a little more confidence!" Ayane said as Yukina ran off. "You're the club president, aren't you?" Yukina groaned, disappearing into the back in search of bokkens. She really wished people would stop reminding her of that. |
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| GrimRPer | Jul 25 2017, 11:19 AM Post #2 |
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So, someone he met recently was getting a Kendo club started... Perfect! Chairo took the flyer in his hands with a joyful grin, knowing this was what he needed to find his way, to learn how to wield the Star Sword he had effectively. But he wouldn't use it openly. At the right day, at the right time, he approached the Dojo and stayed out of sight, a slightly mischievous grin as he abandoned his human form, clothes blending with his fur as he soon dropped on all four, a large fox with a pale yellow fur, and a mark in the shape of a brown leaf on his back. The tip of his tail glistening gently with sunlight as he stepped into the dojo and watched the scene unfold. As a fox, he seemed serious and judgemental of her, but it was just him behaving and looking like a fox as usual. A large fox, but not very large anyways. When Yukina made her leave to the back room, he laid on a mat and curled up, resting his snout on his crossed forepaws. |
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| Momo | Jul 25 2017, 04:06 PM Post #3 |
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I deny your deniability.
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While it may have been quiet in the hall, it still made a certain person feel annoyed as soon as he stepped into the room. Not because of the lack of people, but the fact that there were too many. Though, it might surprise someone to see this person of all showing up for something like this, especially since it's a group activity, he was practically forced to do so by his father. It's rather funny, really. Like a game of telephone, the flyer went from hand to hand before finally coming into the hands of his father. Upon seeing said flyer, his father bluntly told him to 'get his attitude beaten down' in this club. It didn't help that he lost the fight to Akio-senpai so fast. No, it's just Akio now, huh. Walking through the door, the infamous delinquent renown for his dragon tattoo and his horribly rude attitude showed up as the first person. A fox not counting, though he didn't really pay attention to it. In the first place, are pets even allowed at school? Well, whatever. There's probably some reason for it. If anything, the three people there might be wondering why exactly someone like that showed up, but he simply entered and crossed his arm, looking annoyed, for some reason. "Tch, It's just a bunch of girls." He rudely remarked, seeing the two members of the club itself as he grumbled. Whether he was honestly annoyed that there were only two members, and both were female, or the fact that there were girls in the club that was the problem... Well, either way, Jin approached the three and put his dominant hand in his pocket as he tilted his head. "Oy, this is the Kendo club, right? Don't tell me this is everyone? He said, his face looking slightly shocked. "And here I thought it was a serious club, what a waste of time. He grumbled as he put his hands in his pockets and looked towards the exit. Could it be he already wanted to leave? Well, no, of course he does. Though he wouldn't go against his father's orders, right? |
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| bonniecanuck | Jul 25 2017, 04:36 PM Post #4 |
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Bonnie Bushi
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"Not everybody." A normally mild voice flashed with an undercurrent of anger, as a girl appeared in the door. She looked like perhaps the most ready out of anybody in the room - she wore the base uniform not unlike that of a kendo practitioner, namely a white uwagi and dark hakama. It wasn't for that originally though. In any case her hair was tied back more than she normally did, her long flowing ponytail and locks replaced with a simple thick bun tied up in a braid. Appearing in the door and into the room, she made her way across the floor, ignoring the big figure in the way. What she couldn't ignore was the bushy creature snoozing in the corner. She could recognise him any day by the mark on his back, though admittedly this was the first she had seen of him in this form. If he was here, then this was probably going to be alright. Joining the club when it was announced had been a difficult process of consideration - though she had time enough on her hands, she wanted to spend more of it with the Historical Society and also working on her newly-arrived friend set up his farm and possibly start a Running, Equestrian or Naginata Club. Still though... I've managed time with even worse constraints and more things to do. Que sera sera! She spotted the two figures in the back room, and called out to them. "Hello! Do you need help getting things out?" The voice warmed up quickly again as a head poked in the door. "Shiromizu-san, right? 1-A as well?" She inclined her head to the visibly younger of the two. Edited by bonniecanuck, Jul 25 2017, 04:39 PM.
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| Zim1718 | Jul 26 2017, 10:33 AM Post #5 |
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From within the depths of the back room emerged a young man in a lose kimono and a light blue hakama covering from his waist down to his ankles, his bare feet touching lightly over the floor. His arms carried several bokken for this, the kendo club's opening session. Tashiro Miyamoto wasn't quite sure why he was a member of the revived club. He wasn't particularly fond of Kendo itself, he found it a bit too constrictive when compared to the Mushashi style of Niten Ichi-ryƫ, but he wasn't one to deny a fledgling club trying to spread it's wings, so he had decided to help it out. For a time, at least. Perhaps he could pick up a trick or two about fighting in constrained circumstances, such as in a kendo bout or something. "Ah, we have new arrivals?" He said as he began placing the wooden blades down in neat rows. Edited by Zim1718, Jul 26 2017, 10:33 AM.
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| Lawman | Jul 27 2017, 12:29 AM Post #6 |
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Keep Calm and Cheeki Breeki
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"Still more to come," Nicole remarked as the onyx-haired girl stepped into the dojo's training room - being a martial artist herself Nicole had come in a fitting garb for kendo training; a kendo practice uniform consisting of a white dougi and navy-coloured hakama, with her hair tied back in her usual high ponytail by a white ribbon. "Ah, at least I'm not totally surrounded by unfamiliar faces," Nicole added, looking in the direction of Edie and giving the blonde girl a nod and a smile - she didn't get her name back then, but the face was familiar; she was that girl she and Andromeda had met the other time during the Valentine's Day ball at the forest manor. "Shouldn't a round of introductions be in order though?" the lightning warrior asked, looking around at the rest of the students who'd turned up. "Name's Nicole Ryuko, first year from Class B," the onyx-haired girl faced the group before bowing at the waist and looking up at them with a blaze of excitement in her azure eyes. "And I'm looking forward to learning the way of the sword from you all!" and with that Nicole would place her hands together in a gesture of respect, before moving to a corner so as not to stand at the doorway and obstruct the way of anybody else that might be arriving. |
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| Chizu | Jul 27 2017, 01:40 PM Post #7 |
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Knight Radiant
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When Yukina walked into the back room, she was startled to find someone else there, already working on picking up an armful of wooden swords. She blinked, staring at him, before her startled brain put two and two together and she remembered that she and Ayane weren't the only founding members of the revived kendo club. "O-Oh, Miyamoto-kun!" she said. "Thank you for helping with that." "Ah, thanks, Tashiro-kun!" Ayane said, when Tashiro emerged from the back room. "If you could grab a set of bogu too, that would be great! Just one. I don't think we're actually going to get anyone in them today." Yukina gathered up a group of swords as well, balancing them carefully in her arms as she stepped back out into the dojo. There, her step faltered when she noticed the fox curled up in the corner, but neither Ayane nor Rafael seemed to care, so she kept walking, doing her best not to sneak glances at the fox out of the corner of her eye. She'd almost made it to where Ayane was stacking up the weapons when someone else stepped into the dojo, scowling and immediately challenging everyone in the room. Reactions to Ryujin's arrival varied. Yukina froze in place, staring at him like a startled deer in the headlights. Ayane stopped what she was doing, her eyes narrowing in anger. And Rafael... ...smiled and raised his hand in a wave of acknowledgement. Seriously, Yukina thought, he was way too calm. Edie's arrival sent another wave of rising tension into the room, and Yukina held her breath as she addressed the new arrival. As Edie walked past Ryujin and approached her, Ayane straightened up, walking over to Ryujin. "Yes, this is the kendo club," she said. "If you don't want to be here, you can leave." That was certainly trouble. Yukina found it hard to turn her eyes away from the developing situation and look back at Edie, but she managed, turning towards the other girl. Yukina hadn't yet attended class, but she did remember having a conversation with Edie about the kendo club when she was handing out flyers. "Oh, um...Sh-Sheridan-san, right?" she asked. "Um...I think we're fine, but if you want to get the rest of the shinai out of the back, that would be helpful. O-Only if you don't mind, though." With each word, Yukina could feel whatever confidence she had managed to gather ebbing. She drew in a deep breath, remembering what Ayane said, and tried not to look so uncertain. She took a step forward, still ignoring...whatever confrontation was happening between Ayane and Ryujin and the fox's presence, and turned to face Nicole as the girl walked into the club room. Nicole introduced herself and asked for introductions in return, and it was telling that Ayane didn't immediately answer, keeping her eyes on Ryujin. Yukina resolved to stop looking at them, turning towards the other girl. "I-I'm Shiromizu Yukina," she said. "Class 1-A. I-It's nice to meet you, Ryuko-san." She gave Nicole a quick bow, breathing an inward sigh of relief that she didn't mess that one up too badly. But Rafael still hadn't made any move to start class. Which meant there was still plenty of time to make a fool of herself. Yukina found herself holding her breath, counting down the seconds until this social obligation was over. Edited by Chizu, Jul 27 2017, 03:58 PM.
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| GrimRPer | Jul 27 2017, 03:12 PM Post #8 |
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"A bunch of girls?", those words drew Chairo's attention for a moment, his snout shifting towards Ryujin momentarily, a low growl for a couple seconds, before he shifted positions a bit, laying on his side, probably grumbling about the noise? Ryujin wouldn't see, back had been turned to him, but the fox was grinning. Edie's arrival made his tail wag, pounding the tatami with a muffled sound. The thumping would stop shortly close to Nicole's arrival. Nothing against her, it's just that he was getting up and taking his seat there to observe the introduction of Nicole and Yukina, and soon he delivered his surprise... "Nice to meet ya, Nicole Ryuko! And it's great to see you again, Yukina!" A... Freaking talking fox. Smirking as he spoke, he stood on two legs, clothes and human nature forming over his fur, until he was like the kid Yukina met the other day, however wearing red shorts with yellow splotches, short-sleeved yellow shirt with a "Rules of Nature!" being chomped by red vectorized fangs on the front and black shoes. But something else was off... He wasn't FULLY human. His fox ears and tail still showed, and the pupils in his eyes were still like that of a fox, a slit in each. Little fangs showed in his grin, less menacing than that of his fox self. "Chairo no Konoha, Class 1-C. It's okay to call me Chairo. And I do admit to being a fox, though who is surprised really?", that was kind of a weird question, but he didn't mind, he kept his good cheer. |
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| Momo | Jul 27 2017, 08:25 PM Post #9 |
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I deny your deniability.
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Jin seemed annoyed, even more so at first when he was answered by another girl that passed him by, as she addressed his question. Well, it was more of a taunt than an actual question, really. Though, Jin didn't really show it on his face, as his face remained the annoyed scowl it already was. So if that annoyed him any further would be hard to notice at first. Though he noticed the guy that came from the back, he was soon approached by one of the girls that was in the room at the start. And what an approach it was, quite agressive, interesting. Though it's not like people didn't really confront him when he said stuff like that, but to see a younger girl get into his face like that was quite the thing. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her, before shrugging. "I don't, but I'll be sticking around anyways." At least that way, he could tell his father that he showed up. Jin was never a club type of person, but if it satisfied his father, he'd just say it didn't end up working out. He simply stared the girl down, just noticing that someone else had entered the room in that time. Another woman, seemingly, though he wasn't really bothered by it in the first place. Jin knew that you couldn't judge someone's strength by looks alone in this school, but that didn't stop him from making people think he did. As people started introducing themselves, Jin felt like staying quiet would be counter productive, even if you had no intention on joining the club. Just as he about to speak up, another person spoke, though. Well, 'person'. As the Fox almost shouted out an introduction itself, Jin jumped a bit. He wasn't really expecting it, even if he had seen the Fox moving towards the group. Though, quickly composing himself, he shook his head, annoyed. "Masamune Ryujin, Class 3-B." He simply stated, attaching no 'nice to meet you' or anything of the sort. Well, whether anything was added, the name probably ringed familiar with some people. After all, his family is rather famous. Or perhaps it's better to say 'infamous'. After all, anyone that lived on Kaneshima should've at least heard the name of the Masamune family before. Not every day that a Yakuza family is in charge of so many businesses before, and even then most business would be underground. For a blatant Yakuza family to work on the up and up, or so they'd have you believe, was quite the surprise, really. And even if you hadn't heard of the Masamune family, a simple glance at Jin and you'd see he's a Yakuza, or a delinquent at least. Either way, leaving his tattoo and attitude alone, his expression was enough to make people think twice about approaching someone like him. "Well, either way, I'll be looking forwards to your 'kendo'." Jin rudely finished his introduction with. It's not like he was a master kenjutsu practitioner either, but he figured he was at least better than these lot. |
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| HiddenLotus | Jul 27 2017, 10:46 PM Post #10 |
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Lilly was not exactly in the most pleasant of moods this day, nor had she been for awhile now after recent events, and her personal experiences involved in them. Sauntering through the door into the dojo with her arms folded against her abdomen, she surveyed the room with a heated focus in her eyes. Ever since the chaos that had erupted throughout the school year, she had been unable to schedule any proper meetings for the MMA club. It was a blow that hit home hard, her hard work getting the club ready to go had been wasted, and wasting time was not something she enjoyed. On top of that, she had been humiliated twice over while doing her part to put an end to the anarchy, once at the beach during the joint festival and again trying to fight against Akio in the cafeteria before he escaped. Needless to say, her pride was wounded, and from how tightly her fists were clenched against her abs, she was ready to do something about it. When word reached her about the Kendo club getting revived, she remembered how she wanted to spar against the previous president, but had never gotten the chance. The missed opportunity gnawed on the back of her head as she went about her days since being reminded of it, she wanted to find a rival to push her growth further, and she had thought a fellow club president would be just what she needed. She lingered at the entrance in her usual jacket, jeans, and boots, content to scout things out for now. As zealous as she was to set about challenging their president or maybe scheduling for a club to club spar, she still had to maintain some respect and dignity as president of another club. |
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| bonniecanuck | Jul 27 2017, 11:46 PM Post #11 |
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Bonnie Bushi
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At the last of Jin's words, Edie visibly twitched. She did not take lightly to condescension and especially what more or less amounted to an insult against not just the girls but the art they were trying to learn and teach. Inferior or not, kendo was still a martial art that deserved respect, and while she couldn't guess how well they were going to do, to belittle them in such a manner could only be considered offensive to a seasoned martial artist who prized honour and respect as fundamental values under the dojo's roof. She didn't let that get to her though. Instead she kept her glance at the girls. "Yes, it's me. Call me Edie, please. Or however you should since you are the President." Edie and Yukina may have been in the same class, but she still lent the relatively newer girl respect and appreciation for her work to really try to get this up and running. Though she still admittedly held on to her bias for the naginata the one time they spoke about this before today, she still wanted this to be a success. Leaving aside her admittedly somewhat selfish reasons for joining, she did have a genuine desire to learn with her friends, as picking up new skills on her own had felt rather...lonesome. No matter how well things turned out in the end, the experience of learning with her friends as opposed to her with just a master and maybe some other people in a class was something she didn't feel like doing in a school like this. She wanted to know more people and find a sense of community here, and what better place to find it with like-minded friends? Well...mostly. In any case she did what Yukina asked and found the shinai. She handled them carefully as she got them out, handling them carefully like she did her naginata. She would be damned if she started some mischief here and now. |
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| LunarCataphract | Jul 28 2017, 04:42 AM Post #12 |
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There was yet another person who wished to arrive. The first they would hear of this new arrival would be the sound of a motorbike through the walls which suddenly cut out. The doors to the dojo were forced open by a dark haired man as he marched in back held straight and confident a polar opposite to his facial expression and hand movements. As Adrian walked into the dojo he rubbed the back of his neck and looked about the room. His eyes darted from Nicole, to the tutor, to the president, to the fox person and everyone else. Without bothering to introduce himself, more due to new found concerns he had developed in recent weeks than anything else, the knight merely walked around the edge of the room and came to a stop by the wall furthest from the door. He folded his arms over and learned against the wall a stoic expression on his face. He did not seem the slightest bit interested in anybody here except for the green haired man. Adrian knew exactly whom the man was and he was really the only one he was here to see; the fact the Kendo club was going through a period of revival was mostly irrelevant to Adrian as his desire to join would be determined by today's experiences. Everyone else seemed to be making introductions but not Adrian oh no; he decided to remain silent gaze piercing the only academy staff member here. He seemed oddly interested in Rafael and that was because he was however there was a real reason for that: Adrian wished to fight them but for now he would buy his time and see if these people were worth much. Adrian's confidence may have been knocked recently but he did still have a pedigree behind him. |
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| Lawman | Jul 29 2017, 02:02 AM Post #13 |
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Keep Calm and Cheeki Breeki
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"Well, I heard they say just about anything goes to Senki Academy, so nope, not surprised," Nicole would make a teasing reply to Chairo's statement. After all, a talking, transforming fox was probably one of the more "normal" students to grace the school roster. "Yeah, a pleasure getting acquainted," the lightning warrior remarked, bowing every time someone introduced themselves as a show of manners, for such was the way she was raised in the Ryuko Dojo - being taught from an early age that fighting prowess alone does not a warrior make. Without honour, without manners, without respect, one would be nothing more than an animal with a sword. "Ha, looks like we're getting popular aren't we?" Nicole chuckled as two newcomers arrived while Edie was bringing out the shinai - a magenta-haired girl whom she wasn't familiar with, and a young knight that she was all too familiar with. "Hey Adrian, come to join the kendo club too, have you?" the lightning warrior waved at Adrian, trying to get the knight to come in. She'd remembered the time she duelled with Adrian, and in all honesty was looking for an opportunity to cross swords once again. And with the knight's arrival at the kendo club, perhaps today was where they were fated to have their rematch? She could only wonder. |
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| Zim1718 | Jul 29 2017, 05:25 AM Post #14 |
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Tashiro removed the set of armor from the rack, folding it neatly before carrying it into the main room to the sound of more arrivals. The rude young man had not yet left, and a few new faces had appeared. Including the fox, who was now a human/fox hybrid. Another Kitsune? He seemed to attract those things... How bothersome. Another strange and silent character had also appeared, a strange looking man who must have come from the loud motorcycle. With another person waiting outside, he began to stiffen. The atmosphere in the room was kicking up a notch. He rose from where he was setting out the armor, and ensured his two bokken were loose in their sheathes, ready to be drawn. "I am Tashiro Miyamoto, of class 1-C, Shodan and member of the Kendo club. I look forward to working with you all. Unless you'd rather be somewhere else, in which case I cannot blame you for leaving." There, that should, hopefully, pull attention off of the club president and onto himself. Maybe. Or maybe Rodrigues-sensei would just deal with it... who knew at this juncture. Without loosing focus he began to drift to stand behind Yunika, ready to do whatever next was needed. |
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| Chris | Jul 29 2017, 08:38 AM Post #15 |
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The Kendo Club was certainly getting popular fast considering the large amount of students coming to the first club meeting. One of these students was running rather late and just showed up through the door after everyone started getting acquainted with one another. This probably would effect his first impressions with the rest of the club seeing how some people hate it when someone arrives late when given a meet up time ahead of time. This could be blamed on his poor sense of direction, but if he were to voice this it might sound like a bad excuse he made up on the spot. Oh well, he might as well try to make up for his tardiness in some way. He took off his white hat revealing his short black hair with a bang of his hair standing straight up on his head. "I'm Roja D. Yuki, but i prefer being called Yuki. I apologize for being somewhat late." He said in a soft tone of voice giving a bow to his club mates. After he was finished with his quick introduction, he would lay his hat to the side of wall. |
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| Chizu | Jul 29 2017, 11:35 AM Post #16 |
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Knight Radiant
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Yukina blinked as the fox--who she had been sneaking glances at every now and then--transformed into a boy. And not just any boy, but a boy she recognized. "Ch-Chairo-kun!" she said. "When are you--h-how are you--?" She trailed off, stopping herself before she could babble any further. It shouldn't have been so surprising to her. After all, Chairo had told her his mother was a kitsune. But knowing a thing and seeing it in action was another thing entirely. "U-Um, I mean, it's nice to see you here," she said. "Welcome to the kendo club." Ayane, meanwhile, scowled at Jin as he responded. She didn't say anything further, though. She had better things to do. Instead, she rolled her eyes, turning away from him, and although her eyes did widen in surprise as he gave his name, the annoyed expression returned to her face fairly quickly. It seemed as though she knew who he was but didn't care, thinking of him as only the guy with the bad attitude who had come into the kendo club. As introductions went around, she turned to face the group, putting a smile on her face. "My name is Katagiri Ayane," she said. "Class 2-C. I'm looking forward to working with you all." Another girl (Lily) walked through the door, moving in Yukina's peripheral vision. Yukina turned towards her, ready to greet her, but there was something in Lily's expression that made her pause, stopping before she could. The girl didn't look like she had come here to learn. She looked like she had come here to pick a fight. Yukina froze, and was shaken out of it by the sound of a motorcycle. She jumped, her eyes snapping towards the door. The boy who had arrived--Adrian, according to Nicole--didn't speak, didn't say anything to any of them. Instead, he took up a position standing against the wall. Yukina tensed. Somehow, between them and Jin, she had the feeling that some very scary people were in attendance today. And Tashiro was on her side, which was nice, but it also made her feel bad. She shouldn't need people to defend her. That was what she was here for, after all. To learn how to defend herself on her own. Thankfully, she was spared having to worry about that, because Rafael Rodrigues-sensei was finally getting up. He stood up almost lazily, grinning as he picked up the shinai beside him. "Alright," he said, turning to face the class. "That's enough. Let's get this started. Gather around." A moment later, those interested would be standing in a group in front of Rodrigues-sensei. Ayane, Tashiro, and a very embarrassed Yukina would be directed to stand somewhere beside him, facing the class. Between them and the class were the piles of equipment they would be using--the bokken, the shinai, and the single set of armor that Tashiro had taken from the back room. It was to this sight that Yuki would burst in through the door, apologizing for being late. "Nah, you're fine," Rafael said, waving him over. "We're just getting started. Join the group." Once everyone was settled, Rafael looked up at the class. "My name is Rafael Rodrigues. I'm a kendo and fitness instructor here. Some of you probably already know me. You're all here for the kendo club, right? Today, we're going to go over some basic terms, and just get to know each other. Should be pretty simple. Before that, Shiromizu, as club president, you want to say a few words?" Yukina went tense, her eyes widening. She stared at Rodrigues-sensei in horror, then realized the rest of the group was looking at her and dropped into a quick bow. "U-Um...hello!" she said. "Th-thank you all for being here. A-As you heard, I'm club president, but I really just do the organizing and the scheduling. I-I'm here to learn just like all of you, s-so--I hope we all get along." There. It was a standard introduction with a little too much self-deprecation and a little too much stammering, but at least she got through it. Yukina's face flushed at the thought of just how pathetic she must look right now. At a nod from Rodrigues-sensei, she gratefully bowed to the class and scurried over to the other side of the group, the one watching Rodrigues-sensei instead of standing beside him. "Thanks, Shiromizu," Rafael said. He inclined his head towards Ayane and Tashiro. "These guys are senior students. They'll be helping out with the lesson today. Katagiri, walk them through the equipment." Ayane blinked in surprise, but bowed quickly towards Rafael as he stepped back, walking forward to face the class. It wasn't as if Rafael was doing this to pass off the responsibility of teaching for a second longer, was it? She shot him a suspicious look, which he responded to with a genial smile. Her brows furrowed, but she walked over to the shinai anyway, picking one up to show the class. Shinai "This is a shinai," she said. "A bamboo sword. This is what we use for kendo matches. It's designed to make a loud cracking sound--," She picked up a second shinai and cracked the two of them together for illustration. "--when struck. We use it for kendo because it's a lot softer than a bokken and the risk of injury is much lighter. We'll probably also be using it if we do any paired drills..." She glanced at Rafael and got a nod in confirmation. Ayane placed the shinai carefully on the ground, then picked up the bogu chestpiece, showing it to the class. Bogu "This set of armor is called bogu," she said. "It's also used for kendo. There are four components, the men: the helmet, shoulder gear, and facemask, the kote: the gauntlets which protect the arm and hand, the do, which I'm holding: the chest plate, and the tare: the belt that protects the legs and the groin. In kendo, the only valid strikes are cuts to the head, the chest, the wrists, or a thrust to the throat. But since the last one can injure someone if done improperly in competition, that's usually restricted to higher-ranked kendoka." "Um..." she hesitated for a moment, putting the chest piece down and picking up the last piece of equipment, the bokken. Bokken "You notice that I keep talking about rules. I'm specifically talking about kendo competitions, which have strict rules. But...I think we'll also be teaching kenjutsu in this club, is that right?" She glanced at Tashiro and Rafael for confirmation. Rafael nodded. "Kenjutsu is the older martial art. It's more combative than kendo. So it doesn't have rules like kendo does. We'll be using bokken for that and for solo training in kendo. A bokken is a wooden sword. You'll notice that this is in the same shape as a live katana. It's also a lot harder, and can seriously injure someone if you strike them with it, so we won't be using these for sparring. That's all." She broke off sharply, putting the bokken down and bowing to the class. Rafael nodded at her. "Good, Katagiri," he said. "We'll be working for the bokken today, so go ahead and pick one up. Any questions?" Edited by Chizu, Aug 1 2017, 11:45 AM.
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| GrimRPer | Jul 29 2017, 12:58 PM Post #17 |
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At first, Chairo walked up to Ryujin, looking serious like when he was the fox in the corner, but suddenly cracked a smile anyways, his tail wagging. "Nice to meet you!", it was genuine joy in meeting him? Or perhaps amusement in that he managed to surprise an Yakuza? But still, he met other reactions with amusement (mostly) before he then backed to his position, seated on a tatami mat, his legs crossed, right on time for a new arrival. Lily, who was probably in anything but her average mood. The fox kid set his eyes upon her for a moment, thoughtful, wondering if something happened, and what was it. But didn't ask... Better not to open up old wounds. "Ah, yes, Edie!", his focus suddenly snapped to Edie when she introduced herself, "Feels like it was yesterday, when we got some small lessons on how to wield swords, eh? I hope you have been practicing too...". A kinds smile at her has followed those words, before he soon focused on Lily, only for his focus to be cut short by the roar of engines that would soon cease. Even that brief moment the motorcycle made noise has annoyed him enough, he pulled his ears low as to muffle the sound, trying to lock-on upon whoever brought that noise to disturb the introduction. Adrian's eyes would meet with that of Chairo, who was letting go of his fluffy fox's ears and simply... Stare with an unnatural glow in his eyes. It was but for a moment, then the fox would avert his gaze, having found nothing unusual about the Knight, and simply assuming that is his posture that triggered the fox kid. "His name is Adrian, huh...", the fox kid has heard Nicole mention, slowly drawing back his kitsune nature to let his human self come to surface whole. Tashiro speaking got his attention, because of something else... "I have a favor to ask you later. But you can decline at will.", truth is that Chairo has been wanting to ask someone to train him personally, and maybe... Just maybe... Tashiro could be this one. He failed to notice the late arrival, until he did a double-take, at the moment Yuki apologized. "Ah, I think there's nothing wrong with being late for this first meeting, after all we are still making introductions.", and briefly waited for any other late arrival with eyes setting from Yuki to the door once again. But seeing no other late arrival (yet), he simply did as told by Rafael Rodrigues, standing among others but feeling a bit of a greenhorn. The kid's comfort lied on the fact that there were familiar faces, and one of them was the head of this club... As the equipment was introduced, he made a mental note of each: "Shinai, a bamboo sword... Should be great for a friendly spar, I suppose? ... Bogu, the armor itself... I suppose I'll have to get used to it eventually. ... I knew that about Bokken, gotta be cautious with it." Once allowed to, he took a bokken in hands and weighed it briefly, giving a small nod and humming satisfaction. The weight felt just right, unlike that day at the park where toy swords had been fitted with weights that messed its balance. "Nothing beats a proper training gear!", the kid firmly believed. But he felt a question would be necessary. "Rodrigues-Sensei, would you enlighten us with a philosophy of your own? Possibly in regards to how you view a sword.", Chairo believed in that a "weapon" or "tool" should be an extension of oneself... But what was each's opinion? He kept his own hidden for now... |
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| LunarCataphract | Jul 29 2017, 08:50 PM Post #18 |
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Adrian was hoping to go unnoticed. He was hoping that people wouldn't get too concerned with his presence or if he would join on account of the fact he wasn't sure he would be attending future sessions but that was when Nicole, the only person here he knew and even then it was rather loosely, waved towards him as if to get him to come over. He rubbed the back of his neck looking rather awkward and with an expression that can only be described as sour, not due to Nicole, the young knight walked towards her and nodded. "Lady Nicole." There was a certain stiffness to the manner in which Adrian had walked and it carried over to his posture which was odd given how normally he'd have an arrogant swagger. It was at that point the club's sensei and the president spoke up announcing the actual start of the club. Adrian stood with Nicole on account of the fact he may as well; where he stood was irrelevant at the end of the day so he decided he may as well just stick with her not that it really mattered much at the end of the day. A new girl burst in and apologised for being late but again Adrian did not care; he focused on the dojo master and the president of the club waiting for things to actually get started. As things got into high gear the president introduced herself in a manner that just reeked of poor confidence. He stuttering and downplaying of what she did for the club. Once Adrian would have scoffed but given recent events he could understand at least to a limited degree; still he wasn't going to lecture her on it as he had more important objectives today. It was then the senior students spoke up explaining the equipment but it all sounded like Japanese stuff which Adrian, honestly, did not care too much for on account of his roots. In fact he didn't care about the terminology at all; it was annoying stupid irrelevant information that he ultimately did not need to know. Armour was armour and a sword was a sword regardless of where in the world you used it. "Yeah I have a question. Outside of Kendo Competitions are we free to fight however we like? I've been raised in western swordsmanship centred around two handed swords as well as sword and shield combinations." In all honesty Adrian felt he should have brought his own sparring equipment with him blunted versions of the weapons he normally fought with. "I also have another question. Are you only training us for Kendo competitions or will you also be training us in Kenjutsu?" Adrian detested the very notion of contests with rules that limited in what ways you could fight. How could you prove your were the best at fighting if some fools decided what was fair or not? Still perhaps this Kenjutsu, which seemed to favour two handed weapons, might offer some insight in the Eastern way of things which was the only reason Adrian was here: to learn Eastern techniques to improve his skills when it came to fighting against those techniques. Despite the fact he ignored the fox, and had not looked into his eyes unless the fox stood between him and the teacher, he did ignore the question posed. "Does the philosophy really matter? A sword is a sword." Those who went on without end about how they viewed their swords were often big talkers with no sustenance. |
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| bonniecanuck | Jul 30 2017, 09:20 PM Post #19 |
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Bonnie Bushi
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"It does matter." The reply was snippy and straightforward. Edie found it frustrating how some people had such a simplistic vision of martial arts in terms of the laws of war and not sport or, well, martial arts. What was this, the Pacific War? In any case, she didn't try to let the question hang in her head too much. Instead she shifted forward slightly, taking a glance at the equipment to fully gauge and assess Ayane's explanation, and kept listening. She wanted to ask about what in particular they would be going through today with the bokken, but at the least they would be told of that as they went along anyway, so it would probably be redundant. Still, she felt that things were on the right track. Personally, however, she thought that it was probably best that they dealt with the necessary etiquette and philosophies like reigi-saho and mokuso sooner than later. Those had been core fundamentals she had adhered to when practicing naginata her entire life, and to gloss over them would be a significant sign of disrespect to the space of the dojo and the philosophy of the art. |
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| Momo | Jul 30 2017, 09:51 PM Post #20 |
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I deny your deniability.
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Jin may have been thrown out snide comments about them, but that didn't mean he didn't pay attention. He listened closely to Katagiri's explanations with his arms crossed. Well, so far so good, at least it's not wrong. Jin started thinking this girl might be serious about it, though he'd leave that question until he actually saw her practicing. He looked at the bokken that they were supposed to use today, and glanced at the rest of the group. He didn't have any particular question, he wasn't that intent on joining the group, after all. Nor was he eager to start practicing kendo. Mostly because he already knew a lot of this stuff, and back then he wasn't that interested either. That said, when another student started talking about the philosophy of the sword, things got a bit interesting. Jin listened to two people interject, one that didn't seem to care about philosophies and another that said it mattered. if Jin had to choose a side here, then it'd be... "How stupid." He muttered. Was he perhaps of the opinion that philosophies and such were silly? Well, if you weren't a master swordsman perhaps one didn't really think of it. That said, you're wrong. Jin didn't mean to say that having a philosophy is stupid, no, he was stating having a discussion about it was. "Seeking knowledge is fine and all, but when you get into the different reasons and ways of being with the sword, then you might as well start an 1000 page autobiography. A philosophy isn't something as simple that it can be explained with a few words. It's a dedication and understanding that takes many years to understand fully, you can't just ask someone not just what theirs is, but then argue if it matters at all. To argue whether having one or not is the worst offense as a swordsman, nay, in any form of martial arts this is the case. If you don't have one, you might as well give up the sword and use a gun. The very act that is Kenjutsu would be meaningless without it. And if you are aiming to practice Kendo, then why would one be here without it? If you're just practicing it to look cool then you're definitely half-rate." Jin argued, seeming slightly more into the class than he did before. Despite what he said before, he seemed to be rather into the sport itself, doesn't he? As he finally noticed what he said, and the fact that he joined the conversation, he realized he may have said a bit much, considering who he was. "... Well, not that I care that much." ... Liar. Jin brushed off his little rant with those words, despite them holding no value anymore. At this point, it was obvious Jin at least held interest in the conversation, after all. Well, you'd never hear him admit it, at least. That said, it'd probably be easier to get along with Jin if they knew that that's what he was like. He definitely doesn't say what he means half of the time. This dumb tsundere. Edited by Momo, Jul 31 2017, 12:19 AM.
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10:42 PM Jul 11



