| [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 (1,368 Views) | |
| HiddenLotus | Jul 31 2017, 10:04 AM Post #21 |
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Lilly kept to herself throughout the exchanges around the dojo and the lesson from the instructor and whom was revealed to be the club president, predominantly a fist fighter, the details of swordplay were of no real interest to her. Her ulterior motive still obvious a hope for someone to throw her fist at, she would have had to come regardless as is her duty as president of a fellow club. Once it was revealed the timid-looking Yukina was president of this club, she felt a pang of anxiety before she quickly mellowed out. She felt no real interest or ambient skill and strength from the young girl, but even in her own career as a mercenary before coming to Kaneshima, she would've been a fool to judge on appearances. When the older instructor had revealed that practice would begin, she raised one hand above her head and bowed her head slightly towards him in respect. "If it's alright with you, sir, I'll just observe from over here. I suppose I should've said so when I first arrived, but I'm the president of the school's mixed martial arts club. Would set a poor example as leader of a club of fists if I were to take up a sword, you see?" |
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| Lawman | Aug 1 2017, 01:39 AM Post #22 |
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Keep Calm and Cheeki Breeki
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Nicole nodded as Ayane went about introducing the basics of kendo to the club, giving the benefit of doubt that not everyone who came through the doors had any foundation in swordplay - which is a perfectly sensible thing to do; starting with the equipment they would be using; terms that Nicole herself was familiar with, although technically her foundation lay in kenjutsu rather than kendo. Nicole's ears perked up as Chairo asked Rodrigues-sensei about his philosophy regarding swords and swordplay; and while the lightning warrior was instinctively tempted to chime in with her own, she knew better than to speak out of turn. At least until Adrian cut in with his own questions, a none too veiled skepticism about philosophy behind martial arts and the like. "What Edie-san said," Nicole glanced over to the blonde girl who retorted that it matters. "Martial arts isn't just about fighting, it's a way of life. Bruce Lee, anyone?" the onyx-haired girl interjected. Or at least from what she knew about the martial arts legend, Jeet Kune Do wasn't so much of a fighting style, but rather a philosophy on how one approaches combat, and a mindset that emphasises on practicality rather than blind adherence to tradition. "But yeah, what Adrian-san said," the lightning warrior would digress, "Are we going to be practicing drills? Or will we be paired off for sparring?" |
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| Chizu | Aug 1 2017, 11:32 AM Post #23 |
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Knight Radiant
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"A sword's a weapon," said Rafael, with a nod at Chairo. "It's how and when you use it that counts. Next question?" He turned towards Jin, about to address his comment, but was interrupted by the slide of the dojo door, a voice resounding in the wide hall as its owner recited from some sort of book. "Weapons are instruments of ill omen, despised by the Way of Heaven. To use them only when unavoidable is the Way of Heaven." Although flowers blossom and greenery increases in the spring breeze, when the autumn frost comes, trees drop and leaves wither. This is the judgment of nature. It may appear that myriad people suffer because of the evil of one man. In such a case, myriad people are saved by the killing of one man. Thus, 'the sword that kills is the sword that gives life'." Spoiler: click to toggle A man stepped into the dojo, dressed in a white gi and dark blue hakama. He lowered the book in his hand, eyeing Rafael with serious eyes. "From the words of the swordsman, Yagyu Munenori," he said. "Is that not the answer you meant to give, Rodrigues-sensei?" Rafael smiled, inclining his head towards the newcomer like a fencer acknowledging a touch. "Right as always, Maebara-sensei," he said. "Class, this is Maebara Kenichi-sensei, the school's master of meditations. He'll be around to answer all of your philosophy questions. But to cut this discussion short, I don't think there's anything inherently special in a sword itself. A martial artist isn't created because they wield a sword. A martial artist is created by how they use their skill and how they live their lives." "A succinct explanation," said Maebara, nodding his head. He bowed to the class. "Carry on." "Right," said Rafael. "So, as I was saying." He nodded at Adrian and Nicole. "To answer your questions, we will be learning kenjutsu in this club. In fact, we're going to start today. But we won't be sparring just yet. No offense, but I want to make sure you all know how to hold your swords before I let you loose on each other. This might be review for some of you, but we can always stand to go over our basics. Take the time to refine your technique." He turned towards Adrian. "I'm teaching Japanese swordsmanship. So during class, I'd appreciate it if you followed the lesson unless invited to demonstrate. But after lessons, you're free to do whatever you like, including comparing your style against ours. And to answer your question," He turned towards Lily, "watching is fine. That's kind of the point of having an open practice, after all." With a flippant smile, he stepped out so that he was standing in front of the group and at its center, facing them. "If there aren't any more questions, let's begin. And, as my esteemed colleague is no doubt about to remind me," He gave Maebara another nod, "I almost forgot to bow in." "We'll do this simply today. We'll start with mokuso, which is a short meditation. When I give the word, close your eyes. Breathe, and try to clear your mind. When I say 'mokuso yame', open your eyes. We'll do a bow to the shomen, the front of the room, and then a bow to the sensei. Everyone ready?" He drew in a deep breath, and when he spoke again, the word was pitched to carry, ringing in the silence of the dojo. "Mokuso!" Yukina closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind and focus on her breathing. It was hard. Her heart was beating too quickly, and she was still nervous. Barely a few seconds had passed before Rodrigues-sensei's voice was ringing out again. "Mokuso yame!" He turned sharply on heel, facing the front of the room with his hands at his sides. Rafael bowed at the waist, and Ayane emulated him. Yukina did the same. When he rose from the bow, he turned to face them, bowing to the class. Again, Ayane bowed towards him. Yukina did the same. "Onegaishimasu," Rafael said as he bowed to the class. "Onegaishimasu!" Ayane said in reply. "O-Onegaishimasu!" Yukina echoed, a little late. Rafael straightened up from his bow, the serious look that had momentarily overtaken his face disappearing. He smiled at them again. "So in Brazil, I had to explain that," he said. "Since this is Japan, I shouldn't have to. But that 'onegaishimasu' is a promise that while we are in class, we will train together and look out for each other's welfare. And that means not hitting each other with the sword. Everyone take your bokken and stretch out your arm as far as it will go." Rafael demonstrated by stretching his arm out, leveling the tip of the bokken at its farthest extension. "Now, turn in a circle slowly," he said. "You should have enough space around you to do this without hitting another person or their sword. If you don't, move. And pay attention to this distance. This is your circle of safety. This is the distance within which you can strike an opponent without taking a step, but take note. If you both have swords and they are in your range, you are in theirs." He smiled, his smile becoming slightly more wolf-like. "Lesson number one." Edited by Chizu, Aug 1 2017, 11:49 AM.
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| GrimRPer | Aug 1 2017, 12:57 PM Post #24 |
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With little to no surprise, Chairo looked briefly at Adrian as he questioned the need of philosophy. The kid knew it, James told him and Edie about how Europe doesn't seem to have such thing, and instead viewed a weapon as a weapon, or rather a tool... Smirking a little, he presented his own opinion to the fellow student, even if said student wouldn't be part of the club: "That's how you view it, I won't object. After all, each to their own..." And thus he listened on to what each one had to say, as well as Maebara sensei, who gave a pretty good view on said philosophy and was introduced to the class. Those have been wise words even if Chairo's view were in that the weapons and, by extension, tools are part of oneself. To overestimate it is to be consumed by it, to underestimate is to weaken it. But seems this class is a great one for him to be in, enough variety of opinions and ideas. Hopefully each will find a way that suits them best, for those who haven't found it. With no further questions, Chairo listened to the instructions and would follow them flawlessly. Meditating? No problem. Upon the call, his eyes closed, and the world around fell in silence. The second call brought him back from the trance he found himself in. Following in the bows as traditionally as it was, Chairo's "Onegaishimasu!" was vigorous, but neither loud as to outshine others, nor low to a point he'd be drowned out. The basics of the safety circle wasn't hard for him to grasp, with a quick glance he saw he needed more space, before he turned around with his bokken stretched out to see the reach himself. "So we are really going for the basics, huh... Interesting.", he whispered his thoughts as he'd observe others. |
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| LunarCataphract | Aug 1 2017, 10:32 PM Post #25 |
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Despite Adrian's opinion on the subject matter everybody was attesting that the belief, the philosophy, did matter but sadly they were wrong which may sound arrogant but he felt it was equally as arrogant to argue it did matter. "I have to disagree with you all on that. It does not matter because the sword does not care. Whether you believe your sword is a tool of justice used to protect people, a means by which you can assert your control over others or simply as a weapon your sword will care not. If anything this lack of a philosophy is mine. I view it as what it is: a weapon." Adrian would not say it but his belief that a weapon was a weapon was responsible for why he felt it should at least be treated with respect. "The moment your philosophy changes the thousands of years of swords being used to kill someone somewhere then I will put some stock into it." The young knight felt the people around him were posturing talking big and going on about special philosophy in a means to make them seem more "special" than they really were; that was Adrian's experience with sword based philosophies as sadly all of his family were posturing fools concerned with appearance over deeds. The young knight's gaze went from Edie to Jin especially focusing upon Jin as he had least expanded upon his point but still he was foolish for saying you needed a philosophy to know how to wield a sword. You learned to wield the sword in the first place then developed the philosophy in the process....hopefully. So far the only person that Adrian found himself to agree with was, honestly, Rafael. If it was true he believed that the how and when was what mattered then perhaps he was actually worth a damn. "If you truly believe the deed is what grants the meeting....then perhaps you're actually worth a damn teacher." Months ago he would have taken that opportunity to bash the others for being posturing fools but he decided not to as....well he had learned the price associated with arrogance and being a dick. It was then that a man wearing obviously traditional Japanese clothing showed up and spouted some religious sounding claptrap about swords; most of it Adrian ignored however he did take in the final line regarding the sword that kills giving life. "Fine. I'll follow your lesson. You've earned that as least." Of course just because Adrian would follow the lesson did not mean he would follow the traditions of respect around them which was, coincidentally, what the sensei moved onto. It was then Rafael went on about bowing, offering meditation and other such platitudes to the sensei and the Shomen whatever that is. While everyone else bowed, meditated and did whatever Adrian on the other hand did something....different. He closed his eyes however when Rafael gave the signal Adrian turned to face the centre of the room and slammed his left fist into his heart holding it there before turning to the class. " Stärke in Tugend."The gesture and words were different but hopefully the meaning was there too; surely the fact he had used his own traditions to show respect would hold a greater meaning than foreign words. Now it finally came down to actually learning something specifically proper spacing....which was a great place to start. Distance and position was the most important part of fighting of course that was something Adrian would be needing to relearn given his recent change of weaponry not by choice however. The knight looked to Nicole and nodded his expression grim and awkward. "If it comes to sparring I'm sticking with you." Adrian did not admit it but his reason for picking Nicole was because well....he didn't feel confident with these random strangers at least not like he used to. With his piece said Adrian grabbed one of the wooden Bokken and swinging it around, away from the others, a few times to feel the weight. "Hmmmm different weighting than I am used to..." He then subconsciously went to sheath the sword at his side before realising he didn't actually have one...hmmm. With sword in hand he took up position away from the group not too far away but far enough to ensure he had some privacy and distance from the others. That was partly due to the fact he was not a people person but also due to him being a little paranoid; oh and making a complete fool of himself in front of the others was also something he did not exactly want to do. Despite his pride having taken rather a rough beating in recent months he did still HAVE pride albeit not as much as before. With the distance established he looked back at Rafael and the rest of the class an irritable expression on his face. This was all well and good but Jesus he just wanted to actually get into the nitty gritty details. How the style worked, the techniques, the history and of course what kind of foes it was designed to actually fight against. Not all styles were equal after all designed to fight different foes with different equipment in different situations. |
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| Lawman | Aug 3 2017, 01:42 AM Post #26 |
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Keep Calm and Cheeki Breeki
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"That is fine," Nicole nodded in agreement as Rodrigues-sensei revealed two things - first is that kenjutsu lessons are also included as part of the package, and they wouldn't be doing any live sparring sessions - at least not just yet, and for reasons perfectly understandable to the lightning warrior. She certainly wasn't the type to say things to the effect of "tell me something I don't already know", and has learned to approach each and every lesson with an open mind. After hearing the introduction to the meditation known as mokuso, the onyx-haired girl would do just as instructed, and at the cue from Rodrigues-sensei, she would snap out of her meditation. "Onegaishimasu!", Nicole's tone was that of enthusiasm and optimism as she bowed, the lightning warrior knowing to treat every lesson as an opportunity to learn something new, rather than to lean on her preconceptions. "Whatever works for you, I suppose," Nicole remarked as she glanced at Adrian as the knight chose to go through the ritual slightly differently. With bokken in hand, the lightning warrior would thus begin with the basics, on one's safety circle, as she waved her wooden sword around in a circular motion. "Ah, sure brings back memories," she mused, recalling the first time she picked up a sword - it was right in the training halls of the Ryukomon Dojo that she was drilled in the basics of swordplay under her father's watchful eye and his stern but compassionate guidance. |
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| bonniecanuck | Aug 3 2017, 08:51 PM Post #27 |
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Bonnie Bushi
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Edie nodded in relief. She was glad that the instructor had taken notice of his mistake and rectified it immediately. Skipping the practices of mokuso tended to leave a bad air in the place of the dojo, so to follow through with it now rather than later was definitely for the best. In her mind, the short meditation was more than enough for her to dispel with the frustration she had felt earlier. She figured that it would be enough to let those negative feelings aside and start anew here. Relaxed, she forgot about the incidents and didn't let them linger in her thoughts any longer. "Onegaishimasu!" Edie's call rang firmly but formally, like an honourable knight or noble prepared to spar with an esteemed opponent. Standing back up, she watched and studied each and every move that Rodrigues-sensei made. Her mind whirred into motion as she put herself into the mindset of replicating the moves that would come when it was time to practice the motions for themselves, but she kept watching and staying still nonetheless. She found herself noticing and mentally analysing the similarities and differences with naginata based on the sensei's explanations and her own expertise with the weapon, and while she avoided thinking ahead, she let the finer details come in on their own as she kept watching and studying the movements. Edited by bonniecanuck, Aug 3 2017, 08:51 PM.
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| Momo | Aug 3 2017, 10:14 PM Post #28 |
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I deny your deniability.
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Jin listened to the others somewhat, but in general not much was said that interested him. No one really bothered him about his earlier rant either so at least he didn't have to rectify or talk with people about it. As the lesson carried on, Jin seemingly listened to it intently. Despite his attitude when he came into the dojo, which was beyond rude, his current attitude was a complete 180°. He was taken the lesson completely serious. For a delinquent, and a Yakuza, the way he acted during lessons was quite different from someone's expectation. For one, he never seemed to want to trouble a teacher, despite it being a typical delinquent thing to do. So when it came down to it, "Onegaishimasu." Jin said, as he bowed. He didn't call it out as loudly as the others, mainly because he wasn't the type of person to raise his voice, but it was still enough to show he was serious about the lesson. In actuality though, Jin was a little annoyed by some of the other students. Well, most of them were taking it seriously, so that was fine. But that Foreigner seemed to just be here to mess with others, or pick a fight. Jin himself didn't really like it when people acted so anti-social and rude. ... And yes, that does make him a hypocrite. Though, ignoring that obvious character flaw, Jin seemed to be paying attention to their teacher, despite Jin being kind of confused that Kendo was being thought by a non Japanese person. That said, Jin was no xenophobe, as long as they didn't devalue their culture, or make fun of it. Which was why he didn't really like this Adrian guy. Mainly because he seemed to not just be doing things his own way, but was also trying to dispute the Japanese spirit and Philosophy. At the very least, Jin seemed to be intent avoid him, for now. Positioning himself near the blond-haired girl, that seemed to have some sense of training already, he continued to follow the lesson thoroughly. Though, he also seemed pretty used to the sword as well. Perhaps that's why he seemed so arrogant when he came in. |
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| Chizu | Aug 4 2017, 08:52 AM Post #29 |
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Knight Radiant
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Rafael's eyes lingered on Adrian as the knight did his own version of a salute, but he didn't comment on it, instead nodding his head ever so slightly in the young man's direction. Other than the smile on his face, which had been there since the beginning, his expression was unreadable as he looked out over the class. He waited until each of them had finished moving, spread out across the dojo floor. "Alright," he said. "First thing to take note of: your grip." He held up his own sword to demonstrate, showing the students where he placed his hands. "Your right hand goes on top, closer to the tsuba, the guard. Your left hand goes below your right, near the kashira, the pommel. Between your hands, there should be about two fingers' width of distance. When we start doing cuts, your left hand will provide the power, your right, the direction and control. Try to keep your grip light. You don't want to strangle the sword. It's like holding a baby bird--you don't want to hurt it, but you also don't want it to fly away." He waited until everyone had followed along, looking out over the group again. It was clear watching them that some had had experience with the sword prior. He marked those people out, taking note of them in his mind. Nicole and Jin in particular. He motioned for Ayane and Tashiro to move through the group, checking on individuals and helping them with their issues. "Good," he said, once everyone had gotten their grip more or less sorted. "Now for stances. Kendo has five basic stances. We'll go through each of them. Follow along. The most basic stance is called chudan-no-kamae, or the middle posture." Chudan He stepped forward with his right leg, holding his sword out in front of him in a pose that many would recognize from even a passing knowledge of swordsmanship. "Some important things to note here, you don't want to reach too far forward. You want to be grounded and stable. At the same time, you don't want to pull the sword back. You want it extended as far as you can without leaning forward and losing your balance." Gedan From there, the sword started to move, the tip lowering to about knee height. "The next stance is gedan-no-kamae, a low stance. This is an invitation to attack. It's an invitation you should learn to distrust, and to use to your advantage." Waki The sword moved back from gedan, Rafael manipulating it so that the blade pointed behind him, with the hilt and the pommel visible to the students. "Next, waki-gamae. This is a hidden stance. It conceals the length of your blade, the orientation of your blade, and your intentions from your opponent. Like gedan, it can also be used as a bluff." Hasso The sword moved up from waki, the tip pointing up toward the ceiling. Rafael held it at his side, just by his ear. "Hasso-no-kamae is next. It's an offensive stance, named because from here, you can respond to attacks from all eight directions." Jodan "And the final stance..." He moved the sword one last time, bringing it straight over his head. Rafael's smile sharpened a little as he looked out at the class. "This is called jodan-no-kamae. A high stance. It's the most aggressive of the five stances. From here, there is only one thing that follows." He drew in a deep breath, then let out a loud kiai, a piercing shout that rang out through the dojo and echoed. As he did, he brought the bokken down in a sweeping vertical cut, the blade moving through the air so forcefully and skillfully that a whoosh of air followed in its passing. Silence fell after the strike. Rafael smiled, straightening up. "But we'll get to that later," he said. "For now, we'll start with chudan. Everyone get into that stance. This is the most basic of the kendo and kenjutsu stances, but also the most important. Can anyone tell me why that is?" He looked around the room, waiting to see if anyone would answer his question. ------ Yukina followed along with his lesson, placing her hands on the hilt of the sword the way Rafael had indicated. The right-over-left part, she knew, but she hadn't really given much thought to spacing. This new position felt awkward and unstable, as if the sword was about to fall out of her hands at any given moment. She followed along with the stances as best as she was able--chudan, gedan, waki, hasso, jodan. With each movement, though, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was making a fool of herself somehow. Her movements felt clumsy, amateurish. She frowned in frustration, settling back into the chudan stance at Rafael's direction. It still felt wrong, and she wasn't sure what she could do to make it right. Maybe she did need to hold the sword tighter. "Your grip is a little twisted, Yukina-chan," Ayane said with a reassuring smile, approaching her. The older girl started adjusting the sword in Yukina's grip. "You want it so that the bottom of the hilt is resting right around the second knuckle joint, across your fingers." Yukina tried to adjust to the new grip, frowning. "It feels weird," she said. "I know," Ayane said. "But it's more stable like this. You've developed some bad habits, but you're doing fine. Hang in there." "Th-Thank you, Katagiri-senpai," Yukina said. "You're welcome," said Ayane. She left Yukina alone, going through the crowd to help the others. Edited by Chizu, Aug 4 2017, 08:54 AM.
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| GrimRPer | Aug 4 2017, 09:42 AM Post #30 |
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As expected, Chairo was... Pretty inexperienced in holding a sword. His grip was too firm and his attempts in imitating the stances had blatant flaws, such as little space between feet, sword a little too high or too low, and he was still gripping it too tightly. But didn't matter for the moment, he was trying to commit those stances to his memory, before then following the instructions and using the Chudan stance. Still, flawed: feet were spaced far too much, the hands were too close to each other in the very middle of the hilt. When the sensei presented a question, Ayane was coming to the aid of other students and their stance, whereas Chairo had already made some mental notes about the stances and presented the conclusion he had. "It's the most neutral of them. Or so it looks for me. The other stances somehow made me think they were meant for defense and attack. But maybe I'm thinking too much with instincts.", he sounded kind of pensive when responding to Rafael-Sensei |
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| Corruption | Aug 4 2017, 05:54 PM Post #31 |
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James only got the pamphlet for the Kendo club very late, and went to the meeting as soon as he could. He got there just before the grip was being described, but kept silent. He did not wish to interrupt the lesson. After the part o fthe the stances was described, and Chairo answered, James felt he could now reasonably draw attention to himself. "I agree. Gedan, Waki and Hasso are defensive in nature, with limited offensive capacity and reactive. Jodan is almost nearly purely offensive from what I can see. However, Chudan also allows for the easiest flow into the other stances. Waki would be the hardest to flow into from it, I think, almost needing to pass through Gedan." Bowing slightly "My appologies for being late. I only got a flyier for this at the very last moment. My name is James Gallen, and I hope it is not too late to join." Unless something stopped him, he would go over to the equipment and get the same stuff the others had. Going to the area, he would stand to one side, and check to see is anyone was close enough to cause problems. Then he would move a bit further past that as a safety measure. He would try to get his stance and grip right. |
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| Lawman | Aug 4 2017, 11:37 PM Post #32 |
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Keep Calm and Cheeki Breeki
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Indeed it was the very basics of swordplay - being able to maintain a proper grip on one's sword, as Nicole took note of Rafael's instructions on how her hands are to be positioned, and the amount of force to exert when holding onto the grip of her bokken; given her background, this was something that came as naturally as a duck taking to water - it would be as if the sword was an extension of the lightning warrior's body. Next would come the introduction to the stances - with the kendo instructor demonstrating each of the stances as he shifted from one stance to another, before asking the class as to why the most elementary of them - Chudan - was also considered the most vital. Nicole would raise her hand, signalling her intent to answer the question, and as such would wait for Rodrigues-sensei to give her the permission to speak before she did. "The strength of chudan-no-kamae lies in its versatility, as it balances both offense and defense," Nicole spoke clearly, with certainty once the permission was given for her to speak, with herself going into the chudan stance as she did. "When the stance is properly assumed, the right wrist and trunk are kept hidden from the opponent; and while it leaves the throat exposed, any opponent trying to thrust for that region places themselves at the risk of a likely counter-thrust, due to the extended tip of the sword," the onyx-haired girl added, expounding on the importance of the stance. "The head would be the only target that is visibly open, but the stance makes it easy to defend against blows aimed at the head - as long as the kamae is maintained, it's easy for the user to step within striking distance of their opponent while maintaining good defense," the lightning warrior concluded, lowering her bokken as she got back into a neutral stance. |
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| Chris | Aug 5 2017, 01:46 AM Post #33 |
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Unlike most of the other students in the lesson, Yuki would keep to himself with the purpose of focusing on the lesson which would prove to be accurate due to the instructor's experience with the blade. Yuki raised a brow of slight confusion at the revelation that Yukina was the president of the club. He wondered why a timid girl like her was interested in creating the Kendo club of all things. Was her powers sword based? Yuki decided to push these questions to the back of his mind deciding that they were not important for the time being. As the lesson when on, he did his best to follow ever bit of what the instructors told them, but also picked up with what everyone else was chatting about. Did everyone here seriously have experience with a blade unlike him? Guess he really was the odd one in this group. |
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| Zim1718 | Aug 6 2017, 06:26 AM Post #34 |
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Tashiro stood by impassively throughout the whole interaction. The debate on swordsmanship had equal merits on either side, but he did not feel that it was his place to comment. As the class itself began, he assumed the various positions, ensuring his own movements were smooth and continuous. As Sensei began to lecture about the proper stances and grips, Tashiro sheathed his bokken and began to move to the side, walking down the dojo and offering quiet advice to a few students. "Fox," He began, speaking quietly. No name needed there... "Widen your stance slightly, keep your base wide, and loosen up your grip. Put your right on top, left below. Good. Keep the tip pointed up, at the throat of an opponent the same height as you." It would be unnecessary to nitpick one student too much. Back when he was first learning, stances were drilled in by force. Attacks came at him until he figured out how to absorb them with the proper stance. No need for that here. He moved on. "Yuki, straighten your back and square your shoulders. Pick a point ahead of you and stare, keep your face neutral. Mental strength is important here too." Again he moved, keeping an eye on the students. Some would likely forget whatever advice he gave, but that was fine. "James, loosen up, keep your elbows tucked in and your knees unlocked. You're too tense, so take a breath and relax." He glanced sometimes at Sensei, trying to gauge his reaction. Hopefully he wasn't overstepping his role here... |
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| Chizu | Aug 7 2017, 09:31 AM Post #35 |
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Knight Radiant
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While Tashiro went to speak to Chairo, Yuki, and James, Ayane wandered the room in the other direction, occasionally pausing in front of students and watching as they shuffled through the stances. She watched Nicole for a few long moments, but was unable to find anything to correct. "Very good, Ryuko-san," Ayane said. "You've done this before?" Rafael, meanwhile, listened to the responses coming in from the class. He nodded at Chairo, smiling. "You've pretty much got it," he said. "Chudan is the most neutral of the stances. And," He acknowledged James with an nod, "You're right that any of the other stances can be reached from chudan. Waki isn't actually that hard to get into from here." He demonstrated by assuming the chudan position, right foot forward. Rafael slipped into waki-gamae easily by stepping back with the right foot, swinging the tip of the sword out to the side until the blade was pointed behind him. He gave James a wolfish grin. "And while we're on the subject, waki isn't purely defensive either. It's the most powerful starting location for kiri-age, the rising cut." He demonstrated by swinging the sword into an upward diagonal cut from there. "Kesa-giri, the downward diagonal cut, starts from hasso in its most basic application so that isn't completely defensive either. But we'll get to cuts in a moment." He straightened up, turning towards Nicole, smiling at her well-reasoned answer. "You're exactly right," he said. "From chudan, you can access any offensive stance, but you are also primed to react defensively to any incoming attack. An opponent cannot attack you from the front without first dealing with your sword, and if you know that, you can use that to your advantage. A strong chudan-no-kamae can be your most powerful defense." "Now, I'm going to talk about cuts for a moment. I've already demonstrated jodan-giri, the vertical cut from jodan-no-kamae, and kiri-age. I've mentioned kesa-giri. The fourth of the basic cuts is yoko-giri, the horizontal cut. It isn't associated with one of the stances, and starts by--." "Well, look at that. They actually did it." A young man's voice interrupted Rafael, sounding vaguely amused. The dojo door swung open again. Five people were standing in the doorway, all of them teenagers that looked like they might have been in high school themselves. The speaker, a smug-looking boy with brown hair, smiled. ![]() "Isn't that impressive, Captain?" A young woman wearing glasses frowned at the group, her arms folded. She did not look impressed. ![]() "If this is what you call success..." ![]() "It hardly matters," a dark-haired boy said. "As long as they're willing to leave." "Leave?!" Ayane asked, indignantly. "You can't make us leave! This is our scheduled practice time." "Sorry, Katagiri, but this is the scheduled practice time of the Kaneshima High School Kendo Team," said the first boy again, still smiling. "Guess you chose the wrong side." ![]() "Don't tease her, Sou," a stern-looking girl with silver hair said. "I'm sure we can get this sorted out. Isn't that right, Captain?" ![]() The last member of the group scowled at his teammates in impatience, turning towards Rafael. He offered the instructor a quick bow. "Sorry to interrupt, sensei," he said. "There might have been a scheduling error. We were supposed to have the dojo this afternoon." Edited by Chizu, Aug 7 2017, 09:32 AM.
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| GrimRPer | Aug 7 2017, 11:29 AM Post #36 |
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"Better late than never, James.", Chairo welcomed his friend with a smile, adjusting his posture as Tashiro instructed him to, whispering a "Thank you" in response. His guess was correct, in the neutrality of Chudan, though in silence he pondered about applications of sword fighting in his other form... Everything seemed fine so far, he got the position down, his hands were at their correct placement and he had a more steady balance now. All that was left was learning the other stances and moves. That is, if they were allowed to. As some new guests have come, claiming something about schedules and other things... But what really got to him is when one implied Ayane chose the wrong side. Standing straight, Chairo made a motion as if he were sheathing the bokken, however holding it at waist height with his left hand, facing the group, more specifically the one who mentioned about "sides". His eyes, nor expression in general, showed hostility. Instead, curiosity. He took a step and another, but his attention fully went to the last one, who brought up a scheduling error. Thinking for a while, he looked briefly at the others of Kaneshima's Kendo and then at Rafael-sensei. "Sensei, think the activities of both groups could be merged?", Chairo queried, moving his eyes to the smug brown-haired boy afterwards. Is the fox boy wanting something with them?! |
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| Corruption | Aug 7 2017, 04:48 PM Post #37 |
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James had heard the start, and drew a conclusion: They were not expecting enough people for a club to be here, and figured it would be empty for them. They also seemed arrogant, except for the last one. James nodded to them, "It might be possible. If the people handling the scheduling thought there was only one Kendo group, they may have simply put us both here, thinking we were the same group." That gave them an out. "We are here with a trial lesson, to see if we want to take up Kendo, and Sensei Rafael, I think watching them train may help us see what is in store for us if some of us do decide to go competitive latter on." Not kicking them out, but not leaving. That would be hard for them to take offense at. |
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| bonniecanuck | Aug 7 2017, 08:56 PM Post #38 |
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Bonnie Bushi
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Edie didn't like the tone that some of them were striking. Showing contempt rather than respect for any person under the dojo's roof got under her skin easily if that hadn't been clear already, since it meant disregarding the communal, egalitarian nature of the space as a positive and productive place of learning. Still, if the error had been theirs she was willing to leave, but this case seemed to be worth negotiating and discussing. Perhaps then, they could rely on Rodrigues-sensei to sort it out. Indeed, she wasn't opposed to what James and Chairo were proposing. There were a few problems with that however. "While I agree in principle, I think that there's some issues with that. First, there's likely enough of a skill level discrepancy that we can't really learn from each other. Learning the different movements and strikes in kendo is methodical and can't really be picked up just by watching. On top of that, this is their practice, and I doubt they'd do it for any motive of teaching us. I don't think this is a situation we can gain from well." Just letting it go like that would still be better than trying to put up a fight, though. While she was willing to challenge them, she was under no impression that getting them to leave by force was an option at all. They were well about this grouping's caliber in skill and seniority, and she didn't want to see anybody get hurt. |
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| Chizu | Aug 10 2017, 10:54 AM Post #39 |
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Knight Radiant
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OOC Chairo and James's suggestion for having a joint practice didn't seem to go over well, judging from the looks on the newcomers' faces. Three of them--the captain, the dark-haired boy, and the silver-haired girl, looked neutral. The blond girl's lip curled in distaste, and the other boy, the one with the brown hair and blue eyes, only smirked wider. "I don't think we gain anything by participating in this...class," the girl said, making the pause behind the word significant. "Your student has a point, sensei," said the other boy, smiling at Edie. "We have nothing to gain here, and vice-versa. Kaneshima only has room for one kendo club, so we'd appreciate it if you left. No hard feelings." "Sou!" the captain said, sharply, cutting him off. "Whoops," Sou said, "Sorry about that. I have a habit of running my mouth." The captain rolled his eyes, turning to face Rafael. "I apologize for my teammate. My name is Fujita Keiji. I'm the captain of the Kaneshima High School Kendo Team. I'm sure this is our practice time. Could you reschedule your class?" "This is Senki Academy's dojo!" said Ayane. "We shouldn't have to reschedule anything." "Actually, it's a shared dojo now," said the dark-haired boy. "And while I think Souma could have phrased that better, there's no need for this...joint institution to have two kendo clubs. Given that, ours has the more storied reputation." "You can't make us leave!" "Katagiri, that's enough." Throughout the exchanges, Rafael remained silent, his expression impassive as he looked out over the newcomers. When they were done speaking, he didn't immediately address them or those of his students that had spoken up. Instead, he turned his gaze towards Yukina. "Shiromizu," he said, causing her to jump. "Are you sure you booked the dojo for this date and time?" Yukina's eyes widened, and she looked from Rafael to Ayane and the others, to the Kaneshima High School kendo team. She sucked in a breath, but nodded. "Y-Yes..." she said, the word coming out softly, like a squeak. She winced and gathered up her courage, straightening up. "Yes, sensei!" she said again, louder. "Yes, I'm sure. I-I checked the date and time more than once." And she had. Yes, she had. She wasn't going to let anyone make her second-guess herself on that, even though it was really hard not to. Rafael held her gaze for a long moment before nodding, turning away. When he looked back at the newcomers, his expression had returned to its usual genial smile. "There you have it," he said. "If she says the room was booked, I believe her. Which means, I think, that the mistake is with you. Now--," he added, raising his hand before anyone could speak up. "We can do as my students here have suggested, and have a joint lesson, or you're welcome to have the dojo after our class ends. The choice, I think, is yours." Edited by Chizu, Aug 10 2017, 11:01 AM.
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| GrimRPer | Aug 10 2017, 01:36 PM Post #40 |
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"I don't think you'll lose anything either, so there's no harm in trying. Maybe, who knows, some of us will get along, maybe you'd end up finding your love here, hm?", Chairo approached the blond girl with a smirk as he spoke, but before getting into the danger zone he took steps back, looking at "Motormouth Brown Head" as how he had seen the the one their captain called Sou. However seeing Sou get called out again made the kid snicker for a moment, and a little more after Sou brought up his rather bad habit. "Just don't go overboard when you date! It'd be bad if your significant other knew more than she wanted to know.", he didn't sound any stern when directing his tone to Souma, wanting not to make enemies. But as it went on, Chairo remained silent, a friendly smile on his face, as carefree as ever. And as things went on between the captains and sensei, he wanted to communicate more with Souma. "So, your name is Souma, huh? Nice to meet you, I'm Chairo no Konoha! So, for how long have you been in the Kendo club?", he approached Souma in a friendly manner, but internally he never lowered his guard. |
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