Description: Most training days can kind of blur together over time. But sometimes there are the unexpected surprises and vital lessons necessary to make significant advances. For Kentou Ondori, this is one of those times.
Well, Discovering Chi, guest staring Frei-sensei, found itself interrupted last time by a rude family member butting in. That was unfortunate. Leaving the monk to ponder that unexpected development, life continues for the rest of the world. There are many other things Hotaru needs to teach her student anyway. He's come a long way with the basics. Awareness in a fight. The ability to focus his concentration and efforts to increase his effectiveness.
It's time for him to start learning the nuances. The more detailed aspects of the style he seeks to master. The things one wouldn't be able to figure out by simply observing fights from the sidelines. Without proper training, Kentou would be able to figure out so much. His body might get stronger as he continues to grow, but putting those muscles to work in the proper way is where having a more experienced instructor can make all the difference.
Hotaru is waiting for Kentou this afternoon. Hands clasped behind her back, she stands outside of the church wall, her outfit covered by a full lengthed blue Chinese styled long coat. Her expression is quiet, subdued, and maybe even a touch pensive. Early on in Kentou's training the girl gave the boy a promise. The time has come, the Kenpo artist has decided, to fullfill that promise.
It has been quite the rough week for Kentou. More and more the boy begins to learn the price for knowing such great and wonderful people, to personally train with the best. The youth adopts all the enemies of his friends as well. A few weeks ago it started with the younger Kirishima coming for Hotaru herself. And now? Frei's brother. Mizuki's rival. He's confronted them all.
The boy wouldn't have it any other way. The youth regrets nothing. To fight for those who've shown him such kindness.. to fight their enemies? Kentou feels privileged. If he's made a fraction of a difference in their lives as they've made in his, its more than he could have hoped to want.
Clearly, Kentou is becoming stronger for it.
The first sounds of the boy's arrival to greet Hotaru is the sound of rapid footfalls. The result of his constant sprint training has been phenomenal. The boy can run practically from the wharf all the way to the Church without slowing. He's already slashed the time it's taken to do his delivery routes in half!
The youth races into view, navigating the labyrinthine streets of the Village leading to the mostly-abandoned Church. His expression bright with minimal perspiration running down his brow. The youth continuously refuses to wear more seasonable outfits.. some nonsense about how he must always wear his family's traditional uniform while fighting or training. Besides, the constant exertion has done wonders to keep him warm, regardless of the morning or evening chills.
Bright eyes spy Hotaru standing outside of her property's gate for once. The puzzling change in routine slows the boy as he hops the last few steps and jolts to a halt infront of her.
"Hotaru-Sensei!" The boy's voice comes as a rush, expelling the last of the air in his lungs before taking deep, calming breaths after his latest jaunt. Bowing at the waist and offering the sword-in-shealth gesture, "I am ready to begin today's training!" He speaks with his traditional greeting. Clearly excited to begin today's lesson but his Master's visible concern is enough to give a slight hesitation. Eyes questioning..
"Indeed you are," comes the quiet reply from the pig-tailed girl. She had turned to watch him approach, her hands remaining clasped behind her back, weathering out the cooler temperatures thanks to her coat. The youth's stubbornness to respect the elements brings a faint smile to her lips, but he has his ways and she respects that. For the rest of us, there's winter clothing!
The solemnity of her expression fades as she looks him over. A flicker of doubt receding in light of the boy's unbridled enthusiasm. Nothing seems to get him down. Life has often thrown the worst it can at him but he perseveres undaunted. Some would chalk it up as the naivete of youth but Hotaru has come to know better. The heart of a warrior beat's in Kentou's chest. He fights with a spirit she has rarely seen even in more seasoned martial artists. "I'm proud of you," the girl states, seemingly out of the blue.
"Before today's lesson, let's go on a walk." she states, a long glance cast toward the aged church building. While most of it is concealed behind the tall wall, it is possible to see a portion of the belfry from the street as it towers high over most of the neighboring houses.
And with no further explanation, the girl turns to head along the sidewalk, hands still clasped behind her back.
At his Master's opening comment the youth smiles that unashamed smile of his. The kind of smile only the unburdened and innocent can give. Otherwise, Kentou looks upon the older girl with patience and wide-eyed curiosity, wondering what could be dampening her mood. Of course, the list of things that weigh heavily on Hotaru's mind is a long one, and any one of them would deeply concern the average person. The boy can only hope that their friends are doing well, or perhaps Hotaru has some terrible news..
Rather, as Hotaru makes that plain, calm statement.. Kentou can only blink, surprised at such an earnest and potent commendation from her. "I.."
More than anything, he's worked extremely hard to hear those words from her. Now that he has them, the boy.. doesn't know what to say. A soft, soundless laugh teases his throat while a tingle runs along his spine. Color begins to flare upon his cheeks, almost embarrassed to accept such high praise..
However! Before the boy can put together anything resembling a true reply, Hotaru offers instruction. Casual instruction, but instruction none-the-less.
"H..Hai!" Kentou gathers himself, nodding promptly and immediately moving to file in at her side. Eyes following hers to the belfry for just a moment, out of raw curiosity more than anything, before fixing his gaze upon her. Ever attentive. Wondering.. Wondering what this could be about..
The pace established by Hotaru is moderate. Compared to the sprinting around Kentou was doing prior to arrival, it's certainly not going to tax either of them in the slightest. But it isn't a lazy, aimless ambling either. The girl strides with a purpose known seemingly only to herself.
"It's too bad Frei's brother interrupted our last appointment with him," the girl ponders out loud. "I hope everything is going okay with him. He seemed very tense." She shakes her head a little. "I have a feeling that even if he needs help he won't ask for it... Guess we'll just have to keep an eye on him." she states thoughtfully.
The route takes the two further into the residential district, the girl making the occasional turn down different streets as they go. "I'm worried about Mizuki-san," she continues, perhaps letting the boy in on the matters that might weigh her down. "But she is very insistent on handling her situation herself. I can only hope that it turns out okay..."
Little by little the size of the homes begin to get larger, the neighborhoods more upscale than the last. "You've been learning a lot in a very short amount of time. I know you will learn how to manipulate chi all in good time with Frei's help. It takes a while. Don't let yourself be weighed down by not having suceeded in it yet. The arts he is introducing you to are very subtle. You'll learn to control it in time."
Another several blocks are traversed, the homes getting even larger, until Hotaru stops and turns to the right, facing the long sidewalk leading up to a very elegant, sizeable, traditionally styled Japanese manor. Three stories tall with sweeping, steep roofs, the estate is spread out over a several acre property covered with lush grass, gardens, a grove of trees, a flowing fountain out front...
Hotaru sighs quietly. She hasn't been back home since she moved into the Kyokugen Dojo to pursue her training. The place looks like it hasn't changed in the slightest. It looks like the staff, still paid their salaries via the firm handling the Futaba finances, have not been negligent in their duties. One never knew when the young heiress or one of her less patient family members might return unexpectedly after all.
Kentou easily matches Hotaru's pace without complaint. Compared to his usual speed, this is may as well be crawling. If anything, the boy has trouble keeping himself from moving ahead of her, curbing his excitement and not allowing the emotion to devolve into impatience. The boy isn't going to rush his Master, He has faith she has a good reason for her unhurried wandering.
As his sensei brings up the specter of Kataki, Kentou's gaze drifts. His own worries nearly mirror hers, as he can only nod soberly. That younger brother of Frei's seemed like a mean piece of work. How two men could be so completely different AND be a close blood relation continues to baffle the boy. Of course, Frei is one of Kentou's teachers. And he has mastered secrets of 'Chinese Magic' that confound even his Sensei's comprehension of martial arts. He isn't too worried for him.. Surely he can hold his own..
As Mizuki is mentioned, Kentou's eyes immediately snap back to Hotaru as he blurts, "Is she alright??" Perhaps with a bit more urgency than he had intended. To say Kentou has been worried about her is an understatement, especially with that encounter at the Shrine, "Have you.. Have you heard anything about her, Hotaru-sensei?"
It was a duel of life and death, as near as the boy's reckoning. ....And He hasn't seen her in a little while now..
As the neighborhood continues to grow more and more upscale, Kentou can only wonder where it is they're going. Eyes moving back and forth between his teacher and the road ahead, wondering if perhaps there's some sign or landmark to give away their ultimate destination. The poor boy can only burn with helpless curiosity as he then listens to her encouragement.
Chi.. Yes. Mn. The mysteries of that continue to ellude him, and Frei has been busy with much more important matters. Important enough that the boy considers asking Sensei to give him a few tips in that arena.. But, of course, Kentou knows it is not the student's place to ask the teacher for anything. Hotaru will tell Kentou what she feels he's ready to learn, when he's ready to learn it. He has faith in her judgement. Just as he feels.. oddly encouraged that perhaps he can figure that maddeningly alien concept out. "I'll.. I'll do my very best, Hotaru-sensei!" Reiterating his commitment to the path, no matter how behind the curve he is in that training.
As Hotaru finally comes to a halt, the boy takes a few extra steps.. Blinking a moment and turning to face the direction she moves towards. Looking to her then looking to the palatial mansion before her. Back and forth, back and forth.. Until finally the youth can't help but stare at the magnificence of this place.
Offering a low whistle, his bright, mousy eyes slowly take in the landscaping and beauty of this place as he murmurs, "..Who lives here, Hotaru-sensei?"
"I haven't," Hotaru remarks with regards to hearing about Mizuki. "I know you will," come the words in reply to his assertion to doing his very best. She wouldn't expect any less of him by now. But then comes the question about the property and who it is that can claim such a lavish home to be their abode. "No one does," comes the quiet reply. "Not anymore."
Blue-shoe clad feet venture past the gate at the sidewalk onto the walkway that traverses the well manicured lawn. The home is impressive. The front door atop a porch, two large wings of the mansion extending off in both directions. It is toward the eastern wing that she leads the way, making a right turn where the walkway forks before the magestic marble fountain.
"I've been thinking," the girl continues, her tone thoughtful. "The Philanthropy chapel has been a great place to learn about the internal sides of fighting. Focusing, concentrating, seeing the environment for what it is. And it's also been good for practicing the basics..."
The girl steps up to the building. A wooden raised porch surrounds it and it is there that she sheds her shoes, stepping up in stockinged feet and standing before a locked, sliding door. Her hand fishes into her coat pocket, producing a small keyring with which she steps forward to unlock the bolt before returning the key to its pocket.
Her hand extending to rest against the handle, the girl glances over her shoulder at Kentou, "But now that you have mastered that tier of training... I think it's time that we conduct our future lessons in a place better suited to a fighter of your skill level." The door is slide open with well oiled ease and Hotaru looks forward again, taking a step into the darkened, unlit interior. "A dojo."
While his Sensei's lack of information about Mizuki's current condition isn't encouraging, at least it's honest. Kentou takes a deep breath as he then focuses on the task at hand, making a point to worry about her later. Not to say her welfare isn't less important than some training session, but .. If Hotaru has faith in the outcome of her personal battle, then Kentou will as well.
At Hotaru's reply, the boy lets out a soft, vaguely saddened sound. Nodding once as he continues to look over the grounds.
A pity.. This place is so beautiful it deserves to be enjoyed by somebody.
As Hotaru then begins to approach the premises, Kentou stammers wordlessly a moment. Isn't this technically trespassing then? Even if it isn't lived in it's clearly owned by somebody. While the youth has misgivings, he knows Hotaru would never do anything outside of the law. Perhaps she knows the previous owners?
Kentou begins falling behind by fractions as Hotaru proceeds. Captivated so by the elegance, Kentou's pace slows to better take in the details. Of which, there are many. Everywhere he looks a whole new dimension of meticulous art and lavish wealth unfolds. It isn't until he starts to get a little dizzy when he realizes he's held his breath for the past several moments since arriving.
As Hotaru again speaks up, Kentou listens. Snapping himself out of his sleep-walking and refocusing his attentions upon his mentor. Only occasionally parting his attention to some new shiny thing in between each sentence. The Church has been a great place to learn, he has to admit. While he was a bit.. underwhelmed at first, he's honestly grown to like that little corner of Southtown's Village. Many good memories of his learning are rooted there now. Moments of peace and serenity that were previously unknown to him.
One advantage of going barefoot everywhere, Kentou never worries about removing shoes indoors. Of course.. His dirty feet tends to track prints every so often if he doesn't clean well, but he isn't worrying about such details at a time like this. No.. Not right now.
As Hotaru approaches a new porch-rimmed building, the boy's heart skips a beat. His eyes widen as he begins to recognize fairly universal architectural principles..
"..No way.." The boy whispers..
Immediately the boy catches up with her. Moving to her side with a supremely eager expression, hardly able to contain his excitement as he hops in place, "No way!" Watching her furnish the key to undo the bolt of the door.. then slide the massive thing open.
"No! Way!" Kentou stammers, all but -rushing- past her into the darkness as his boyish enthusiasm finally gets the better of his otherwise, until now, perfect decorum!
The boy is the first inside as Hotaru's pace is a lot slower. The large training hall the two step into holds a lot of memories for the girl. Years of training beneath the never appeased eye of an austere father. Hours watching from the corner - her big brother, Gato, practice the lessons that were reserved for him and only him. Since the day she was left alone at the house she has never stepped foot in the room.
The dojo is traditional. It has been in the Futaba family for generations. Even though the art practiced by the family was never shared with those who weren't kin, the hall is large enough for dozons of students to train without even being slightly cramped on space. The girl reaches her hand out to the side to flick a light switch on - a modern convenience in a place that seems lifted straight out of ancient history.
Along the walls, light fixtures modeled like torchs of old flicker to life gradually. Even though no member of the family has stepped foot in the building for years, staff has still been keeping it up as per their responsabilities. Not a single bulb fails to light up, bathing the room in a smooth, ambient glow.
Hotaru sloughs off the long coat and hangs it from a hook near the entrance before turning to glance over the large room. Along the walls are various display cases. Some are laden with trophies of tournaments of decades past. Yunfei Futaba inscribed on many of their bases, while other plaques bear other Futaba names from earlier generations. Racks along the walls house weapons. Nunchucks, bladeless naginata, bokken, shinai, wooden Chinese-styled swords...
The room is wide and open, with only a single row of thick support pillers running along the center of it to hold up the lofty roof overhead. As Hotaru's eyes sweep over the room, images of times past fill her vision and for a long... long time she stands silently before she finally turns and slides the door closed behind her.
This was where she was taught the heart of Futaba-styled Chinese Kenpo. And it is here that she is going to teach another. She can't help but wonder if her actions would be met with approval or disapproval from her father. Passing the style on to a non-family member? Well... he never did teach her all of it anyway, so isn't /exactly/ a betrayal of all the family secrets, right?
As the fantastic dojo alights, Kentou looks all the world like a boy on Christmas morning, "...In..Incredible.." The youth breathes, his voice hardly more than a whisper as the faux-torch lights reflect in his wide eyes.
The boy has no comprehension of what this place means to his teacher. At least, not yet. All he does is judge this place on its own merits. Only the value and history that meets the eye. The Ondori Dojo was a shack compared to this place. While the Kyokugen Dojo is certainly even larger and more grandiose, the ancient solemnity of this Dojo imbues it with qualities that border upon the sacred. Completely forgetting himself, the youth immediately begins wandering about. Moving from wall to wall.. fingertips brushing over the immaculately maintained weapons upon the walls. Eyes reading and rereading every tournament placard and trophy.
This place is magnificent. Spiritual. A shrine to honor and art. It is everything the boy had ever conceived a true martial arts Dojo to be. A dream given shape and form..
After a long time the boy completes his wandering, nearly-drunken circuit about the periphery. Giggling in spite of himself, Kentou finally turns his gaze fully back to Hotaru..
..And then he freezes in place. Finally, the wonder of this place gives way to the gravity upon her expression. The grandeur of this place is clearly the furthest thing from her mind, and the shocking shift of mood is enough to make him realize something.
...Yunfei Futaba..
"...This is.. This is your family Dojo.." The boy murmurs, taken aback. The mansion outside? -Hers-.
She is silent the whole time he makes the dizzying loop around the dojo. The coat removed and hung, the girl follows Kentou though her focus seems somewhere else all together, memories flooding her mind of a time she used to look back as being the happy years of her life. But if that was the case, then why do they seem so bittersweet in reflection? Could it be that her present life is happier than any childhood memory this sombering chamber summons up?
Her student figures out the the mystery of the estate and Hotaru finally focuses on him, blinking her eyes twice as she withdraws from the uncertain reverie with a quiet smile. "Yes," the girl states. "This is where I was taught. And my brother. And my father. And his father before him." The girl looks up and down the length of the hall before stepping away from the entrance slowly.
"As I said before your very first lesson, dojos are just places." Eyes sweep up to take in the high arched roofline before coming to rest on Kentou again, hands clasping behind her back. "But even places have significance. I believe this place will better suit your ongoing training, hm?" she finishes with a grin, moving over to the nearest corner.
"I have some ideas of things to go over. But first, come here and show me a nice, strong punch." the girl remarks, hand coming up from behind her back to gesture toward a hanging black punching and kicking bag. The surface is marred, scratched, uneven in places. Just how she remembered it from the last time she trained with it. Taking a step back, the girl smiles at Kentou, "Go ahead and give it a good sock." Though her expression is gentle, her eyes are sharp, clearly interested to see Kentou's movement in action.
The realization of the Futaba Estate is more than a little sobering.
Kentou suspected Hotaru was at least moderately successful by her fighting outfits of rich materials. She has won many matches and doubtlessly has some coin saved away. Until seeing that mansion with his own eyes, practically in the middle of one of the largest cities in southern Japan, Kentou had no idea just HOW well-off she truly was.
She doesn't have to work again another day in her life. And yet.. She lives like a pauper. Building her own room with her two hands and running errands like some dojo gopher. The boy was born into poverty. The Ondori family has never been wealthy, living in a manner not unlike the Sakazaki family. In some ways, he never really had a choice to do anything else but be a fighter. Or at least work for a living. Things like expensive colleges or nice houses was never in the cards for him even if he wanted to.
Kentou has to ask himself. Given an easy choice of luxury, would he be so quick to pass it up like she has?
This discovery brings Kentou's appreciation for his sensei's dedication to whole new levels. And, of course, there's the matter of actually training in her family dojo. A sacred place where, he imagines, none from outside her family has ever trained within. A room where his master has never set foot within for a long, long time now. From what little he understands of her family circumstances, just coming back in here again is no small thing for her.
All for him.
"...I.." Kentou's eyes glimmer, stammering speechlessly a moment before finally stating in a clear voice, "..I am.. Honored." Finally managing out without breaking his voice on the emotion therein, "..Tha..thank you, Hotaru-Sensei!" Bowing promptly at the waist, perhaps a little more deeply than is required. The boy would grovel if that kind of thing didn't disturb her so.
A gigantic smile spreads on his lips then as she issues her first instruction in this wondrous place. Nodding enthusiastically as he all but races over to the corner where directed. The youth squares off with the hanging bag his teacher indicates, taking a deep breath and trying to focus himself back on the here and now, "H..Hai!" He blurts out hastily, the boy dances on the balls of his feet a moment. Turning his shoulders a bit to the side before striking out with his right fist, swinging his whole torso and hips into the movement, "HAH!"
It would have been impossible to miss the emotion in his voice as the weight of this occasion crashes down on the boy almost all at once. Hotaru doesn't dwell on it though. For her it is reward enough to know that something within her means was able to bring the boy so much happiness. It was worth the rush of memories she now suppresses just to give him this.
She stands off to the side to observe Kentou's form, watching how he combines muscles from different places of his body to give that old bag a well deserved, meaty smack! "Good," Hotaru states, stepping up closer. "You put a lot into that punch. Now watch me." Turning to the side such that her shoulder is facing the bag, the girl brings her hands together in front of her, fingers extended, palms facing each other.
Two sideways steps are taken, one foot crossing over the other as Hotaru approaches the bag with what seems a calm, controlled pace before extending her arms out toward both sides of her. Leaning hard into the bag, the girl lends torso, leg, and shoulder strength to that of her less than impressive arm strength as the open palmed strike crushes into the surface of the practice target. "YAH!" Her other arm extended out in the opposite direction provides just enough counterbalance to keep her from tipping herself over from the forward momentum. The punching bag resounds with a hard smack, swinging away from Hotaru, the chain supporting it creaking a little as if straining to keep it attached.
The girl lowers her arms and stands up straight, taking a step back from the bag as it returns with an inevitable swing toward her and flies by. She catches it on the return swing in order to steady it and leave it hanging straight again before taking a step back away. "Try it like that. Put every muscle in your body into the strike. Let your arm be the conduit by which all the force you can muster gets delivered to the target."
The young teacher clasps her hands behind her back. "Try it a few times. I know you'll pick up on it quickly." She's seen him in action before... There's been times, when under extreme duress, that she's seen him pull off the calibur of strike she's looking for now. Time to see if he can muster the same control in the calm sanctuary of the dojo.
The boy is rather proud of that hearty smack he gave the bag. Watching the heavy mass creak a fraction on its chain from his great blow.
Hoping back half a step the youth then nods to Hotaru, smiling brightly with swelling pride as he watches his Master as instructed.
At first, the youth figures this must be some kind of stance exercise, some kind of dazzling movement to confound enemies, or a feinting strike of some kind. Her stance seems far too delicate, too spread outwards to inflict anything substantial in his estimation.
As she completes the motion and sends the bag SAILING backwards, flailing on its chain as if hit by a truck, the boy's eyes just stare and his jaw drops, "...Whoa.."
How in the..? Blinking rapidly he mentally goes back over what Hotaru just did. Trying to remember all the details that were, perhaps, way more important than he first thought, "H..Hai!"
The boy quickly nods and arranges himself again to the bag. This time, turning sideways and holding his arms upwards in a decent approximation of Hotaru's opening stance. The mechanical motions running through his thoughts as he presses his lips together tightly. His torso twists once or twice preemptively, trying to think it through a moment before nodding to himself, "Alright.. okay.."
Two quick breaths and the youth moves. Crossing one foot in front of the other as his arms both swing outwards quickly...
...And tripping over his own two feet as his striking hand lightly pats the scarred surface, "HAuUA-aahk!" Flopping sideways and stumbling a few steps away.. Barely managing to stay on his feet. o.o;
...Oops.
Of course she didn't expect him to get it on the first try. But it's good for him to see that it isn't as easy as it might look on the outside. "Keep trying," the girl counsels. "Again." she instructs.
She thinks back to the times she had to repeatedly strike to get it down right. Her father had doubts that she would ever be able to hit hard enough but taught the strike to her all the same. Proving him wrong took many long days of aching muscles and bruised hands until she got it down. And now it's time for Kentou to start practicing the same move.
"That strike is the core of the technique I am going to teach you. The Sou-shou Shin." The True Palm Strike. "A method of combining all the force your body can muster into a single, small point of impact - the heel of your hand." the girl continues explaining while watching him try again. "Your right hand strikes the target, your left hand provides just enough counter balance to keep you from falling over." she adds with a grin.
"Keep trying," she encourages. She definitely doesn't expect mastery this afternoon... But if she can see he's getting the idea, that will be good enough. "The real trick is delivering the strike in such a way that your opponent doesn't know to expect it. It isn't a fast attack... and an observant opponent will get out of the way easily or strike preemptively. I'll show you one way of slipping it in though."
She waits patiently for him to try again before slipping into a ready stance of her own a couple yards away from the bag. "By distracting the opponent's attention to other strikes that are less dangerous and require less effort on your part, you can slip the final palm strike in beneath their guard." She breaths in then exhales slowly. "Observe."
From her ready position the girl hops forward, her feet only coming a half meter off the ground at the apex. In mid air she twists around, swinging both of her arms ahead of her in a smooth, windmilling motion such that when her feet touch the ground, her hands are back together in the in tight position she had demonstrated to Kentou at the start of her first example. "YAH!"
The exclaimation puncatutes the end of the sequence as Hotaru's hands slam out in the same motion as before, transferring that forward momentum and all her strength into the single focal point of her palm. Again the bag goes swinging just as strongly as before, as if she had lost absolutely none of the impact strength with the wind up.
Slowing the bag again and stepping back, Hotaru smiles a little. The move looks simple, almost flowery. But it's deceptive. "The two early strikes during the hop will draw an opponent's attention early, causing them to defend high. But the real attack is the one that comes lower, slipping in beneath their guard... There's other ways to slip in the Sou-shou Shin, but that happens to be mine." she finish. "Try again. Just the palm strike part." That's the part that matters for now.
Kentou may stumble, but he brings himself right back to his stance immediately. The youth exhales a slight mutter of frustration, hardening his expression but channels that frustration back into his efforts. Holding up his arms as shown once more, and this time trying to account for the new method of footwork.
A sharp breath. The boy's arms stretch outwards as he steps sideways yet again, this time without stumbling as his palm strikes the bag.. Which hardly stirs at all. The boy's execution is almost completely uncoordinated. There are many new movements in the attack that Hotaru demonstrated to him. How to organize and orchestrate all of those motions into a cohesive, singular thrust of force is certainly difficult. Unintuitive even.
The youth pauses just a moment to listen, glancing over his shoulder and back to his Master as she explains the name of this technique. Trying it one more time as she adds in the details, to little effect.
As she describes it, the technique isn't very unlike many of the Ondori techniques. The Shinsoku Na Yari starts from a single, springing footstep and carrying the whole energy of his body forward in a singular, perpetual thrust. Even the Ondori master technique, The Tenchuu Shuuen, is all about using the built-up momentum of his entire body and focusing it into a single strike of overwhelming force and speed.
Its just.. The way it achieves that result is wholly different than this. The most obvious difference is the use of palms.
The Ondori-Style is close-fist, hard striking with the first two knuckles. Of that, Kentou is fairly good at.. or so he'd protest accusations of the contrary. Open-handed strikes are not part of his techniques, and has little experience in making them truly work. Its like, the engine of movement powering the technique is much the same.. But the point of contact and execution is much different.
Trying it once more as she bids, the boy finally backs away in a huff, managing only a fractional improvement from his first few tries. Only then does he back away to give his Master room. This time much more observant of every move she makes, watching her with wide eyes while trying to absorb every detail..
As she leaps and spins mid-air, the youth nearly gasps.. The resemblance to his Master Technique is somewhat uncanny, "I..I see.." Of course, the spin of that whirl is actually a component of generating kinetic, mechanical energy rather than merely a distraction. The spin is also the opposite direction at that. However, the youth was being very careful to observe this time, gaining a few more insights as he nods emphatically, "Hai, Hai!"
Again squaring off with the bag and taking deep, cleansing breaths, "HAH!" *whap* "HUAH!" *whap*
Time and time again. It's going to take practice, and Hotaru is content to let Kentou keep trying for a bit. He may sound flustered at first, but she knows him well enough by now to trust that his youthful vexation with the technique will be turned into determination to master it no matter what it takes. He wouldn't be beneath the roof of her family's dojo if that wasn't the case.
"Some improvement," the girl remarks. "Getting better." she encourages. "Again," she instructs, carefully directing his concentration back at that punching bag over and over. She doesn't let him take a break for a while, carefully watching the way he tries to correct from his previous attempts' mistakes to refine the technique, little by little.
But at last comes a reprieve as Hotaru speaks up after he has tried a good dozon or more times. "You're getting better. That's good. We'll be practicing the technique a lot. The lessons it imparts are key to delivering other Kenpo strikes I will introduce you to over time."
She's quiet then, a thoughtful look in her eyes as she studies the boy. A slow smile works its way into the girl's expression, a hint of the idea that comes to mind. "Keep practicing." the girl states, turning to walk over to a closet where she disappears for a moment. Coming back out with a pair of metal bars bent into U shapes. Walking across a little ways to a place off to the side. At first glance the location seems to be rather strange. A black mat on the floor accompanied by a similar black matting on the wall right above it.
One by one, the young teacher slides the two metal handle bars into slots designed to fasten them tightly to the wall, one on either side of the vertical mat. "Okay, come on over here," the girl remarks. "Let's try something that I think is more your style."
Considering this is the first brush with using the technique, Kentou is doing quite well whether or not he realizes it. Even for moves that mostly coincide with his own philosophies, it will unquestionably take a lot of time and a lot of practice. Regardless, his teacher's assessment of his determination is spot on. She knows him well, already that fiery determination has lit within his eyes. That focused purpose. Every time he fails, he only tries harder the next time. And harder. And harder. Its far too early to get discouraged, and the boy has mountains of endurance with which to burn through before worrying about it yet.
The boy needs little encouragement. 'Again' is all she needs to say to drive him for ten more repetitions in a row with hardly a pause. She doesn't let him take a break? He never asks for one! In response to her commentary, the boy manages out a quick, "*huff*.. HAI!.. *huff*" In between strikes. Not wasting his breath on idle commentary as he uses it all on the physical.
Her previous training, forcing him to sprint back and forth across the whole town, is serving him well here. Whole minutes pass of constant effort and only a few glistening drops of sweat have begun to roll down his brow.
His Sou-shou Shin has Kentou so engrossed, he hardly registers her new instructions. Repeating the action twice more before it dawns on him she didn't say 'Again!' once more. The jolting realization causes him to stumble about on his last attempt, bumping his shoulder against the bag and hugging it for balance. o.o;; "*Haff* H...Hai..! Woo.." Remaining there for several moments more as he takes a second to catch his breath. Then straightening and quickly bounding over to the new mat. His arms whirling about in a pinwheel fashion as his thoughts continuously go over the details he was just shown. Briefly mimicking the spinning feint as he rotates his arms in a vertically aligned fashion, hopping in mid-air and landing in front of the mat. Rolling on the balls of his feet, the youth then takes in this new arrangement. Half-narrowed eyes shifting between the bars a moment, not intuiting the purpose of this immediately. Some kind of tackle? Wall jump perhaps? Seems a bit of a situational technique if a vertical surface is needed, but he doesn't question. Bright eyes turn then to Hotaru immediately as he makes himself as attentive as possible, "Hai, Sensei!"
Standing next to the odd setup, Hotaru waits with her hands clasped behind her back. Kentou's approach is observed, the girl observing his determination to get the nuances of the Sou-shou Shin down. Performing the palm strike in the calm of training is one thing. Slipping it in effectively in the heat of battle will be another challenge all together. One step... or hop at a time, though.
"This next technique is..." The girl muses, trying to think of words to properly describe what the frantic, fast assault capitalizes on. "...well, it plays off the expectations your opponents are likely to have about you as a fighter." she finally states. "Many people enter fights and make a quick assessment based on the appearance of their opponent about how that person is going to fight. Defying those expectations is at the core of I will teach you now."
The girl steps onto the mat and faces the wall, shifting back to a loose, ready stance like before. "Fighters are going to expect you to be a striker... possibly an evasive one. Right or wrong, giving them something they wouldn't expect in the slightest is the secret of the Shin-jou Tai." The True Sloping Throw. "It starts with an aggressive sprint." That should be something familiar to Kentou. He's always charging his opponents - sometimes with wreckless abandon to boot.
The girl leans as if entering a sprinter's starting stance. And then she moves forward. Not running at full speed, for the purpose is to show him what she's doing... "Watch for counter attacks and weave around them..." she continues as she moves up to the wall, swinging both of her hands together then slamming them forawrd, almost like she's looking to perform a two handed palm strike...
"Your opponent will at first expect a strike. It's what they think you're charging in to do." Seperating her arms she grasps holds of the two handles instead, fingers tightening around them. "...but you'll shift your strike into a grasp at both of their arms. That will throw many opponents off right there, but some will realize you aren't striking directly but attempting to throw them and will begin to try and pull away from the throw, or prepare to roll with it..."
It's then that she sticks one foot out, pressing the sole against the mat on the wall, "You defy their expectations again by turning it back into a striking sequence, but with your feet instead of your hands." Gripping the bars tightly, the girl lifts her other foot up to press against the wall as well, holding herself in place with a tight hold on the handles and applying pressure to the wall with her feet.
The girl holds the pose for a moment before dropping back down to the mat and taking some steps back. "In actual practice, the sequence is as follows..." she states. And then she demonstrates, charging forward, a blue and white blur, hands taking tight hold of the bars and using the leverage to quickly stomp her way up the side of the wall until she's inverted herself. "Ya, ya, ya!" Finishing with a backflip to finish the sequence, Hotaru comes back down on the mat back where she started in a half crouch.
Standing up straight, the girl turns to face Kentou with a faint grin. "Try it slowly. Finishing with a backflip isn't particularly key, and at times might be risky... Sometimes I just run over their shoulders once I'm in position to land behind them and set myself up for something else instead... For now just try and make it up the wall a little. Careful." The mat will catch his fall if he slips up, but it'll still hurt falling down all the same!
Bewildering. That's what this technique is!
Just when the boy thought Hotaru was going to teach the boy the more simple and straightforward techniques, she then begins holding herself up against the wall in what outwardly seems like the single most reckless and unbalanced attack he's ever seen.
And coming from Kentou, that's quite a thing.
Thankfully the youth learned his lesson this time and paid very careful attention from the get-go, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his forearm. The words 'Shin-jou Tai' are murmured soundlessly on his lips as he watches her hand movements. Lure out a block, grab the arms, use arms as a fulcrum to rapidly strike with climbing kicks, dismount back onto feet. He's supposed to manage all of that while his opponent just.. stands there? Or be fast enough where he can pull it off before his foe can do anything about it? Like, say, casting him to the floor?
At first, the boy was about to actually question if perhaps he's misunderstanding something here.. But as Hotaru pulls off the technique with lightning-fast speed, those qualms are immediately silenced. Wide eyes staring at her as she plants back upon the mat with complete ease. He remembers this technique from her fights, how opponents rarely seem able to account for such an unorthodox move. It certainly does work, and she did just demonstrate it flawlessly for him!
But.. Wow.
"...Hai.." The youth response pensively, biting his lower lip as he stares at the wall-mat for a long moment. Adopting something of a wary stance, the youth holds up his hands and takes several quick breaths.
..Okay..
"HOAH!" Kentou kiai's loudly as he races for the wall, quickly reaching out his hands to the bars and yanking upwards smoothly! His feet slam into the wall as he quite literally runs up vertically, orienting himself quickly... And perhaps a little TOO quickly as his feet climb way too swiftly and the boy literally flips himself over into a complete circle!
*WOOMPH*
Kentou's hands are wrenched free from the bars as he flips over roughly 270 degrees and slams face-first into the mat.
...Thats... harder than it looks..
And it looked really hard.
As he hits the mat, Hotaru is there at his side to check on him, knees bent as she crouches down next to the fallen youth, one hand extended to help him back up. "For a first try, that was pretty good," the girl grins. "Maybe try it a bit slower to get the motion down a little first..."
"Try again," she encourages, standing up straight to back away and leave him on the mat to himself. "Careful though." A really bad landing could get him really hurt, padding or no. That she's more hands on with the training for this move comes as no surprise. A broken neck isn't going to further his fighting career in the slightest!
"Fighting with options your opponents won't expect is key. But that isn't all. The speed of the Shin-jou Tai leaves it difficult to defend against even by those whom have come to expect it. With your hands on their arms, pulling back hard, you keep them from being able to easily bunker down and block your subsequent kicks," she continues to explain the concepts at play. Truth be told, he'll have a hard time finding another fighter with a technique quite like it. Not taught to her by her father, the girl made it up on her own over the years, often blitzing opponents much larger than her and connecting with the attack no one expects from the small fighter.
"Keep trying. It took me a while to get it down." It's anyone's guess what her first several mishaps were like the first time she tried to actually use the precariously risky technique in a /fight/. Needless to say, it's taken a lot of practice to keep it from just being a hapless death wish of an attack.
"While it won't be too useful in a fight with anything less than your full speed put behind it, for practicing it's okay to go slower." she grins. Running up the wall into a 270 face plant wasn't really what she expected for his very first attempt. The kid's got guts, that's for sure.
Considering the hits and spills this poor boy has already taken, landing head-first onto a nice padded mat is the least of his problems! With a muffled mutter the boy quickly lifts his face from the mat, grousing in a moment of frustration as clearly the only thing injured is his pride. Accepting the hand gratefully the youth is helped back to his feet, wobbling back and forth a moment before staring at the wall balefully. The sort of challenging stare typically reserved for major opponents.
An enemy where the prize for victory is greater than any mere trophy or certification of quality. If he can beat that padded wall, and that punching back in the other corner, he gains something nobody can take away from him. A secret skill that few living people know on Earth. Upon a time, he would consider this training tantamount to blasphemy. The Ondori Fist is supposed to be everything and superior to all. He learned quickly the error of that thinking.
Besides, while the methods are certainly different.. the principles of Futaba Style are very similar. They are all Kenpo, after all. There is a root ancestry in these techniques, a commonality of philosophy that even Kentou can see. Its just executing on these new movements is going to take a lot of getting used to.
The boy listens to the sage explanation, reconsidering the viability of such a flamboyant and acrobatic technique. The real genius of the technique does seem quite amazing.. Little does he know the truth of the move's homegrown origins.
"Slower.. Hai.." The boy nods again. Rubbing his hands together and exhaling deeply, calming himself from his first mistake before making another run at it. This time not shouting and trying a bit more of a measured attempt, grabbing the bars and pushing himself up, making two steps then swinging back down again onto his feet. A very simple motion, but at least this time he won't comically run up the wall to flip completely over again like a Warner Bros cartoon.
Certainly, the boy's obedience is to be noted. Hardly ever saying any word that isn't 'Yes' to varying degrees of enthusiasm. If Hotaru says leap, Kentou only asks how high. While clearly, as the youth makes another half-run at the wall, it seems he's certainly closer to unlocking the Sou-Shou Shin than this move if a single hour worth of instruction is any indication. With dedication however, he may well master this one as well very shortly after..
Hotaru watches, remaining quiet between moments of explanation. It's important, she believes, that he understands the point behind the attacks she's teaching him. Anyone can aimlessly throw out elbows, knuckles, palms, and kicks, and call it a fighting style no matter how random their attacks may be. But what Hotaru was tought is a disciplined, concrete style. One where each strike has a purpose, each step carefully evolved over years of improvement to deliver the most concentrated or most difficult to defend against strikes possible.
But there's more to performing techniques than just understanding the concepts. In fact, there's even more than just rote repetition. Repeating the same sequence over and over might get the visual approximation down, but the nuances would still be missed. Knowing where to apply the pressure, knowing the precise timing of each part of the motion... And there's even a deeper layer to consider. One Hotaru is reluctant to broach but one she must all the same.
"Remember what Frei asked you to do last time. To focus on how you feel. Be sensitive to your inner strength. Chi... isn't just flashy glowing effects," the girl continues, resting one open just below her neck. "It is an internal source of power as well. A means of propelling your body beyond just pure muscle capacity. You already do this with some of the techniques I've seen you use before. When you dig deeply and focus strength beyond what you can otherwise summon forth... That's controlling chi every much as making two colored spheres float over your hands..."
She smiles faintly, wavering on going any further in that direction before adding, "You need to focus on that level to accomplish these techniques as well. The Sou-Shou Shin and Shin-jou Tai require focused control and timing... Just like your Ondori style techniques."
A layer that Kentou has had trouble grasping.
Rote repetition and kinesthetic mimicry of a half-remembered style has been the depth of Kentou's training. While the boy is vaguely aware of the nuances of out-smarting one's opponent and trying to tactically apply speed and strength appropriately, the deeper mysteries have fallen out of his reach. For a martial artist, he is certainly good. Competent. The average street thug or tough the boy can make short work of with his well-honed routines and exceptional alacrity.
But what separates mere martial artists from true warriors, the boy has yet to fully embrace.
As Hotaru begins to explain, the youth pauses a moment after a particularly strenuous try. Placing his hands upon his knees as he breathes hard, eyes turning to her with sweat beginning to roll down his face freely.
Chi.
Kentou is aware of his father's philosophy concerning that life-energy force. The Ondori-Style is much as Hotaru described, completely internal. No projections or glowy bits associated with it at all. Inefficient, his father called it in one of the very few lectures he recalls.
A notion that was neatly defeated by both Hotaru and Frei, leaving the boy somewhat floundering on what he should really believe about it.
Intellectually the youth may comprehend that Chi is supposed to augment him somehow, but actually applying that force.. to feel it and manipulate it is an entirely different story. Kentou is somewhat comforted to hear that Hotaru believes he has achieved that to some degree with his Ondori Techniques. The Bakuretsu Tekkouken and master technique Tenchi Shuuen both operate with an improbable strength some would consider 'impossible'. Similar levels of control are going to be required of the Sou-Shou Shin and most certainly the Shin-Jou Tai, if not MORE control. Hotaru relies less on physical strength than he does, she manages all of that grace and power with her inner forces primarily. He must adopt similar ways of thinking, if he's going to manage these moves. Certainly, this cuts his work out for him.
Wetting his lips, the boy nods again emphatically. His thoughts going over her words as his eyes stare outwards, a calculatingly, "I..I see.."
And with that renewed focus, the boy turns his attention to the wall mat once more. Trying to keep his breathing steady as he launches himself once more, racing half-way up the padded surface before kicking off and landing on his feet a good distance back.. A good try..
'I see,' he says, and Hotaru can tell he's trying to. Struggling to overcome that barrier that's keeping him from fully grasping the extent of how chi can factor into one's ability to fight at an echelon beyond what he has ever done before. "That's getting the idea," the girl states. "Keep focusing. Concentrate on your breathing. Actively think about how you are moving your feet, your hands, how your fingers clench and your toes help push you back off... Don't let your muscles work on auto-pilot. Not at first... Eventually it will come naturally and both your muscles and chi will respond naturally as you need them. But not at first."
She falls quiet then. There's only so much she can tell him. The rest? That will come with hours and hours of practice just to get the approximation of the technique down. Then some spars against suitable opponents to actually put them to use... None of this comes easy. At least, not in Hotaru's mind. Oh, sure, there are the geniuses out there. Those gifted with innate skill. Kurow Kirishima, the fighting prodigy of Justice High. But even his skill came at a price far worse than many his age would ever dream of paying.
"It will come with dedicated practice..." the girl muses quietly. "And for that, you'll need a place to do it." She smiles faintly, her right hand slipping back into the pocket of her pants. When she pulls it back out, her fingers are clenched closed over something small.
"Kentou. Catch." Then comes the gentle, arched toss. A flat, metallic ringing noise of a key arcing through the air toward the youth. A key to the dojo. "You earned it."
In many ways, Kentou must unlearn a certain amount of what he's already learned. Some of his amateur notions of skill and power are counter to what Hotaru informs him of the real truth. To actually pay attention to his foot-work again, the arrangement of his body against to his objective, thinking things through rather than allowing pure physical memory and reflex to take over will all require breaking many of his previous fighting habits and recreating new ones.
Rather than feel depressed at the revelation that he was actually walking down a dead-end of skill potential, the boy can't help but feel thankful. Even with these small little fractional steps towards this new philosophy of fighting, he can sense how 'right' it feels. It meshes much, much better with what he knows to be true about his family's arts and enlightens him to the Futaba-style as well. Hotaru really has saved him and its becoming clearer by the day. This training has begun to show him just how much he really didn't actually know; How much was true in his imagination only.
While he was wrong about a great many things.. Now he feels like, perhaps he can finally be right. As everything is being made right.
As the boy completes another circuit of movement with a bounce on the balls of his feet, the boy immediately whirls about at the warning. Eyes wide a moment as reflexes completely takes over, hands flailing at the air as he juggles the key a bit in a brisk struggle to gain control.
Only when he finally manages to clap the small metal item between his hands and slowly peer between them, does the boy fully realize what this gift is.
Breathing heavily, the boy is grateful for the sweat rolling down his face and cheeks.. Hotaru may never know the true source of a few of those clear droplets, "...I.." Slowly clutching the key tightly and pressing it to his chest beneath his chin, Kentou finally manages a ragged whisper, "..T..Thank you.. Hotaru-Sensei.."
Log created on 23:00:47 12/06/2007 by Hotaru, and last modified on 13:31:29 12/11/2007.