The Way of The Sword: Kenjutsu (Training)

[Ryoku]

It had been Ryoku's first time stepping across the border which led the small Country of Snow. He had spent hours walking along that far stretched and thick wooden bridge, hoping that his journey would soon end as he reached the other side of the bridge. At last, when he finally gave in, thinking that he could not move an inch further, he had reached the end. Falling to his knees, he was greeted by a warm wool blanket placed over his back.

A fairly tall, and strong looking man in his mid-fourties extends a single hand down at Ryoku. As Ryoku grabs ahold of the gentleman's hand, he is suddenly pulled up by an incredible force. The amount of snow falling down from above is just enough for Ryoku to see this man clearly. Ryoku replies with a nod, accompanied by a polite smile. Ryoku almost seems mezmerized by the scenery, now tall beautiful landscapes can be seen from afar as Ryoku stands erect.

As he bows, a soft gentle voice addresses Ryoku in a polite manner, " Nagi Makasi, of Snow."

Ryoku bows in respect, replying with his soft Saprona voice, "Ryoku Noske, of Cloud."

Old Man Nagi seems suprised, someone from Cloud venturing all the way to Snow all by themselves. Ryoku explained the situation, major parts of countries were at war, and that he had recently entered a battle that he would have most likely died in if it weren't for his uniqueness and some luck. As Ryoku conversed with Nagi, he was guided through the Village of Snow. As their conversation ended, Ryoku found himself standing before a large mansion, it was a dojo of some sort.

"Ryoku, you said you wished to learn how to wield your sword better, correct?", Nagi had asked with a serious tone of voice.

Ryoku was both suprised and flattered, Old Man Nagi was going to help Ryoku for free. Nagi had noticed the potential in Ryoku, even though he had not seen Ryoku's skills in battle. For Ryoku, the training he was about to undergoe would help him further his skills with swords, and even help him form a habit in strategizing and plotting. By the next day, Ryoku was ready to start his training. The Way of The Sword, Kenjutsu. This is what Ryoku had been waiting for, one day in which he would attempt to master using his nihonto.

With his fresh and clean white gi, he drew his nihonto as he stood there in the middle of the arena with his new master right before him. In order to learn correctly, he would have to be taught directly by the Sensei. His training was about to begin. Ryoku was going to learn Iaijutsu, the more defensive form of Kenjutsu. Ryoku waited for his instructions.

Name:Iaijutsu Stance
Rank: E Rank
Effect: Allows the use of Iaijutsu Forms.
Special: None
Drawbacks: None
Description: The practitioner moves into a bow stance, their main hand resting over the hilt of the sword without gripping it, and their offhand resting just under the hilt on the sheath; they stand slightly crouched, able to easily move to a kneeling of standing position for their forms.
Restrictions: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn.

Ryoku now mimiced Sensei Nagi. Ryoku now moved into a bow stance. With his hands still free and away from the sword and sheath. It was time for Ryoku to discipline himself in using this new stance. His sensei instructed him to stand there in the position until he could take no more. Ryoku did this, and with ever minute passing by, gravity began to pull and pull down at his body.

His limbs now becoming heavy as six minutes had passed. Ryoku's knees began to tremble, the shaking becoming more and more violent as seconds passed. The sweat leaking from his body was quickly dried up by the cold atmosphere seeping through his clothing and surrounding his body. Ryoku suddenly dropped to the floor, for his legs could no longer stand the weight which he struggled to keep up. Now, crawling back up, his master instructed him to get back into the stand, but now his task was to gently rest his right hand over the hilt of the sword while resting his other on the hilt of the sheath.

As Ryoku did so, he could feel the strain quickly creeping back into his bones and muscles. He prayed that once this pointless everlasting task was over, he could find some relief and rest his limbs for a minute or two. As Ryoku's hands clumsily slipped off the hilt of the sword, his Sensei quickly came up and met the back of his head with a strong bamboo stick. This was no time for slip-ups.

After this was done, Ryoku was instructed to relieve himself from the stance and take a seat in the center of the white tiled arena.
The purpose of this was for Ryoku collect his thoughts on what was in store for him later. A major factor in the art of Kenjutsu was flexibility and for Ryoku to maintain the stance even longer, he would have to take the time to stretch and increase his flexibility. As Ryoku sat there, meditating, he gradually leaned backwards.

Now, he was laying face up. He began to stretch his legs and arms to the point that they felt as if a sharp object were poking at them. A feeling of relief quickly set in after Ryoku had stopped pressuring his joints. Ryoku sprung back up into stance, with his hand on both hilts. His posture now changed, his body now moving closer to the ground as he squated.

He was now slightly crouched, with his right foot in front and his left in back. His body was now perfectly balanced. His instructor began to preach. "The primary purpose of the Iaijutsu Stance is to establish a well-rounded defense. This defense allows for the user to easily avoid, block, or effectively counter-attack most attacks coming from either side of him. This is not just the stance's purpose, but the whole purpose of Iaijutsu itself."

"It will require reflexsive training methods in order to increase the user's balance, agility, and over all flexibility. Now, for you to correctly use the stance, you must get into a bow stance. Your main hand, which is your right hand in this case, must rest on the hilt of the sword without gripping it. This will allow you to utilize the sword quickly and without much effort."

"Your other hand, your left hand, must be placed just under the hilt of the sword's sheath. This will allow the user to quickly access and draw the sword also, and at the same time it will help in placing the sword back into the sheath. You must stand slightly crouched, or squated in a forward leaning position for free movement. It should appear as if you are almost in a kneeling position, but standing."

"If you have any commen sense, and even as a fighter, you should automatically realize that you should place your right front well infront of the other for balance and more striking power. Even though the Iaijutsu form doesn't really apply to offensive behavior, you will still need that extra bit of momentum to help guard agaisnt oncoming attacks." Ryoku nods as he stands there erect, paying attention to the directions given by his master. "Now that you understand what to do, I want you to prepare yourself, I will be attacking you."

Ryoku gets into his stance, bending rather low with both of his hands in their correct positions. As his sensei leaps forward with his sword coming down at Ryoku vertically, Ryoku quickly unsheathes his sword to fiend off his Sensei's attack and push him back in the process. At the same time his Sensei is rushed back, Ryoku sheathes his sword in the same manner he used to unsheathe it. Nagi, his Sensei, congragulates him in taking and learning the first step of Kenjutsu.

[Ryoku]

Name: Reflex Training
Rank: D , ["C"] and B Rank
Effect: D Rank - Improves evasive and deflection/blocking skill marginally. ["C Rank] - Improves evasive and deflection/blocking skill slightly. B Rank - Improves evasive and deflection/blocking skill moderately
Special: None
Drawbacks: Cannot learn Quick Strike training.
Description: The practitioner is put through a series of rigorous repetitive movements to improve their ability to reflexively react to attacks by evading or deflecting/blocking with their sword. As they develop their training, their speed and reflexes slowly increase.
Restriction: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn.

[0/30]

"Your next training session will now be Reflex Training. As I said before, I major part of the Iaijutsu Form are reflexes. Therefore, I will now be testing your ability to dodge, your timing, and your reactions." With a snap of his finger, several students with all sorts of weapons come out. Katanas, bows and arrows, spears, and anything else that was basically considered a weapon.

Ryoku was caught of gaurd, Nagi had simply shouted and a hourd of pupils were headed Ryoku's way with their weapons ready. An arrow flew out from the crowd, and in Ryoku's way. Ryoku was going to be taught the basics of Relfex training, but this was just over exaggerating. Just as soon as the blunt-headed arrow came soaring straight at Ryoku, several others came into view as well.

For the first arrow, Ryoku would simply move his head to a side, letting the arrow whiz by and barely graze the side of his neck. As the other arrows approached, Ryoku back-stepped several times, with two thin wooden arrows landing hard on the white tiles before him and breaking. As Ryoku pulled his sword from out of its sheath, a spark lit up from inside the sheath, increasing the speed at which his sword was pulled out.

Four more arrows were easily caught and sliced in half as the sharp edges of Ryoku's nihonto met them within a second after its release. That was the end of them, Ryoku thought, but he thought wrong. Over a dozen a students now circled around him and one by one came running at him with their weapons swinging wildly at him. This was Reflex Training, and Ryoku was actually thinking to hard on how to attack instead of instinctively attacking.

It was all about reflexes right now. As one student came up from behind him, Ryoku could head his yelling as he quickly approached. With a spin on his heel, Ryoku was now facing his opponent, staring at him dead in the eye as he came sailing down at Ryoku mid-air. Ryoku had no time to think, he had to react. Ryoku took a giant step foward and brought a leg thrusting forward into the chest of the student, thus kicking him far back out of the way.

[Ryoku]

As Ryoku slid his nihonto back into his sheath, he could see a wooden object falling down upon him, just above his head. Taking a single step back, Ryoku could clearly see that the object was a wooden sword wielded by one of the young students of the old man. The young boy continued to float down. The boy must have been hoping that his attack would strike Ryoku dead on but to his disappointment, Ryoku was just too quick.

Ryoku slightly lifted up his knee to meet with the boy's chin, and as the boy continued to travel down unconscious to Ryoku's side, Ryoku had snatched the wooden sword from the boys hand. Now, someone had taken a different approach. Ryoku felt himself being pulled backwards, pressing agaisnt someone elses body. With great agility, Ryoku easily slid out of the way, and with a simply flick of his wrist the wooden sword in his hand smacked across something solid in an instance. It was the head of a pupil.

What had seemed like a thousand fingers suddenly pulled Ryoku from his backside. The force was strong, and Ryoku had to react quick in order to escape. Ryoku had remembered what his master had told him. "Your next training session will now be Reflex Training. As I said before, I major part of the Iaijutsu Form are reflexes. Therefore, I will now be testing your ability to dodge, your timing, and your reactions."

"The basic reflexive methods involve learning to draw your sword. Learning how to block with your sword. Learning how to sheath your sword. Learning how to counter with your sword. Learning how to use your sword to aid you in many other different ways when in battle."

"You cannot survive with your sword alone, you must also exercise your mind and body. They must become one. You will be learning how to adapt in every deadly situation. Learning how to think quickly, how to react instinctivily. You will learn how to dodge effectively. You will learn how your body reacts to things, how to analyze how the enemie's body reacts to things."

"Quick movement without delay or hesitation is a major factor in determining whether or not you will be hit by an incoming attack. Your training will be all about improving your chances of evading and deflecting attacks with or without your weapon of choice. Iaijutsu is all about evasion and countering."

After reflecting on his thoughts in that very second, Ryoku used his wooden sword to knock off all those from behind him. Another student had failed in their attempt to attack Ryoku as he spun around, avoiding their weapon with ease. Something hit Ryoku's side hard, Ryoku reaching over to grab a foot and swing the person away.

[spamato]

+12
flexibility

[Ryoku]

"Thats enough.", said the master in a calm but demaning voice. Ryoku eased into the tub a warm soothing water. He began to drift and sink even deeper into the tub of water, staring up at the white ceiling as his mind started to clear of all thought. Memories from past came to mind and flooded his brain as the water filled his body. With his eyes closed, he stared out into the open deep black void, and slowly fell asleep.