| [Feb. 27th, 2016|04:03 am] |
They reached the new training field, which featured an even, craterless surface and a row of training dummies that weren’t burnt pieces of kindling. Kakashi turned to face her, restrained eagerness in every line of his body. “So, where do we start?”
“The beginning,” Katsuko said. “Show me the stance you use with your katana.”
Kakashi hung both swords at his belt before unsheathing his katana in one smooth motion, falling into a low, solid stance that was favored by many kenjutsu specialists. Katsuko circled around him and prodded his feet into narrower alignment, making him bend his front knee and straighten his back leg.
“This is the basic starting stance for Hyoho Niten,” she said, when she’d repositioned his limbs to her satisfaction. “Shinmen Takezo placed more emphasis on circular movement and adaptability than traditional teachers. He had to; fighting with two swords offers more opportunities for offensive strikes, but also opens up more holes in your guard if you’re not experienced enough. It’s no use planting yourself in a solid stance if your enemy has a clear shot at your heart. Better to dodge and attack from another angle.”
Kakashi shifted a little in his new position, committing it to muscle memory, and tilted his head at her. Amusement tinged his voice. “It strikes me as very you to have a style that defends by attacking.”
“You’re well-suited to this style as well,” Katsuko said, keeping her expression bland to make up for the fact that she’d just complimented him. “There are twelve techniques with just the katana and seven with just the kodachi. There are five techniques for using the blades together. We’ll review them all, and then you’ll switch sword hands and do them again.”
Kakashi had already been concentrating on the lesson, but her words made him sharpen up, lazy humor shearing away as his thirst for knowledge took over. The last lingering traces of slouch and insolence vanished, subsumed by his intent gaze and the pressure of his full attention. “Standard grip on the katana, or do I need to alter it for the style?”
She showed him Hyoho Niten’s specialized grip, which tucked the thumb underneath the protective curl of the fingers. “You should hold the katana right in the middle of the hilt, in between where your hands would grip if you were practicing a single-sword style. Too high, you jam your fingers into the blade guard. Too low, you risk your sword being knocked out of your hand.”
He adjusted his grip and nodded, soaking in the information like an alarming sponge. She ran him through the first six techniques for the katana, Sassen to Moji Gamae, and explained the theory behind each. She didn’t know if it was because he had already learned several martial arts styles or because he was a genius, but he picked up the moves almost as soon as she demonstrated them, needing only one or two reminders before performing them flawlessly. It was not only exciting but fun, having a student so interested in her family style, whose questions and attentiveness made her reach deep into stores of knowledge she’d forgotten she had.
“Alright,” she said, watching him perform the seventh and final kodachi technique perfectly. “We still need to teach you the combination moves, but I think you’ve earned a preview of the first kata.” |
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