Day 3 LM - Drawing A Long bow [Open]

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

Ryuuta Kin wrote:

"I hope that we are able to bring the might of the empire against it. Morikage Toshi could not expel them, so we must hope we can repel them long enough for word to get to other forces to surround them."

Happily
"Or die trying! There are good samurai in these land, if the usurper wants to come to us they'll find out just how good."
Energized by the prospect of the coming conflict, and temporarily putting aside all the worries that same war was bringing "I should return to my work Ryuuta-san, but I thank you for your words and your perspective, it was not one I had considered."

Ryuuta Kin · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:29 pm **Posts:** 269

"May the fortunes bless you and your ancestors guide you," Kin replies with a respectful bow.

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

Not interrupting anything, she hoped, Yukarin entered the dojo again and made to practice her strikes again. When last she'd left, she had been on two-hundred and twenty. And while she recognized the command for ten-thousand hadn't been literal, she felt like more were necessary. So she made to pick up a large bokken, finding the heaviest one she could find and giving it a test.

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

Ryuuta Kin wrote:

"May the fortunes bless you and your ancestors guide you," Kin replies with a respectful bow.

"Likewise Ryuuta-san. I will look for you on the battlefield, may you bring honour to your clan and your ancestors."
Even if you are running them through at the same time.
Sugimoto returns to the bow

Yasuki Yukarin wrote:

Not interrupting anything, she hoped, Yukarin entered the dojo again and made to practice her strikes again. When last she'd left, she had been on two-hundred and twenty. And while she recognized the command for ten-thousand hadn't been literal, she felt like more were necessary. So she made to pick up a large bokken, finding the heaviest one she could find and giving it a test.

The sounds of a bokken are always comforting, unless they're ringing off your skull from a disappointed sensei. Sugimoto has no wish to interrupt whoever it was who had come to spar, he was now furiously writing up a screed hoping to motivate the vigilantes to attack the pretender directly.

Ryuuta Kin · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:29 pm **Posts:** 269

After the departing exchange, Kin moves to begin his practice himself. Finding a bokken and beginning his repetitions.

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

Seeing that the two men had finished talking, Yukarin lowered her bokken a bit and walked up to the older looking gentleman in Lion colors. She gave a deep bow, "Excuse me, Ikoma-sama, but are you a sensei here then?"

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

Yasuki Yukarin wrote:

Seeing that the two men had finished talking, Yukarin lowered her bokken a bit and walked up to the older looking gentleman in Lion colors. She gave a deep bow, "Excuse me, Ikoma-sama, but are you a sensei here then?"

Sugimoto tries not to preen slightly. He was sure it was easy to mistake him as a sensei, so dignified and distinguished looking, practically radiating vigour.

Bowing back politely
"I have not had that honour Yasuki-san, my duties are as a magistrate."

He quickly glances over the young Crab, his On revealing little
"I am sure it would not be impossible to find an instructor, if that is what you are searching for. If there is another way that Sugimoto of the Ikoma can assist you, please ask."

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

"Ah, gomen! I would not want to trouble you, or the instructors. Working with a novice in such a time, when they have better things to do. I was just hoping you were instructor and had a moment. I ~had~ an Akodo instructing me the other day, and he promised to show me another exercise after I'd done his first one ten thousand times. I... only made it to seven-hundred and twenty eight times since then, but I was hoping to move on to something new regardless..."

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

Yasuki Yukarin wrote:

"Ah, gomen! I would not want to trouble you, or the instructors. Working with a novice in such a time, when they have better things to do. I was just hoping you were instructor and had a moment. I ~had~ an Akodo instructing me the other day, and he promised to show me another exercise after I'd done his first one ten thousand times. I... only made it to seven-hundred and twenty eight times since then, but I was hoping to move on to something new regardless..."

Sternly but not impolitely
"You cannot skip ahead young Crab-san. There are no shortcuts to mastery of any skill. Perhaps if you could elaborate on what you feel is holding you back? I do not wish to be impolite, but you do not strike me as a trained bushi."

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

"Oh, I'm not! I'm trained as a courtier, actually. Yasuki Yukarin."

A deep bow.

"That doesn't mean I don't want to learn to take care of myself. Especially since I've joined the Crab. Not to mention the army heading this way... Not that I don't trust the Lion to take care of me, but so I don't totally need to be a burden, neh? Besides any of that, I have come into possession of a no-dachi; It was my great grandfather's, and it feels like the Fortunes must have a reason for getting it to me."

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

Yasuki Yukarin wrote:

"Oh, I'm not! I'm trained as a courtier, actually. Yasuki Yukarin."

A deep bow.

"That doesn't mean I don't want to learn to take care of myself. Especially since I've joined the Crab. Not to mention the army heading this way... Not that I don't trust the Lion to take care of me, but so I don't totally need to be a burden, neh? Besides any of that, I have come into possession of a no-dachi; It was my great grandfather's, and it feels like the Fortunes must have a reason for getting it to me."

Sugimoto permits himself a single long blink
"I see."

This was different...even from a crab
"So you wish to honour your ancestor by mastering their weapon? An admirable goal Yasuki-san, what have you learnt so far? Was Akodo-san the first to instruct you?"

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

"Formally, hai. I'd practiced a bit on my own before that, but I'd found the weapon heavy and awkward to swing even a small amount. So I wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong."

She demonstrated by showing how she'd been holding the no-dachi before, at the end and with feet parallel.

"Akodo-sensei taught me a wide two handed grip and stance that distributed the weight much more evenly."

She adjusted, looking much more natural and comfortable.

"Then he taught me a basic step and strike exercise to get a feel for the weapon and my footing."

Yet again, a small demonstration. It wasn't the worst footwork, it wasn't the best. But it was something.

"And that's about where we left off; He said he would teach me another step and strike if he got the chance."

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

[quote="Yasuki Yukarin"]

Drily
"He may have been distracted by the war. Still, it is a competent enough stance, although you want to watch yourself at the very beginning of the swing, a blade that long will unbalance most samurai."
Never one to turn down an opportunity to help a fellow samurai learn to kill other fellow samurai
"I'm no expert, but I have some scrolls that depict the kata necessary for you to complete learning the basics. They could be provided, conditionally."

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

"A scroll, hm? I suppose that would save the effort of having to be a bother to people with more important things on their minds. Color me interested."

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

Yasuki Yukarin wrote:

"A scroll, hm? I suppose that would save the effort of having to be a bother to people with more important things on their minds. Color me interested."

"Training takes discipline. If you can learn what the scroll has to teach you on your own then you will make progress. If you seek to jump ahead it will just be chaos."
Sugimoto slowly ruffles through the papers on his table until he finds 'kenjutsu for dummies' and hands it over to Yukrarin

"This is a good starting point, there's even an entire chapter labelled 'so, you want to use a no-dachi?' "

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

"How lucky! I couldn't take such a thing without a favor in return though, Ikoma-sama. Surely you would not have such a thing on you if you did not use it, or have plans for it."

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

Yasuki Yukarin wrote:

"How lucky! I couldn't take such a thing without a favor in return though, Ikoma-sama. Surely you would not have such a thing on you if you did not use it, or have plans for it."

"If you use what you learn here to defend yourself one time then I will receive all I want in return." A slight shrug of his broad shoulders "I learnt those kata many summers ago, before you were born, I think."

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

Ikoma Sugimoto wrote:

"If you use what you learn here to defend yourself one time then I will receive all I want in return." A slight shrug of his broad shoulders "I learnt those kata many summers ago, before you were born, I think."

"Is there not a young Lion who would benefit more from such knowledge than me? I mean, I am just a simple courtier."

This refusal thing was kind of silly to Yukarin, but it did genuinely feel like a gift to her. So she played along. It wasn't like she hadn't had plenty of practice.

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

Yasuki Yukarin wrote:

"Is there not a young Lion who would benefit more from such knowledge than me? I mean, I am just a simple courtier."

This refusal thing was kind of silly to Yukarin, but it did genuinely feel like a gift to her. So she played along. It wasn't like she hadn't had plenty of practice.

"Any Lion would have learnt these forms before their gempukku. They will be most useful with someone who could learn from them."
After 40 years, Sugi could do the gift giving ritual in his sleep

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

Ikoma Sugimoto wrote:

"Any Lion would have learnt these forms before their gempukku. They will be most useful with someone who could learn from them."
After 40 years, Sugi could do the gift giving ritual in his sleep

"...you make a good point; Akodo-sensei said I might be a good challenge for a five year old Matsu child, and I can believe the comparison after having watched the students here during my time at the court. Even if it was said in jest. Arigatou."

She bowed deeply and received it with both hands.

"My hope has always been to never to have to use my sword; The Ide tradition is built on understanding and peace. But if there are to be murderous spirits one cannot reason with, and if my new home must face its own threats that deserve no brpkering... then I should be prepared for peace to not always be an option."

The little lady seemed quite determined in this sentiment.

Day 3 LM - Drawing A Long bow [Open]

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