The sun was warm and it was nice for feel on his skin. The long hike was welcome as well and the tall grass didn't seem to bother him. Within a half-hour, he reached a small river where some boys shouted and hollered while playing in its cool waters. This was a good sign that he'd be able to come across a town soon. Even still, he tried to stay out of sight of the boys.
After some scouting he found a faded trail that he hoped would lead to a house with some clothes. Eventually it had, and they were thankfully hanging out to dry. He took only a vest and a pair of trousers for himself that were too small for him but managed to wrap around his physique well enough to prevent the threat of ripping from wide movements.
The only thing he could find in Yue's size was a sundress and some boy's trousers. He also picked up a shirt and found some slippers that might fit her. Unable to find anything else suitable for either of them, he set back to the barn.
The vest remained unbuttoned since it was uncomfortable to have anything too tight around his torso, having grown up in a gi at an early age. The trousers could have reached below the calf but bunched themselves just above the muscle group. The trousers needed not be tied tight since they wouldn't lower past his waist without some effort. The even hair from his chest to his navel hid most ideas of "inapproriate." He looked bigger with such undersized clothing, however.
He partially meditated on his way to the barn. The gigai prevented any measures of recuperating any lost Reiryoku, which was the dangerous aspect of these things. Furthermore, the only way to remove one of them oneself was to burst out an amount of Reiatsu that would destroy the tool. His goal was to control what Reiryoku he had and keep it in instead of releasing it and accidently destroying the disguise.
It was close to ten in the morning by the time Kouta returned to the barn and handed the clothes to Yue. The gigai was the strangest part. As the dummy conformed around her short stature and took on her slender frame, as soon as Yue stood up it felt like nothing different from her normal 'body'.
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"No, I'm not tired," he told her. He was still in fight-mode. He was focused and prepared. Still, he noted her care for him. "We'd best get prepared before we run into more trouble." It was as if he expected things to get worse before they got better. Of course, it was best to prepared...
Yue hoped that she hadn't forgotten how to pickpocket and pick locks, for while she wasn't proud of those 'skills', they were something she'd learned at the young age of four, when she'd died and entered Rukongai. It'd be an easy task to break in and grab some food without getting detected.
His stomach growled violently at her mention of food. For some reason, his own mention of it did not bother him. He glanced over to the bodies and as strong as his sense of duty was to these men, the need to sustenance overpowered his need to make sure the bodies remained safe and that they remained and that they remained in a single area.
He took the few steps necessary to reach the bodies and placed a cool hand on one of their chests. He pumped some of his remaining Reiatsu into the body, enough to keep his presence there for a few hours. He turned to face the girl with his ever-cold face.
He reached down into his open kosode and removed two square capsules. Pinching them, they turned into a beige dust that quickly filled an impressive area. When this cleared, there were two dummies laying on the ground of equal size and dimensions. His hand fell into the chest of one of them and his body quickly sank into the material which stretched and formed into his own size and shape as a soul. Still being in development, the gigai did not come with a default outfit.
Even in his nudity, he remained stoic and cold. He didn't expect Yue to enter the gigai until he returned with proper clothing. He, himself, chose to go out and do this himself. Still, he wanted her to remain there for a time still.
Yue hoped that she hadn't forgotten how to pickpocket and pick locks, for while she wasn't proud of those 'skills', they were something she'd learned at the young age of four, when she'd died and entered Rukongai. It'd be an easy task to break in and grab some food without getting detected.
His stomach growled violently at her mention of food. For some reason, his own mention of it did not bother him. He glanced over to the bodies and as strong as his sense of duty was to these men, the need to sustenance overpowered his need to make sure the bodies remained safe and that they remained and that they remained in a single area.
He took the few steps necessary to reach the bodies and placed a cool hand on one of their chests. He pumped some of his remaining Reiatsu into the body, enough to keep his presence there for a few hours. He turned to face the girl with his ever-cold face.
He reached down into his open kosode and removed two square capsules. Pinching them, they turned into a beige dust that quickly filled an impressive area. When this cleared, there were two dummies laying on the ground of equal size and dimensions. His hand fell into the chest of one of them and his body quickly sank into the material which stretched and formed into his own size and shape as a soul. Still being in development, the gigai did not come with a default outfit.
Even in his nudity, he remained stoic and cold. He didn't expect Yue to enter the gigai until he returned with proper clothing. He, himself, chose to go out and do this himself. Still, he wanted her to remain there for a time still.
"I didn't do much, Yue-chan," he started. The honorific was unusually warm but his tone remained cold. He'd known her for quite a while and knew that she felt a level of comfort by the name. He didn't call her this often, but he hoped it would calm her nerves. He needed her to be alert. "I merely helped with killing those Hollow. You did your job well. I, however," he started, turning his head slightly to where he'd placed the bodies.
"They'll find us soon, sensei, I'm sure of it." She murmured apologetically, her voice barely audible and while she didn't quite catch it at first, his chosen honorific made her give him a curious look, followed by a sweet smile.
She could almost see it happening back in the Academy - the panicked students, the frantic teacher running for reinforcements and then her own father, with his customary disapproving demeanor ordering a group of Shinigami back to the Human world.
"They have to, Yue-chan," he said again. "You get some rest, now. I'll keep on patrol."
He didn't look at her as she settled into some hay and even slightly digging herself deeper into the warm dead grass. He only mediated intently on his surroundings. He couldn't be bothered by the cold, but it was clear that Yue wasn't enough to control her Reiryoku enough so it wouldn't effect her own body temperature. It also had to do with the fact that she hadn't become used to her own Reiryoku, which would come with time. She was young.
Hours passed and Kouta couldn't sense anything within his fog. He coudln't even feel animals with their trace amounts of spiritual energy and there weren't any Hollows that seemed to be attracted by the obvious cloud of strong Reiatsu. This made him more cautious of his surroundings than if they were constantly ambushed by Hollows.
Eventually the sun rose behind a hazy morning sky, but with Kouta's mist, it was yet to be seen by the Shinigami. Animals began to near the fog and then quickly retreat, which was a positive sign. Having had his Shikai released the entire night, his Reiryoku was significantly lowered and he quickly released it, allowing what sun passed through the trees to enter through the cracks of the barn. In a new light, it was clearly abandoned.
He remained in a meditative state until she awoke. "I suggest we remain here until they find us. If it takes more than a few days, we'll have to go searching for food. I have gigai should we require them."
His voice was low and heavy, not much unlike his usual tone, but it was clearly taxed in some way.
"They'll find us soon, sensei, I'm sure of it." She murmured apologetically, her voice barely audible and while she didn't quite catch it at first, his chosen honorific made her give him a curious look, followed by a sweet smile.
She could almost see it happening back in the Academy - the panicked students, the frantic teacher running for reinforcements and then her own father, with his customary disapproving demeanor ordering a group of Shinigami back to the Human world.
"They have to, Yue-chan," he said again. "You get some rest, now. I'll keep on patrol."
He didn't look at her as she settled into some hay and even slightly digging herself deeper into the warm dead grass. He only mediated intently on his surroundings. He couldn't be bothered by the cold, but it was clear that Yue wasn't enough to control her Reiryoku enough so it wouldn't effect her own body temperature. It also had to do with the fact that she hadn't become used to her own Reiryoku, which would come with time. She was young.
Hours passed and Kouta couldn't sense anything within his fog. He coudln't even feel animals with their trace amounts of spiritual energy and there weren't any Hollows that seemed to be attracted by the obvious cloud of strong Reiatsu. This made him more cautious of his surroundings than if they were constantly ambushed by Hollows.
Eventually the sun rose behind a hazy morning sky, but with Kouta's mist, it was yet to be seen by the Shinigami. Animals began to near the fog and then quickly retreat, which was a positive sign. Having had his Shikai released the entire night, his Reiryoku was significantly lowered and he quickly released it, allowing what sun passed through the trees to enter through the cracks of the barn. In a new light, it was clearly abandoned.
He remained in a meditative state until she awoke. "I suggest we remain here until they find us. If it takes more than a few days, we'll have to go searching for food. I have gigai should we require them."
His voice was low and heavy, not much unlike his usual tone, but it was clearly taxed in some way.
He noted Yue take the aggressive reaction to his protecting her. She was shaping up nicely now that she was an Academy student. He feared she had softened too much, becoming stale, in the Dojo. He went to tear apart the other large Hollow before he noticed the wave of them had dissipated and Yue searched frantically for the Senkaimon.
"I had sent the live ones off through it as I arrived, Yue. We must wait here for them to return with suitable cause and reinforcements. For all they know, we've died as well."
It might have been strange to see Kouta in full Shinigami garb in contrast to Yue's Academy uniform. His single-edged tantÅ was fastened on his left hip. Like his father, his uniform lacked the shitagi and the kosode was sleeveless and opened wide to show off his physique. As mature as he acted, there were still faint amounts of insecurites he shouldered. His uniform was slightly worn and had a few tears. But considering what he was doing to those Hollow, many would consider that impressive.
Uncharacteristically, he gently fell his large hand onto Yue's pointy shoulder. "Come, we should get these men to a safe place before they're bodies are disrespected further by Hollow. Can you sense if there are any still around?"
Perhaps a silly question, but he was all the more serious. It may have been silly to consider someone assumingly less talented than she could pick up Hollows better but maybe he was just confirming his suspicions. Furthermore, it would have been difficult to sense much of anything other than him. His Reiryoku leaked more potently than his father's, and it was cold. She might have not noticed it during her time in the Dojo, but he wasn't in combat so he could control it more finely. A light fog began to form as the humidity met the chilly Reiatsu and their vision decreased.
"I had sent the live ones off through it as I arrived, Yue. We must wait here for them to return with suitable cause and reinforcements. For all they know, we've died as well."
It might have been strange to see Kouta in full Shinigami garb in contrast to Yue's Academy uniform. His single-edged tantÅ was fastened on his left hip. Like his father, his uniform lacked the shitagi and the kosode was sleeveless and opened wide to show off his physique. As mature as he acted, there were still faint amounts of insecurites he shouldered. His uniform was slightly worn and had a few tears. But considering what he was doing to those Hollow, many would consider that impressive.
Uncharacteristically, he gently fell his large hand onto Yue's pointy shoulder. "Come, we should get these men to a safe place before they're bodies are disrespected further by Hollow. Can you sense if there are any still around?"
Perhaps a silly question, but he was all the more serious. It may have been silly to consider someone assumingly less talented than she could pick up Hollows better but maybe he was just confirming his suspicions. Furthermore, it would have been difficult to sense much of anything other than him. His Reiryoku leaked more potently than his father's, and it was cold. She might have not noticed it during her time in the Dojo, but he wasn't in combat so he could control it more finely. A light fog began to form as the humidity met the chilly Reiatsu and their vision decreased.
Kouta's fists crashed into some of the smaller Hollow, crushing them completely and voiding the application of Konso. But with the number of Hollows matching and even exceeding that of the students, such concerns were out of the question. He shouted for the seniors to take the underclassmen through the Senkaimon that had just been opened.
It might have been strange to see him trample toward the monsterous Hollow that surrounded Yue. Why didn't he use Hoho? But he continued to use his brute strength and utterly destroy passing Hollow that leapt toward him. The seniors protecting Yue fought valiantly against the creature, but when one was struck down, the another was impaled by a long claw.
When the tail dove into Yue, Kouta slipped under to push her out of the way and grapple the appendage. He couldn't quite crush it, but he then just lifted the creature by it's tail and swung it into the ground. He then pounced high into the air, performing a Soganseki into the Hollow's mask. This only cracked the heart of the monster. It cried out in pain, unable to effectively communicate verbally its woes. It was now deep in madness and crying from hunger.
The tail again flew toward Kouta with a claw moving simultaneously in the same direction. Any Shinigami would have have dodged the attack and allowed both to hit the Hollow itself, but Kouta tucked each one under either arm and squeezed his large muscles until the ends of each shattered. The Hollow cried so strongly that the air visibly vibrated around them.
Enduring this, Kouta flattened his hands and began to rapidly force them into the spine of the Hollow. This application of Sadobaggu Suraisu began to chip away at its Hierro and eventually cut the thing in half. This was not without resistance as it flailed and swung at Kouta. He only had to strike once at these attempts to knock them away or cut through the limbs themselves. It was a brutal and ruthless way to end a creature in endless torture.
It might have been strange to see him trample toward the monsterous Hollow that surrounded Yue. Why didn't he use Hoho? But he continued to use his brute strength and utterly destroy passing Hollow that leapt toward him. The seniors protecting Yue fought valiantly against the creature, but when one was struck down, the another was impaled by a long claw.
When the tail dove into Yue, Kouta slipped under to push her out of the way and grapple the appendage. He couldn't quite crush it, but he then just lifted the creature by it's tail and swung it into the ground. He then pounced high into the air, performing a Soganseki into the Hollow's mask. This only cracked the heart of the monster. It cried out in pain, unable to effectively communicate verbally its woes. It was now deep in madness and crying from hunger.
The tail again flew toward Kouta with a claw moving simultaneously in the same direction. Any Shinigami would have have dodged the attack and allowed both to hit the Hollow itself, but Kouta tucked each one under either arm and squeezed his large muscles until the ends of each shattered. The Hollow cried so strongly that the air visibly vibrated around them.
Enduring this, Kouta flattened his hands and began to rapidly force them into the spine of the Hollow. This application of Sadobaggu Suraisu began to chip away at its Hierro and eventually cut the thing in half. This was not without resistance as it flailed and swung at Kouta. He only had to strike once at these attempts to knock them away or cut through the limbs themselves. It was a brutal and ruthless way to end a creature in endless torture.
"If it's impeding on your development in this Dojo, then I will personally work with you. In the meantime, I expect you to work on your self-esteem." It was a harsh response which entirely cloaked any kind of sense of caring. He didn't understand what her problem with Hayate. In fact, he was a lower-ranking shihan within the dojo, which is why he paired them together in the first place. It didn't sit well with him that a Yukihiro did not improve properly in his father's dojo but he didn't care much for her childishness.
But there was a desparity about her that he couldn't ignore. Perhaps he could beat it out of her. The rest of year, he sparred with her, holding nothing back. But what he witnessed surprised him. She was unnaturally resilient against him. She didn't keep on her feet as well as he'd like, but to his standards, that could mean anything. He saw that desparity in her, but it was desparity to improve and rid herself of shackles which burdened her. Of course, Kouta was entirely ignorant of this kind of psychological state, but Akimoto could sense it easily. He was close to babying the child, but knew word would spread to Isao-sama and would result in his chastisment.
It was entirely unusual to see a student, a first-year at that, practicing on the stage that was a platform. The other shihan disapproved, usually verbally and sometimes physically. Kouta would combat them appropriately. His words were strict to the precepts and usually flawed by others' standards, but he practiced strikes and thrusts and steps that physically represented what he was trying to explain. Bones broke and wooden frames shattered from these physical displays of disagreement and the subject would be dropped for a time until the next "lesson" needed to be conducted.
But there was a desparity about her that he couldn't ignore. Perhaps he could beat it out of her. The rest of year, he sparred with her, holding nothing back. But what he witnessed surprised him. She was unnaturally resilient against him. She didn't keep on her feet as well as he'd like, but to his standards, that could mean anything. He saw that desparity in her, but it was desparity to improve and rid herself of shackles which burdened her. Of course, Kouta was entirely ignorant of this kind of psychological state, but Akimoto could sense it easily. He was close to babying the child, but knew word would spread to Isao-sama and would result in his chastisment.
It was entirely unusual to see a student, a first-year at that, practicing on the stage that was a platform. The other shihan disapproved, usually verbally and sometimes physically. Kouta would combat them appropriately. His words were strict to the precepts and usually flawed by others' standards, but he practiced strikes and thrusts and steps that physically represented what he was trying to explain. Bones broke and wooden frames shattered from these physical displays of disagreement and the subject would be dropped for a time until the next "lesson" needed to be conducted.
"Speak up, why is it you need a change in shihan?" he asked, his voice more terse than his father's.
"Because I find it difficult, if not impossible, to improve with my current shihan, sensei." Yue answered. "He makes me uncomfortable." She vaguely wondered whether adding that last bit was wise, but it was true nonetheless.
Kouta glanced over to the shihan, shifting where he stood as if to say he was too good to be fallible. "Are you sure it's not your relationship with your House, Miss Yue?" His eyes were cold but caught fire to those he gazed into. Not cool like his mother's and not warm like his father's. He had his own, radical eyes. "Kori no Tate does not account for other's sympathy or consideration, only one's own. If you do not feel comfortable simply because of the man, then there is something you must work on. If you actually look around you, they are not taking out any kind of aggravation or jealousy on you. My shihan are pushing you to break, but you have not done that. Yes, you come to me requesting for a change, but that is merely initiative. If you did not care for the treatment against you, you would have left, for you have that liberty. Otherwise, it is your duty to your, Isao-sama, but more importantly for yourself. Do you not wish to become strong? Do you not wish to protect yourself and those you care for?"
He only stared harshly into Yue's young eyes, waiting for her answer, even if she had none.
"Because I find it difficult, if not impossible, to improve with my current shihan, sensei." Yue answered. "He makes me uncomfortable." She vaguely wondered whether adding that last bit was wise, but it was true nonetheless.
Kouta glanced over to the shihan, shifting where he stood as if to say he was too good to be fallible. "Are you sure it's not your relationship with your House, Miss Yue?" His eyes were cold but caught fire to those he gazed into. Not cool like his mother's and not warm like his father's. He had his own, radical eyes. "Kori no Tate does not account for other's sympathy or consideration, only one's own. If you do not feel comfortable simply because of the man, then there is something you must work on. If you actually look around you, they are not taking out any kind of aggravation or jealousy on you. My shihan are pushing you to break, but you have not done that. Yes, you come to me requesting for a change, but that is merely initiative. If you did not care for the treatment against you, you would have left, for you have that liberty. Otherwise, it is your duty to your, Isao-sama, but more importantly for yourself. Do you not wish to become strong? Do you not wish to protect yourself and those you care for?"
He only stared harshly into Yue's young eyes, waiting for her answer, even if she had none.
Every day there was a class, but it was not every day that Akimoto-sensei would be leading the class. Instead, his son, Kouta, would be leading the class with the same intensity and severity, though a touch more apathetic. He wore the same white gi and belt his father wore in contrast to the black on black of the shihan, many of them older than Kouta himself. Akimoto-sensei believed this to be a humbling gesture to the students. And just like his father, Kouta would train with the students, and usually to a greater degree than the students as he could handle the abuse.
Akimoto-sensei had his duties in the Academy as well as his Division as well. It seemed he had to slough off some of his responsibility to second-in-commands, but this was expected when running three different organizations simultaneously. His son was more than capable of running the Dojo himself, having grown up with Kori no Tate and inside the Dojo itself, as was evident by his physique. Kouta was noteably larger than Akimoto-sensei but had the same body structure, mannerisms, and posture. His face was very much from his mother's side, an attractive and handsome face that could unarm women unusually easy along with his demeanor.
At the Academy, Akimoto-sensei had a group of five Shinigami from his own Division that oversaw activities within the Academy and most of the missions into the World of the Living. They were unseated, but this meant more being from his Division than it did in others.
His Lieutenant, however obsequious, was one of the most loyal and arguably the strongest among the other Lieutenants, having one-on-one training with Captain Akimoto, as he was called in the Barracks. Captain Akimoto didn't take pride in most anything, but he took pride in the strength and resilience of his Division. The Captain-Commander had expressed gratitude and awe toward his Division in particular.
Every third day, Akimoto-sensei would lead the class, making Kouta-sensei the regular instructor of the Dojo, as was the usual. Luckily for Akimoto-sensei, or perhaps this was on purpose, every sixth day was a day of meditation and rest, in a sense. They'd go over some of the precepts, discussing what the students were most curious about regarding the tarp which hanged from the ceiling ever since the first day.
Months passed, and the class dwindled. They did not quit, no. These students had been through his classes at least once prior and were deemed acceptable to attend the Academy. This was not openly stated by the shihan or the students themselves, but whispers might have spread suspicion or their families might have revealed this truth. But this in itself was a frightening realization. Most, if not all, of them would have to do this multiple times.
Now in the middle of winter, classes were usually high-energy low-impact for the sake of keeping warm, for there was no heating or cooling systems within the Dojo. Some of the more seasoned students might have considered this season to be easier, in a sense. The truth was they were growing stronger. There were days to push one's limits and other days to just learn techniques and then other days to actually impliment these techniques. It was cyclical, organized in a sense. With some days for discussion and others for meditation, there was a sense of familiar change that Akimoto-sensei hoped would become a kind of comfort to his students.
Akimoto-sensei had his duties in the Academy as well as his Division as well. It seemed he had to slough off some of his responsibility to second-in-commands, but this was expected when running three different organizations simultaneously. His son was more than capable of running the Dojo himself, having grown up with Kori no Tate and inside the Dojo itself, as was evident by his physique. Kouta was noteably larger than Akimoto-sensei but had the same body structure, mannerisms, and posture. His face was very much from his mother's side, an attractive and handsome face that could unarm women unusually easy along with his demeanor.
At the Academy, Akimoto-sensei had a group of five Shinigami from his own Division that oversaw activities within the Academy and most of the missions into the World of the Living. They were unseated, but this meant more being from his Division than it did in others.
His Lieutenant, however obsequious, was one of the most loyal and arguably the strongest among the other Lieutenants, having one-on-one training with Captain Akimoto, as he was called in the Barracks. Captain Akimoto didn't take pride in most anything, but he took pride in the strength and resilience of his Division. The Captain-Commander had expressed gratitude and awe toward his Division in particular.
Every third day, Akimoto-sensei would lead the class, making Kouta-sensei the regular instructor of the Dojo, as was the usual. Luckily for Akimoto-sensei, or perhaps this was on purpose, every sixth day was a day of meditation and rest, in a sense. They'd go over some of the precepts, discussing what the students were most curious about regarding the tarp which hanged from the ceiling ever since the first day.
Months passed, and the class dwindled. They did not quit, no. These students had been through his classes at least once prior and were deemed acceptable to attend the Academy. This was not openly stated by the shihan or the students themselves, but whispers might have spread suspicion or their families might have revealed this truth. But this in itself was a frightening realization. Most, if not all, of them would have to do this multiple times.
Now in the middle of winter, classes were usually high-energy low-impact for the sake of keeping warm, for there was no heating or cooling systems within the Dojo. Some of the more seasoned students might have considered this season to be easier, in a sense. The truth was they were growing stronger. There were days to push one's limits and other days to just learn techniques and then other days to actually impliment these techniques. It was cyclical, organized in a sense. With some days for discussion and others for meditation, there was a sense of familiar change that Akimoto-sensei hoped would become a kind of comfort to his students.
He wanted the class to consider the precepts and what more they might mean and what else they could explain or resolve. How could they be combined or broken down to apply to most aspects of one's life? It'd take years, but the smartest among them could figure out the universiality of Kori no Tate. But the next day, he'd test their physical capabilities to the max.
It started out with laps around the large building, outside, in the rain. During these laps, they'd have to drop to do ten push-ups and ten sit-ups and then continue running. They had to keep single-file for the sake of discipline and any who stepped out of line for any reason was punished with an extra lap and sets of push-ups and sit-ups. He'd have them jog inside for some jumping jacks and then back outside for more laps and sets. Their drinking water was the rain. For two hours they ran, sat, and flexed their way around the large building. He was one leading the line and notifying when to drop and perform the sets.
Once he pushed everyone the furthest he could, to the verge of vomiting, he rushed them inside to have them being sparring. The air was filled with heavy gasps and wheezing. He showed them defensive stances they'd have to keep for ten full minutes when their lungs were working to knock them over. His shihan walked through the students, analyzing and critiquing their instability or improper technique. An hour of standing passed of the students standing in the least comfortable of stances he had developed.
Though there was no rain within the building, they all remained just as wet. Some began to fall over, passed out, at the end of the hour. Dead asleep, neither the shihan nor Akimoto-sensei would bother their slumber. "Don't knock yourselves out, this isn't that hard!" some of them would shout. It was a tactic to hit their pride and make them push beyond their assumed limits. He was performing the same exercises while keeping a steady breath.
Another hour passed of moving stances. The students remaining were enough that each could be paired with an individual shihan that would perform strikes against these stances, intentionally trying to knock them down and even hurt them, only to make them return to the stance and continue to be beat. "Keep oneself centered," Akimoto-sensei would shout out to those remaining. They, too, began to stay down when they dropped. "Mind your body!" He was now being assaulted by one of his own shihan, but he remained stoic in his stances, unmoving and persistent.
Grunts and short shouts began to sound as the remaining few had a mind stronger than their bodies. Only five in this class, it seemed. What was the Yukihiro House sending him? When the last one dropped, he waited until they all returned to consciousness so he could address them before sending them off.
"Now take all these precepts and relate them to the exercise we performed today. That's going to be the warm-up from now on. You may leave," he said, departing them even though some of them still couldn't walk considering their legs were bruised and exhausted. Surprisingly, he was still sparring and exercising with his shihan, which would actually go late into the evening.
It started out with laps around the large building, outside, in the rain. During these laps, they'd have to drop to do ten push-ups and ten sit-ups and then continue running. They had to keep single-file for the sake of discipline and any who stepped out of line for any reason was punished with an extra lap and sets of push-ups and sit-ups. He'd have them jog inside for some jumping jacks and then back outside for more laps and sets. Their drinking water was the rain. For two hours they ran, sat, and flexed their way around the large building. He was one leading the line and notifying when to drop and perform the sets.
Once he pushed everyone the furthest he could, to the verge of vomiting, he rushed them inside to have them being sparring. The air was filled with heavy gasps and wheezing. He showed them defensive stances they'd have to keep for ten full minutes when their lungs were working to knock them over. His shihan walked through the students, analyzing and critiquing their instability or improper technique. An hour of standing passed of the students standing in the least comfortable of stances he had developed.
Though there was no rain within the building, they all remained just as wet. Some began to fall over, passed out, at the end of the hour. Dead asleep, neither the shihan nor Akimoto-sensei would bother their slumber. "Don't knock yourselves out, this isn't that hard!" some of them would shout. It was a tactic to hit their pride and make them push beyond their assumed limits. He was performing the same exercises while keeping a steady breath.
Another hour passed of moving stances. The students remaining were enough that each could be paired with an individual shihan that would perform strikes against these stances, intentionally trying to knock them down and even hurt them, only to make them return to the stance and continue to be beat. "Keep oneself centered," Akimoto-sensei would shout out to those remaining. They, too, began to stay down when they dropped. "Mind your body!" He was now being assaulted by one of his own shihan, but he remained stoic in his stances, unmoving and persistent.
Grunts and short shouts began to sound as the remaining few had a mind stronger than their bodies. Only five in this class, it seemed. What was the Yukihiro House sending him? When the last one dropped, he waited until they all returned to consciousness so he could address them before sending them off.
"Now take all these precepts and relate them to the exercise we performed today. That's going to be the warm-up from now on. You may leave," he said, departing them even though some of them still couldn't walk considering their legs were bruised and exhausted. Surprisingly, he was still sparring and exercising with his shihan, which would actually go late into the evening.
With that, he decided to move on. "It's important to know how one's body works. It's also another reminder to keep healthy and active in addition to the twelfth precept. Along with this, it means to pay attention to how you behave, not just for yourself but in regards to those around you.
"Meditation is important. Knowing one's place in the world is key to keeping oneself centered. It's also important not to become distracted by others from what it is you're trying to accomplish. Be mindful of your opponent and don't allow them to disturb your thoughts, do not let them consume you for that gives them more power over you.
"Of course eating and sleeping are required for living, but beyond that, it's important to be aware. Aware that you are hungry but, furthermore, aware of what is best to eat. Aware that you are tired and need to rest or push through that pain to gain strength. The obvious aspect of 'awareness' is being aware of one's surroundings. But it's also being aware of those around you and your relationship with these people. Even strangers share a relationship with you, however superficial.
"Then we come to being strong. Note how I did not mention about becoming 'stronger' when that's what most people strive for. But this is emotional strength as well as mental and physical strength. 'Strength' can mean many different things: keeping from harming yourself or those you care about, keeping from harming others you don't know, and even keeping from stubbornness. Have a strong will accompanied only by a strong sense of self for that is when decisions become easy.
"And finally, mind your heart. Of course, it's something to physically protect from harm because without it you will die. But emotions, feelings, and memories are important aspects of one's existance and keeping those with you can both be challenging but give you determination to succeed or admit failure. It also reminds you to listen to your instincts and intuition, for they are powerful tools which, when left ignored, can result in unfortunate outcomes.
"Meditation is important. Knowing one's place in the world is key to keeping oneself centered. It's also important not to become distracted by others from what it is you're trying to accomplish. Be mindful of your opponent and don't allow them to disturb your thoughts, do not let them consume you for that gives them more power over you.
"Of course eating and sleeping are required for living, but beyond that, it's important to be aware. Aware that you are hungry but, furthermore, aware of what is best to eat. Aware that you are tired and need to rest or push through that pain to gain strength. The obvious aspect of 'awareness' is being aware of one's surroundings. But it's also being aware of those around you and your relationship with these people. Even strangers share a relationship with you, however superficial.
"Then we come to being strong. Note how I did not mention about becoming 'stronger' when that's what most people strive for. But this is emotional strength as well as mental and physical strength. 'Strength' can mean many different things: keeping from harming yourself or those you care about, keeping from harming others you don't know, and even keeping from stubbornness. Have a strong will accompanied only by a strong sense of self for that is when decisions become easy.
"And finally, mind your heart. Of course, it's something to physically protect from harm because without it you will die. But emotions, feelings, and memories are important aspects of one's existance and keeping those with you can both be challenging but give you determination to succeed or admit failure. It also reminds you to listen to your instincts and intuition, for they are powerful tools which, when left ignored, can result in unfortunate outcomes.
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