[Day 4, Mid-Afternoon] Like Clockwork

[Kaiu Seiko]

Off-duty and attracted by the sounds of the sparring, Seiko wandered over to watch.

Polearms. Pity.

Still, the sparring looked interesting enough. For a moment, Seiko wondered if she should "cheer" one of them. But which one? The land-loving Hare or... or... that Crane.

Even without Kaimenko around, Seiko decided that silently watching would be the better thing to do.

[Kakita Sugita]

Sugita nods at the Hare, and then goes right to it. He spins the stick around quickly to come at the other side this time with the same speed and intentions.

[Usagi Zenko]

This time he's a bit more prepared for the coming blows, bringing up the pole to block the high attack and then leaping upwards and bringing it down and around to sweep Sugita's to the side, giving him enough room to land again, while bringing the bamboo pole back up to protect himself from a hit coming from the likeliest quickest direction.

[Kakita Sugita]

Clack. Clack. Both blows are blocked and Sugita does come around for another. Good thing the Hare was prepared. But then the Kakita's actual training gets the better of him and he stabs the polearm out like a spear, straight at the hare's stomach.

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko tries to correct it, bringing the polearm inwards to deflect it to his other side, which leaves him with the end of the bamboo pole hitting him just left of his stomach. He bends a little bit, rolling forwards in order to fall onto the Kakita's pole, using his own to push it firmly downwards as well as pushing himself off to the right in the roll.

"Quick and quick." he groans a bit as he comes to his feet again, his armor clanking a little against the wood of the boat. He raises his bamboo pole up again, getting ready for renewed attacks.

[Kakita Sugita]

Sugita comes right at the Hare, stepping in with every swing. Some jabs, some fully cocked. He keep coming from random angles, pushing his opponent back more than threatening to cut him apart.

[Usagi Zenko]

Harder pressed, Zenko starts falling back on his own training a bit, mixed with the blocks he's learned to utilize with the bamboo pole. He continually backs up, although at times he jumps forwards and to the side, to force the Kakita to change direction as well as to buy himself a moment or two.

Jab's he starts to dodge outright, until finally the Hare seems to be all out of room, his back against the rail.

He grins a little, sweeping the Kakita's pole off to the side again and again, occasionally blocking a downward strike by raising the pole up and bracing with both hands.

[Kakita Sugita]

Sugita pauses once a blow is blocked, pushing down on the Hare's own polearm. "Did you not want a turn?"

[Usagi Zenko]

"My thanks for the invitation." He grins, and drops his pole downwards, then bouncing it off his foot straight up, as he rolls back against the railing with his back, lifting his legs up and swinging himself in an athletic spin in order to go around and come to his feet on the rail; then bounding over the Kakita's head, grabbing the bamboo pole out of the air and as he lands on the deck, ducking his head to slow his momentum as he rolls and as he comes back up, brings the bamboo pole down with a high strike. "Huuuahh!"

[Kakita Sugita]

Rather than block, Sugita's reflexes take over and he dodges out of the way. Kind of tangential to the whole purpose here. Whoops. At least he has the sense to bring his own pole down after to trap the Hare's. He was too late though, and only bats it aside.

[Usagi Zenko]

He nods, bringing the pole around in a strike at the middle, using the routine of the strikes Moshi-gunso had given him two days prior to help give the Kakita practice. High, mid, high, low.

His strikes are basic, the Hare perhaps being distracted or winded after the athletic display and series of blocks with a weapon he is only new to using.

[Kakita Sugita]

"I was..." Parry. "Wondering if..." Parry. "That jump..." Parry! "Was a part of it!" SMACK!

"Erk!" Sugita sucks in a breath through his teeth. "Nice one."

[Usagi Zenko]

He shakes his head, giving the Kakita moment to catch his breath if he needed it before continuing. "No, I just need to get out of that corner."

He breathes out, "High!" and attacks, restarting the order.

[Kakita Sugita]

Keeping the same order, Sugita can anticipate. His polearm comes up to block awkwardly, but accurately.

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko continues doing a second set of six of the strikes, then backing off. "Alright, now try those," he says briefly, falling back a step.

[Kakita Sugita]

Sugita doesn't answer. He does. Immediately. The strikes comes in order once, then faster the second time, and a third time even faster than the Usagi's, though much more awkward.

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko adjusts as best he can, concentrating on where the blows were coming from. A few times he's just barely blocking in time, the speed of the Kakita evidently pushing him. And then a blow sneaks past and hits him in the shoulder with a "Slllap" sound.

Zenko winces a bit, but moves to carry on blocking the blows that come in.

[Kakita Sugita]

I want a good sword, or bow, or even spear in my hands. Sugita pauses, and holds up his hand so he can take a look at it. "Going to have to clean this thing later. I'm bleeding on it. These things are more jarring than a sword."

Oh, well. A few small cuts aren't going to stop this Kakita. He shrugs, takes up the weapon again, and starts all over. "Ooah!"

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko frowns, blocking yet. "More worried about having to scrub the deck." he comments, piecemeal between different blocks. He seems careful to keep his hands away from where the Kakita's blood might spatter against him.

[Kakita Sugita]

It's just a scrape. No flowing or spattering. Yet. "Like we wouldn't have to anyway." Sugita swings the polearm full force straight downward.