[Moon 10, Aftdeck, Morning] Come spar with me (Open)

[Akodo Jishaku]

Jishaku rose early the morning after the storm had ended and started the day with his sword drills. Grabbing a pair of bokken from the armoury he hoped for a partner eventually but set to work on his personal training, also throwing in some jiujutsu forms. Swords were the best weapon at sea, but at least he wouldn't get rusty.

[Hida Musasha]

The Crab appeared with his bucket. "Oi." He bows and goes over to wash and shave at the edge of the ship.

[Akodo Jishaku]

"Good morning my friend." He moves around the deck, following a pattern only he can see, and keeping out of everyone else's way. "Looks like its going to be a fine day."

[Hida Musasha]

He nods, "Most likely." He draws up the seawater with his bucket. "What skills are ya werkin' on today? I might join ya, if ya want ta learn somethin' new, I'll show ya, but the techniques o' the Crab ain't pretty. If ya want ta spar, I'll let ya choose yer choice o' weapons."

[Akodo Jishaku]

"I want to keep my kenjutsu skills sharp. Isawa-gunso advised against taking my blade out wherever possible, but that doesn't mean I can't train. You said you were interested in sword skills, so I brought another bokken just in case." He smiles and points to where it rests before setting off on another series of drills.

[Hida Musasha]

The man nods as he finished washing and shaving and dumped his bucket of seawater over the side.

"Alright, jus' don' get all hard core on me, I ain't quite got the sword skills down, yet. Don' take it easy on me, either, but I got alot ta learn." He does a few stretches, and then he kicks the bokken up into his hand from the deck.

He swings it a few times, not like a bat, as expected. His fundamentals are definitely there, but there's no polish...at all.

[Akodo Jishaku]

Jishaku finishes and bows. "Let me see some drills first Hida-san, I'd like to see if anything obvious leaps out about your technique. Ten high, ten middle, ten low would be useful."

[Hida Musasha]

His basics are pretty on par, he has plenty of natural talent, and just enough technique to not embarrass himself. His strikes would likely cut a man in half if they hit...from any angle... But there is a lot to be worked on. Against a skilled opponent, he'd be hard pressed to not take a beating.

As he finishes, "It don' feel natural imaginin' killin' men. I mean, I'll do it, but not knowin' if they 're tainted or not, and havin' ta assume they ain't is...it's just not natural."

[Akodo Jishaku]

Jishaku nods as Musasha demonstrates all the basics. "Well, your instructors gave you all you need to get started. Just a case of actually getting in some sparring and understanding your limitations. As for killing men. I would probably feel somewhat uncomfortable fighting unusual monsters, but men die quite easily. You wont have any problems in that respect my friend."

[Hida Musasha]

He sighs, "It ain't that I can't, tho. It jus' ain't right. I was trained ta protect you lot from the real evils o' this world an' beyond. I ain't never fought in a land war, er seen action in any o' the recent wars at all. Jus' fought monsters, tainted pirates, an' the occasional Hida woman wantin' ta be kept warm fer the night."

[Akodo Jishaku]

The Lion sighs. "The sentiment is commendable Hida-san, and I can scarecely imagine the things you have seen while keeping the rest of us safe from horrors. I am sad to say though, that men can prove just as evil without the help of the dark kami. If it helps remember that every man you kill will eventually be reborn to try again at a better life." He shrugs. "Anyway, we can work on that later. Lets spar."

[Hida Musasha]

He shrugs, "Alright."

He takes a stance...much like a mountain. His leg muscles flex taught and he holds his blade out before his face in both hands, tilted 30 degrees from parallel toward the ground. The position looks very uncomfortable, but is a terrific defensive stance to get a strike or two out from.

[Akodo Jishaku]

Jishaku moves in and slides his bokken up along the top of the Crab's, brushing over his hands. "Your stance is powerful, but somewhat rigid. A more skilled opponent may be able to flow over you." He grins. " But if he doesn't kill you he's going to get a face-full of Crab. I am increasingly glad we are going to be fighting at other's sides and not against each other Hida-san." The Lion moves back to his starting position. "Let's do some attacking and countering, start at half speed and gradually increase."

[Hida Musasha]

The man nods, "Hai." He begins to fall into stride. His strikes send a serious shudder through the bokken into Jishaku's arms as he slowly takes into the drill. He focuses on the motions, trying to force his body to learn it.

[Akodo Jishaku]

Jishaku nods with approval as they increase in speed and intensity. "Good, focus. Now think technique rather than power or we'll need more bokken by the end of this voyage."

[Hida Musasha]

The Crab subtly changes his strokes, unfortunately, his strength is still very apparent in them. "Like this?" You get a feeling that things die horribly when he hits them.

[Akodo Jishaku]

The Lion grins. "That should buy us an extra week or so of use Hida-san. There is nothing wrong with hitting things hard, but sometimes in kenjutsu a little finesse will get you a long way." As an example Jishaku waits for the next heavy blow to come at him and deftly deflects the blade to the side so that the Crab's weight carries the wooden blade into the deck, throwing him off balance.

[Hida Musasha]

Instead of it throwing him off balance, the Crab thrusts his shoulder into the Akodo's chest, stopping just short of actually connecting. "Erm, sorry, instinct to follow through..."

He stands back up, "I have been really acrobatic since I was wee. I just...follow through with everything. I haven't gotten hurt from a fall since my fourth winter."

[Akodo Jishaku]

"Well that is a most useful skill for a sailor to be sure, plenty of things to fall from. Your reactions are commendable, but you wont improve your swords skills by falling back on other techniques every time. Again." The Lion waits until they both in the ready positions. Immediately after the Crab indicates his readiness, Jishaku leaps in and taps him on the head with his bokken. Without grandstanding on his strike the Lion follows through into a ready position to guard against a response.

[Hida Musasha]

The Crab shakes his head, "That was too easy. You are right, I need practice."

The Crab begins to press an attack on the Akodo. His motions aren't quite full on, but he is relentless. Still, with the bokken, he can't quite break the Akodo's guard.