HA3 1.4 – Taiho-jutsu

Once Hayashida was ready, the second round was immediately started. In the fighting matt, Hide and Hayashida stood at a healthy distance, facing each other while faithfully maintaining their guard.

“Kid, you truly know how to hide your skill,” Hayashida bitterly said.

“I never hide my front kick,” Hide calmly argued. “I do it regularly when I have heavy bag.”

“Yeah, but heavy bag don’t teach you how to use it in a real fight. Only a fight can teach you how to use your technique in a fight.” As a cold gleam flashed in his eyes Hayashida added, “And from your calm and collect approach before you knocked me out, I can tell you have tons of fighting experience.”

“Maybe I was a street fighter in my previous life,” Hide casually said.

“Well, whatever it is, we will find it soon.”

Once he finished his words, Hayashida immediately mounted his offensive. His footwork when approaching Hide was light and smooth like before, but this time it also fast like a lightning. In no time, he arrived in front of Hide, and as he deeply ducking his body he also launched a left hook to Hide’s side.

It was not as fast as his jab, but Hayashida was sure Hide won’t be able to avoid his left hook to the body, and it was correct.

Baam!

A one hell of powerful body blow perfectly hit Hide in the side. As the result, Hide clenched his teeth as he fell to his knee. At the same time, a smile bloomed on Hayashida’s lips.

‘Now, I put you back to your place, Kiddo,’ Hayashida muttered happily.

However, even when he was under unbearable pain, Hide’s clarity was as clear as spring water. His body reacted instinctively and refused to let a go the opportunity that presented itself before him.

In smooth and swift manner, Hide used his right arm to pivot himself to Hayashida’s side. From there, by using both hands he hugged Hayashida’s knees, tightly held it together, slightly lifted it, and then made a crocodile roll to the side.

“Wa-wa-wa…….”

Baam!

Hayashida couldn’t finish his mumbling as his body was being slammed to the matt. Fortunately, it was only a light slam so it didn’t affect his clarity. Only a quarter second after his chest touched the floor, Hayashida tried to get up to his feet.

In some grappling match, showing your back to a wrestler was bad move. It could cost you the match. While in a street fight, it could kill you. From his swift reaction, it was easy to tell that Hayashida understood those precautions not only as a mere knowledge. He had instilled it into his body, to the point it became an instinctive reaction.

However, it didn’t mean everything would go as he expected. As Hayashida pushed his upper body upward, a body drop suddenly landed on his back.

Baam!

“Ke-uk!”

Hayashida cursed inwardly as his chest was being sent back to the matt brutally. Unfortunately, it was not the end. An arm suddenly hooked in into his neck, followed by a strong pull to force his body to roll to the side, and then a crossed leg hook in into his lower body.

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What Hayashida encountered was a standard rear naked choke. The only difference was, when Hide mounted the cross leg hook to restrict Hayashida’s lower body, he also managed to put Hayashida’s right arm under his right calf. As for his left arm, Hide sent it to go under Hayashida’s left armpit before connecting it with his right arm to complete the choke.

In this manner, Hide had put both Hayashida’s lower body and arms under control, and finished the choke unchallenged. In legal match, he won’t need to control the opponent’s arm when mounting a rear naked choke. Controlling their lower body to prevent them from using it to help them break the choke was enough.

However, in a street fight, a free arm could become lethal factor in case the opponent carried a hidden knife. And even if they didn’t carry a knife, there was no restriction to grab the finger and broke or twisted it in order to break the choke. In short, in a street fight, putting the opponent’s arm under control when you mounted a rear naked choke on them was a must.

It’s just that, his perfect street fight-style performance had exposed the true level of his grappling beyond from what he planned. Unfortunately, Hide truly couldn’t prevent it. His body just reacted on its own and finished the rear naked choked in one swift motion.

‘Well, I will just make up reasonable bullshit in case someone asked me how I master this move.’ After calming his mind, Hide then said, “Senior Hayashida, it seems I bag this round.”

While puffing his right cheek Hayashida lightly tapped Hide’s arm, and Hide immediately released the choke. With a face like a wronged kid Hayashida then went to Coach Kotaro.

“You damn Old Fart,” Hayashida said in a grumpy tone. “There is no way Hide is a newbie. It’s true that his physical fitness is at beginner level, but his fighting disposition is as calm as seasoned fighter, while his strike and grappling are seamless and smooth as fuck.”

“Damn Rascal! I also want to know about it,” Coach Kotaro said before taking a deep breath. “Honestly, it’s also surprise me.”

“Old Fart, just tell me how good his technique is,” Hayashida demanded.

“I’m not the one who taught him,” Coach Kotaro casually said. “And this also the first time I see it.”

“Huh?” Hayashida instantly dropped his jaw, and then turned his gaze to Hide. “Little Rascal, come here.”

“Yes,” Hide meekly replied and then immediately went over to Hayashida.

“Tell us honestly,” Hayashida said in a drop dead serious tone. “Who teach you the move?”

While putting an innocence face Hide replied, “I learned it from Sensei Oniyama. It was three years aiki-jujutsu private course when I was in elementary school.”

“That’s what he told me in our first meeting,” Coach Kotaro confirmed Hide replied.

“Did you do lot of sparring in your training?” Hayashida curiously asked.

“Yeah, my training put heavy emphasizes on the use of basic technique in a street fight sparring, and I did it tons of time to the point I dreamed it in my sleep.”

After a light nod Hayashida asked, “So, it is a practical aiki-jujutsu for self-defense, and not the ones for competition?”

“Sort of.”

“What about your kickbox?” Hayashida asked another question.

“Sensei taught me how to use basic kicks in sparring, but that’s not part of the main menu.” After a short pause Hide added. “I start a dedicated kickboxing training only few weeks before joining this gym, shadow kickbox mostly.”

After pondering for a moment Coach Kotaro decided to ask Hide a question, “Can you tell me Sensei Oniyama’d dojo address?”

“Sensei doesn’t have dojo. He taught his students in their house or nearby park, and once a month he will come to 303rd Military Police Company as guest instructor.”

Question mark instantly popped up on Coach Kotaro’s forehead. “Does he truly a guest instructor in 303rd MPC?”

“He does,” Hide firmly replied. “He is also former member of 303rd MPC?”

After taking a deep breath Coach Kotaro said, “Hide, I think your training with Sensei Oniyama is not pure aiki-jujutsu. It’s Taiho-jutsu or arresting art, basically, it’s a combination of aikido, judo, jujutsu, karate, and kendo.”

“Sensei Oniyama also taught me some arresting technique.”

“Well, now I have proper understanding about your baseline,” Coach Kotaro casually said. “Even though I still can’t imagine what kind of training you had gone through to the point it still lay dormant in your body after you stop for years.

Not to mention, it just instinctively resurface as soon as Hayashida put you in a pinch.”

“Coach,” Hide said in a drop dead serious tone. “Honestly, I also don’t quite understand. My body just moved on its own as soon as I fell to my knee, and before I was realizing it I already completed the choke.”

“Yeah, you should be grateful to have Sensei Oniyama as your first teacher. All members of 303rd MPC are excellent Taiho-jutsu user. Someone who qualified to become their instructor is not ordinary master of Taiho-jutsu.”

“Wait a second,” As he gave Coach Kotaro a curious glance Hayashida added, “Is 303rd MPC a special force unit who specialize themselves in martial arts?”

“No, 303rd is more like a ceremonial unit. One of its duties is to become ceremonial guard in welcoming important state guests,” Coach Kotaro calmly explained. “The requirement to become its member is handsome and tall, good service record, possess remarkably strong mental fortitude and physical strength, and excellent user of Taiho-jutsu.”

“Is their arresting art really that good?” Hayashida curiously asked.

“It’s very excellent. Even some special force folks visit their dojo to refine their martial arts,” Coach Kotaro calmly replied before turning his gaze to Hide. “Try to use your arresting art on third round.”

“Wait a second,” Hayashida spontaneously said.” Is arresting art can be used to counter boxing?”

“Theoretically, modern Taiho-jutsu is being designed to counter boxing, kickbox, thai box, taekwondo, wrestling, karate, judo, jujutsu, edge-weapon, and other fighting means that becomes favorite tool of crime gang and syndicate in Nikko, and it’s not rare for the bad folks to have ace fighters at the level of major league.

Yet, Nikko law enforcement never lost their trust in Taiho-jutsu and keep refining it,” Coach Kotaro casually said. “As for can Hide use it to counter your boxing, honestly, I’m eager to find out.”

“I see,” Hayashida gave a nod before turning his gaze to Hide. “Little Rascal, fight with everything you got. This time, I will go super-duper serious from the start.”

“Understood,” Hide calmly replied.

*****