Chapter twenty six

         "Alright, now that that silly goose is gone we can start your instructions. Come, follow me to the dojo."

           I followed her down the hall and started to wonder what I had gotten myself into. Kazimir threw a knife at her face and she just called him a silly goose. A knife to the face was literally a joke here, what did that mean for my coming training? I started imagining scenarios like being forced to stand in a single pose over a lake of fire or sparring on a small platform hanging from a cliff. As my own imagination was torturing me with more and more far fetched ideas we reached the dojo.

         Thankfully it didn't have any of the painful implements that I was imagining, in fact it was just a simple room with judo mats similar to the ones in the bunker lying on the floor. I was instructed to sit down on one of the mats and as I did so , Narumi's whole demeanor shifted from gentle and kind to serious and strict.

         "I will now instruct you in an ancient form of martial arts created by my ancestors, this I do not do lightly. What I am about to teach you is the legacy of my ancestors and as such the way you use it is a matter of honor for not only me, your teacher, but also my family. The only reason I am teaching you is that Kazimir has told me that you are serving an honorable purpose. I trust my husband and that trust now extends to you. I have tried to pass on the secrets of my family's martial arts only once before and that was to my husband. He failed miserably. This should tell you how difficult it is to learn let alone master. If you are willing to put in the blood sweat and tears that are required to learn my family's martial arts and promise to use it honorably then from now on you may call me sensei."

           I could feel the gravity of the situation, I felt that my decision would alter my path in life forever . It wasn't a matter of showing me a few kicks and punches, she was telling me that I was about to make a commitment by accepting her as a teacher. When most people think of honor they think of Japan but we Russians also have a rich history of honor and pride that most people don't know about. I knew precisely what Narumi meant and I understood what she wanted. I bowed down deeply and replied respectfully," I will be honored if you would teach me sensei."

           "Good. Before we begin let me give you a brief overview of what I am about to teach you. Most martial arts use stability to deliver blows and receive attacks, even those that seem flamboyant and have lots of flourishes are dependent on the principle of finding the bodies center of mass and keeping it centered to avoid falling, a method called centering. What I am about to teach you is how to move without ever being stable, without ever centering yourself. I shall show you all the different movements and techniques but they are only pieces of the puzzle. The key to mastering it lies in being able to combine these pieces together correctly. There are no preset orders that you follow, you are in constant motion, always unstable and you have to make the decision of what to do next correctly or you will fall down. What I am about to teach you is as much about honing your instinct as developing discipline. Keep this in mind as you continue to learn. OK now let us start with the first stance, look carefully and try to replicate it."

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          I spent the rest of the afternoon either on my face or on my ass as I kept on falling over again and again trying to replicate Narumi's, or rather sensei's movements. I thought I was failing miserably but she actually seemed satisfied with my progress. In the end she stopped me to take a break and eat dinner. When she told me I could stop I collapsed on the mat and just lay there. Muscles that I didn't even know I had were aching and I could feel exhaustion down to my very bones. Sensei tried to cheer me up as she gave me a bottle of water,

         "You actually did pretty well for the first day, do you take gymnastics or dance classes by any chance?"

         "Dance , but not very seriously." The only reason I even took dance classes was because of all the girls in their skimpy outfits and tights , plus the teacher was the kind of woman you wouldn't mind doing extra credit work with, if you know what I mean. The thoughts of my after school shenanigans with my dance instructor in the dance studio managed to perk me up a little.

         "That's odd , you have very good flexibility and balance for someone who just does dance casually. I guess you must be naturally gifted."

          Yeah , I don't think so. I think that it is more likely that my time with the dance instructor might have helped my flexibility and balance in other ways, she was quite adventurous.

         That was not something I wanted to share with my sensei so I just chuckled awkwardly and said,

         "Yeah, I am naturally gifted."