Training for Igneus Ventus

[Tichondrius Illitharis]

Tichondrius sat down in the garden, taking in a deep breathe of the fresh air. Setting down the duffel bag he had brought, he took off his outer robe, folding it and setting it gently at one side. Underneath it, he wore a close fitting shirt, and a pair of exercise shorts. Folding his legs under him, he began taking in breaths and letting them out slowly, controlling his breathing carefully, and waited for his student to arrive.

 

[Hoshi Icchihara]

Hoshi walked out to the Garden as Ti had told her too. She had busy running around setting up for the Day but now she could concentrate wholly on her training. It had been one of the few things that she had taken siriosely back home. Her marshal art's training. It had only been meant for Tohoru but she learn as well and quicker than Tohoru most times. Her teacher had said it was because she had the spirit for it. She didn't know about that but she did know she could flow with whatever was thrown at her. She saw Ti sitting in there and smiled. "I here." She said with a bright smile.

 

[Tichondrius Illitharis]

Tichondrius opened his eyes and saw his student. Smiling, he pulled himself to his feet. "Greetings, Koshiba-san. As you have asked, I will instruct you in the ways of Igneus Ventus. There are but four main tenets to the form. First, is speed. Strike quickly, move quicker. There is no shame in retreating to strike again. Second, is freedom. While Igneus Ventus has numerous forms and moves, you can combine it with any other martial arts you already know. Creativity in the field of battle can lead to a quick victory. Third is accuracy. Never miss your strikes, for a failed strike wastes your strength and attention, and a mis-placed strike can result in your defeat. Fourth and most importantly, is stillness. Knowning when to strike is the most important, and why you strike is even more so. I do not expect you to understand all its tenets immediately, nevertheless, keep them in mind at all times. They will serve you well in life."

"We will begin. When practicing Igneus Ventus, it is important for you to be aware of your surroundings, lest you misstep. All your senses must be used, be it sight, hearing or even smell. Recognizing the sound of a hostile strike is even more important. First, I want you to use this blindfold, then sit on the grass and listen to your surroundings, and tell me what you hear." As she did so, Tichondrius opened the duffel bag, and began stacking up the practice pole.

 

[Hoshi Icchihara]

Hoshi put it on nodded at everything he said. Master Fung had taught her that when learning a new art she had to be like an empty cup so she could take in everything that she was being told. She put on the blindfold and opened up her other senses. She hoped it would be enough though. She had been taken by surprise a few times by Henric but then he was a million times more skilled than her she was starting to realize. She could tell where the birds where now, she could tell what Ti was doing though her eyes where blocked. She breathed in deeply. Ready for anything that could come her way.

 

[Tichondrius Illitharis]

When sufficient time had passed, he said, "Remove you blindfold, and tell me what you heard." When she had done so, he nodded, satisfied. "Well done. You are no stranger to learning martial arts. Though eventually, you must learn to read the wind and sense anyone approaching or hostile intent from a sufficient enough distance, this will do, for a start. Practice this in your common room and see if you can recognize people as they pass by you."

"Now," Tichondrius continued, " this," indicating a tall wooden pole, with multiple arms and divided into several sections, "is a training pole used for Igneus Ventus. If you strike and of these arms, it will cause the section to rotate, and the other arm will hit you. The goal here, is for you to strike, and not be there when the retaliation comes. Blocking is not allowed. Observe." He turned to the pole, and whirled, striking one of the arms, and as he did so, turned aside, causing the other arm to miss him completely. "Strike, and dodge. See how I use my own momentum to aid in my evasion? Now, attempt to strike the pole 20 times.

 

[Hoshi Icchihara]

Hoshi could have said that she could already tell how the footsteps of different people where different from one another but she kept her mouth shut. Instead she took off her blindfold and nodded. She looked at the pole. While she had been blindfolded she had known that something had been taken out but never would have guesses this was it. She had trained with a pole before because her master has said that her first instinct was always the kill. She had to learn how to curve it with an instrument that could hurt but not kill unless used with great force.

Hoshi watched carefully Ti moved a small smile appeared on her face. "That was so cool." She said when he ended. Hoshi stepped in front of the pole she could replicate what Ti had just shown her. Hoshi kicked, her hair snapping as she turned, Hoshi landed on one of her hands a second later because one of the arms was coming towards her and that was the only way she could think of dodging it. She punched, kicked and sometimes flipped when she thought it really was going to get her. She had hit the pole 15 times when one of the arms cought her on the lower back, making her fall forward.

Hoshi narrowed her eyes as she got up quickly. "I know I can do better." She said. Her eyes where lit up a soft ember color. Hoshi's eyes when really angry looked a bit like fresh blood but right now she was just agitated. It was enough for her to put on a burst of speed. Hoshi wasn't the blur she could have been because she making sure the arms missed her completely. Her hands where pinched together most of the time in prying mantises because that the style she felt like using at the time. "19, twenty." She said at the final strike. Hoshi breathed, turned to Ti and bowed without a word.

 

[Tichondrius Illitharis]

Tichondrius nodded, satisfied. "You learn quickly. This is good. Unfortunately you did get hit once. Better than most novices, in part, I suspect to your prior experience with martial arts." He paused and considered for a while. Then he turned back to Hoshi. "I will leave this pole here. Practice as often as you can until you are unable to be hit even once, without the extra speed afforded to you by your anger. I will change the pole as often and in anyway I see fit. But enough with the pole." He set himself in front of her.

"Come. Attempt to hit me." Without another word, he launched himself forward, whirling under her counterstrike and around to come up behind her, landed 3 relatively blows on her back, then spinning aside, once again behind her as she turned around, he drove his fist forward towards the small of her back, stabbing two fingers into her back, sending her sprawling forward.

Recovering himself, he extended a hand and helped her up. "Remember. Speed above all else. Do not attempt to use strength instead. Even the lightest of blows in the right place can be crippling. As for that last technique I used on you; it took no strength at all on my part. I will teach it to you eventually."

 

[Hoshi Icchihara]

Hoshi smiled at the complament. Really she hadn't done the best she could do she felt but it wasn't a compleat failer. Failers utter and truely where rare for Hoshi to admit. The tilted her head slightly when he said that she would be able to do thies things without her anger. It was her anger that fuled her most of the time. Though It was one of the things that her teachers back home where tring to curve. Hoshi when lost in a rage would become a diffrent being compleatly. Hoshi said none of this though only nodded in acceptence. To fight without emotion. It was something for Hoshi to consiter.

Hoshi smirked when Ti invited her to try and hit him. Hoshi was fast, very fast but as she soon found out not as fast as Ti. She had tried to land a dubble strick at his shoulders as he came forward only to find that he had ducked under her. That was impossible. Hoshi stood at a 4"9' what she thought was the perfet hight to land almost any hit without being dogded. She worled round sharply trying to land a kick. She ingnored the pain of the blowes he had landed. She was able to drive her arm into his side before feeling nothing but air where fleash had been and was met with grass in her face. The move had been lighting.

Hoshi stood taking a deep breath to recover. Keep your temper She reminded herself. "Speed above all else. Like water that does not over come rock by force but by flow." She said a soft smile on her face. She was happy also to know that she would learning how to hit without much effort.

 

[Tichondrius Illitharis]

Tichondrius nodded in approval. "As I said, this pole will remain here for you to practise. While you preacise, and while you are not practising, always keep the tenets of Igneus Ventus in mind. Speed, freedom, accuracy and stillness. There is admittedly little I can teach you here. Most of my training took place in my home; it is where I can teach you the best..." His mind remembered his own training and he winced out of reflex. "And my own master can give you instruction as he sees fit. Remain here to practise as long as you wish." He turned to go, then paused. "Oh yes. This is for you."

Tichondrius flipped a small cloth bag to her. Inside was a long braid, woven through with red and black thread. It had six pendants of sorts, small pieces of metal the size of a nail. Each was shaped differently. There was a snake, a wind, a miniture chain, a droplet, a flame and a crystal. "Each represents one of the tenets of Igneus Ventus. As I percieve that you have mastered each tenet, I will remove one symbol. When all are gone, then you will be certified a master. Before you ask, the last two symbols indicate two more tenets, that novices are not taught until they are ... ready. Because of the innate danger in learning and using those two tenets, they are not taught until much later ... and no, the move I used on you do not belong to those two tenets. No one has yet to see me use the moves associated with them ..." Saying that, he walked off. As he did, he called out, "If your parents permit, you may come to my home on Stenton Island to continue your training."