Camp of the legal Queen, North of Sidra, Glacia, (Monday, July 1st, Fandom time)
After the fire at the hotel, the group had up and moved north of Sidra. They weren't far enough away to relax fully, but there was obviously less of a strain on the nerves now that they were out of the city.
"I don't understand why we have to learn all this, Lady. If we're under attack, I won't have time to get my stance ready or remembering which foot to step with or any of this," he waved his hand at the rest of the Kendo group, half of which were practicing their footwork while the others, absolute beginners, were getting pointers on posture and holding their makeshift shinai. "Shouldn't we be learning to actually fight?"
He'd been the one who complained about not being allowed to use real swords. She'd shown him why they didn't... and the medic team got a lesson in sword injuries.
And here he was, asking more questions.
"You have to learn it and practice it until it becomes so natural you just do it," Momoko sighed, trying to think of a way to explain it this time. If he wasn't so good at this, she'd have sent him off to the kitchens or something.
Ah! Kitchens!
She turned and called to one of the passing youngsters. Moments later, she had buckets of corn gathered around her, still in husks. "Okay, everyone? Gather around for a moment!" Momoko waited until they were all paying attention, then, "Okay, the question was just asked, why do we have to worry about foot work and stances and posture. Now," she picked up an ear and wiggled it. "To explain why, we're changing today's lesson. Everyone put your equipment aside for a while and then get to cleaning this corn for the kitchen."
There was a little grumbling, but they did as Momoko said. After about half an hour, the corn was shucked and cleaned and Momoko had to grin. She had the group examine each of the buckets. "See this? Kirt, your corn," Momoko held up an ear from the bucket he'd been working and compared it to one that Ulrich had done. "Why is it so much cleaner than Ulrich's? Did you do anything special?"
Kirt shrugged, shaking his head shyly. His brother Mark clapped him on the shoulder. "Kirt and I have shucked corn for years. At Mother's knee. Can probably do it in our sleep."
"Ulrich?" Momoko looked over at him, obviously asking the same question.
"I only started when I joined the Lady's cause and was asked to help in the kitchen."
Momoko looked over to the rest of the group, dropping the corn back to the buckets. "You see? When you start, you're clumsy and you have to work harder. But if you do something often enough, it becomes natural, even when you don't expect to use it. That's the same with your Kendo. We learn the basics and then we practice them, so that when we need to, we just naturally do things the right way."
"Now, grab a bucket and run it back to the kitchen tents," Momoko waved. "Unless anyone has any questions? And when you get back, we'll go over our stances again."
Momoko stretched as they ran off, amused to see that they were actually running. They'd be back soon, but in the meantime, she could totally take a moment to do some suberi on her own! It had been a while since she'd had a real opponent, but she had to keep herself in at least something like a decent condition or she'd totally get teased when she went home.
She was so into her practice that she didn't hear her phone ring, so her mother had to leave a message wishing her a happy 21st birthday.
"I don't understand why we have to learn all this, Lady. If we're under attack, I won't have time to get my stance ready or remembering which foot to step with or any of this," he waved his hand at the rest of the Kendo group, half of which were practicing their footwork while the others, absolute beginners, were getting pointers on posture and holding their makeshift shinai. "Shouldn't we be learning to actually fight?"
He'd been the one who complained about not being allowed to use real swords. She'd shown him why they didn't... and the medic team got a lesson in sword injuries.
And here he was, asking more questions.
"You have to learn it and practice it until it becomes so natural you just do it," Momoko sighed, trying to think of a way to explain it this time. If he wasn't so good at this, she'd have sent him off to the kitchens or something.
Ah! Kitchens!
She turned and called to one of the passing youngsters. Moments later, she had buckets of corn gathered around her, still in husks. "Okay, everyone? Gather around for a moment!" Momoko waited until they were all paying attention, then, "Okay, the question was just asked, why do we have to worry about foot work and stances and posture. Now," she picked up an ear and wiggled it. "To explain why, we're changing today's lesson. Everyone put your equipment aside for a while and then get to cleaning this corn for the kitchen."
There was a little grumbling, but they did as Momoko said. After about half an hour, the corn was shucked and cleaned and Momoko had to grin. She had the group examine each of the buckets. "See this? Kirt, your corn," Momoko held up an ear from the bucket he'd been working and compared it to one that Ulrich had done. "Why is it so much cleaner than Ulrich's? Did you do anything special?"
Kirt shrugged, shaking his head shyly. His brother Mark clapped him on the shoulder. "Kirt and I have shucked corn for years. At Mother's knee. Can probably do it in our sleep."
"Ulrich?" Momoko looked over at him, obviously asking the same question.
"I only started when I joined the Lady's cause and was asked to help in the kitchen."
Momoko looked over to the rest of the group, dropping the corn back to the buckets. "You see? When you start, you're clumsy and you have to work harder. But if you do something often enough, it becomes natural, even when you don't expect to use it. That's the same with your Kendo. We learn the basics and then we practice them, so that when we need to, we just naturally do things the right way."
"Now, grab a bucket and run it back to the kitchen tents," Momoko waved. "Unless anyone has any questions? And when you get back, we'll go over our stances again."
Momoko stretched as they ran off, amused to see that they were actually running. They'd be back soon, but in the meantime, she could totally take a moment to do some suberi on her own! It had been a while since she'd had a real opponent, but she had to keep herself in at least something like a decent condition or she'd totally get teased when she went home.
She was so into her practice that she didn't hear her phone ring, so her mother had to leave a message wishing her a happy 21st birthday.