Not Greatness, but Truth
Title: Not Greatness, but Truth
Word Count: 1,943
Rating: G
Authors Note: Written for a friend, a challenge to write shounen instead of my usual stuff, lol. Unbeta-ed and sorry for any wrong terminology ^^
“Haa!” Kaoru cried out as she stomped her right foot forward and lunged at me with her shinai sword.
I stepped back in defense, but then launched my own strike, hitting my target with a loud smack. Normally, I would revel in the glory of one-upping my opponent, but now was not the time; our battle was just beginning. We backed away from each other, testing our footing, shuffling in a circle, preparing another attack. Sweat was pouring down my face, the only thing holding my hair back was the bandana tied tightly under my helmet. I couldn't see her face, but I could tell she was having a hard time too.
"Need a break yet?" I asked, continuing my footwork, trying to analyze her next move.
"No, you?" She used the question as a distraction and struck at me. I dodged and swiftly swung, aiming for her left mid-chest, and missed as she jumped to her right. She was agile, I could give her that.
She copied my move and struck at my left side just as I missed hers and I felt the resounding whap! of bamboo hitting plastic. I could almost see the shinai as a katana, slicing through the air in slow-motion as it hit me.
I stumbled a little, but this didn’t stop my final attack; I raised my sword readily in front of me, the end of the stick aimed at Kaoru’s face,
“Haaa!” I threw my entire weight into this move, my foot stepped forward and stomped firmly to the ground as the shinai connected with her helmet.
What I wasn’t expecting was her counterattack, and despite my chest armor, I felt the hollow sting of pain as I glanced down to see that her shinai had connected with me as well. Our battle had ended in a draw.
I sighed and stepped back into position across from Kaoru. We bowed and promptly took off our helmets.
In our blue hakamas, we looked as if we were practicing a dance -barefooted, fancy footwork, and following the other’s lead- but it was more than that. This was about the spirit of controlling our minds and bodies. This was about fighting with honor, conquering with strength and perseverance. This was about two people fighting towards achieving a fair battle, pride in the art of being warriors. This was kendo.
I walked over to sit on the bench and took a sip from my water bottle. Kaoru followed suit.
“Haa!” echoed through the dojo as other teams practiced. Various cries flew about as members got hit, and I could hear sensei screaming in the background.
“Ne, Docchan, you fought well today.”
I gave her a wry look, “I told you not to call me Docchan during practice.”
She returned with a smirk, “Shall I call you Makoto-sama, then? I don’t think I should, not after I just beat you. You should be calling me Kaoru-sama.”
“Since I’m your senpai, I won’t be calling you that even if you did win. I just went easy on you.”
“Hey,” she said getting up and hitting me on the shoulder, “don’t be a sour loser.” She grabbed her sword and motioned for me to join her.
“Besides, it’s not about who wins, it’s about how you fought.”
Shougo-sensei, who had ventured towards this side of the dojo, stepped right into the conversation. “Kaoru has the right idea.”
“Hai!” I yelled out. I may have my pride to protect, but as a kendoka, the only way of protecting my pride was to fight till the end. Even if that meant I had a few losses along the way.
“But, winning also matters,” Shougo-sensei added. “Don’t hesitate before you strike, Makoto-kun. I’ve noticed that about you. Forget your opponent is your friend; let the mask cover their face and let your own provide you with the courage to show the true warrior inside.”
I nodded. “Yosh!”
Before we stepped back into practice, Kaoru turned towards me and smiled, “let’s try our best.”
I smiled back, but I wasn’t going to be fooled by her girlish behavior. Yes, we were going to try our best. Yes, we were going to fight fair and square. But no, I wasn’t facing my classmate-friend who I had known since grade school; I was facing a warrior who would strike me down if I didn’t end them first. I had to be decisive, resilient, and unforgiving. I was going to win this one.
We bowed once again. Immediately, I went on the offense, wielding my shinai with a strong-centered grip and slashing forward causing my opponent to draw back. Our swords connected, making an X in front of us, and I used her force to throw myself back into position. I knew she would do the same, so just as she settled her footing, I lunged again, hitting my mark.
We were just about to launch another attack when Shougo-sensei announced practice was over. My shinai hovered over Kaoru’s helmet; I whacked it slightly, proving to her my third effective strike of the day. She took off her helmet and said, “I can’t wait to finish this tomorrow, Makoto-senpai.”
I could bask in my temporary glory of winning that last battle, if only I wasn’t simply saved by the bell, so to speak. I decided I would reward myself with some chocolate pudding when I got home.
My grandfather greeted me as I walked into the living room with pudding in hand. “You seem to be in a good mood today.”
I nodded while taking a spoonful of cocoa. “I had a good day at kendo practice.”
“Ahh, did you learn the truth about yourself?”
I raised my eyebrow at him, “What is that supposed to mean, grandpa? Kendo’s about strength and-”
“Iya! Stop right there, young fellow. You’ve got it all wrong.” He walked to the open porch and gestured for me to sit beside him. I sighed; this seemed like it was going to be one of those wise lectures on life, etc, etc.
“I’ll let you in on a secret. My grandfather once told me, ‘If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both.’”* He plucked and waved a blade of grass about as he spoke, as if writing these words into existence.
“Okay…”
“What is the purpose of kendo?” He asked me.
I pondered a little before answering. Though I had said earlier that kendo was about strength, discipline over mind and body, and facing the other with fairness, I wondered if there was something more that I was missing. I’ve experienced the physical parts, and I’ve analyzed and strategized with my mind, but I’ve never really thought of what purpose it would give me. It was a great sport, trained me to be a man, but what else was my grandfather talking about?
“I…don’t really know. Do you know what it is, grandpa?”
“I don’t know what is it either, kiddo. That’s something that you must find. Why do you practice kendo with all your heart- is there truth in that for you?”
I stared at him for a moment and whined, “Mou, you’re supposed to be the wise one here. Why did you have to ask me if you didn’t know the answer?”
He laughed and plucked another blade of grass from the ground. “You better finish that pudding before the flies get to it.”
That night, I dreamt about my first day at kendo practice, how poorly I held my shinai, and how hard it was balancing my weight during attacks. But more than that, I remembered the year after, when Kaoru joined the team. How I had to raise the stakes because she was my junior, and I couldn’t let her beat me the way everyone else did. I had to improve; I had to be the best now.
I went to school with conviction the next day. I woke up on time, ate the breakfast of champions (miso soup with white rice with an egg on top), and rode my bike to school in record timing. I properly greeted the teachers that passed by me and I even volunteered to answer a question in class (I got it wrong, anyway). I felt a different kind of power flow through me and I was waiting to use it at kendo practice.
When the last class ended for the day, I ran to the gym and quickly changed into my kendogi and hakama, tied my bandana tightly around my hair, and prepared myself for battle.
“You look like a samurai, sitting like that,” Kaoru commented as she passed me on the bench, just coming in to change as well.
I replied in a mock Edo dialect, “Makoto de gozaru/I am Makoto.”
She laughed and walked away. I’ll prove to you my samurai prowess today, Kaoru. I thought as I warmed up.
Shougo-sensei walked in at that time and said, “My, aren’t you early today? Good form, Makoto.”
I smiled inwardly. I was going to win for sure, today.
Kaoru came out prepared, just as others were trickling into the dojo. After a few more minutes of warming up, I challenged her.
“Today, this is a battle to the death,” I said dramatically.
She played along. “Indeed. What shall we wager…besides your life?”
“How about one week’s worth of cleaning duty for homeroom?”
“You’re on.”
And so our battle began. First, we circled each other like we would our prey. I felt my feet moving instinctively, watching her intently, as we moved around each other. Our shinais were at ready.
“Hyaa!” She yelled out as she aimed for my shoulder. I dodged and repeated her move, hitting her firmly. We went back to our positions, but without circling, I started a three step offensive maneuver, striking and backing her into the wall. My shinai aimed directly at her helmet again, and struck. Whap! the sweet sound of victory, but it wasn’t over yet. She launched a similar attack to get back into open space, but I saw her next move and dodged successfully. I struck her on the chest, knocking her back a little, not realizing my force. Just as she was regaining her footing, I struck again for the head and with a final “Hiyaa!” I scored the final strike point.
It all seemed to have happened in the blink of an eye, but had struggled with it within me, my hands slightly shaking from the adrenaline rush. I was so determined to win, that I had prepared the entire day for this victory.
We took off our helmets for a short break, and sat down next to each other. We watched in silence as other teams started warming up.
“You seem different, Makoto,” she suddenly stated.
“Really?” I continued observing the other students.
“Mmm. Perhaps your true inner self has emerged during our spar today. You didn’t back down at all.”
“To be honest, I was surprised and unsure myself, but it worked.”
“That’s good, isn’t it? Finding the method that works best for you.”
In an instant, I recalled what my grandfather had said. “Ask for truth and you will find both…”
Had I found truth within the spirit of kendo? Had I found greatness?
I smiled to myself, maybe I had and maybe I hadn’t. I didn’t know.
What I did know was that victory sure felt good today.
---
*Quote by Horace Mann
Word Count: 1,943
Rating: G
Authors Note: Written for a friend, a challenge to write shounen instead of my usual stuff, lol. Unbeta-ed and sorry for any wrong terminology ^^
“Haa!” Kaoru cried out as she stomped her right foot forward and lunged at me with her shinai sword.
I stepped back in defense, but then launched my own strike, hitting my target with a loud smack. Normally, I would revel in the glory of one-upping my opponent, but now was not the time; our battle was just beginning. We backed away from each other, testing our footing, shuffling in a circle, preparing another attack. Sweat was pouring down my face, the only thing holding my hair back was the bandana tied tightly under my helmet. I couldn't see her face, but I could tell she was having a hard time too.
"Need a break yet?" I asked, continuing my footwork, trying to analyze her next move.
"No, you?" She used the question as a distraction and struck at me. I dodged and swiftly swung, aiming for her left mid-chest, and missed as she jumped to her right. She was agile, I could give her that.
She copied my move and struck at my left side just as I missed hers and I felt the resounding whap! of bamboo hitting plastic. I could almost see the shinai as a katana, slicing through the air in slow-motion as it hit me.
I stumbled a little, but this didn’t stop my final attack; I raised my sword readily in front of me, the end of the stick aimed at Kaoru’s face,
“Haaa!” I threw my entire weight into this move, my foot stepped forward and stomped firmly to the ground as the shinai connected with her helmet.
What I wasn’t expecting was her counterattack, and despite my chest armor, I felt the hollow sting of pain as I glanced down to see that her shinai had connected with me as well. Our battle had ended in a draw.
I sighed and stepped back into position across from Kaoru. We bowed and promptly took off our helmets.
In our blue hakamas, we looked as if we were practicing a dance -barefooted, fancy footwork, and following the other’s lead- but it was more than that. This was about the spirit of controlling our minds and bodies. This was about fighting with honor, conquering with strength and perseverance. This was about two people fighting towards achieving a fair battle, pride in the art of being warriors. This was kendo.
I walked over to sit on the bench and took a sip from my water bottle. Kaoru followed suit.
“Haa!” echoed through the dojo as other teams practiced. Various cries flew about as members got hit, and I could hear sensei screaming in the background.
“Ne, Docchan, you fought well today.”
I gave her a wry look, “I told you not to call me Docchan during practice.”
She returned with a smirk, “Shall I call you Makoto-sama, then? I don’t think I should, not after I just beat you. You should be calling me Kaoru-sama.”
“Since I’m your senpai, I won’t be calling you that even if you did win. I just went easy on you.”
“Hey,” she said getting up and hitting me on the shoulder, “don’t be a sour loser.” She grabbed her sword and motioned for me to join her.
“Besides, it’s not about who wins, it’s about how you fought.”
Shougo-sensei, who had ventured towards this side of the dojo, stepped right into the conversation. “Kaoru has the right idea.”
“Hai!” I yelled out. I may have my pride to protect, but as a kendoka, the only way of protecting my pride was to fight till the end. Even if that meant I had a few losses along the way.
“But, winning also matters,” Shougo-sensei added. “Don’t hesitate before you strike, Makoto-kun. I’ve noticed that about you. Forget your opponent is your friend; let the mask cover their face and let your own provide you with the courage to show the true warrior inside.”
I nodded. “Yosh!”
Before we stepped back into practice, Kaoru turned towards me and smiled, “let’s try our best.”
I smiled back, but I wasn’t going to be fooled by her girlish behavior. Yes, we were going to try our best. Yes, we were going to fight fair and square. But no, I wasn’t facing my classmate-friend who I had known since grade school; I was facing a warrior who would strike me down if I didn’t end them first. I had to be decisive, resilient, and unforgiving. I was going to win this one.
We bowed once again. Immediately, I went on the offense, wielding my shinai with a strong-centered grip and slashing forward causing my opponent to draw back. Our swords connected, making an X in front of us, and I used her force to throw myself back into position. I knew she would do the same, so just as she settled her footing, I lunged again, hitting my mark.
We were just about to launch another attack when Shougo-sensei announced practice was over. My shinai hovered over Kaoru’s helmet; I whacked it slightly, proving to her my third effective strike of the day. She took off her helmet and said, “I can’t wait to finish this tomorrow, Makoto-senpai.”
I could bask in my temporary glory of winning that last battle, if only I wasn’t simply saved by the bell, so to speak. I decided I would reward myself with some chocolate pudding when I got home.
My grandfather greeted me as I walked into the living room with pudding in hand. “You seem to be in a good mood today.”
I nodded while taking a spoonful of cocoa. “I had a good day at kendo practice.”
“Ahh, did you learn the truth about yourself?”
I raised my eyebrow at him, “What is that supposed to mean, grandpa? Kendo’s about strength and-”
“Iya! Stop right there, young fellow. You’ve got it all wrong.” He walked to the open porch and gestured for me to sit beside him. I sighed; this seemed like it was going to be one of those wise lectures on life, etc, etc.
“I’ll let you in on a secret. My grandfather once told me, ‘If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both.’”* He plucked and waved a blade of grass about as he spoke, as if writing these words into existence.
“Okay…”
“What is the purpose of kendo?” He asked me.
I pondered a little before answering. Though I had said earlier that kendo was about strength, discipline over mind and body, and facing the other with fairness, I wondered if there was something more that I was missing. I’ve experienced the physical parts, and I’ve analyzed and strategized with my mind, but I’ve never really thought of what purpose it would give me. It was a great sport, trained me to be a man, but what else was my grandfather talking about?
“I…don’t really know. Do you know what it is, grandpa?”
“I don’t know what is it either, kiddo. That’s something that you must find. Why do you practice kendo with all your heart- is there truth in that for you?”
I stared at him for a moment and whined, “Mou, you’re supposed to be the wise one here. Why did you have to ask me if you didn’t know the answer?”
He laughed and plucked another blade of grass from the ground. “You better finish that pudding before the flies get to it.”
That night, I dreamt about my first day at kendo practice, how poorly I held my shinai, and how hard it was balancing my weight during attacks. But more than that, I remembered the year after, when Kaoru joined the team. How I had to raise the stakes because she was my junior, and I couldn’t let her beat me the way everyone else did. I had to improve; I had to be the best now.
I went to school with conviction the next day. I woke up on time, ate the breakfast of champions (miso soup with white rice with an egg on top), and rode my bike to school in record timing. I properly greeted the teachers that passed by me and I even volunteered to answer a question in class (I got it wrong, anyway). I felt a different kind of power flow through me and I was waiting to use it at kendo practice.
When the last class ended for the day, I ran to the gym and quickly changed into my kendogi and hakama, tied my bandana tightly around my hair, and prepared myself for battle.
“You look like a samurai, sitting like that,” Kaoru commented as she passed me on the bench, just coming in to change as well.
I replied in a mock Edo dialect, “Makoto de gozaru/I am Makoto.”
She laughed and walked away. I’ll prove to you my samurai prowess today, Kaoru. I thought as I warmed up.
Shougo-sensei walked in at that time and said, “My, aren’t you early today? Good form, Makoto.”
I smiled inwardly. I was going to win for sure, today.
Kaoru came out prepared, just as others were trickling into the dojo. After a few more minutes of warming up, I challenged her.
“Today, this is a battle to the death,” I said dramatically.
She played along. “Indeed. What shall we wager…besides your life?”
“How about one week’s worth of cleaning duty for homeroom?”
“You’re on.”
And so our battle began. First, we circled each other like we would our prey. I felt my feet moving instinctively, watching her intently, as we moved around each other. Our shinais were at ready.
“Hyaa!” She yelled out as she aimed for my shoulder. I dodged and repeated her move, hitting her firmly. We went back to our positions, but without circling, I started a three step offensive maneuver, striking and backing her into the wall. My shinai aimed directly at her helmet again, and struck. Whap! the sweet sound of victory, but it wasn’t over yet. She launched a similar attack to get back into open space, but I saw her next move and dodged successfully. I struck her on the chest, knocking her back a little, not realizing my force. Just as she was regaining her footing, I struck again for the head and with a final “Hiyaa!” I scored the final strike point.
It all seemed to have happened in the blink of an eye, but had struggled with it within me, my hands slightly shaking from the adrenaline rush. I was so determined to win, that I had prepared the entire day for this victory.
We took off our helmets for a short break, and sat down next to each other. We watched in silence as other teams started warming up.
“You seem different, Makoto,” she suddenly stated.
“Really?” I continued observing the other students.
“Mmm. Perhaps your true inner self has emerged during our spar today. You didn’t back down at all.”
“To be honest, I was surprised and unsure myself, but it worked.”
“That’s good, isn’t it? Finding the method that works best for you.”
In an instant, I recalled what my grandfather had said. “Ask for truth and you will find both…”
Had I found truth within the spirit of kendo? Had I found greatness?
I smiled to myself, maybe I had and maybe I hadn’t. I didn’t know.
What I did know was that victory sure felt good today.
---
*Quote by Horace Mann