Dojo Hunter

Early morning after a nice breakfast, Ohma still bandaged up from his last fight injuries; stood in the backyard of Tokita Mansion where metal hurdles of different sizes were arranged in different lines. Ohma was in front of a line of short hurdles line, he wore his sports shorts along with a weighted jacket of 40 kilos, wrist weights of 5 kilos and ankle weights of 10 kilos which covered his lower legs with feet being the exception, the total being equal to his weight.

Then he began his daily training. The first exercise was alternative leg low hurdles bounds performed with the short ones, then he moved to the line, then he moved onto the next ones 2 footed medium hurdle jumps, third was low hurdle hops with one leg each time.

"Fast stretch-shortening cycles done. Time for slow stretch-shortening cycles."

The first was scissor hurdle bounds; jumping over the short hurdles sideways with one leg each time, and the second one was three-footed box jumps with a 90 degrees turn with each side.

"Ah, fast stretch-shortening cycle exercises, first for strong, stiff muscles for faster contact time, second is for stronger muscles and tendon able handle elastic recoils to bounce with sharp contact on the ground, third is for maintaining the short contact with each step." The familiar voice of Niko said from behind. "All to develop necessary qualities to practice Flame Kata."

"Appearing outside my mindscape now..." Ohma said turning to Niko. "At this point, I might just be a Schizophrenic."

Niko didn't mind and continued, "Then slow stretch-shortening cycles - scissors hurdles are for strength and balance and 90-degree box jump to generate extra power from hips. This training would also carry on to your kicks, without any bouncing and telegraphing. You know, you don't use nearly use kicks enough as much you train for them."

"I prefer fists in my striking style with fewer kicks," Ohma said.

Niko then remarked, "Legs are three times stronger than arms, not using them is a waste and will leave you as an incomplete fighter."

"I do use them most of the time," Ohma said, "You taught me that - punch with your entire body."

Then they both said in unison, "In a full potential punch; most of your power comes from the rotation of the trunk from the hips, then the push from the rear leg and lastly from your arms. That's why correct footwork should be one of the main priorities of a fighter."

"I remember," Ohma said.

"But you still need to incorporate more kicks in your style," Niko said, "Since you incorporated Raishin style training into your routine changing the structure of the behind of your Tibia and the Fibula into a curve, with a cover of muscles trained in Flame Kata providing elastic power generation."

Ohma sighed, "I tried to imitate the Raishin Style training method as best as I could, but I am still nowhere near achieving that limit breaking speed."

Niko smiled. "Maybe you will one day, this new world has a lot to offer. While I admit don't know much about Ki or Inner Energy, it just boosts your bodily function, right? So martial arts hasn't changed in this world and I could help you with that. Now, take a break, then after some lower body activation exercises, we'll try to try to use more kicks in your striking."

********************

Afternoon, it was a technique training day at Ryozanpaku for Muay Thai and Karate. But before that was the conditioning training with Ti Lan ( Low Kicks) on a large wooden pole covered in ropes. There were two of them Kenichi and Ohma practised on each, a few feet of distance between them.

Ohma took his stance, right leg in front, left leg in the back, then he bent slightly down to create some tension in his legs, before throwing his weight on the balls of the right foot, pivoting on it all the while throwing a kick forward with high leg and hitting the pole with the shin.

"Ti Lan."

"Alright, it's 100th left for shin conditioning and Ti Lan training, take a break," Apachai said, he stood near Sakaki observing the training.

"Damn," Kenichi said under his breath as he collapsed on his bottom. "Damn my shins hurt."

"Oh, that's just because of the microfractures," Apachai said.

"Microfractures?! You mean my bones are fractured?!" Kenichi cried. "How is this actually martial arts training?!"

"Stop crying!" Sakaki said. "Those fractures will heal and give a denser tougher shin bone, it's the same with Karate's fist conditioning, the same even with muscle training. You destroy and rebuild your body, stronger than before each time, that's strength and conditioning training. Something fundamental to every accomplished hard style martial arts. Now time for my training."

He then continued, "Look closely, I would demonstrate a basic Goju-Ryu Karate kicking technique."

"This is Mae Geri," Sakaki said. "Like most Karate kicks, it follows three basic steps. Chamber, kick, chamber, down."

"To chamber a front kick, you bring your leg up, so your thigh is perpendicular with the floor, keeping the thigh muscles flexed, with a bent knee and bent upward ankle with toes curled back so you hit with the ball of your foot," Sakaki explained while demonstrating the action. "This is readying your kick. Next, extend your leg in a snapping motion from your knees, keeping your ankle bent so that you hit your target with the ball of your feet then bring your feet. Bring your foot back into the chamber and then bring your leg down."

Sakaki continued demonstrating again, "Another way of using it is in a pushing action. Bring your leg up, with the thigh flexed and perpendicular, with a bent knee, bent ankle to hit with the bottom ankle, then extend your leg forward with push. Bring your foot back into the chamber and then bring your leg down."

Then Sakaki looked back to them, "Which way to use depends on range. If the opponent is in midrange use the first one, if the opponent is in close-range use the second. Now, repeat the movements 100 times with each leg, so a total of 400 kicks. Also remember, never fully straighten the leg during the extension, keep it slightly bent."

"Just 400?" Kenichi said, "Usually it's no less than a thousand."

"Do you want to do a thousand? If you want I can add it." Sakaki asked.

"No, 400 is enough," Kenichi said and smiled wryly.

"Remind when you are done. Kumite ( sparring ) is next."

********************

-5 pm

Kenichi was inside the dojo sparring with Miu while Ohma remained outside, standing in front of a Makiwara. He took his stance, knees bent, one foot forward, one foot back, an index finger worth of distance between his fist and the Makiwara, and then his body went into action. It started with his slight contraction of muscles in his back foot ankle, then the knee, the power moving up into his hip with a twist, at the same time Ohma tightened his lower abdomen, linking the power from his lower body with his upper body, then the power from his trunks, moving onto his straight shoulder, his elbow then lastly into his fist which kept loose tightened upon the impact with the Makiwara as he threw the short-range punch with a hard exhale from his mouth.

[ Niko Style: Ashura Shot ]

With a shattering noise, the Makiwara broke in two and Ohma's fist passed through it.

"3 seconds to execute, 2 to setup," Ohma muttered under his breath, "too slow, It's still incomplete. How did Kanoh Agito manage to perform this in less than half a second?"

Ohma thought about it until Kenichi's voice interrupted him from behind.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you hear the commotion?" Kenichi shouted.

"So?" Ohma shrugged. "It's an everyday thing here, at this point I am used to it."

"Not that!" Kenichi said, "There is a group of Dojo hunters here for Ryozanpaku's sign."

"So what?" Ohma asked. "Let one of the masters handle it."

"That's the problem," Kenichi said. "The masters are out for a walk. Just come with me."

Ohma sighed and followed Kenichi towards the training room. When they got near the outside entrance a section of the wall of immediately blown apart from the inside.

"What the fuck?!" Ohma spat as the blown wall revealed a dozen men dressed in black standing behind a larger man who stood near Miu.

"So you appear, at last, the great man of Ryozanpaku!" The leader shouted looking toward Ohma and Kenichi. "Show your face!"

The leader stood tall and muscular looking to be a middle-aged man in a black karate gi. His face was covered in white and red face paint markings all over, parts of his hair sticking up in four little wing styles, two on each side of the temples.

"I am Gonzui Kumatori. Who is the one who will face me for the Dojo's sign?"

It was only for a brief moment, but Ohma felt a strange aura emitting from the man's energy. Not of fear or standing in front of someone who surpasses you in strength, buy something else.

'Was that Ki?' Ohma thought before looking at Miu. "Who will take this fight?"