Duel at dawn

Early one morning, a servant knocks at Toku Anaya's door. He opens it and bows to the Monkey Clan samurai.

Good morning, Toku-sama. I bring you a message from Bayushi Akinaru-sama. He asks you to meet him in the bamboo forest for your first Iaijutsu lesson. Shall I tell him you are on your way?

The servant waits patiently for Anaya's response.

«Tell him I shall be there shortly, I'll equip myself and be on my way».

As the servant leaves, Anaya equips her armor and daisho and heads for the bamboo forest.

When Anaya reaches the forest, she finds Akinaru in conversation with the servant who brought her the message. As she approaches, the Scorpion hands the servant a bamboo staff and walks over to her. He bows in greeting, obviously in a good mood.

Good morning Toku-san, I'm glad you could join me. I hope you have no other plans for today as our session will take a while.

First of all, I'd like to point out that I will be training you in all the aspects of Iaijutsu. Duelling is not simply about drawing one's sword quickly, it is an art dedicated to the quest of the perfect strike through perfect form. Kakita and Murimoto said that in the hands of a skilled swordsman there is only one strike between the time a Katana leaves the scabbard and the time it returns to it. This is all the more true when it comes Iaijutsu.

Today, I will teach you the basic stance used in a duel. This stance is the beginning of everything and must be mastered. Once this stance has become as natural for you as sitting or standing, we will move on to more complicated exercises. I will demonstrate.

The Bayushi bends his knees, tilting slightly forward. His left hand holding his scabbard while the right one rests near the hilt of his sword. Every single muscle in the Bushi's body seems tense and ready to explode into motion. After staying in this position for a minute, he exhales slowly and returns to a more relaxed stance.

Now, take the stance and I'll tell you what adjustments must be made.