by Unknown
The sun had yet to rise over the asphalt roads. The streets of Nara lay silent. Bunshichi passed by lake Sarusawa and into Nara park. He took the path on the left hand side towards lake Washi and passed the front of the Kasuga Shrine. It was a roundabout course; the long way. Bunshichi finally came to a stop in front of the Manyo Botanical Gardens. Before Ryoji, who was now about 100 meters behind, could voice his dissatisfaction, Bunshichi began some light stretching. His stretching movements focused primarily on his wrists and the joints around his neck. Be bent backwards to a surprising degree. He took on a Sumo wrestler's pose, that is to say that he stretched his legs out, spread them apart and crouched down so far that his inner thighs were almost touching the ground.
Then Bunshichi let his upper body fall forwards. His chest and abdomen lay flat on the ground. His forehead was touching the dirt. His body was as supple as a gymnasts. Next he started doing push ups, but they were not your usual push ups. He put his hands on the ground, palm open, and effortlessly did fifty push ups. But he wasn't finished. He then switched from palm to fingertips and did another 10 push ups. Then he curled his pinky fingers up and did another 10 push ups on only eight fingers. Every 10 push ups after that, he curled another finger into the palm of each hand. He did the last 10 push ups with his thumbs alone. One hundred push ups in all. That was one set. Bunshichi then moved on to the second set all while keeping a steady rhythm.
[041]
It was then that fine beads of sweat finally began shimmer on Bunshichi's brow. His breathing however remained normal. He stood up an wiped the dirt from palms. For a moment it looked like Bunshichi's entire body had increased in size. It was as if steam was rising from his body into the early morning air. Morning mist had sunk through the trees and into the depths of the forest in Nara Park. Deer could be seen moving around. Bunshichi stopped and carefully stretched once again. He rolled his neck a few times before finally standing still. He took a deep breath and settled himself down on a nearby bench. He closed his eyes and caught his breath. It didn't look like the type of scene Ryoji would want to interrupt. There was some kind of tingling sensation that seemed to radiate from Bunshichi's body. After a short while, Bunshchi stood back up. He opened his eyes.
“Bro...” It was Ryoji. Bunshichi ignored him and started walking in the other direction. He stopped in front of an pine tree, dropped his sweat pants and took a piss. It took a while to get it all out. It caused a thick steam to rise into the air. Bunshichi finished and turned his head upwards. There was sunlight coming up from behind the tips of the trees.
“Let's get moving,” he said.
Chapter IV
They went down the same woodland path as the day before.
[042]
Bunshichi was walking ahead and Ryoji was trailing behind, Bunshichi's bag still in his arms. The mist had set in on to the tall withered grass that hung from either side of the path. Bunshichi's sweat pants and Ryoji's jeans were damp from the knee down. They came to a clearing. It was the same one where Bunshichi had taken down those three thugs the day before. Naturally they were no longer there. Instead there were two men standing under the cherry blossom tree. One of them looked to be in his forties while the other was a lot younger. Bunshichi stopped once he had laid eyes on them. He felt a strong force flex within himself. He lowered his head slightly and gave them a nod. The older man returned the gesture. The younger man did not. He simply gave Bunshichi and icy stare.
The younger man was quite tall. He looked even taller than Bunshichi, although he probably didn't weigh as much. His shoulders were not very broad and he had slit eyes. His skin was pale. He was looking at Bunshichi through his half closed, Buddha-like eyes. He looked to be around 25 or 26 years old. He was the kind of guy who could be mistaken for a woman at first glance. His hair was long. His smooth, sleek locks hung down to his shoulders. He was wearing a black suit. The blackness of his clothes made his white skin stand out even more. He turned his cold, glassy eyes to Bunshichi.
The older man was a little more stumpy. He was short compared to both Bunshichi and the younger man standing next to him, but he still would have stood about 5 feet 7 inches. He looked like a boulder who had been rolled over dead grass.
[043]
His hairline was starting to recede. He looked like the human form of the lion statues that guard Shinto shrines. He was calm. He had black traditional Japanese leggings on under his Karate uniform. The wind came in from the left of them, lashing at the brittle long grass.
“Souichiro Izumi?” asked Bunshichi.
“That's me,” the older man replied in a low voice.
“I'm Bunshichi Tanba,” said Bunshichi. There was a short silence.
“Who are you?” he asked the younger man.
“Tsutomu Himekawa,” the answer came from Souichiro. The young, long haired man acknowledged Bunchishi for the first time with his eyes.
“He's a fourth-dan at the Hokushinkan. He has been staying with me as a guest. I brought him along as a contender,” said Tsutomu.
“The Hokushinkan, huh.”
“He has been studying under Mr. Shozan Matsuo. I'm sure you are familiar with Mr. Matsuo.”
Bunshichi gave him a nod. The Hokushinkan is an organization that operates outside of the Japanese Karate Federation. They disapprove of holding back and stopping attacks before they hit, and actually try to strike their opponents with their punches and kicks. The only attacks that were forbidden were attacks to the eyes and groin, as well as direct punches to the head. The founder, Mr. Matsuo, spent his life forming the organization, which practices practical Karate. It has branches not only in Japan, but all over the world. They really hit hard during training.
“I heard that you trained in the Takemiya Style along with Mr. Matsuo,”
[044]
Said Bunshichi. The Takemiya style, like the Araki style, was born from the Yagyu-shinkage style of martial arts. It is a little known style of martial arts which emerged from the Yagyu-shinkage school. It uses bare knuckle fighting and weapons to try and defeat your opponent. It is probably closer to Jujitsu than it is to Karate. There is a large focus on throws and grappling at the joints, not only striking opponents with your fists. It is said that this style was created by a master who appeared in the middle of the Edo period by the name of Hikojiro Izumi. According to records, Hikojiro was able to defeat bulls and bears with his bare hands. The man standing in front of him, Souichiro Izumi, was the one who had inherited the task of keeping the Takemiya style alive.
“Thank you for accepting my challenge,” Bunshichi said.
“I couldn't call myself a martial artist if I didn't accept when challenged,” Souichiro replied. He was looking straight at Bunshichi. “I've heard a lot rumors about you,” he continued.
“No kidding.”
“Yeah, I heard that you fight dirty.”
“Really?” said Bunshichi as he slowly moved his body forward. He didn't move straight forward, but diagonally to the right, stepping over the long dry grass. Souichiro leisurely let his arms fall to his sides as he followed Bunshichi's movements with his eyes.
“We really hit hard,” said Souichiro under his breath. That line was meant as a promise.
[045]
It meant that he didn't want Bunshichi to hold back. He wanted him to really try to land his hits. He didn't want it to be a 'match' where fighters stop their attacks short of making contact, but a real test to see who was the better fighter. Bunshichi stopped in his tracks. They were twice as close now as they were when they had first faced each other. You could feel the nerves radiating from them in the morning air.
“When shall we start?” asked Bunshichi.
“We already have,” answered Souichiro. He calmly shifted his weight on the grass as he spoke.
[046]
Chapter V
Bunshichi thought that the match would be over in an instant. People experienced in full contact fights are strong. It's only through real fights that one comes to k
now how much damage your body can take, and how much damage a hit is going to do once it connects. Even in a fight between two people who practice the same style of martial arts, the one with experience outside of a Dojo has the advantage. They are able to take a hit. That being said, the man now standing in front of Bunshichi, Souichiro, was not some heir to a Dojo who had never fought outside of one. No, they were birds of a feather. Whether or not he was on the same level as Bunshichi, he certainly looked as if he had plenty of experience with full contact fighting. He also looked like he had been through more than a few fights that almost cost someone their life.
It was Souichiro that had taken on Bunshichi's challenge and nominated Nara park as the place to fight. Duels were currently banned. Only sparring and competition matches was allowed. Dueling could possibly lead to legal action. The fact that Souichiro had chosen this park as the place to fight, and not a Dojo, meant that he never intended for it to be a competition match and he mentally prepared himself accordingly. This is the conclusion he had come to after hearing all the rumors about Bunshichi. Normally he would run away. Avoid the fight. That much was expected. Most of the experienced martial artists who had been challenged by Bunshichi had done so. However it wasn't actually Souichiro who had accepted Bunshichi's challenge. One of the other students had accepted, but Souichiro was standing in for him. Everyone who had accepted up until now had been beaten to a pulp by Bunshichi. They had no choice but to use a stand-in.
Bunshichi had nothing to lose. Even if he did, it was just his life that he would forfeit. If it was a schools honor that was at stake, then it could cost people their livelihoods. They wouldn't accept a duel in that case, even if they thought they could win. But he had accepted. He did think he could win.
[047]
Souichiro wouldn't have accepted if he thought he would lose. He would have plenty of reasons to run. If he had ignored the challenge completely, that would have been the end of it. But he accepted. He accepted because the thought he could win. He had the kind of confidence that came from experience.
The master of full contact Karate, Shozan Matsuo, had invited Souichiro's father, Jusuke Izumi to be his student. Jusuke had learned techniques from Shozan that primarily focused on constricting joints. Shozan Matsuo took the joint focused techniques from the Takemiya style of Karate and added them to his own Kitatatsu Style. Souichiro Izumi and Shozan Matsuo were connected through this fork in the evolution of Karate. Jusuke was no longer of this world. Now his son, Souichiro, is continuing on where he left off.
Souichiro and Bunshichi were now facing one another. They were fighting to try and critically injure each other. The winner would be the one who lands the first direct hit to the others body. They could gouge an eye or snap a joint. The fight could be decided by a single finger. For example, if one were to strike the other without critically injuring them, the other could grapple them by the joints of their body and the fight would be over. Depending on how you look at it, you could say that grappling is the most formidable fighting style. You could especially say it about one-on-one bare knuckle fights. You come to understand that in the instant the fight is over, regardless of what fighting style you use.
This wasn't the kind of fight where you would be asked if you want to tap out once your opponent has you in a hold. Once held, your arms, legs and knees would be broken. You would be asked if you wanted to tap out once your limbs had stopped working. Killing, or being left for dead came after that.
[048]
That was the kind of fight that Bunshichi now faced. That's what Bunshichi would do if it were him. Bunshichi began to taste his own fear of grappling so much that it made him sick. He had known that unbearable pain. He felt that pain all over again as he watched Souichiro move towards him over the dry, dead grass. The fear sat in the pit of his stomach and licked at his insides like the forked tongue of a snake. It was fear from being grappled to the ground by a man six years ago. It was the taste of defeat and humiliation. Bunshichi's fear, however, didn't do anything to diminish his determination. Rather, remembering that defeat and humiliation lit a dark flame inside of himself.
Souichiro had yet to take on a fighting stance as he stepped through the withered grass. He was coming towards Bunshichi from an angle. He had Japanese style socks on over his feet. Bunshichi was also yet to take a fighting stance. Neither of them had begun to close the distance between them. As far as I can tell... Bunshichi began to think. No, not really think, rather instinctively feel. He was was still a fair distance away. As far as I can tell, Souichiro will try to make his final move by grappling me to the ground. The distance needed to grapple was smaller than the distance needed to land a couple of punches.
But Souichiro probably wouldn't make his first attack a grappling move. Firstly, after some offense and defense with his arms and legs, he would most likely look for an opening and then come in for a grappling attack. But even against the initial offense and defense with arms and legs, Bunshichi had a greater reach. Having a bigger body size in a bare knuckle fight plays an important factor in deciding who will win.
[049]
But that wasn't the the deciding factor either. The slight advantage of having a larger body could be gone in an instant if you let your guard down. This is especially true in serious fights. You should think about how to effective use your fists to strike your opponent before they hit you. No, not even think about it. Thoughts like that become a part of your body. They become instinct.
Bunshichi began to move. He moved to the side, keeping the same pace as his opponent. He couldn't move as freely as he normally could due to the long dry grass coming up to his knees. That meant that he was unable to judge the levelness of the ground beneath his feet. The distance between the two was quickly shrinking. They had both lowered their backs a little as they moved. Himekawa silently watched the two of them. Ryoji stood with is legs slightly ajar, clutching Bunshichi's bag with both arms. His arms were tense.
“Bro,” Ryoji called out. Souichiro moved in towards Bunshichi as soon as the words had left his mouth. Just as he moved in, Bunshichi made a move. His right leg flew upwards. His tree trunk like leg roared through the air, the sole of his foot striking Souichiro's chest like a spear. Souichiro took the hit with his bent left elbow. Souichiro then grabbed Bunshichi's ankle with the same hand as he took the blow. He grabbed the underside of Bunshichi's left knee with his left hand. He then got into position to pull off a deciding grappling move using the knee and ankle.
It is commonly said that there are around two or three thousand different grappling moves.
[050]
There are attacks for every joint in the human body, that can be made from every part of the attackers body. The number of grappling moves you could do using only the wrist are in the double digits. And that number could easily double simply by grappling another part of the body at the same time. And once you have your hands in place, there is any number of moves you could make.
Every type of martial art, be it Aikido, Jujitsu, Karate or Kung Fu, includes grappling. Even the Sambo style of martial arts from Russia has developed it's own unique methods of grappling. It isn't possible for a single human being to be proficient in every kind of grappling there is. Bunshichi only had a working knowledge of how to use and execute grappling techniques from the Takemiya style of karate. And that was from copying techniques he had only read about in books or heard about from others. He hadn't even been taught that well by the people at his school of Karate. He simply had to take a guess based on his own grappling techniques, as well as others he had seen and heard about. It is also not unusual for secret grappling techniques to not be written down. There are countless techniques that are passed down directly from teacher to student.
Even though it's called grappling, that doesn't mean that you should suddenly try to make a finishing move by twisting and holding down your opponents body. You have to use a strict pattern of attack. Although most attack patterns have the same finishing move, they di
ffer depending on the style of grappling. The most frightening opponents are the ones whose moves you can't read. You have to do something before you begin a pattern of attack.
Bunshichi kicked the at the ground with his left ankle. Dirt flew up and hit Souichiro, who still had Bunshichi by the leg. This caused Souichiro to lose his grip on Bunshichi.
[051]
Bunshichi turned his foot to the side and twisted his upper body to the right. This action jerked Bunshichi's leg free from Souichiro's grip. Bunshichi then put his left hand on the dry grass and fell down to the ground. His left foot hit the ground after his hand. Souichiro began to move before Bunshichi's right foot hit the ground. Souichiro went to kick Bunshichi in the stomach just as he was about to get back up. Souichiro's' foot flew into the empty space between Bunshichi's stomach and the ground, but he jerked it back up like a snake jerking it's body away, sensing something about to go wrong.