Post by vincentmccloud on Jul 30, 2007 18:05:41 GMT -5
[OOC-Sorry its so long, I got quite into it.]
At first, I was not impressed with my parents for wanting me attend this school. They kept saying that I needed 'discipline' and 'self-control'. What a load of old twaddle I thought. In any case, I decided to join the school, if only just to prove that I could do it. To start off, the other students as well as myself, were taught unarmed combat as well as meditations, martial arts philosophies and many other things. The martial arts style I chose to learn was that of legendary fighter Huo Yuanjia, the man that founded the original school back on Earth-That-Was. The prestige that would be gained from mastering his style was too tempting for me to ignore.
For the first couple of weeks, although I only expressed an interest in the combat aspect, I was deeply fascinated by all the other aspects of the school. Naturally, I interpreted them as ways of making myself stronger and better than the others instead of just self improvement. After a few weeks, I was approached by probably the most respected teacher in the school, Master Hideyasu Samanosuke Miyamoto. He had seen me many times and was inspired by my remarkable progress. He said I had natural talent and was offered the chance for private tutoring. For the second time since arriving, I was giving a chance to increase my prestige that I couldn't refuse.
After a few months, the unarmed combat portion was nearing completion. The final challenge was for all students to face each other in a competition where the winner would be able to chose the rank they will attempt to attain. The others would have one randomly allocated to them. The contest was long and hard until the final two contestants were myself and a girl by the name of Lucy Aran, the future Mrs McCloud. We had sparred with each other many times before, we even became good friends and much more as the months went on. We had promised each other that when it got to this stage, neither one of us would hold back. It was a very difficult fight for the both of us, emotionally as opposed to physically. Needless to say, I won in the end. We gained an even greater respect for one another and that brought us even closer together. I shocked everyone by choosing to attain the rank of Weapon Master. A Weapon Master was one who was expertly trained with every weapon discipline the school had to offer, as such it was a very rare thing. The only known Weapon Master alive was supposed to be the Grand Master of the school, whom none of the students had ever seen. After much debate between the Masters, they eventually agreed. And once again I was to be privately taught by Master Hideyasu.
Now, the path to becoming a Weapon Master is different to the others disciplines. I didn’t just have to learn one discipline, or even two, but all 26 disciplines that the school teaches. And bloody hell hit was hard work. I joined at 14, won the contest at 15, and I was 17 when I finally took my Weapon Master test. For the test, I had to use a different weapon each day against one randomly chosen by the Grand Master himself.. Lets just say that all the fights were…spectacular to say the least. At the end, I had one last challenge, three rounds, with the Grand Master himself. I can’t even begin to explain my surprise when it turned out that Master Hideyasu was the Grand Master. In round one we we’re both given the same weapon, and needless to say he made short work of me. In round two, I chose the weapons, and this was the toughest of all. I was pretty worn out from the other fights. By sheer dumb luck, I got the upper hand and we we’re 1-1. The final was unarmed combat. We matched each others moves perfectly, it was a complete standoff, until I saw an opening. It was very subtle, I wasn’t even sure I saw it at first but I took the chance none the less. I got the upper hand and knocked him out the ring. I had won.
The Masters acknowledged my victory, but refused to grant me my rank. I was outraged. Everything I had worked for was all to be for nothing. Grand Master Hideyasu said that I didn’t understand and until I did, I remain without my rank. He tried to explain but I was so outraged, I refused to listen. All I thought was that one day I’ll show them. It wasn’t until the day that Mal saved me during the war until I began to realise what Grand Master Hideyasu was trying to say. It was all about constantly bettering oneself, even at great risk, but not for personal gain or glory, but to be able to fight to protect those in need. Many years later, I saw Grand Master Hideyasu again and I told him what I learned. He told me that I was finally allowed to hold the rank of Weapon Master, but I turned him down. That desire died out in Serenity Valley. We had one last match in which I let him get the upper hand. It seemed only fair, after all, he did it to me all those years ago. I still keep in contact with him to this day. I tell him how I’m always training, learning new disciplines, new skill and how I only fight for noble purposes. I sometimes do it for selfish reasons, but then again………nobody’s perfect.
At first, I was not impressed with my parents for wanting me attend this school. They kept saying that I needed 'discipline' and 'self-control'. What a load of old twaddle I thought. In any case, I decided to join the school, if only just to prove that I could do it. To start off, the other students as well as myself, were taught unarmed combat as well as meditations, martial arts philosophies and many other things. The martial arts style I chose to learn was that of legendary fighter Huo Yuanjia, the man that founded the original school back on Earth-That-Was. The prestige that would be gained from mastering his style was too tempting for me to ignore.
For the first couple of weeks, although I only expressed an interest in the combat aspect, I was deeply fascinated by all the other aspects of the school. Naturally, I interpreted them as ways of making myself stronger and better than the others instead of just self improvement. After a few weeks, I was approached by probably the most respected teacher in the school, Master Hideyasu Samanosuke Miyamoto. He had seen me many times and was inspired by my remarkable progress. He said I had natural talent and was offered the chance for private tutoring. For the second time since arriving, I was giving a chance to increase my prestige that I couldn't refuse.
After a few months, the unarmed combat portion was nearing completion. The final challenge was for all students to face each other in a competition where the winner would be able to chose the rank they will attempt to attain. The others would have one randomly allocated to them. The contest was long and hard until the final two contestants were myself and a girl by the name of Lucy Aran, the future Mrs McCloud. We had sparred with each other many times before, we even became good friends and much more as the months went on. We had promised each other that when it got to this stage, neither one of us would hold back. It was a very difficult fight for the both of us, emotionally as opposed to physically. Needless to say, I won in the end. We gained an even greater respect for one another and that brought us even closer together. I shocked everyone by choosing to attain the rank of Weapon Master. A Weapon Master was one who was expertly trained with every weapon discipline the school had to offer, as such it was a very rare thing. The only known Weapon Master alive was supposed to be the Grand Master of the school, whom none of the students had ever seen. After much debate between the Masters, they eventually agreed. And once again I was to be privately taught by Master Hideyasu.
Now, the path to becoming a Weapon Master is different to the others disciplines. I didn’t just have to learn one discipline, or even two, but all 26 disciplines that the school teaches. And bloody hell hit was hard work. I joined at 14, won the contest at 15, and I was 17 when I finally took my Weapon Master test. For the test, I had to use a different weapon each day against one randomly chosen by the Grand Master himself.. Lets just say that all the fights were…spectacular to say the least. At the end, I had one last challenge, three rounds, with the Grand Master himself. I can’t even begin to explain my surprise when it turned out that Master Hideyasu was the Grand Master. In round one we we’re both given the same weapon, and needless to say he made short work of me. In round two, I chose the weapons, and this was the toughest of all. I was pretty worn out from the other fights. By sheer dumb luck, I got the upper hand and we we’re 1-1. The final was unarmed combat. We matched each others moves perfectly, it was a complete standoff, until I saw an opening. It was very subtle, I wasn’t even sure I saw it at first but I took the chance none the less. I got the upper hand and knocked him out the ring. I had won.
The Masters acknowledged my victory, but refused to grant me my rank. I was outraged. Everything I had worked for was all to be for nothing. Grand Master Hideyasu said that I didn’t understand and until I did, I remain without my rank. He tried to explain but I was so outraged, I refused to listen. All I thought was that one day I’ll show them. It wasn’t until the day that Mal saved me during the war until I began to realise what Grand Master Hideyasu was trying to say. It was all about constantly bettering oneself, even at great risk, but not for personal gain or glory, but to be able to fight to protect those in need. Many years later, I saw Grand Master Hideyasu again and I told him what I learned. He told me that I was finally allowed to hold the rank of Weapon Master, but I turned him down. That desire died out in Serenity Valley. We had one last match in which I let him get the upper hand. It seemed only fair, after all, he did it to me all those years ago. I still keep in contact with him to this day. I tell him how I’m always training, learning new disciplines, new skill and how I only fight for noble purposes. I sometimes do it for selfish reasons, but then again………nobody’s perfect.