“No, Mabu is simply meant to prepare you physically for the training ahead of you. You have done well thus far, and have yet to complain, which shows a great deal of patience I did not expect from someone so young. No,” he repeated, “today you learn how to defend yourself, and remain unharmed in combat, whilst learning the basics of how to hit back, when and where best to do so.”
So he directed him to take the long mabu stance, where one leg was in front of the other at ninety degrees and the other was behind him, foot firmly on the ground. He taught him the four basic blocks as well as the basic kicks and strikes.
“When striking, there are eight main targets, the head, the two shoulders, both arms, both legs and the chest. No matter what it is you are doing or how you are striking, or how your opponent is striking, the actual target will always be one of these eight.”
“So I turn your attention to blocks, to keep yourself from being injured. You are never going to block the actual fist or weapon, and will instead stop the wrist or forearm of your attacker with your own. Let us begin.”
And so, Chei began to instruct him in how to anticipate movement, and how to block. He let his apprentice block blows with controlled force, where it would be enough to hurt but not enough to cause damage, over time he steadily increased the boy’s pain tolerance and physical durability. He did this with his actual body too, using sparring matches to teach him how an unarmed fight against an easterner would usually go, always switching tactics so that he couldn’t rely on patterns, which would also prepare him for non-eastern opponents.
By the time they were working on the more advanced training, the boy would be able to strike a stone pillar without flinching or being injured.
(I was thinking that as some sort of test, Chei and him go on some kind of quest.)
