A Secret in the Pocket

Class was on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

Monday night was training with the senior students and Thursday was open mat time.

Sunday training was seminars every two weeks or so.

The dojo had a schedule and a hum to the training cycle that played out through the four seasons, and when there was a break in the rhythm that is when one had to be ready.

The logistics of the flights mean there would be no Sunday seminars for three weeks, and that is when I got the call from my teacher on that morning.

Could I be at this address in the city at this time?

Yes.

I’ll be there.

No uniform.

Dress in street clothes, but have your kaku obi.

Sitting on the train, watching the city pass by, all these people in the car with me. We outwardly present as one thing, but each of us inside has our secrets.

Mine was an orate cloth belt folded and rolled up in a particular was in my jacket pocket.

I met my teacher at the appointed spot outside the building on the corner of the street as we waited for one of the senior students to arrive. Apparently it was just going to be the three of us, as I looked around wondering where the dojo was.

When the senior student arrived and apologized for the delay it was clear why I was instructed to bring my belt as he carried a long familiar case with him.

The elevator took us to the top, and when the doors open there was a look of confusion in my part.

Expecting to see a dojo, or at least some sort of gym, what greeted us was an empty room with a set of stairs leading to the roof. I wanted to ask if we were even supposed to be here, but there was no time as I followed my teacher and the senior student up to the roof.

Passing the sword to me, I paused for the required time and acknowledged my teacher before slipping the sword in my belt and tying it place. 

The three of us formed a circle of swords as we practiced drawing the sword as a warm-up for the lesson to come. 

I don’t know what felt more out of place, the fact that we were dressed in our every day clothes practicing kenjutsu or that we were on the roof of one of the tallest buildings and nobody seemed to even notice us or even care.

The lesson that followed was very precise.

A review of very particular cuts targeting the weakest of points. 

Some that I had seen before, and some that I could never imagine existed.

At the end of the lesson as we again stood in the circle, the teacher asked us if we had any questions.

After the seniors student has his answered I asked the teacher mine:

Where would we cut on the body so as not to kill teki?

A few seconds of silence followed before the teacher asked for further clarification.

You are asking me where to cut as not to kill, when you find yourself in a strange place facing two men who have a sword, and are trying to kill you as you have a sword yourself?