personal narrative

Settled differences

No more than an extension of my hand, as it arcs through the air a blur of shining steel fluttering around my torso; generating momentum for the strike at my opponent. Five years I have practiced, waited, meditated, so I could be ready to face this man, so I could beat him, and earn my purple bet. I am a swords man, and this was my first duel, a right of passage in my discipline.

It starts respectfully, fellow students sitting on their knees in strait rows, on the other side master Lowell and the two highest-ranking black belts at his side. It is decided by the two seconds when each has a student who is ready to demonstrate forms, the it is up to the sensei to determine if either of them is ready t face a student of equal belt to a duel in order to earn the next color and the status along with it, if a student of equal belt is not ready then it is the option for the student to challenge the most recent student of the next highest belt or wait until a proper opponent is ready.

I had demonstrated my forms to the sensei and he deemed me ready as well as my equal, Steven, and so we began. We wore thick cotton robes to protect us from blunt force we chose our weapons they were examined by the seconds for quality then given back to us, for duels (or agnei kai’s), even though we use real steel swords they are without an edge to bring the chance of injury down, though something always ends up getting broken or bruised.
We are asked if ready by the sensei, we say yes, we bow to him, then to eachouther, take our stance, then it is a matter of who will strike first, Steven did, with a vertical strike I used a lower block nearly hilt to hilt we pushed back. I came with a lower strike, yet another block, this time from Steven, I stepped to the right and hit him in the left shoulder, which set him off balance but didn’t shake his concentration, he countered with a strike to the left leg. I moved back, it missed, he fell over. I moved in quickly to bring the end of my katana to his shoulder, but he anticipated my intent and spun a powerful kick to my right leg, bringing me down. Now on my back defending myself from his blade the screeching of steel on steel because of his acward angle with Steven on his knees. After some struggle I quickly pushed up and rolled out of his way. He then launched himself at me striking off with one leg, blade parallel with the floor. A foolish move by him, since I had the advantage of the angle. So instead of him landing on his feet I swung my right leg around as forcefully as I could and landed a hit to his left knee forcing it to buckle, so he fell, I then quickly rolled and sprung to my feet as he was landing on the ground and placed my katana at his neck, ending the duel.

I removed my blade offered him a hand to pull him up, we stood and bowed which meant I had officially won. A ceremony came after (more a formality than anything else) for me to receive my next belt. That was my only duel soon after my family had to move so I still remain at my earned status, but since then I have been fond of the color purple.