Drill Instructor:

Shinako thought on how the lecture today would be slightly different than the others that she had delivered. She was dressed in a short kimono with knee-length spanks underneath to protect her modesty. Her hair was tied into a ponytail to keep it out of her face. Her hands and feet were wrapped to protect her from injury, because she expected that the soldiers would know a great deal about what she had come to speak with them about today. After receiving feedback that the abstract lesson on ninjutsu had left many of the men unsetteled, she had decided that the next tutorial would be on the basics of taijutsu.

Even as she approached the training grounds Shinako saw the soldiers, men and women alike, practicing with swords, knives, and even unarmed strikes. For the first time since setting foot in the camp several weeks ago, Shinako felt like she might be in over her head. She had written the unit commander for a basic description of the unit's martial techniques, finding that they were primarily a spear unit that used short swords in close quarters. And so, with this information in mind, Shinako had spent many hours digging through manual after manual describing the basic techniques used with spears and short-swords. Her own training in taijutsu was minimal, and decidedly sup-par even amongst the ranks of Genin.

When she arrived at her designated lecturing area, she found that a crowd of similar size to the last one that she had addressed was already gathered there. They wore light versions of their normal armor, designed to be just heavy enough to stop any blows they might receive in training. They carried heavier versions of their spears, tipped in wooden knobs, so that when the time came their actual weapons would feel like easy tools indeed in their hands. Suddenly, Shinako felt incredibly under-dressed. For a long while, Shinako watched them drill and spar, putting the names and discriptions that she had read to the corresponding movements that she now saw in violent motion.

After about fifteen minutes of what Shinako soon recognized to be a warm-up, the drill commander called a halt to the activities. Everyone gathered had worked up a reasonable amount of sweat through their exertions, and a few of them even panted as they took the positions to which they had become accustomed. Shinako offered a respectful applause.

"Alright, wow! You all are very talented. It must take a great amount of training to achieve the precision that was just displayed a moment ago."

Nods of agreement followed. She had gained enough respect here that her compliments held weight with the soldiers, and they were glad to receive her praise.

"As you know well by now, today's lesson is in physical body techniques. Shinobi term these types of techniques, very broadly, taijutsu. We practice them with the same intent that you do; that is, to overcome the physical force of the opponent with our own and neutralize any threat that they may present."

Shinako mimed through six different punches and four different kicks.

"We practice striking arts, as well as grappling and redirection of force."

Her next movements took her through the basic stances of Aikido and Judo. In truth, Shinako had practiced martial arts as a girl to promote fitness and discipline. Those classes had been little more than aerobic workouts, but she remembered a few of the basic techniques. She heard a slight chuckle from the assembly and stopped her mock-up tour of martial techniques. She smiled and laughed a little bit in spite of herself.

"Haha. Well, as you can see, my training is not primarily in Taijutsu. I specialize in Ninjutsu, which we covered last time, and genjutsu, which will be a lesson for another time. However, in some way or another, every shinobi begins their training with Taijutsu. As I said, many of our techniques mirror your own, but as is true of everything I've showed you in the shinobi world thus far, Taijutsu techniques using chakra can be more..."

Shinako searched for the right word, finding that the soldiers had fallen back into their normal, disciplined state.

"...eccentric. Chakra can be flowed through the body in an imbalance of physical energy. Increases to speed, power, stamina...all of these are commonplace in shinobi taijutsu. Just as with Ninjutsu and Shinobi weaponry, the desired result is something altogether different from what the opponent expects. They are often combined with skill in ninjutsu to produce combinations that the opponent cannot come up with a counter to."

Shinako shrugged her shoulders and showed her empty hands as an indicationt that, for the first time, she did not have a clever display.

"Unfortuanately, ladies and gentlemen, you will have to use your imaginations in this case."

Though the soldiers seemed disappointed, Shinako sensed some form of satisfaction forming in the realization spreading that the soldiers had finally found something that they could beat a few shinobi at.

"However, that simply means that if you are ever confronted with Shinobi who specialize in Taijutsu you will have to be extra wary. One of the gravest mistakes you can make in combat with a shinobi is to assume that even the slightest of movements is mundane."

The respectful hush that Shinako had become accustomed to at the end of her lessons had fallen just where she had expected. On some level or another, the men had expected another grave warning about the talents of shinobi, even if they had not been treated to a flashy show of such skills. Living in the Hidden Leaf Village each of them had learned a cautious respect for shinobi.

"As with the other lessons, I do not mean to scare you, but to prepare you. Bodies infused with the power of chakra are more than a match for your weapons, even when they appear harmless. And with that understanding, class is dismissed."

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