The Ring of Earth - Chris Bradford [37]
‘Good work, Miyuki,’ said Soke, nodding with approval at her execution of the thumb lock. ‘I think it’s time you taught Jack the Sixteen Secret Fists of the ninja.’
Miyuki stared at Soke, taken aback by his suggestion. ‘Does he really need to know them all?’
Soke nodded.
‘As you wish, Grandmaster,’ she said, reluctantly bowing to his request.
‘Jack,’ said Soke, ‘you may be familiar through your samurai training with a few of these techniques – the use of the fist, edge of the hand, elbow or knee to strike with. But the ninja don’t limit themselves to this. We see the whole body as a weapon. Miyuki, please demonstrate Demon Horn Fist.’
Without warning, Miyuki charged head first into Jack. Her forehead struck his ribcage, knocking him to the ground. Jack landed heavily, wheezing for breath.
‘I admire your eagerness, Miyuki, but that may have been a little too hard,’ cautioned Soke.
‘I held back,’ she protested, raising her hands in innocence. ‘I didn’t break his ribs, did I?’
You weren’t far off it, thought Jack, knowing Miyuki was trying to assert her dominance again.
‘It’s all right,’ said Jack as he took a breath and brushed himself down. ‘I should have been in a stronger stance.’
‘Very well,’ said Soke. ‘Continue demonstrating the rest of the techniques. But be careful, especially with the Eight Leaves Fist.’
He gave Miyuki a stern look before wandering off to check on the other students’ progress.
‘What’s the Eight Leaves Fist?’ asked Jack.
Cupping her hands, Miyuki slapped Jack either side of the head on his ears. Even though the attack was relatively soft, Jack reeled from the unexpected strike. His legs buckled momentarily and he lurched to one side.
‘Done properly,’ Miyuki explained, smirking as Jack had to lean against a tree to steady himself, ‘the Eight Leaves Fist can cause loss of balance and deafness in your enemy.’
‘I can understand why,’ said Jack, his ears still ringing.
‘This one’s called Extended Knuckle Fist.’
Folding her fingers at the second knuckle, she raked them down the centre of his chest. In spite of himself, Jack cried out. The attack was excruciating. Before he could recover, she went on to the next.
‘This one’s Finger Needle Fist.’
Standing in front of Jack, Miyuki closed her right hand to leave only the little finger protruding.
‘What are you going to do with that?’ asked Jack warily. The digit appeared too fragile for any meaningful strike.
‘It’s for soft targets. Like the eyes or …’
Reaching over, Miyuki inserted her little finger into his left ear and pressed deep into the canal. Before he knew it, an arc of pain like lightning coursed through Jack’s body.
‘That hurts!’ he exclaimed, standing on tiptoes to relieve the agony.
‘It should do,’ she said calmly. ‘I’ve targeted a kyusho point.’
‘Please, that’s enough!’
‘But how are you going to understand the effectiveness of these techniques if you don’t experience them for yourself? Some samurai you are!’
She removed her finger, releasing the nerve point, and the pain instantly stopped. ‘Perhaps we should end the lesson.’
‘No!’ shot back Jack.
‘Then stop complaining.’
‘I just have an aversion to unnecessary torture, that’s all,’ argued Jack.
‘Well, you’re clearly not man enough to be a ninja,’ she retorted.
Riled by the implication, Jack did stop complaining. But by the end of the session, he felt bruised and battered all over. Miyuki hadn’t held back in her demonstration of any of the Sixteen Secret Fists – even to the point of knocking him temporarily unconscious with Fall Down Fist. Yet, in a single session, her phenomenal skill had helped him understand how to apply the different fists and their effectiveness in combat.
‘Excellent work, both of you,’ commended Soke, drawing the training to a close. ‘Jack, you’ve been extraordinarily fast in grasping the principles.’
‘I’ve had a very dedicated teacher,’ Jack replied, smiling coolly at Miyuki.
‘I’m sure she was,’ said Soke, a knowing smile on his face. ‘Why else do you think I chose her!’
As the