Young Samurai_ The Way of the Sword - Chris Bradford [34]
He grabbed Jack’s sword arm, sternly lifting the bokken to the appropriate height. Jack’s arms trembled with the effort.
‘These kata are the basics of kenjutsu,’ reinforced Sensei Hosokawa, addressing the entire class now. ‘You cannot run before you’ve learnt to walk. It is imperative you assimilate these moves so that they become instinctive, so that the bokken becomes part of you. When the sword becomes “no sword” in your hands, then you are ready. Only then will you truly comprehend the Way of the Sword!’
‘HAI, SENSEI!’ yelled the class.
Sensei Hosokawa fixed Jack with a stern gaze, ‘Don’t forget your training, Jack-kun. You should have mastered the basics by now.’
The arrow soared clear of the target, disappearing among the branches of the ancient pine tree. A pair of doves, nestling in the foliage, cooed indignantly and fluttered off towards the safety of the Butsuden’s temple roof.
‘This is impossible!’ complained Jack, his frustration getting the better of him.
Unlike Akiko, who struck the furthest target with apparent ease, archery didn’t come so naturally to Jack. And now that Sensei Yosa had doubled the length of the range, setting the targets at the far end of the Nanzen-niwa, not one of Jack’s shots had even come close. If he couldn’t hit a target at this distance, how on earth was he supposed to snuff out a candle?
To make matters worse, Kazuki and his friends had been trying to put him off, commenting loudly on each of his failed attempts.
Noticing that Jack was struggling, his kyujutsu teacher approached, her hawk-like eyes studying his form and noting his problem.
‘Relax, Jack-kun,’ Sensei Yosa instructed as Jack returned his bow to the rack and knelt back into line. ‘Hitting the target is unimportant.’
‘But it is to me,’ Jack insisted. ‘I want to be able to pass your trial.’
‘You misunderstand,’ said Sensei Yosa, smiling warmly at his keenness. ‘You must abandon the idea of having to hit the target. When the archer does not think about the target, then they may unfold the Way of the Bow.’
Jack’s brow creased in confusion. ‘But won’t I be more likely to miss if I don’t think about it?’ he asked.
‘There are no mysteries in kyujutsu, Jack-kun,’ continued Sensei Yosa, shaking her head in response. ‘Like any art, the secret is revealed through dedication, hard work and constant practice.’
But I am practising hard, Jack wanted to say, and I don’t seem to be getting any better.
Later that day, Jack’s fifth attempt at origami lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.
The rest of the students were deep in studied concentration, cross-legged on their zabuton cushions within the Buddha Hall. Today their meditation model was a frog, and all that could be heard was the delicate crimping of countless pieces of paper.
Sensei Yamada had once again set his class a zazen mediation on origami, repeating the koan, ‘What does origami teach us?’ No one as yet had provided him with a satisfactory answer.
‘Watch how I do it, Jack,’ Yori offered, turning so that Jack could see his moves.
Jack tried again, but only succeeded in tearing a hole in the fragile paper. He cursed out loud in English and Yori gave him a puzzled look. Jack smiled apologetically.
‘How am I going to be able to answer Sensei Yamada’s Koan trial if I can’t even fold a paper frog?’ said Jack, taking another sheet from the pile.
‘I don’t think it matters if you can or can’t,’ replied Yori kindly. ‘The frog is not the focus. Remember what Sensei Yamada said? The answer is in the paper.’
Yori admired his own perfect frog before setting it on the floor next to the perfect origami crane, butterfly and goldfish he had already made.
‘But surely the process must help,’ maintained Jack, waving his flat square of paper despondently in the air. ‘Otherwise why would he be getting us all to do origami? I seem to be making such slow progress.’
Jack was now very concerned about his chances in the forthcoming trials. There were only five places and if he didn’t pass any of the trials, he wouldn’t earn his place in the Circle