Kimagure

History

In 980 BBY, Hetton Demici had a son in secret. This son, the product of Hetton's coupling with a commoner of Serenno, was named Caius Demici. Hetton, fearing political and social repercussions however, gave up his son, relinquishing him to the care of a monastery on the planet. This monastery was in all actuality a school, teaching the ways of martial arts, such as Teras Kasi, Tal-Gun, Tae-Jitsu, and Stava. It was here, that Caius fell under the patient care of Master Matukai Montague Caramecelli. Over the years, it would be Montague who would teach Caius in the arts and disciplines of the monastery, as well as the philosophy and techniques of the Matukai. As Caius grew, he mastered the four arts of the monastery, and, eventually, came to be a powerful Matukai warrior. Caius was not content like his master though, to practice what he had learned, and then teach it to students in order to guarantee the continuation of the order. Instead, he experimented. Caius had several theories on the force, many of which proved to be false. All but one; the theory of internalization. It was Caius's belief that the Jedi and sith where wrong in trying to master outside there bodies, that they where wrong to manipulate something that was outside of there own influence. He believed that it was a simple waste of effort, that, while it could yield results, was in the end ineffectual. It was because of this belief, that he turned to the Matukai. The Matukai indeed sparked the entire idea, the idea, that instead of focussing on the outside of ones body, and the force around them. That they focus on, and within the body itself, and the force that dwelt therein. Caius's sole proof that this would be far more beneficial, was that through meditation and martial arts, a Matukai was able to boost the force within his own body.

Philosophy

Water. Fire. Wind. Earth.

Training: The underlying Tiers

The training for Kimagure is brutal and dangerous, with rigorous and regimented training a daily part of life. Kimagure consists of five segregated teaching units, called "Tiers". These Tiers of Kimagure train the initiate in the ways of the art, while simultaneously training him in its philosophy. They are as follows:

• Physical Mastery
• Martial Mastery
• Mental Mastery
• Spiritual Mastery
• The Revelation

Each Tier has a purpose, each of them has a use, each has its goal. Without the mastery of all five, the mastery, not to mention the understanding of Kimagure is impossible.

The First Tier: Physical Mastery

Physical Mastery is absolutely essential to Kimagure. Before one can even begin to learn the martial arts, the body itself has to be conditioned to withstand the rigorous requirements of said arts. Not to mention flexibility, endurance, and agility requirements. While such things can indeed, and are traditionally taught while training a student in an art. The Demici's found it far more effective in physically conditioning the initiate separate from his combat training. In the end though, rigorous and brutal training is just a daily part of Kimagure life, and is practiced daily to maintain fitness. The first Tier is divided up into six regiments: Strength, Endurance, Agility, Balance, Acrobatics, and Stealth. Typically a master will have a set routine or way of training each trait to a student. The following is the traditional way taught by Demici's, though individual masters may teach otherwise.

• Strength

Strength plays a small, but vital role in Kimagure. For, while one doesn't have to great strength to damage an opponent, it is a desirable trait to aid the initiate in his future trials. Strength training is usually the first thing an Initiate undergoes on being accepted as an Initiate. Typically, the master will lead the Initiate to a steep hill, or a cliff, and tell him to walk to the bottom. At the bottom, a massive boulder will sit, attached to it; four heavy tempered durasteel chains. At the ends of these chains are loops, one loop for each limb of the sentient (providing it is humanoid of course). The Initiate will then be told to take a hold of two of the loops in his hands, and to place his legs through the other two. Then to climb up the hill. Many times, the initiate will claim this is impossible; for indeed, the boulder is incredibly large, many times weighing several thousand pounds. The master is adamant however, and eventually, the Initiate will try to move the boulder up the hill. The master, typically, will sit in the shade and drink tea watching this spectacle. At the end of the first day, the Initiate, if he's very lucky, may have moved the stone several inches. Usually however, he fails to move it at all. This process is repeated for many many days, until the student is able to pull the boulder to his master. The student, thinking himself rid of physical training, is of course cocky and arrogant. The master is quick to remedy this. Taking the initiate to the other side of the hill, he reveals the previously unknown cliff face that they are perched on, and would simply point at the boulder on the ground far below. The student would then travel to the bottom of the cliff, and would harness himself to the rock via the four chains. Now, the distinction between the cliff training, and the hill training needs to be made clear: the hill training is used specifically to strengthen the legs, arms, and torso. Cliff training is made to strengthen the arms, and more specifically; the hands. After several more months, the Initiate will eventually make his way to the top of the cliff, with the boulder attached. It is here, that the master tells the Initiate he has finally made it through the first phase.

• Endurance

While it is arguable that strength training teaches the Initiate endurance, the simple fact of it is that tugging stationary on a heavy object, is very different from constant movement. For one, the lungs must be acclimated, and secondly, the body must be conditioned physically against the urge to rest. As such, Endurance training is rather simple. The Initiate is taken to a large waterfall. At the top of the waterfall, a series of watermills; one at either end of waterfalls mouth, turn a central axis made out of wood. This device not only serves as a means of irrigation, but also as a means of training students. The mills are usually halted, and the student is told to make there way to the center axis (Which is typically a log two feet in diameter). He is then told to stand on the log, and then the mill is started up with no explanation. If the student is smart, hell realize he's expected to stay on top of the log, without falling off. In essence; a Kimagure style treadmill. The speed that the axis turns is controlled by the master via watergates, with the master typically working the mill while the Student runs. While this is also an excellent way to teach balance, its primary function is endurance, as non stop constant running is required. After several weeks or months, after the Initiate can stay on top at the highest speed, the Initiate is once again led to a second device. The device in question is actually a stone mill; two large heavy stones, in between which grain is put so it can be ground en mass. Typically the top half of the stone is turned by a team of people, as it is very heavy to turn by a single person. The initiate is of course told to turn the mill himself. By was of a series of four handles mounted vertically into the mill, the Initiate will stay stationary, and physically use his arms to manually turn the mill. He is told to mill all the grain within the warehouse which is usually three hundred sacks, containing fifty pounds of grain each. The process takes two to three weeks, depending on the student. At the end of the training, he is told to stop, and is given a loaf of bread made out of the grain he ground. The gesture is more symbolic than a teaching tool, basically; congratulations and good job. He then advances to the next phase.

• Agility

Agility training takes place within a closed room. This room is filled with a ten by ten grid of ten foot tall wooden poles, that are one and a half feet in diameter. Out of these poles, smaller wooden poles stick out of the pole horizontally, ranging in length from anywhere from two to six feet long. In essence, one the student is inside of the room, the door is shut, then locked, and the poles are activated. Water from the endurance mill is syphoned to this room, which in turn turns gears beneath the floor. These gears then turn the poles, which spin the poles at varying speeds. In other words, the student, standing in the middle of the room, will be bombarded from every direction by swinging and sweeping poles. The poles, as they are ten feet high, and rest flush against the ceiling in pivots, are unable to be climbed. As such, it is up to the student to move and get out of the way, or be whacked. The poles have three setting, low, medium, and high. The student will start on low, in which the poles will make one revolution every one and a half seconds. Once mastered, and the student is easily able to dodge the poles, he then advances to medium, in which the poles make one revolution every second. Once mastered, he is finally moved on to high, where the poles make a single revolution every half second. After mastering, he then graduates from the room, to the real challenge. He is taken to a secondary room, in which a platform is suspended in the air by twelve tall poles. In total, the platform is twenty feet off the ground; high enough to break bones if you fall, but not enough to kill. The platform is square, with it being oddly segmented into smaller and smaller squares, with there being three squares total. The students is told to climb the to the top of the platform, and to stand in the center. On doing so, his opponents walk into the balcony lining the upper half of the room. From the ground, it is impossible to see, but once climbing the platform a rail free balcony lines the outside of the room, on it, several trainers stand with long poles. The rules are simple; you may not grab the poles, you may not grab the trainers, you may not leave the platform, you may not attack the trainers or the poles, you may not break the poles. Everything else is permitted. And, when the student is ready, the exercise begins. Initially, the students starts with four trainers, with four poles, with the platform having all three segments. (In total the platform is eight feet by eight feet, with two of the segments being two feet large.) Each trainer will stand at one point of the compass, and will attempt to swing, thrust, prod, tap, bash, smite, or otherwise use any range of motion to contact the pole with the student. It is the Students job to either block these poles, or to avoid them altogether. At this level, the trainers only use simple wooden poles. After he can easily avoid and block the poles from the four trainers, he moves to eight trainers, with four at each corner of the compass, and one trainer in the north east, south east, south west, and north west corners respectively. Also, a single segment of the platform will be dropped to the floor (Via the poles holding each segment up will be released, allowing them to fall into hole sin the floor, lowering the segment to the ground. Effectively subtracting two feet from the perimeter of the platform. This time, the Trainers will use metal poles, as well as poles that have loops afixed to the end, to snag or otherwise grab ahold of limbs, making it so that the student has to fight without that limb. Once again, the student will train until mastered, in which he will move to sixteen trainers. with half the room with eight trainers, and the other half with eight trainers. Another segment of the floor will be dropped, removing another two feet, forcing him to move on a square four feet in diameter. At this stage, the trainers may use shock poles to jolt the student, as well as poles with loops. If he can manage to master this phase. He then graduates from Agility training.

• Balance

Balance is basically a modification of the same techniques used in Agility. The student is taken to an indoor room. This room is filled with a grid of poles, all of them twenty feet tall, all of them six inches in diameter. The grid is approximately one hundred by one hundred poles. The student is then told to step onto the poles (The poles are lined in a pit in the floor, making stepping onto them easy.) the student does so, with one foot on one pole, and the same with another. The master then leaves the room, and closes the door. He then signals the mill, who diverts water into the room...turning gears, and suddenly making the poles move. Basically, the water turns gears, which in turn either move the pole up, or down. The range of motion is anywhere from two to ten feet either up or down. Thus forcing the student to either catch his balance, or to move to another set of poles. The poles have three settings, low, medium, and high. With the poles moving more frequently and more randomly with each setting. If the student can stay on the poles for the period of an hour straight (for each setting), then he passes. He then moves to the second phase. The student is then led to the all to familiar agility platform. Though this time with a twist; instead of a platform, where is instead a ten by ten grid of twenty poles. The student will then climb to the top of the poles, and balance very much like he did in the first room. Trainers, once again will line the balcony, armed with poles, and will try to hit the student. The student, while agile enough to maneuver around the poles, will have to cope with his precarious footing. The scenario is exactly the same as the agility scenario, only with each setting, poles are not subtracted.

• Acrobatics

Acrobatics is a vital role in Kimagure. In fact more akin to Free running than actual gymnastics, Kimagure teaches the use of ones surroundings and the environment for defensive movement. A person, for example, if he was confronted with a sealed door, with a small window above it, would have to stop running away from an enemy, and would have to either bash or summarily break the door down. A person trained in Kimagure's unique acrobatics, would simply run, temporarily grab ahold of the door seal, and fling himself feet first through the window itself, without having to stop. It also makes normally inaccessible things and unreachable places (Such as rooftops, or the sides of buildings) accessible to Kimagure practitioners, thus giving a means to scale or otherwise traverse the terrain around them. The strength, agility, and endurance needed for the extended movements required are already acheived by the student. This scenario, and indeed the remaining scenarios are filled by the role of the master. The master will train the student in basic acrobatic movement: summersaults, rolls, flips, and of course, falls.