2014.03.14 - A Day of Ninja Training

6 AM Breakfast

Tommy Arashikage actually got up and fixed rice, eggs, and pork. It was a light meal, but ready for Lunair when he wakes the sleepy head up. Sitting across the kitchen table with his new roommate was a new experience with Tommy. He lived in close quarters with others plenty of times in the past, but not just him and a female. Still, she was his pupil, and training would begin today now that he has settled in.

Morning. Lunair doesn't mind them. They aren't her favorites, and she will wake up when he wakes her up. ... slightly lazy git. She doesn't seem to think much of living with other people (that is, she's used to it). She seems happy to have Tommy around. Lunair is quiet for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Thank you!" He cooked! Lunair appreciates it. She's somewhat aware that training is due to begin sometime soon. "I hope you're liking it here." But soon, training. Soooooooon.

Hunter eats his own breakfast lazily from the floor, purring as he does so as his tail swishes lazily, sleepily really. He is apparently used to the early mornings, though he crashes soon after breakfast.

7 AM Stretches

And training does indeed begin. Tommy first starts to teach Lunair about her stretching. "You want to wake up first, as you can pull muscles easily first thing in the morning," he advises. "It is also good to stretch right before bed, and whenever you start to feel stiff. I gives you more flexibility, and strengthens your muscles." Each stretch is held for a slow fifteen seconds and he shows all tops to stretch from the balls of the feet to the neck, appearing to be in no rush as he teaches Lunair how to begin the very basic step of training her body while wearing a plain white gi without a belt.

Training! Lunair nods. "I see." She listens, tilting her head a bit. Lunair is good at paying attention and following along. She went with a white gi as well, since red makes her look a little bit tomato-like. She stretches easily enough proving efficient at this training.

7:30 AM Crunches & Push-Ups

Next are crunches, sit-ups and push-ups. The number of reps of crunches and sit-ups are insane, and Tommy actually cuts them down for Lunair, though she will be sore afterwards to say the least. And by the time the push-ups begin, Tommy finds himself with Lunair sitting on his back as he pushes up from the living room floor. He actually does this, and does it well! The problem is, he can't do as many reps this way, and he grunts a bit as he is stuck in the up position as Hunter had woken up from his nap and walks beneath his belly like it was a bridge and only then can Tommy lower himself back down. "Why is having you on my back supposed to improve the training experience?" Is Lunair getting revenge for making her muscles sore?!

Hff. Lunair is a bit surprised. Ninja are /intense/. Or at least, ninja WORKOUTS are! Well, it's both, really. She doesn't seem to complain but she will definitely be sore. And yes, she sits on Tommy's back. Her eyes are a bit wide. She's surprised at how many he even manages with her on his back. "... workout by osmosis." The burn is metaphorical! ... although, it may be she has a sense of humor. "And awwww..." Kitty! Lunair reaches over to pet Hunter, moving off poor Tommy once he's done.

And Tommy gets a bit of a wicked look on his face! Yes, wicked. As soon enough, Lunair is now working on her push-ups with Hunter on her back while the silver ocicat tries to get comfortable on her back and lets out a low growl when she gets him lopsided. Well, least it isn't Tommy sitting on her back!

Uh oh. Lunair's eyes might widen a bit if she spots that. And now she has a kitty on her back. Careful. Happy kitty. Not digging his claws into Lunair's back kitty. He's a pretty fierce ocicat for one so adorable. But that is cats. Either way, she does her best to work on push-ups, cat and all.

8:00 AM Pull-Ups

Next are the pull-ups! Lunair did install that pull-up bar so it certainly makes things easier. First Tommy shows Lunair how it is done, showing reps with him pulling his chin up past the bar, then reps pulling himself up so the bar is behind the neck. "When we have more room, we can practice Muscle Up, which is pulling yourself not only up to the chin, but all the way up, and then lowering yourself back down. You would have noticed, the Ninja Sensei advises his pupil, "That I slowly let myself down to feel the resistance and to build more endurance and control Go ahead and attempt five each of the two I showed you," keep it small for now, while he did twenty of each just to make sure Lunair understood the techniques.

Oh geez. But yes, Lunair did do as asked/suggested. "Yeah, sorry. These door frames are kinda -" Tall people hate life sometimes. She watches, and gives it a try. She doesn't seem thrilled by it in the slightest. But she manages to get the five of each down. At least he doesn't demand she BOW BEFORE SENSEI!

8:30 AM Katas

Finally, a bit more fun. Tommy actually starts to teach Lunair some basic martial art katas to practice, to encourage control and discipline. The movements are more fun than repetitive exercising, and though they repeat themseves, it is not just a single move over and over again. Anyway, it does feel like a form of slow dancing, and there is Hunter pouncing the radio and accidentally turning it on, making Tommy almost jump sky high!

This is a bit hard. Lunair's fighting style is often kind of frenetic and feral. Lunair tries her best, but she - really does need to work on the disciplined fighting style. Though, let's face it. When you can pull any weapon, any ammunition out at demand... control is less of an issue. But she tries and jerks, startled as Hunter pounces the radio. "Ack!" Flail. But then she goes to turn it off. "And wow." Ninja jumps are serious jumps. She does take a moment to boggle.

Tommy scowls at Hunter, who had run into his bedroom to hide after the noise terrified him too! Course, Hunter can't see him through the wall! He then heads over to turn the music down, and takes a deep breath, before slowly letting it out. "Let us finish our practice," but at least this time it is to music thanks to Hunter!

Silly kitty. Lunair looks apologetic. "I'll move that radio to a higher shelf," She offers. Later, then. Poor Tommy, too. She nods. "Sure thing." She will go with it, practicing quietly. And diligently. But not really so skillfully.

9:30 AM Meditation

After practice is finished, along with some more stretching, the music is turned off. Tommy says, "Now, we will meditate. We will try for thirty minutes," as it is Lunair's first time! Part of those thirty minutes - ten of them anyway - is spent in explaining some of the basic techniques of meditation so that Lunair knows about relaxing her body and centering her mind. She will not get it right away unless she has previous experience, but the goal is to get her familiar with the sensation first, and making the effort to take the time for meditation.

Phew. That was a workout. Lunair pauses. Meditate, huh? She'll give it a shot. But she doesn't quite get it at first. Fidget. Distracted. Broken as it is, even her mind seems to find all sorts of entertainments even as she sits here. Okay, try to be calm. Center, center. Did she remember to...? "Hmmm..."

10:00 AM "Game Over"

And after those twenty minutes worth of fail and Lunair even distracted Tommy to the point he has to fight not to smile, he then nods, "Training this morning is now over. As you become more proficient, training time will become longer or shorter as needed to improve or maintain," Tommy states. He unfolds himself, regaining his feet and holding a hand down and out to Lunair to help her to her feet. "You did good for your first session, Lunair. I'm really proud of you," and he smiles. "Thank you for your hard work. I know you will feel the improvements quickly."

Phew. Lunair is going a bit cross-eyed at it all. SILENCE, BRAIN. But that's the amusing paradox. The more one tells one's brain NOT to think... there's a story about a monk in there somewhere. Either way, she smiles over to Tommy. "Okay, thank you!" She knows how much energy and time are being invested. Carefully, she takes his hand and gets up to her feet. "Really?" Although, happily, the soreness hasn't set in. YET. "I appreciate it. Thank you. And you're welcome." She hopes so. But still, she has a smile and warm fuzzies for now.