Find a master

"Half of you can temporarily set aside your work. You have a new task ahead. As for the other half, focus on finalizing the game's overall framework. Character combat and actions can wait until these tasks are completed."

"President, what will the ones setting aside their work be doing?"

None of them objected to the request from Takayuki, their president. This was Takayuki's company, and he had the authority to assign tasks to each employee. Moreover, Takayuki was a pioneer in the gaming industry, and his words were almost considered gospel by now.

"I'll arrange for some martial arts experts to give you lessons. Your task won't be to master a specific martial art, but to meticulously record every detail of combat, down to the smallest fold of clothing, without missing a thing."

The group exchanged glances. Were they being asked to learn martial arts for a fighting game?

They hadn't expected this at all.

In the film industry, such requests were common. Dedicated actors often visited experts in the field they were portraying, diligently learning from them until they could convincingly portray the expertise on screen.

But Takayuki's demand seemed excessive. Recording even the folds of clothing sounded absurd.

However, they didn't voice any objections. Some were even intrigued. Most of them were eccentric programmers who spent their days confined to the office, leading relatively dull lives. Even in Takayuki's company, where the work hours were standard, they tended to spend their free time gaming or watching shows at home. They needed someone to push them to get out more, and they didn't mind it.

Takayuki began to contemplate who to contact for martial arts training. He wasn't very familiar with this area. Game development was still quite intense, and he aimed to release Street Fighter simultaneously with the game's launch in the US market next March or April. Therefore, the training needed to be arranged promptly.

Ah, he remembered someone.

Sayuri.

Wasn't her family running a dojo?

Though not exactly what he had in mind, there might be some connection, right?

He hadn't expected such a connection.

At that moment, Sayuri was overseeing the development progress of the handheld console project team. She seemed pleased to see Takayuki.

She hadn't seen much of him lately. Takayuki rarely went home, often staying overnight at the office. Even when he was in the office during work hours, he'd be focused on game development.

Sayuri hadn't seen Takayuki for over a month.

So, Takayuki's visit was a pleasant surprise. Finally, she saw him alive and well.

"Takayuki, are you here to check on the progress of the handheld console development? I can give you an update if you'd like."

"No, I'm not here for that today. It's not urgent. You can proceed with your regular planning. I'm here to talk to you."

"To me?"

Sayuri was surprised. "Is it about work?"

"Sort of," Takayuki replied vaguely. Then he continued, "Sayuri, you mentioned that your family runs a dojo, right?"

"Yes," Sayuri nodded.

"Do they teach any combat techniques?"

"Well, yes, they do. Since physical fitness is essential for learning swordsmanship, they usually include some basic martial arts training before starting with the sword."

"Do they have a variety of styles?"

Sayuri recalled and replied, "Not many. Swordsmanship is their main focus, and martial arts are just a prerequisite. So, they don't have as many techniques as a full-fledged martial arts dojo would."

"Do they know any karate dojos or similar?"

"Of course. My dad often meets with them. Takeshi, are you thinking of learning martial arts?"

"Not me, but our employees. I want them to learn."

Takayuki explained his idea to Sayuri, whose eyes widened in surprise.

"Takayuki, you're quite bold. Sending employees to learn martial arts just to make the game more realistic."

Sayuri was already imagining a group of computer geeks being thrown around in a dojo. If they persisted for a day or two, they'd all end up bruised and battered. Could they still work after that?

Takayuki replied seriously, "To achieve perfection in the game, sacrifices must be made. I've already discussed this with the employees. They'll submit their participation lists by tomorrow, and then I'll arrange for their training. Is that okay?"

"Sure, it's okay. Let me check with my dad tonight. I think he might be able to help, but I can't guarantee success."

"Thanks. If that doesn't work out, I'll think of something else."

If necessary, he'd find temporary training courses for them.

"Also, it would be great if they could learn a variety of styles like Chinese martial arts, karate, judo, taekwondo, Muay Thai, etc. And if they're willing to be hired by us as full-time martial arts consultants, it would be even better. We'll need regular updates on combat techniques for future updates of the fighting game."

"Got it. I'll check with my dad tonight. You can expect my update tomorrow."

Sayuri hadn't been home for a while, so it was a good opportunity to visit her parents.