I woke up as the sun's rays streamed into the cave, casting a warm glow on my face. Yawning, I stretched my limbs, feeling refreshed and energized. To get my blood flowing, I engaged in some light exercises, easing away any lingering soreness in my muscles. After about 30 minutes of stretching and movement, I felt invigorated and ready for the day ahead.
Making my way to the nearby river, I decided to take a refreshing bath. The cool water cleansed away the dirt and grime, leaving me feeling revitalized. Once I finished cleaning myself up, I returned to the cave and collected a few sturdy sticks that I intended to use for today's training.
With the sticks in hand, I dashed towards Historia's home. Instead of walking, I decided to utilize my airbending abilities to fly, allowing me to reach her house much faster. Upon arriving, I found Historia already outside, scanning the surroundings.
"Hey, miss me much?" I said, appearing in front of her with a playful tone.
"You're my first friend, of course, I missed you," she replied with a smile.
"Today, let's focus on the basics of hand-to-hand combat," I stated, shifting to a more serious tone.
"I see that you may not possess great physical strength, so your best approach would be to counter your opponent's attacks and redirect their force back onto themselves. Essentially, you'll be using their own energy against them," I explained, observing her nonexistent combat stance.
To demonstrate the techniques she would learn, I assumed a fighting stance and invited her to try hitting me.
"I don't want to hurt you," she replied with concern.
"Trust me, I won't get hurt. Go ahead and give it a try," I reassured her confidently.
Reluctantly, Historia threw a punch towards me, which I skillfully redirected, causing her own fist to collide with her face.
"Ouch, that hurt," she exclaimed, touching her nose in mild pain.
"If you don't want to continue, we can stop here," I offered, concerned about her well-being.
"No, I want to be strong like you," she declared, determined to push through the discomfort.
Encouraged by her enthusiasm, I continued the training. Historia rushed at me, throwing punches and kicks with determination. I evaded her attacks, swiftly countering and sweeping her off her feet, using my air manipulation to ensure her fall was gentle.
After approximately five minutes of training, Historia was out of breath but showed an unwavering determination to keep going. Even as she grew tired, she continued to rush at me, attempting to land hits. I skillfully dodged her punches and swept her legs out from under her when she tried to kick.
After a short beat down, Historia collapsed, exhausted. I caught her before she hit the ground, ensuring her safety. After about five minutes, she regained consciousness and expressed her desire to continue training.
Curious about her motivations, I asked, "Historia, why do you want to learn how to fight?"
"I want to be able to stand up to my bully on my own, without needing anyone's help," she replied, a determined smile on her face.
"That's admirable. But before we continue, let's start with some basic kata," I suggested, standing up and grabbing one of the sticks I had brought with me. I proceeded to draw a pattern on the ground.
"I'll teach you some basic forms and movements so that you can defend yourself more effectively," I explained.
"What's a kata?" Historia asked, her curiosity piqued.
"A kata is a series of choreographed movements used in martial arts. It helps with memorizing techniques
and provides a structured way to practice," I clarified.
"What's martial arts?" she inquired, displaying her limited knowledge of the subject.
"Martial arts are advanced forms of hand-to-hand combat techniques," I explained, momentarily forgetting that this world had not yet caught up to the concept of martial arts.
"In a fight, you must protect vital areas like your head, eyes, throat, chest, and sides," I continued, outlining the key areas with the stick on the ground.
"Why those specific spots?" Historia asked, genuinely interested in understanding the reasoning.
"Your eyes can incapacitate you if hit, your head houses your brain, your throat is vulnerable and can hinder breathing, your chest can cause loss of breath, and your sides are relatively less protected by your body," I elaborated, glancing at Historia, who seemed to absorb the information.
"Do you have any other questions?" I asked.
"What's a larynx, and what are lungs?" she inquired, showing her thirst for knowledge.
"They are important organs in your body that help with breathing. Lungs allow you to inhale and exhale air, while the larynx is the passage through which air travels to reach the lungs," I explained. Realizing that verbal explanations might be difficult for her, I drew a rough human figure on the ground and further illustrated the basics of human anatomy.
"You're so smart! How do you know all this?" Historia asked, her eyes shining with admiration.
"I learned it from books," I replied, modestly scratching the back of my head.
"I want to know more! Can you tell me about testosterone, atoms, and other things?" she eagerly inquired.
"I can tell you about those subjects, but I won't explain the second one just yet. You're still too young for that," I said with a smile.
"Fine," she pouted playfully, pointing at me.
"If you improve your hand-to-hand combat skills, I'll share more knowledge with you," I promised, encouraging her.
"Yeah, I'm going to kick your butt!" she declared, a determined glint in her eyes.
For the remainder of the afternoon, I focused on teaching Historia the basics of hand-to-hand combat, occasionally delving into human biology when she managed to land a rare hit. We practiced various techniques and forms, laying the foundation for her martial arts journey.
A/N friendship is good I'm sorry this is a bit late school is not treating me too well lately