deercountry | (open) miyagi-do gathering for new & existing students!

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(open) miyagi-do gathering for new & existing students!

Who: You, you, and you!
What: For members of Miyagi-do, those interested in Miyagi-do, and whoever else might end up there! (Visiting a friend, etc)
When: Some time first half of month.
Where: At Miyagi-do Dojo in Crenshaw!

MIYAGI-DO: A NEW DAY (AN APRIL LOG)

Miyagi-do has seen some unexpected activity in the last few weeks, but has also--fortunately--seen a return to normality. An upgrade, even, where the damage sustained after a student's accidental explosion caught parts of the dojo in the ensuing chaos now gone after hard work hired, with thanks to the builders and those who helped with funds.

Even the sensei of the dojo has recovered from his own injuries, welcoming students--old and potentials--to classes. Along with a few touch-ups to the dojo, there are other changes, new and old, that should be addressed:

1. A (SEMI-)NEW SENSEI

He's been around for a month now, but here's your formal introduction to Miyagi-do's second sensei, Sensei Toguchi. Sensei LaRusso would have introduced him as a...not old, but dear friend from back home who has also learned from the school of Miyagi-do back in Okinawa. Skilled in the use of sais, you may find Sensei Toguchi a different kind of sensei from Daniel LaRusso. But we'll let you see that for yourself.

2. YOUR VERY OWN SNACK PROVIDER

Truthfully, this is a figure who's been around the dojo since the start, doing exactly what he does now...but Daniel LaRusso would not be himself if he didn't take some time to introduce Hakkai to the class as the person who makes their snacks and refreshments. Because Hakkai deserves his thanks, and you cannot escape a dad man like Daniel.

3. ICE BRACELETS: A NEW FORM OF PROTECTION

Miyagi-do has always worked to help individuals with what it is they want out of the dojo. Sometimes, this can just mean having somewhere to meditate and to find comfort in your own body than to focus on the fighting aspect. But Miyagi-do always leans towards protection, and learning how to respond and to engage with danger. It works to help individuals learn how they can use their own powers in ways that they prefer.

And in his announcement for the start of April's lessons, Sensei LaRusso has a bracelet to share to those who want one, after he's explained what they are. They're ice-powered bracelets--not super powerful, but with proper training they can be used as a means of defence. Spread ice over the ground, freeze certain limbs to surfaces, or even use it to shroud an enemy's face just long enough to distract them.

Sensei LaRusso will show how to use the bracelets to manifest the ice, and Robby Keene will also help in demonstrations, as well as with students individually. Dummies and can be used as stationary targets, and are a great way to learn how to disappear the ice, too--especially if you want to focus on using them for actual living targets, which either Sensei LaRusso or Robby can help with (or, if you're really that into getting iced...!).

ENDING NOTES

This log covers the first lesson of April, as well as continuing forward if you want to add extra days and lessons! Please familiarise yourself with what Miyagi-do teaches. Newcomers are welcomed, and there will always be a place to get food and drink...thank you, Hakkai.

Feel free to make your own toplevels on this log, it's meant as a mingle for existing students and those interested in checking out Miyagi-do! You can hang around the snack table, practice some karate, meet the teachers (and food provider...), maybe try out the new fun ice bracelets or.. you know, you can always just hang out with Daniel's Omen. He's a good boy who will stop to get belly rubs from everyone. You can't reject him. Sorry if you sat down for three seconds and are now stuck with a dog on your lap. He will not move.

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[ Daniel would make a remark about wondering whether Jun's idea of getting too comfortable is just calling people idiots.. Even when they're much older than you..

But he holds it back. Instead he glances sidelong at Jun for a moment, and then slowly exhales a breath. ]

Well, people tend to not show it when they're hurt. [ Some people do show it, but.. boy, does Daniel ever know a whole lot of people who'd just repress that sort of thing. ] Sometimes you can hurt someone without ever knowing you did that.

[ There's a tiny pause, and then Daniel shakes his head, giving Jun a knowing stare. ]

And I know you wouldn't just want to hurt someone.

[ It's not a question. It's a statement - with quite some confidence. Sure, Jun can be blunt, but he's never malicious. It's why Daniel is giving him this advice in the first place, because he wouldn't want anyone to misunderstand Jun. ]

I -

[He sighs and rubs his forehead, trying to explain it. He's not sure he can.]

No. Not anymore.

[He's sworn that off, and Daniel knows it.]

... Feelings are hard for me to deduce. They're not logical. They're just... too abstract. You can't count them, or even really name them properly.

I can understand that.

[ Not on a personal level, since Daniel is at least good with other people's feelings, even if he might not always be with his own.. but considering everything he's heard about Jun and what happened to him before arriving here in Trench?

He can understand why the other might find emotions complicated. ]

But that's why you can only try, right..? If you say something that I feel goes a little too far, I can help remind you. And you can let me know too if I ever say anything that doesn't sit right with you. [ He smiles, moving to this time press a gentle hand against the boy's back. ] And if you need advice with any other situation when it comes to emotions, I'm always here to help if you want to ask me about it. Alright?

... Okay.

[He tilts his head a little bit.]

... Why do you care so much, sensei? You're always thinking about other people, trying to help them... I know you're just kind of a nice person, but it's... almost excessive. It's just...

I'm not saying empathy's bad, it's just that there's people who... aren't good. And you seem like you trust basically everyone. I don't want... you to get hurt.

[ Daniel seems to have a bit of a mixed reaction to what Jun is saying here. None of the sides in said reaction really seem to be negative, though. Not necessarily. It's more that there's a part of Daniel that definitely feels surprised and kind of flustered at getting a sudden compliment like that from a kid who's so stingy with those sorts of things, and then there's another part of him that's kind of amused to hear that being said about him.

It makes him duck his head for a moment, an amused breath leaving his mouth, a fond smile on his face by the time he looks back up at Jun. ]

Don't worry. I'm this nice and trusting with all of you guys because I know you're good kids. [ Granted, that belief sounds so strong that it could be considered naive as well - especially since Daniel sounds so unwavering in it in this moment. Like it's just a fact to him.

He trusts all of these kids so much. ]

There are plenty of people I don't like. And I sure don't treat any of them this well. There's people like that even right here in this place. [ Gosh, Jun, there's people he carries such huge grudges towards.. ] So I guess you could say that you and the others just get.. hmm.. [ give him a moment here to word this.. ] preferential treatment?

... Like Johnny?

[Look. He's seen what he's seen. He's not sure what kind of relationship that is, but he sure is curious.]

I just wanted to make sure you're... taking care of yourself. That you're safe.

[ The man tightly presses his lips together, a little less jovial than a moment ago, though it doesn't fade entirely. ]

Well, Johnny is-- That's a complicated case.

[ So complicated. Daniel wouldn't know how to explain it in words even if he tried - especially with the knowledge that Jun saw that embarrassing display of him being shoved into the garbage by the blonde.. ]

I was more thinking the people here who hurt others for fun. Like Darth Maul. [ He sighs even after just saying the name. ] And someone from my world, but it at least seems that he's thankfully disappeared off into the ocean by now. I really can't stand those types of people.

It's because you have romantic feelings for Johnny. Or - not romantic but whatever the karate equivalent of romance is.

[That aside.]

Mm. I try to stay away from those sorts of people. If they come near people I care about, then I care. Otherwise... I'm not very well equipped to deal with them. And neither are you, Sensei No-Powers-san.

[It's a serious subject but he's gotta tease Daniel.]

[ He's in his right to tease Daniel about this one, at least. And weirdly enough-- this one hurts way more than the 'idiot' thing. The latter was just about making sure Jun isn't too rude to adults who actually mean well, after all. But this one hits a little bit more of a personal hit, right in the part of Daniel that has already been blaming himself over and over for not being good enough. For being just a normal guy who can't even protect his own students.

It's a hurt he swallows down though, not wanting to admonish Jun twice, especially when the boy means this like a more fond tease. Maybe it's hypocritical right after telling Jun about people not showing it when their feelings get hurt, but he doesn't want to make the other sad over a dumb, personal fault of Daniel's Jun couldn't have known about.

So he does what he does best. He swallows it down before it even has the chance to show up on his face. The kind of hurt he can forget about now, but that'll haunt him later.

Instead he huffs in semi-amusement, not even addressing the last part, zooming in on the part that feels much less painful and more just ridiculous. You know, like the idea of any sort of romance between him and Johnny. ]

No, it's because he was my high school bully, and then he decided to show up after decades just to.. start bullying me again, I guess. That's why it's complicated.

[He wouldn't know about high school bullies, he never got there. And if he had, he likely would have been one of the bullies.]

[He huffs a little bit and shakes his head.]

... I guess. I never really was a bully target - I would just verbally shut them down when they tried when I was younger. They didn't think I was 'fun' to pick on so they went and teased other people. One of them tried to take my glasses once and I insulted him so badly he started to cry.

I think you might've just gotten lucky. Sometimes they only think it's funny when you mouth off.

[ Daniel certainly wasn't a doormat, after all - and yet somehow he kept attracting bullies left and right, no matter where he went.. But he at least likes to think it's not some inherent quality about him that made it happen, refuses to blame himself like that.

It's just bad luck. Just like how Jun had good luck to at least have been able to avoid that particular experience on top of all the crap he already had to endure with back home. ]

I'm glad for that though. You don't deserve to be bullied. No one does.

No, they don't.

[He sees that, now.]

Maybe Johnny's just a persistent jerk. But who's laughing now?

[Daniel's got the better dojo, at least as far as Jun is concerned.]

[ Daniel does let out a vaguely amused huff. ]

Well, I do have some pretty great kids here.

[ Not like he'll take credit for anything else. Yes, Daniel does believe Miyagi-do is inherently better than Johnny's style of karate, but that's not to his own credit as much as it's to mister Miyagi's credit.

And if his dojo is better than Johnny's-- well, then it's solely due to the reason he mentioned already. It feels so easy to feel proud of these kids.

Which is why he reaches out with one hand to give Jun a light hair ruffle. ]

He doesn't have you as a student, for one, so I think I'm getting ahead of him there.

[Ah - he doesn't move away, just blushes faintly.]

Y... yeah, well. His loss. He tried to teach me when I first got here, did you know that? But then he explained some of his methods and...

... I'm not interested in 'toughening up'. Maybe not physically but I'm already pretty toughened up emotionally. I don't need that kind of thing in my life.

[ Thankfully - for Jun - the hand doesn't linger for too long before Daniel is already pulling it back. Though he's definitely still smiling at the kid all the same. ]

See? You've got a good brain up there.

[ If Jun can already realise this stuff all by himself - especially at his age, though Daniel is aware that circumstances have matured the boy beyond his years. ]

Cobra Kai loves pretending that the only way to be strong is to allow anger to be your only emotion. It's absolute nonsense.

[He scoffs quietly. He knows he's smart.]

... Anger used to be practically the only thing I felt. Other emotions besides boredom were... unneeded. Unwelcome. But... it's like I was living in an old black and white movie. I couldn't see things as they were. I could see the defining features, the sharp edges. The things that would hurt you.

But I couldn't see the color. I couldn't see the full spectrum of people. People who are good. Who don't hurt kids from a desire to feel powerful or out of ignorance. People like you. People like Manabu. People like Falco.

It's... hard, to step into the full world. To feel things rather than simply watch things go by. But... even though it makes things more intense for good or for bad... it's better. I can see things now.

[He's just gonna clean his glasses... it's totally not because he was crying.]

[ .. oh, Jun.

You can't blame Daniel if he initiates physical contact again, right? Not at a moment like this, with Jun opening up about so much all at once. It makes the man reach out, putting an arm over the boy's shoulder, and pulling him a little closer, like a slight sideways hug. ]

I'm proud of you.

[ What else can he say here? He is proud of Jun, because-- ]

It really is hard. I can understand that. It's scary, knowing that you're opening yourself up to getting hurt. But I'm really glad you trust me enough to tell me things like these, you know? I'm glad that you're opening up to people, and that you can see everything life's got to offer that way.

[He leans into sensei a bit, cheeks faintly flushed as he puts his glasses back on.]

It's... it's not something I ever thought I'd do. Not after seeing so much pain. But there's a lot... a lot of things I can do, even if I feel powerless sometimes. I can help stop things from happening. And so I'm going to.

Then.. if there is anything I can do to help you, you should let me know.

[ Not like Daniel won't help Jun anyway. Jun is one of his students, one of his kids. Daniel is going to look out for him by default, try to help him where he can.

But Jun definitely is the type to push others away and try to do everything by himself rather than ask for help, but Daniel figures it's also good to put the offer out there.

For the boy to know it's there. ]

Anything at all. [ It's accompanied by a very light squeeze of Jun's shoulder. ] You can do a lot, of course, but-- you never have to do it alone.

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(open) miyagi-do gathering for new & existing students!

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