expectations

Truth be told, though he was no wimp when determining the level of his skills, Usagi was also not unrealistic nor arrogant. A mid-level warrior like him, spry and slim, against his Kaicho, a massive giant of lumbering muscle and bone, expected to be bested one way or another. To him, it was the way of things in his life and he learned it quickly - as a child, he was hotheaded and aggressive, wanting anybody and everybody to fight him and test his mettle. But this backfired quickly, because someone out there would always be bigger and stronger. The more defeat he encountered, the more humble he became, and with that slice of humble pie he recognized a fine balance between being determind to get better and stronger to defeat said opponents, and when to realize that that time hadn’t come just yet. This time was the latter. As his chin knock was interrupted by Hattori’s jaws clamping down on his scruff, the bunny-like wolf gritted his teeth as his cold green eyes cast themselves to the side - knowing he was bested, yet quelling the licking flame of his temper within. He’d never quite settle it down to embers - losing was never without its bitter taste and tension in his jaw at simply not being good enough. Yet, he knew to control it just enough to realize his journey to unleashing his potential as a warrior was just beginning, and that he’d have to suffer many a loss before he could attain victory. With his fiery determination - ill temper in between - and the guidance of Kaicho to show him his flaws and improve his combat skills, he could achieve more than he ever could.

The dire wolf clamped down on his scruff a moment longer, with Usagi successfully fighting back the urge to rip himself away, and his efforts to abstain his anger prevailed as Tori finally let him go into the earth, allowing the warrior to shake himself off. His nub tail flicked slightly as he looked back up at his superior. The words left the large koi’s maw in that same moment, and he listened intently, his monotonous mossy gaze unwavering.

”Well done. Your fighting style works for you, but I would aim to be more precise. Be intent on where you intend to hit. How do you feel you did?"

Usagi paused, letting the words sink in as Hattori intended. It had been a sufficient warm-up physically, now that the blood was charging into his muscles, his heart was pumping, and he was taking in more oxygen. It surely made him feel stronger in that sense - but what about the mental aspect? Did he ever really stop to think about how his skills measured in a spar? Or did he merely apply the same movements to each opponent, only changing his direction and approach based on his opponent’s size? He supposed he was on the right track, but he had a ways to go. The Hohei paused a good, long while, the words digesting before he spoke.

"I feel I did what I’ve been doing to my other opponents - merely sizing them up and exercising my range of combat skills accordingly. There’s a limit to such repetition, however, and I’ve recognized that in our warm up." Shifting on his limbs, the smaller wolf continued, eyes trained upon his Kaicho still. "You are correct in that my precision could be improved on. My intention on my targeted spots as well. I feel my agility and speed are my biggest strengths, and I use them to my greatest ability. However, I will not lie when I say that size difference is often my greatest challenge in a spar, as I am a great deal smaller and lightly built than my opponents. While I can be agile, I cannot always exercise the brute strength that combat often calls for. This, I feel, leeches into my thinking - I begin to believe I am physically smaller, and this might be affecting my movements and precision negatively, whether I admit it or not." It took a great deal of courage for anybody to admit they felt physically inferior in terms of strength, and he was nonexception. His atheltic build said otherwise, but it was clear if he didn’t find some way to improve his precision, and thus excel at his agility strengths, his roles as a warrior would stagnate.


Speech