Scene #2335: Test Your Might: Domon vs. Shin

Owner	Pose
Shin Tokuyama	Unfortunately for Domon (and perhaps fortunately for Shin's physical well-being), Shin is Domon's second fight in the two-day stretch. The man had asked to see his personal style, which Shin was more than happy to oblige. Somewhere deep down, Shin was a bit relieved that Domon wanted to fight him AFTER Rock Lee, because that was the only way the fledgling travelling fighter might stand a chance. Then again, somewhere even deeper down, he was disappointed at the idea of fighting someone already injured. The true conflict of a martial artist. For convenience sake, Shin had come to Domon because he could bet they'd both be in trouble for having this fight. And it's in the hospital parking lot that the leisure suit-clad traveller has parked his bike and rested his helmet on the seat. Adjusting the tie around his neck and fixing the jacket he wore, he stepped off the bike and then took a slow breath. "YO! Neo Japan guy! I'm here for that fight you asked me about!" He cups his hands over his mouth and shouts at the hospital's windows.
Domon Kasshu	At first, it doesn't sound like anyone's heard Shin. It's just a normal afternoon in the parking lot of this hospital. Domon Kasshu and normalcy don't really go together, so it's not long at all before the relative peace of the afternoon is disturbed by the unique and unmistakable sound of shattering glass. The vehicle for this vandalism appears to be one standard issue hospital bed, chucked, kicked or otherwised launched out of a window on the second floor. Attached to that bed is a doctor with a wild mane of black hair, clinging to the bed for safety. With impressive velocity, it hurtles downwards and outwards, rolling along on its wheels until it comes to a gentle stop a few feet away from Shin. The doctor rolls off of the bed with a grunt of discomfort, turning to face Shin. Dr. Kasshu (the younger) is sporting a fat lip, a shiner on his right eye, and some stitches on his cheek. "Are you the martial artist from the radio?"
Shin Tokuyama	Shin kind of stares with a bit of awe as he watches the window shatter via a bed coming through it. He figures, you know, that's probably meant as a vector for kung fu delivery. People kung-fu ride things out of windows all the time in the movies, so it must work here. He steps back a bit to give it some space to roll to a stop. "Damn. Style points for the entrance. I expected you to jump down off the roof, but that works just as well," He replies with a wide grin. He takes off his sunglasses and holds them, putting them into the breast pocket of his shirt. Then he clasps one hand in the other and takes a formal martial artist's bow, "Yes. Shin Tokuyama, from the Geiha Genkou-Ryu. Travelling student of martial arts, searching for the way of the fist." There's a pause so Domon can do the same. He gives a suitable look of concern to Domon's current condition, even as his stance shifts, "If you need a day or two to recover, I'll understand. Rock Lee is really strong. He broke my back when we fought last." And yet, you know, despite a broken back Shin looks like he was never injured at all, "People from your world are strong too. Allenby broke like a half-dozen ribs." He laughs awkwardly, "People've been beating the shit out of me lately, but at least I'm learning."
Domon Kasshu	The Gundam fighter returns the gesture, one fist inside of the other. "Domon Kasshu, the School of the Undefeated of the East." He smiles weakly at Shin as he rises from the gesture of greeting. "My other option was making it past the nurse... or fighting you in one of those gowns." Clearly, neither one of those is acceptable! He slides out of his stolen medical coat. "I won't be at the top of my game, but I promised you a fight. And... and I need to find something I found fighting Rock." That state of mind. How is it he was able to use Shining Finger when he wasn't upset? What was that state of being he found, and why did he feel so... unburdened? Abruptly, he offers, "Don't feel bad. He broke a few of mine, too."
Shin Tokuyama	Shin grins a bit. This guy seemed pretty okay from initial impressions, "The doctor outfit is better than the gown, I think. I wear the suit because it's basically a gi anyway," He shrugs a bit and then bounces on his feet slightly, shuffling them back and forth. He's just doing some light prep-work, loosening muscles and popping some joints. "Not being at the top of the game is fine. This one's just for funsies. I'm kinda curious to see a school called the Undefeated of the East," Eventually his movements settle and he takes on a more formal stance. One hand held out in front of himself, the other close in as a fist. His right foot slides forward to rest on the toe while the back foot braces. "I'm searching for something too. Hopefully we can teach eachother something today," He replies chipperly, taking a slow breath as his heterochromatic gaze falls to Domon, "I'm ready to go. We can start on your mark."
Domon Kasshu	Domon nods. He undoes his tie, discards it, and rolls up the sleeves of the loose-fitting dress shirt. His arms show several bruises from the previous fight, but, either due to drugs, a strong constitution, or an overdeveloped will, he doesn't seem to mind the traditional stance. The battered young man matches his wrist against Shin's, adopting a stance that looks to be derived from Shotokan karate or some similar school. However... in a decidedly wuxia fashion, he also presses his right shin against his opponent's, as if the two might suddenly change position like so many fabled fights. He doesn't bother offering up verbal confirmation to his opponent. That's a waste of time, and not a true mark of skill. He's never been one for words, anyway. Domon's eyes are intense, like pits of fire. His brow, so furrowed, stokes the flames and makes indiscriminate the distinction between passion and rage, anger and sorrow. Shin can see that he's ready once his piercing gaze ignites.
Shin Tokuyama	Shin takes a few moments to measure the man's injuries, weighing and deciding and judging. One might think that he's figuring out where he can strike for an easy victory, which would be the most common reason an opponent would do such a thing. But... one would be wrong if they thought this about Shin. Because as soon as Domon takes his stance and indicates he's ready, their fight begins. And Shin's retracted hand immediately lunges forward like a flash of lightning. The palm glows a gentle red with reinforced ki as he aims a strike directly for Domon. However, instead of aiming for Domon's weak points or anywhere he might already have injuries, Shin is deliberately favoring Domon's assessed strong areas. The palm strike is quick, fast, and aimed at the center of Domon's abdomen. It comes in at about the solar plexus, avoiding ribs in case those are already damaged. Shin is making a concerted and deliberate attempt, as he opens the fight, to avoid exacerbating existing injuries.
Domon Kasshu	A ki user! Domon isn't caught off guard by the other fellow's speed, but his body is. The palm strike hits home, and Neo Japan's representative finds himself mentally goading his body on until it actually responds. Thinking on his feet, the shorter opponent gets inside the other's reach. It seems that Domon's school is a perfect synthesis of literally anything that works, with a deliberate emphasis on simplicity. While the strikes he employs are classic karate swipes, his feet employ the circle-walking technique integral to Eight Trigram Palm. Purposefully bumping his back against Shin, he goes for an iconic elbow strike aimed at his jam.
Shin Tokuyama	This guy has got some technique. Shin is rarely ever surprised these days when someone stays standing after his strike, having learned Elites are of a different caliber. Shin's palm retracts a moment after striking at him, returning to its original position and preparing to anticipate the counter. As Domon steps in towards him, Shin is forced to react. His forward foot slides back a bit, toe bracing against the ground as Domon circle-walks in towards him and then swings in with an elbow strike. Shin pivots slightly, trying to move in the direction the elbow swing is flying to control both point of impact and lesson the damage. It still hits him cleanly, striking in the back-side just above the kidney. He winces in pain. As he turns to try to get away from that pain, he attempts to rotate around Domon, keeping in close quarters as he moves to deliver a close-fist jab square to the small of the man's back if his speed will let him get the angle right.
Domon Kasshu	Domon staggers a bit, apparently having received an injury prior to this engagement. He stumbles forward, leaning on a parked car for support, then turns around, pushing himself off of it like a boxer might with the ropes of a ring. He needs to get his back off of the figurative wall, here. This time his approach is different. He advances in a more linear fashion, one in line with traditional Okinawan martial arts, making use of feint strikes, frequent stance changes, and kiai to keep Shin guessing, and more importantly, to try and keep his opponent's eyes off of his feet. His facial expressions become more severe, his chest pushed further out. "EYAH!" Domon gives a false start, then waits to see if Shin takes the bait. If his little trick is successful, it's transitioned into a clinch. No supernatural mojo this time around, just fundamentals... which happens to be about 90 percent of his style, it seems.
Shin Tokuyama	Like Domon's, Shin's is a composite style. A core teaching with a lot of other acquired skill tacked onto it over the years, probably by Shin himself. When Domon staggers forward, Shin doesn't pursue. Instead, his hands come up and he bounces on the balls of his feet more like a boxer than an asian-taught martial artist. He moves and weaves, trying to keep up with Domon's strong advance and feints. Eyes flash rapidly, flicking back and forth between Domon's hands and his feet as if waiting for a strike he can verify to come. Domon manages to get him with that false start and Shin is pulled into a clinch. There's a few flashing moments of struggle against the grapple as Shin tries to pull away and move towards outfighting where he thinks he might have an advantage. He doesn't counterattack or strike Domon while clinched because of it, leaving him open for follow-up.
Domon Kasshu	Domon manipulates his advantage quickly and cleanly, taking Shin by the wrist and going for a simple but effective over-the-shoulder toss. "EIHH!" The move is quick, economical, organic. It's also the first thing many students of any two-bit dojo will learn, however, and Domon wouldn't disrespect his opponent by just assuming he'd fall for it. If anything, the move was simply another exhibition, a demonstration of what he's learned and how he's integrated it into his style. The Gundam fighter returns to his original stance, which seems to be a sort of go-to for the style. Left hand held behind and above the head, right hand held out, leg placement roughly the same and bent at the knees.
Shin Tokuyama	There's a certain feel to getting tossed that martial artists can recognize as soon as it starts. It's almost impossible to describe to someone who isn't formally trained and you can only pick it up after being shoulder-thrown about a million times in various fights over the years. It invokes a reaction in Shin and he's preparing to roll before his feet ever leave the ground the first time. So as he's thrown, Shin impacts the ground with a THUD and a groan before rolling quickly and flipping back up to his feet. His stance is quickly retaken after the jostling throw by Domon, "Haha, man. You're rough, even when injured. Much props, you must be a beast at full power. I'll show you a special trick for it," He notes, the hand kept in close to him curling into a fist. It glows red again before he thrusts it forward without moving at Domon, "Ryuken!" He cries. There's a shimmer in the air as if a pocket of heat were moving before said ripple tries to impact Domon and burst in a blast of red fire.
Domon Kasshu	Domon is hit with an unexpected projectile. This must be the same feeling he had when he fought Rock... right? So why isn't he /feeling/ that feeling? Why can't he just dispel this with Shining Finger? He must look pretty stupid, trying to reach out and touch it--and when that projectile sends him flat on his ass, he feels pretty stupid, too. For the first time, genuine frustration appears in his eyes, and, rather than get up, he just sits, then abruptly slams his fist into the ground. It's hard enough to crack the asphalt, but it has the added effect of getting his hand all bloody. Some people choose martial arts because they think it's a way to fight, and some people might consider Domon to be one of those types. In reality, he's not--he chose martial arts because there was a struggle inside him, one that he could never properly express with words. In this moment that struggle becomes evident. "WHERE is my SERENE STATE OF MIND?!" He broods angrily, then stands, wobbling slightly as various parts of his battered body complain and gripe. He casts a dour look at Shin. "It doesn't matter how good I am, if I can't perform when it /counts./"
Shin Tokuyama	Shin takes a step back. He's surprised by Domon's frustration, but on a certain level he can also understand it. Shin takes a few moments after the fighting seems to be coming to a close and Domon slams his fist into the ground. He doesn't move much, but he adjusts his tie and his suit, taking a slow breath and regaining his stamina. He still lists a bit to one side from where that elbow nailed his kidney. Shin slowly takes out his sunglasses, "I know people think of me as a loudmouthed punk a lot, but I do know one thing," He begins in a calm tone, putting the sunglasses on his head, but not over his eyes. They're up resting in his hair as his hands then fall to the pockets of his suit coat. "A lot of people teach you Serenity is the lack of emotion. That calm is found when you learn detachment. This is flawed," He speaks seriously, watching Domon, "Calm isn't the lack of emotion. Serenity isn't a detachment. It's a balance." Shin taps his chest, "Martial arts is in your heart. It pumps into you and then flows through you like blood. Your heart, it has four parts to it, really. Just like you have four core emotions. Joy, Despair, Anger, and Fear." He then taps his temple, "It's the same in both cases. When something in your heart doesn't work, the rest of the blood is weak. When something in your emotions isn't balanced, the martial arts becomes diminished." He sighs a bit, "You're strong. Way stronger than me right now. You figure out what you have too much of, or too little of? And you'll be kicking all our asses."
Domon Kasshu	Maybe that was exactly what Domon needed to hear. He did hear it. Was he listening? That's another question entirely. Sometimes, the young man is more like a little boy, and this is most evident when he demonstrates his fits of impatience. First, impatience with his inability to call forth that serene state of mind. His anger lashes out at Shin. "I'm not strong /enough!/ Master Asia taught me that I could learn anything--this shouldn't be any different." He raises an index finger, pointed imperiously at the sky, as if to accuse the clouds of whatever heinous crime he thinks is being committed. "It can't be my emotions. There's got to be some way to force it out!" "I'll just have to fight until it comes out... and then..." Domon furrows his brow, then makes a clumsy attack that disparages not only himself, but his teacher. It's more like a tempter tantrum than anything, telegraphed and utterly lacking in finesse. "I'LL FIND KYOJI!"
Shin Tokuyama	Shin takes a suffering breath, wincing gently as his torso muscles contract against that kidney wound again. That was gonna hang with him for a while, even with his unexplained healing ability. He grunts a bit and then stands up right, cracking his back with a slight groan. It pops loudly. He's surprised, but reacts quickly when Domon comes in against him. His counter is straight out of the most basic principles of aikido, gripping the man's wrist and trying to guide him on a path that will diminish the force and move him with an almost gentle touch. The motion leaves Shin standing with his back pressed against Domon's, a hand coming up to run through his blonde hair, "Your style used Shotokan principles. The founder of Shotokan once said 'The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat but in the perfection of the character of its participants.'" Shin stares up at the sky, "I do not know who Kyoji is. But I know you cannot force Serenity. If your power requires it, the only opponent you must defeat to reach your goal will be yourself."
Domon Kasshu	That takes the wind out of the Gundam fighter's sails considerably. How can he be his own opponent, when for so long he's been his only ally? There's Rain, but... is she helping him because she cares, or just out of pity? Out of some sense of duty because they knew each other as kids? The fight leaves him once Shin gets him in a clench, his expression confused. "Defeat myself...?" That doesn't make any sense. It's him against the world--so any time there's an obstacle, it must be someone else's fault. It has to be. Why would he prevent himself from fighting Kyoji? His counterarguments make sense, but they're doing nothing to drive away the specter of doubt. "Shin... thank you for showing me your style. I think I should go back to my room and let them fix me up."
Shin Tokuyama	Shin smiles and says, "You know who you'd get along well with? Allenby Beardsley. I fought her and she was trying to figure out her martial arts too. You'd probably get along," He comments as he steps away from Domon, releasing him and then turning to face him. Shin puts his fist into his hand and bows, "Even injured, the Undefeated of the East is a fearsome school. It was an honor to test myself against it and I hope you find that recovery treats you well. I have a feeling that like my road, yours will be long and filled with trials."