LiShen     Created on Friday, 22 August 2008 21:40  
  Tenken Family  
  Back then, things were so different. I remember that life was a bit simpler. In those days the revolution of the earth around the sun was measured in Yuri's, but like the game we played as children, Old man Yuri has also faded away into our memories. I was raised as a son to Saizo, who was a prominent merchant at the time he adopted me from the Sanhae Orphanage. Although he raised me he was not my blood father. He explained to me that he was married to the most beautiful woman in Kugnae, but because of reasons unknown she could not have children and when she died in Yuri 75 Saizo felt that he had nothing left to live for. He told me that I would be his and her legacy into the world.

Saizo was a good father to me. His skill as a tradesman was unrivaled and his charm was just as fierce. I was fortunate to have such a father because I never went hungry. Although living well off, my youth did not go without hardships. Not only was father a skilled tradesman, but he was a fierce hunter. I remember the day that an Iron bear wandered into our home from the wilderness. I was shocked to see the bear so far from its home. I was still young and inexperienced in the art of battle so I was pretty much left for dead. I was standing next to the living room wall when the bear spotted me, then he started to come towards me. From the corner of my eye I saw a flash, I had no clue what had happened, but when I focused my vision to the beast's neck, I noticed blood starting to flow...and then it collapsed. As I watched the creature lay in a pool of its own blood father told me that he had used a technique known as Tenken. He said that the speed at which he strikes is so great that it is almost impossible for the human eye to detect it. I noticed that he had no blade in his hand and when I asked he simply replied, "Imagine if I had".

The next day was my first day of battle training. Saizo took out into the wilderness where we traveled to the Chung Ryong Shrine. There we laid down our wooden swords and prayed for the day ahead of us. After that we warmed up with stretches. That first day I did not strike once with my sword, instead I spent 12 hours dodging the wooden blade of father. It was not so much training as it was a massacre. By the end of the day I felt as if every bone in my body was broken, and I was in such bad shape that I could not even walk home. Father had to carry me. At the end of the trek home he tossed me in my bed, which was a painful fall, and before he left me for the night he turned to me and said, "What good can your sword do if you die before you can use it". For the next 3 months I endured the same punishment day after day. About the 50th day I began to dodge the attacks swiftly and see the path of the sword clearly. I felt as if I was beginning to improve.

Month 4 Saizo asked me to wield my wooden sword and use it to deflect his blows...the catch was I could not move from my position. I had already had the skills to see the blade and dodge its path, but when he first came at me I was able to move my arms quickly but I was unable to handle the blade in a manner that would deflect the blow. The first attack put me to sleep for the next 2 hours. Opening my eyes all I saw was the clouds lingering in the sky and then I heard a voice..."What will you do if you can not avoid the attack...Will you just die?" I stood to my feet and took my stance, father looked towards me and I prepared for his next attack. For the next 3 months we trained like this. It was on the 40th day I was able to deflect his assault with out moving from my position. Once able, I no longer felt the cold wood bashing my body. On day 90, father looked to me and said, "Your defense is now strong, but can you win with only that? Show me how you will be the victor." With that I lounged at him as fast as I could and swung my sword with a furious wave, but then everything went black. I woke up the next morning with the bad taste of blood in my mouth and my right eye could barely open. I looked around and noticed I was in my room on my bed. I had no memory of what happened and I reached up to feel the swollen tissue around my eye. I heard footsteps, I turned towards the doorway and saw Saizo standing there. He spoke, "What you did not see was the Tenken, but what you felt was your own inexperience. Tomorrow you will learn what she meant for you to have?You will learn the technique which is our family name." I heard him say she...I could only image that he meant his wife. I attempted to stand but it was to no avail. I fell back down to my bed and I decided to sleep...