Kung Fu Pand-OW!

I got beat up by a little kid with a wooden stick. Yes, I know that’s pretty pathetic.

I went to Sensei’s place today to pick up his great-grandson and a few of his friends who were also being trained by Sensei because I promised to take them to see Kung Fu Panda. I had already seen the movie twice and enjoyed every minute of it. I figured I’d ask Sensei if he wanted to go too because he’d like it (and because I knew it would be hard to keep track of so many half Chinese half Japanese little kids). I knew he’d enjoy the movie as much as I did because Po (the panda) would probably remind him of me. I know, how could a short and tiny blonde haired girl possibly remind anyone of a panda with Jack Black’s voice. Well, I’m clumsy (just like Po), and my training just so happened to be a bizarre accident gone right. Another funny resemblance is that Po is the dragon warrior and Sensei always refers to me as the little dragon because I am little and because I was born in the year of the dragon.

I got there a little early and watched them finish their Kenjutsu training. I have to admit, I was a little jealous that these little kids got to be trained in the Japanese art of swordsmanship. I always thought it looked cool and thought it would be something nice to learn. I watched for about half and hour before Sensei called for me. He had noticed my interest. At first I was confused when he handed me one of the bokken, but I quickly realized what was happening when he pushed me towards one of the kids. I didn’t know exactly what to do, but I was scared because I didn’t want to accidentally hurt the kid. Little did I know that I was the one that was going to be getting hurt.

The kid caught me by surprise and instantly hit me on the shoulder. The second time, I managed to block a few of his swings, but I still got hit on the side. The kid swung the wooden sword pretty hard and it hurt. I got hit a few more times, but each time I managed to block a few more swings than before. I didn’t want to swing at him, so I kept getting hit over and over.

Sensei noticed I was scared to take a swing at the kid, so he called over his nephew Yasashiku - my arch nemesis. Personally, I believe he was misnamed because if I’m not mistaken, his name means polite and gentle in Japanese. He is neither. We have a mutual dislike for each other. He hates me for being the only non half Chinese half Japanese person his uncle decided to train, and I loathe him for being an arrogant jerk. Yasashiku came straight at me and got me right on the side of my neck. For a second I thought he had knocked me out. When I snapped out of it, I took a few swings at him. I didn’t manage to get him, but at least I tried. Once I got hit again, Sensei told him to stop. I was glad because I was completely bruised up and sore. He helped me up, and in his Yoda like speech said, “On this skill, we will have to work”. Did this mean I was going to get some kind of Kenjutsu training? I don’t know, but I wanted to laugh because it was funny when he talked like that (which was pretty much always because his English isn‘t exactly his forte).

We all went to see Kung Fu Panda (including Yasashiku) and laughed our socks off. The only thing I’m still curious about is what kind of animal Master Shifu is.