There will always be someone who will defeat me someday, but it won't be today, and it won't be you.
*******
*******
Five days after the results of the literary test were released, the martial arts test began.
On the list with the names of those who passed the literary test, there were only 408 names in total.
Ogata didn't know exactly how many people participated in the "Gozen Trials".
But according to the gossip he heard from various channels, the total number of people participating in the "Imperial Trial Combination" was around 500 people.
In other words, one literary test directly screened out about a hundred people and eliminated nearly one-fifth of the participants.
The venue for the martial arts test was located on a river beach on the outskirts of Edo.
The official start time of the martial arts test is five o'clock in the morning.
When Ogata and others arrived at the scene, it was almost 7 o'clock in the morning.
Although it had been some time since the martial arts test started, many people had already gathered at the scene.
Shimada was speechless: "There are so many people..."
"Most of the people who come here should be those who come to participate in the 'Imperial Trial Match'." Makimura on the side said, "There shouldn't be many people like us who just come here to join in the fun."
The only people who accompanied Ogata to participate in the imperial trial and stopped by to join in the fun were Makimura and Shimada.
It is early in the morning, and the only people who can come to join in the excitement of the "Imperial Trial Match" at this time are those who have no work and have nothing to do on weekdays.
The venue for the martial arts test is located in a wilderness on the outskirts of Edo. You have to leave Edo and walk for half an hour to reach the venue.
Such a long distance is enough to put off most idlers who want to join in the fun.
So in the end, very few people will come here as spectators, basically just idlers who have a strong interest in the art of war.
Ogata expected that there would be very few people coming to join in the fun of the martial arts test, so he didn't ask Atachi to follow him.
There are absolutely very few women who would go all the way to watch a bunch of tough guys compete.
If A-Machi is asked to follow him, A-Machi will definitely stand out and attract too much attention.
Although A-Machi is covered by makeup, one of the "four major evil arts in Asia", it is still too risky to show his face in such a conspicuous environment.
To be on the safe side, Ogata asked A-Machi to stay in the hotel and not allow A-Machi to accompany him to participate in the martial arts test.
And Ogata's judgment was correct because there were indeed very few women at the scene.
Ogata glanced around and saw not a single woman, but a bunch of rough guys of different ages.
Asai has no interest in the "imperial trial".
Yuan Yi was very interested, and last night he also offered to join in the fun.
But Lin sternly refused.
Uncle, have you forgotten that there are many enemies of yours wandering around in Edo right now? Don’t go looking for trouble at this time. These were the exact words Lin said when she rejected Genichi last night.
Ogata was very curious: What would Rin think if she knew that Genichi actually sneaked out to kill his enemies one by one every night? What would his expression be like...?
After being sternly rejected by Lin, Ogata thought that Genichi would argue with him.
But unexpectedly, after being rejected by Lin, Yuan Yi nodded obediently and agreed, patting his chest and saying: Got it, don’t watch it if you don’t want to watch ‘Ozen Trial Combination’.
Mamiya is also one of the wanted criminals of the shogunate. He should try his best to avoid places where a large number of people gather and where official officials are definitely present.
Although Rin does not need to hide her head and tail like Mamiya, she, like Asai, has little interest in the "imperial trial match".
So in the end, Makimura and Shimada were the only ones who accompanied Ogata to the martial arts test.
The breath exhaled by hundreds of people made the surrounding air turbid and stuffy.
Not far away is a winding river nearly 3 meters wide.
The land Ogata and others stepped on was the beach washed away by the river over the years.
The terrain is flat and the soles of the feet are hard soil or broken stones. This kind of terrain is indeed suitable for use as a trial site.
"Look." Shimada suddenly pointed in a certain direction, "What is that?"
Ogata and Makimura looked in the direction pointed by Shimada's finger.
At the end of the direction pointed by Shimada's finger, several people dressed as official officials were hurriedly erecting three flawless white curtains with neat techniques.
These three pieces of white curtain fabric standing up just form a rectangle with one side missing.
In this "rectangle with one edge missing" surrounded by three white curtains, there are dozens of small stirrups.
At this moment, many people have taken their seats on these dozens of pony stools.
The people sitting on these pony stools were, without exception, wearing clothes that looked very expensive, and hanging around their waists were swords that looked very ordinary.
Each person is accompanied by one or several people with nicknames.
"There should be seats specially reserved for those dignitaries who are interested in martial arts trials to watch the trials," Ogata said.
"Probably." Makimura nodded, "Those people should be senior officials of the shogunate, and they came here to join in the fun."
In order to prevent outsiders from approaching, and to demonstrate the authority of these dignitaries, the seats of Yueqing Yunke were surrounded by white curtains on three sides. Only the front was not blocked by the cloth because it was needed to watch the trial.
Looking at these "masters" who were already in place inside these three white curtains, waiting for the official start of the martial arts test, Ogata couldn't help but laugh.
This scene made Ogata involuntarily recall the "Kung Fu show dedicated to gods" that he participated in when he was not "Executioner Ittosai".
At that time, there were also many "human masters" from the Hirose Domain who came to the competition venue to join in the fun.
Looking at the people with minor surnames who are accompanying the big shots inside the white curtains.
Ogata recalled for no reason the incident when he was favored by Matsudaira Sadanobu.
A few days ago, after being invited by Lao Zhong to use his nickname, Ogata used the "drag" technique and successfully dragged the matter over.
After returning to the hotel where he was staying, Ogata told Atachi and others the breaking news that "he was favored by Lao Chu" because there was nothing to hide.
After Atachi and others learned from Ogata that he had been favored by Lao Chu, their first reaction was whether Ogata had a fever.
Ogata understood the reaction of Atachi and others at that time very well.
After all, in the Edo period, which placed great emphasis on hierarchical order and family status, and where communication between classes was almost impossible, it was very unimaginable for a person of low status to be spotted by a big boss and then rise to the top in one fell swoop.
Ogata spent a lot of effort to convince Atachi that he was not talking nonsense, nor did he have a fever.
After believing that Ogata was telling the truth, Amachi took the lead and asked Ogata: "How are you going to reply to Lao Zhong in the future?"
Ogata replied without hesitation at that time: "I won't make any response at the moment. We will wait until Shiranui is defeated."
The reason Ogata did not reject Matsudaira Sadanobu on the spot was because he was afraid of offending Matsudaira Sadanobu.
That night, Ogata and Matsudaira Sadanobu met for the first time. Ogata knew nothing about Matsudaira Sadanobu's character and wondered if he was the kind of person who "hated others rejecting him."
Before Shiranui was defeated, it was a very irrational thing to offend the country's second-in-command, no matter how he thought about it.
And it was impossible for Ogata to agree to Matsudaira Sadanobu, because he had not forgotten that he was a guilty person.
Therefore, for the sake of caution, Ogata replied to Sadanobu Matsudaira at that time, "Let me think about it." This answer was the most conservative.
Ogata was also very lucky. Matsudaira Sadanobu agreed to set aside time for Ogata to consider without setting any time limit.
Ogata planned to put the matter of Matsudaira Sadanobu behind for the time being, and then deal with the matter of Matsudaira Sadanobu after defeating Shiranui.
By that time, it didn't matter whether he offended Matsudaira Sadanobu or not. At worst, he could just flee Edo.
…
…
The time of waiting is always boring.
In order to pass the boring time, Ogata silently opened his personal system interface and checked the current status of his various experience bars.
[Current personal level: LV33]
[Sakakihara Itto-ryu Level: 11th Dan]
[Wuwo Sword Style Level: 10th Stage]
[Shiranui style ninjutsu level: 6th level]
These days, Ogata sneaks out of the hotel together almost every night late at night to go 'rat hunting'.
Meeting an enemy whose appearance Yuan Yi still remembers is a low-probability event.
It wasn't until the night before yesterday that we finally encountered the second batch of rats we encountered after launching the "rat hunting" operation: a group of Yakuza, a total of about ten people.
According to Genichi, these samurai are the enemies he made 4 years ago. At that time, Genichi went out to the Suruga area for some matters and met a Yakuza family.
After something happened, Yuan Yi destroyed the headquarters of the Yakuza gang. These people must have come to seek revenge.
In addition to assisting Genichi in annihilating his enemies, Ogata also dealt with many troublemakers in Yoshiwara these days.
After the results of the literary test were released, Yoshiwara's crime rate skyrocketed.
The reason is that many people who failed to pass the literary test came to Yoshiwara to relieve their worries.
They are already full of negative energy, and after drinking a few cups of yellow soup, it is very easy for them to cause all kinds of things.
Over the past few days, Ogata has also successfully subdued no fewer than Yoshihara's troublemakers with his own hands, and gained some personal level and Sakakihara Itto-ryu experience points.
The personal level experience value increased by 2250 points, the Sakakihara One-sword style experience value increased by 460 points, and the Muga Two-sword style experience value increased by 1450 points. This is what Ogata has gained these days.
…
…
After looking at my personal system interface countless times and yawning countless times, I finally heard the sound of a taiko drum.
As soon as the sound of the taiko drums ended, Shimada on the side immediately poked Ogata with his elbow.
"Lord Ogata, the martial arts test seems to be about to begin."
The sound of the taiko drum was so loud that it directly suppressed the noise at the scene and drew everyone's attention.
There were three taiko drums set up at the edge of the test venue. Three shirtless strong men stood in front of the three taiko drums and played the drums vigorously.
After the drum beat fell, an official with a big belly and an unusually loud voice appeared and reiterated the rules of the martial arts test to everyone.
The rules of the martial arts test are very simple and crude.
Just keep fighting in the arena, losers will be eliminated, and winners will advance.
Just fight round after round.
Keep playing until there is a final winner.
When the government publicized the "Imperial Trials", it was stated that the reason for holding the "Imperial Trials" was to encourage people to practice literature and martial arts.
This simple and crude form of letting everyone fight directly is indeed in line with the original intention of "encouraging people to practice literature and martial arts".
Because there were about 400 people who passed the literary test and were qualified to take the martial arts test, in order to speed up the progress, they were divided into two venues, "Course A" and "Course B". The two venues were tested at the same time.
An official with a loud voice will call your name. The person whose name is called will come forward. If you don't show up, you will be deemed to have given up.
You can use any weapon, or bare hands if you like.
The above are the rules for the martial arts test.
Both the format and the rules of the martial arts test exude an air of immaturity and need for continuous improvement.
However, this is the first time since the opening of the Edo Shogunate 200 years ago that this kind of event related to examinations has been held. Without any examples for reference, it is not easy to achieve this level.
After the official with a loud voice announced the rules, the martial arts test began.
Because the competition venue is divided into "Court A" and "Course B", the participants who are eager to play, as well as a small number of spectators, naturally divide into two groups and go to the venues of their respective interests to watch.
"Makimura, Shimada." Ogata took out his cuff band and tied his sleeves on both sides with skillful movements. He said to Makimura and Shimada beside him, "If you hear my name later, remember
Call me."
Although he didn't know when he would hear his name and it would be his turn to play, Ogata decided to prepare in advance and tie his sleeves tightly first.
Makimura: "No problem."
"I think even if you don't listen carefully, you can clearly hear if someone calls your name." Shimada smiled bitterly.
The official responsible for calling out the name had an unusually loud voice.
It's the kind of loud sound that can suppress the noise of hundreds of people.
If you can still hear your own name with such a loud voice, it only means that you may have an ear problem.
I have to say that the shogunate is very conscientious.
They provide protective gear for all participants.
It's just that it's not the very mature and complete kendo protective equipment found on modern earth.
The protective gear provided by the shogunate to the participants was an "upper body armor" made of bamboo and wood.
Then I'll give you a forehead protector to protect your head.
Then there is no protective gear for the limbs and lower body.
Although it is completely incomparable to the kind of armor that protects teeth on modern earth, the armor provided by the shogunate is actually very advanced from the perspective of this era.
At this time, most samurai do not yet have the concept of "wearing armor" when practicing swordsmanship.
The weapons provided by the shogunate are also very complete, including wooden katana, wooden wakizashi, wooden spears, wooden otachi... As long as you are not using any particularly unpopular weapons, you can basically use these weapons provided by the shogunate.
, find what you can take advantage of.
…
…
The three Ogata people stood in the middle of "A field" and "B field", watching the trials one after another on these two fields with boredom, while silently waiting for an official to shout "
The name "Mashima Goro".
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, finally
"Mashima Goro! Majima Goro! Please come forward!"
His name rang out in "B Field".
After turning his head and glancing at the "B Field" not far away, Ogata smiled: "It seems that my trial venue is the 'B Field'..."
Just as Ogata was about to turn around and walk towards the "B Field", another loud shout rang out from the "B Field", causing a faint look of surprise to appear on Ogata's face.
"Takigawa Heiichiro! Takigawa Heiichiro! Please come forward!"
This loud drinking not only surprised me emotionally.
At the same time, Heiichiro Takigawa, who was sitting on the edge of the "B Field", showed surprise.
However, the look of surprise on Takigawa Heiichiro's face was also mixed with a strong look of joy.
…
…
There are several officials responsible for managing these armors in the two venues "A" and "B".
When someone wants to play, help them put on their armor.
After some people are done with it, help them take it off.
After checking his identity, Ogata quickly put on the armor that only protected his upper body, and tied a forehead protector on his head with the help of two officers in charge of armor management in "B Field".
There is an iron piece tied to the forehead protector. When an opponent stabs you in the head, this iron piece can cushion the impact and maybe save your life.
After putting on all the armor and picking up a wooden sword, Ogata set foot on the "B Field".
He stood opposite Takigawa who was already standing opposite.
After the official called out the name "Mashima Goro", a lot of people gathered around the "B Arena" and prepared to watch the battle.
Anyone who pays attention to the literary test knows that the first place in the literary test was taken by a person named "Mashima Goro".
After learning that "Mashima Goro" was on the stage, everyone came here to see with their own eyes what the person who won the first place in the literary test looked like.
At the same time, let’s take a look at the skills of the person who won the first place in the essay test.
Looking at Ogata, who had been away for several days, a slightly ferocious smile appeared in Takigawa.
"Mashima-kun, I really didn't expect that my first opponent in the martial arts test would be you. It seems that we have a very special fate."
"Yes." Ogata said lightly, "I think so too. Maybe there is a very special fate between the two of us. I can always run into you no matter where I go."
Takigawa sneered: "I would also like to thank you for this wonderful fate between us, which gives me the opportunity to face you with swords in an open and honest manner!"
After saying that, Takigawa slowly raised the wooden sword in his hand and took the middle stance.
…
…
These days, the life Takigawa is living can be described in one word as suffering.
It has always been Takikawa's long-cherished wish to be addressed as "guest" or "subordinate" by Matsudaira Sadanobu.
His purpose in participating in the "imperial trial" was to gain the appreciation of Matsudaira Sadanobu, and then to successfully enter his official career.
Unexpectedly, unexpected surprises happened one after another.
First, he couldn't even get into the top 10 in the literary test, and the one who won the first place in the literary test was Goro Majima, a ronin who he had a history of trouble with and whom he looked down on very much.
Later, they witnessed Matsudaira Sadanobu calling Majima Goro "guest" at the Bayberry House. At Matsudaira's request, they had to compensate the Bayberry House and go to the Shirobei Club to receive the penalty.
The punishment Takigawa and the others received from the Shirobei Club was to pay a fine and then live in the prison of the Shirobei Club for two days.
Among this series of blows, the biggest blow to Takigawa was when Matsudaira Sadanobu called Majima Goro a "guest".
The person he had always looked down on before was actually called a "guest" by Matsudaira Sadanobu. The gap in being protected by Matsudaira Sadanobu, and... his jealousy of Ogata, made Takigawa sleepless these days.
He was jealous of how he could get the first place in the literary test and be treated as a guest by Matsudaira Sadanobu even though he was just a ronin working in the Shirobei Club.
As time went by, jealousy turned into grief, anger and resentment towards Ogata.
…
…
"Perhaps you don't know, right?" Takigawa sneered, "I'm a person who won't leak anything and won't let anyone spread it!"
After saying the words "It's not allowed to pass on", Takigawa puffed out his chest with pride.
"Cheer up, there are not many opportunities to compete with the holders of Wudou Renxu Jieden!"
"You're getting an advantage!"
Takigawa did not deliberately lower his voice when he spoke just now.
The spectators standing on the edge of the "B Field" venue all let out low exclamations after hearing what Takigawa just said.
…
"Don't let everyone tell you... whether it's true or false..."
"It's really amazing... He is the holder of the Immortal Immortal at such a young age, and there is no leakage of the Immortal Immortal."
"Hmph, this guy might be bragging. Everyone has it, and I said I'm a Katori Shinto-ryu to avoid spreading the word."
"This person's exemption may be legendary or bought."
…
At a time when the samurai class has become decadent and both of them are uneducated and incompetent, the title of "Oxu Jichuan" undoubtedly has a strong intimidating effect. If you use this title, the way others look at you will instantly change.
It's a pity that in recent years, there have been more and more scandals about "paying money to buy Wuxu Jie Chuan", and the value of Wan Xu Jie Chuan has also dropped a lot.
Takigawa is capable of both literary and martial arts, and is the holder of the Immortal Issuance. Ogata has known this for a long time.
As soon as Takigawa finished speaking, Ogata couldn't help but reveal a strange smile.
Ogata slowly raised the wooden sword in his hand and asked:
"Allow me to ask more. Do you know what happened in Yoshiwara recently? For example, there were some officials who were changed into thieves and came to Yoshiwara to steal credit."
"How could I care about what happens to little Yoshihara every day?" Takigawa said coldly.
It seems that this guy didn't know that there was a man named "Mashima Goro" who single-handedly fought off the fire-fighting thieves who came to steal the credit...
The smile on Ogata's face became even weirder.
In the middle of the two, stood a referee who was responsible for deciding whose attack was effective and who won.
After the referee saw that Ogata and Takikawa were both ready, he shouted loudly without any hesitation:
"start!"
"No leaks, Takigawa Heiichiro, join us!" Although he wanted to beat Ogata to the ground right now, his pride as a samurai still made Takigawa show the courtesy of a samurai before the battle began.
"Furumaki Ittōryu, Majima Goro." Ogata said calmly, "Come on."
The first one to launch the attack was Takigawa.
After confronting Ogata with a sword for a few breaths, Takigawa unleashed a powerful kiai and slashed at Ogata with his sword.
Wuwailiu is also a famous swordsmanship school.
Known for its extremely high practicality.
Because it is highly practical, it has been nicknamed the "Killing Sword" by the public.
Facing Takigawa's sword, Ogata did not panic or rush. He raised the wooden sword in his hand, faced Takigawa's sword with his own sword, and blocked Takigawa's slash.
The first attack was resolved, and Takigawa did not show any frustration or unwillingness. He just continued to keep a sullen face, took a step back, widened the distance between himself and Ogata, and launched a new round of attack on Ogata.
After Takigawa launched a fierce attack on Ogata like a continuous wave, those people watching the battle who had just questioned whether Takigawa really had the strength to avoid Kaden all shut their mouths at this time.
Anyone who has even learned swordsmanship can see how sharp Takigawa's series of attacks was.
Not to mention Takigawa's first blow just now, if it were someone with slightly worse swordsmanship, he would definitely not be able to block it, and would be instantly killed by Takigawa with one blow.
…
"That guy is so strong...Looking at his swordsmanship, he seems to be really capable of making a comeback..."
"I am such a young holder of a sword that has never been leaked or passed on... I'm so envious. I can open a sword hall to support myself in the future."
"Fortunately, the opponent I just encountered was very weak and I didn't encounter this guy..."
"Sure enough, there are many experts participating in this 'imperial trial match'..."
…
Takigawa did not come to participate in the martial arts test alone.
Uesaka and other friends from Takigawa who also participated in the "Gozen Trial Match" were present.
At this moment, Uesaka and others were standing at the edge of the "Ocean Field", watching the contest between Takigawa and Ogata.
Looking at Takigawa who had successfully suppressed Ogata with a furious fast attack, Uesaka smiled and nodded:
"It seems the winner is about to be decided..."
Many people at the scene had the same view as Uesaka, feeling that the winner was about to be decided.
Takigawa, who had the upper hand, launched a series of attacks against Ogata.
On the other hand, Ogata could only defend passively with his wooden sword, without even a chance to counterattack.
Ogata's movements were clumsy, as if he had never wielded the wooden sword before, which was in sharp contrast to Takigawa's brisk and nimble movements.
One is the holder of a sword that is passed down without leakage, and the other moves clumsily, as if he has never used a wooden sword. The winner is already decided. This is what most people at the scene think.
But there are also some people who have different voices.
…
"Mashima Goro... I always feel like I've heard this name somewhere before..."
"He came first in the literary test. Of course you have heard of his name."
"No, I seemed to have heard about some of his deeds that had nothing to do with the literary test, but I can't remember what he did..."
"What a coincidence, so am I. I seem to have heard this name somewhere some time ago... This guy seems to have done something terrible..."
…
Takigawa focused all his attention on Ogata in front of him, and he couldn't hear the comments of the people around him at all.
Looking at Ogata who was clumsily waving the wooden sword in front of him and could only passively parry his attack, a rich joy appeared on Takigawa's face.
Can win! I can win!
Takigawa shouted excitedly in his heart.
He slashed the wooden sword in his hand towards Ogata one after another. Seeing this guy who gave him huge blows repeatedly, he could only passively block or block his attacks, without even a chance to counterattack.
Chuanbing felt extremely excited.
There is a feeling of revenge.
So what if I won the first place in the literature test and was called a "guest" by Matsudaira Sadanobu? Isn't he still far inferior to me in swordsmanship?
Takigawa said to himself.
Or rather... comforting myself like this.
Bang!
The two wooden swords collided heavily in mid-air again.
This time, the two did not quickly separate after the clash of swords.
Instead, they began to wrestle like two bulls.
"Looking at you, you don't seem to be very good at wielding a wooden sword."
In an excited and proud tone, Takigawa continued to speak to Ogata, who was separated from him by two intersecting wooden swords.
"The winner has been decided! You lose!"
Having said that, Takigawa took the initiative to jump back and withdrew from the wrestling match with Ogata.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Takigawa once again rushed towards Ogata like a beast attacking its prey.
Ogata looked unhurried from beginning to end. Even if he was directly suppressed by Takikawa just now, he was like this.
After Takigawa took the initiative to jump back and withdraw from the struggle with him, Obeno whispered to Takigawa in a calm tone:
"Someone will beat me someday, but it won't be today, and it won't be you."
Having said that, Ogata changed his focus.
I have adjusted the "specific center of gravity when using a wooden sword" so that I have not used it for a while and it has become quite unfamiliar. It is only now that I am gradually becoming familiar with it again.
Facing Takigawa who rushed towards him again, Ogata only assumed a normal mid-level stance.
Whoosh!
Takigawa's wooden sword carried huge potential energy and struck Ogata from top to bottom.
Regarding the sword struck by Takigawa, Ogata did not block it with his sword as before.
Instead, use your left foot as the axis to rotate clockwise.
Ogata's spin not only avoided Takigawa's knife.
While dodging Takigawa's blow, he used special techniques to accumulate strength. The force was transmitted from his feet to his waist, and then from his waist to his right arm.
While turning clockwise to avoid Takigawa's blow, Ogata's face turned towards Takigawa again.
Like a whip, Ogata's body turned clockwise in a circle, then "swung" followed his body in a circle, and the wooden sword, which had accumulated a wave of power, swept towards Takigawa's side chest.
Dragon Tail·Dodge!
Bang!
A violent crash and the sound of breaking wood were heard at the same time.
Ogata's wooden sword accurately hit Takigawa's side chest, causing cracks in the armor of the hit part of Takigawa.
The expression on Takigawa's face also began to change drastically.
His facial features were distorted by the pain, and his face changed from one full of joy to one full of pain.
After flying two steps horizontally, Takigawa fell heavily to the ground.
[Ding! Use Sakakibara's Itto-style Dragon Power to defeat the enemy]
[Earn 80 personal experience points and 180 swordsmanship "Sakakibara Itto-ryu" experience points]
[Current personal level: LV33]
[Sakakihara Itto-ryu Level: 11th Dan]
Ryuubi: Flashing Ogata combined the "Dodge" taught to him by Genichi with his "Dragon Tail" move, which can be regarded as Ryuubi's variation.
Dragon Tail is a horizontal slashing technique, which is best compatible with "dodge", which charges energy by rotating the body, and can maximize the power of "dodge".
Ogata discovered that after defeating the enemy using a variety of moves mixed with special techniques, the experience points gained from the genre will increase a lot.
For example, after defeating Takigawa just now, Sakakibara's Itto-style experience points increased by 180 points.
After Takigawa flew out sideways and fell heavily to the ground, the entire audience was silent.
Those who just now believed that Ogata would be defeated by Takigawa soon all had their mouths wide open, their faces full of astonishment and shock.
"Sorry." Ogata said calmly to Takigawa who was knocked away by him, "I haven't used a wooden sword for a while, so it took me some time to get familiar with it again."