Moving to First Checkpoint

001000101101110001010 Undisclosed field location. The Gallant Master has procured comms and they are green. Finances are green. Transpo status yellow. Alternatives are being considered. Equipment check is yellow. Cache was shorted. Minimal equipment secured. Weapons are acceptable. Moving to first checkpoint and will report upon arrival. Over/Out. 000101010111000001

Starting Over

Rebuilding is a slow process. First, we must assess the safety of a structure. We don't want a floor to give way or walls to collapse. Often we find we need to tear down the ruins. Demolition is a sad job, as it means we finish what our enemies started. But we do feel better when we cart away the debris. A clean and empty site is a sign of fresh hope. It will be months before the monastery's infrastructure is fixed, and a year or two before its former grandeur is restored.

We do occasionally fin something useful in the rubble. Prayer beads, books, other mementos... But the fire was thorough. Most things of value are smashed, burned, or melted.Many of the weapons we find are useless in their current condition. We salvage the metal and send it to our smiths to be reused -- reforged if possible.

The Forge Master has confided in me that he is using the reclaimed steel to create a new daisho for the Antagonistic Buddha. He is very pleased with his plan.

The Antagonistic Buddha, the Great Sage, leads by example and helps out where he can. He moves from one work crew to another to check on progress, learn of challenges, and inspire the men. He will often lend a hand to the scut work, but he has other duties demanding his attention.

At least once a day, he meets with another knight errant who has been selected to carry the fight to our enemies. These men are given the title of "master," although most are not far enough in their training to carry the responsibility. The Great Sage says it is meant to inspire them; only they can earn the title through their actions. The Antagonistic Buddha has faith in them.

One curious feature of these meetings is that the Antagonistic Buddha always apologizes to the newly elevated master. I do not know why.

In the evenings, the Great Sage will amble away from our tents and practice bojutsu in the moonlight. He is still using the shattered spear shaft. I will sneak after him to watch his kihon, and marvel as he shifts into kata. He will usually start with single person Okinawan kata to warm up, then progress to perform the bo side of two person koryu kata. His practice is eerie, as if the uke is missing. He must know I am watching -- he is the Great Sage -- but he has never invited me to take the uke's side in these kata.

He looks sadder than I have ever seen him before.

A Warrior Reborn

The majority of the followers were dead. The few survivors were scattered, fighting for survival in the wilderness. For all I knew, the Antagonistic Buddha was dead, and there was a bounty out on the survivors of that dreadful massacre, myself included. Morale was at an all time low, and the future looked as bleak as they come. Then came the signal. Proof that not only was the Antagonistic Buddha alive, but he was calling out to us to avenge our fallen brethren. Where moments ago there had been a darkness looming on the horizon, there is now a glimmer of hope; the warrior in me reignited by the call of my master. I am fully prepared to do anything required of me to make those bastards pay for what they did. Soon they will all know the power of the Gallant Master...

The Tested

"Avenge your brothers."

With that command, the Antagonistic Buddha fell silent, and we let his words take root in our souls.

He leaned heavily on the shattered spear shaft that served as his walking staff. I have never seen him look so weary.

It has been a year since we last gathered here. A year since our many enemies laid aside their differences and found common purpose. A year since the vicious assault upon our home. So many of our brethren perished in the opening salvo. In the chaos, we mounted a flimsy resistance. Our forces wilted before the onslaught.

In the darkest moment, when it seemed their forces would overwhelm us, the Antagonistic Buddha stood defiant. He gave us the order to flee with the junior adepts and the neophytes, then thrust his spear into the heart of the fighting. He was a dervish. My last glimpse of him was a blur of saffron silk stabbing into the fury.

I gathered what brothers I could and escaped into the emergency tunnels. In a moment of despair, I doubted I'd ever see the Buddha again. Our enemies were relentless, and the fighting thundered and echoed deep into the tunnels.

The next morning, I reached one of our emergency caches and found alternative identity papers. Over the next few weeks, I moved east. I never stayed in one place long enough to be overtaken by the enemy's bloodhounds, but was careful no to move with undue haste which might attract attention.

Eventually, I found employment in a suburban carwash many states away from the monastery. This barely afforded me a living wage, but I was grateful. Fortunately, as an ascetic, I was conditioned to a spartan existence. My diet of Ramen noodles and soda crackers may not have been nutritious, but it filled my belly.

At long last, my melancholy weekly visits to an internet cafe were rewarded when I received a callback message from the Great Sage. I packed my few belongings and left immediately. My job was hardly worth formally resigning.

And so I journeyed back to the beginning. I traveled first by bus, then began the long foot ascent to the monastery ruins. I went by the less arduous route and avoided climbing the sheer wall candidates are required to scale. I was the first to arrive, and I passed the time setting up a camp and sifting the ashes for remnants of our former life. Others soon joined me. We cried tears of joy to see each other again. Then, when we woke yesterday, we found the Antagonistic Buddha among us.

There were but a handful of us to take the Buddha's charge. We knew more escaped with us a year ago. some may have been overtaken in flight, or rounded up later. Sadly, we suspected most had broken faith and chosen not to return. Still we believe we shall be enough... and we will rebuild.

The Antagonistic Buddha has called us, "The Tested." He will meet with each brother going out as a knight errant. It shall be my duty to rebuild our records. Our struggle is righteous and our story is too precious to lose.

Out of the ashes...

The ashes are long cold. Smoke no longer lingers in the air. I've poked the butt of my walking staff into the debris and found nothing but black embers.

I am the first to heed the Antagonistic Buddha's call. I pray I am not the last. I am not alone, however: a phoenix waits.

Below, I see Spring in full bloom in the valley. It is growing lush and green. Up here, nothing but the rustle of the wind disturbs me.

I brush the coat of ash from a stone bench, sit, and wait. When the Buddha returns... all will be revealed.

Functional Conditioning

An old, but nevertheless excellent, resource on strength and conditioning methods is Judo:Training Methods by Donn Draeger and Takashiko Ishikawa.

I regularly use drill that can be found in this book to warm-up the class and condition them. One of the beautiful features of the exercises and drill is that they directly relate to Judo techniques and situations. Judo is a fine martial art, a living martial art, and an art that marries form and function.

Many of the drills in this book have been appropriated by other arts, such as Brazilian Jiu Jutsu. This is an excellent primer on basic conditioning methods. Certainly there have been advances in fitness since the 1950's when this was written. A wise student would seek out the latest information. However, it seems to me that "what's old is new again" in many instances with fitness. Consider, for instance the resurgence of Medicine Balls and kettlebells. Perhaps more martial artists should check into this book for insight.

A sincere apology

I, the Antagonistic Buddha, must apologize to our loyal readers for the delay between postings. It was not our intention to interrupt our chronicles. However, we were absorbed in our main work.

We shall endeavor to remain regular in our posts from now on.

Thank you for spending time with the Antagonistic Buddha.