My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

Uchida Yuma quickly changed into his kendo attire and protective gear. He swung his bamboo sword a few times, familiarizing himself with the grip, and then squatted in front of the starting line. On the other side of the starting line, Fukuzawa Fuyumi had been patiently waiting in a seated position.

Taisho Hori acted as the referee. Usually, official matches would require three referees, but for this informal club practice, one would have to do.

Taisho Hori took his position and shouted, “Bow!”

Both sides bowed to each other, and Taisho Hori called out again, “Ready!”

Upon the command, Fukuzawa Fuyumi slowly rose to her feet, holding her sword with both hands, assuming a solid mid-level stance. Uchida Yuma, on the other hand, raised his sword high above his head, exuding a formidable presence. With a height difference of nearly 30 centimeters between him and Fukuzawa Fuyumi, it seemed as though an adult was facing a child, displaying an air of dominance.

Shima Rei furrowed his brows and muttered, “This guy!”

Kitahara Hideji turned his head to Shima Rei and asked, “What’s wrong, Shima-kun?”

Shima Rei seemed quite displeased. “He’s too arrogant!” he said, glancing at Kitahara Hideji. Seeing the confusion on his face, Shima Rei explained in detail, “In kendo, there are five common starting forms: Jōdan-shiki , Chūdan-shiki, Gedan-shiki, Hassō-shiki, and Rokkō-shiki…”

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上段式 (Jōdan-shiki): Upper-level technique or posture.
中段式 (Chūdan-shiki): Middle-level technique or posture.
下段式 (Gedan-shiki): Lower-level technique or posture.
八相式 (Hassō-shiki): Eight-direction technique or posture.
肋腰式 (Rokkō-shiki): Rib and waist technique or posture.

These terms are used in various martial arts, particularly in Japanese martial arts such as Karate, Judo, and Kenjutsu, to describe different stances, postures, or techniques used during training or combat

]

Shima Rei explained it briefly, but Kitahara Hideji had a good understanding and grasped the concept after a moment.

The upper-level form is advantageous for offense but exposes the chest and abdomen, making it vulnerable to counterattacks.

The mid-level form strikes a balance between offense and defense. It is the most commonly used form and has the benefit of pointing the tip of the sword toward the opponent. Even if the opponent is incredibly fast and launches a strike right at the beginning of the match, they are likely to get poked by the tip of the sword. As kendo is primarily focused on defeating the enemy rather than dying together with them, such an attack would typically be considered an invalid strike. Killing the enemy while sacrificing oneself serves no purpose—it’s not about cultivating assassins or suicide warriors.

The lower-level form involves pointing the tip of the sword downward, emphasizing defense. It can only withstand upward strikes and blocking attacks, primarily used for defensive counter attacks or to wear down the opponent. However, due to its repetitive nature and low success rate, it has gradually fallen out of favor with the evolution of kendo over the years.

The eight-direction form is suitable for group battles, emphasizing awareness of the surroundings and being prepared for attacks from all directions. However, in modern kendo, which is a one-on-one sport, its application is limited, and few people use it.

As for the rib-waist form, it involves concealing the sword blade behind the body, making it difficult for the opponent to determine the direction and length of the strike, resulting in unexpected effects. However, in modern kendo competitions, where bamboo swords of standardized length are used, its effectiveness is reduced.

In essence, these five starting forms serve as the foundation. Unconventional forms, such as starting with the right hand in the upper level, are derived from these basic stances but are not significantly different.

Uchida Yuma clearly underestimated Fukuzawa Fuyumi based solely on their starting forms. He believed that despite her longer training experience, her height, arm length, and strength disadvantage would prevent her from challenging him. He probably aimed to defeat Fukuzawa Fuyumi in a single strike, gaining attention and impressing the attractive seniors watching the match.

Uchida Yuma’s lack of composure in this situation was evident. Kitahara Hideji didn’t have a clear solution either and asked in a low voice, “How is the winner determined in this kind of match? Is it considered a victory if you knock your opponent down?”

“Not quite, Kitahara-kun!” Shima Rei observed the scene and noticed that Uchida Yuma’s waist cord was loosely tied, prompting Taisho Hori to angrily instruct him to fasten it properly. Shima Rei then explained in a nutshell.

Although kendo has evolved from swordsmanship and inherits many of its traditions, it differs from combat-oriented sword techniques that aim to defeat the enemy. Kendo is a competitive sport with strict rules regarding equipment, scoring, and timing.

For example, in regular sword practice, wooden swords or even bladed wooden swords are used. Wooden swords can be lethal, and high-quality ones are not necessarily lighter than real swords. In kendo competitions, hollow bamboo swords are used. Even if a strike lands in an unprotected area, it doesn’t cause significant harm.

Another example is the requirement for valid strikes, maintaining “Ki-Ken-Tai-Ichi.” “Ki” refers to the unified spirit and calling out the striking position with a vigorous voice to avoid blind attacks. “Ken” refers to striking the valid targets, such as the face, throat, torso, and hands protected by armor. Striking an unprotected area with malicious intent, such as targeting the legs or forearms, leading to injury, would result in an immediate loss. “Tai” refers to maintaining a proper posture while executing strikes. If the strikes are not delivered correctly, they won’t be considered valid. “Ichi” signifies the use of the bamboo sword’s blade and the front one-quarter of its length to execute strikes. If real swords were used, this portion would be the most lethal part.

In addition to the aforementioned points, it is necessary to maintain “zanshin,” which means maintaining vigilance and readiness after an attack, such as quickly moving out of the opponent’s counterattack range or assuming a defensive stance to prevent a desperate counterattack. Only with such an attack is a point scored. In a competition, the rules may vary, whether it’s a single-strike victory or a best-of-three format.

There are many other rules as well. For example, using language to confuse or insult the opponent during the match will result in an immediate loss. Intentionally tripping the opponent, grabbing their bamboo sword, or using punches are all considered fouls, resulting in deductions or direct disqualification. Even cheering loudly after a victory is seen as disrespectful to the opponent and can lead to a loss.

After Shima Rei finished explaining, he focused his attention on the match. Taisho Hori had finished inspecting Uchida Yuma’s equipment to minimize the risk of injury. He then stepped away from the center point, raised his hand forcefully, and shouted, “Begin!”

With Taisho Hori’s command, Fukuzawa Fuyumi maintained her middle stance without moving, but her body suddenly tightened, as if she had become smaller. At the same time, she let out a shocking roar—a sound that was unimaginable coming from such a petite person. The roar was filled with an unstoppable and resolute determination for a life-or-death battle!

Uchida Yuma froze in place, even hesitating with the step he was about to take forward. Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s eyes narrowed, and just as Uchida Yuma’s foot was about to land, she sprung up like a tightly wound spring, taking a heavy step forward and thrusting her sword straight ahead while roaring once again, “Tu, tu, tu!”

With a loud bang, Uchida Yuma was sent flying and rolled out of the ring. He had attempted to show off with an upper stance but was overwhelmed by Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s roar, leaving him unable to react or defend himself. He was completely defeated.

Kitahara Hideji and Shima Rei stood up abruptly, but before they could even shout, they hurriedly rushed towards Uchida Yuma.

The arena fell into silence, even Taisho Hori, who was the referee, was stunned. A thrust requires strong power, speed, keen eyesight, and the ability to seize opportunities. It is rarely used by adult female swordsmen, let alone high school girls. It’s something you might occasionally see at the national championships but using such a technique in a practice match seemed excessive.

A thrust is different from a slashing strike. It is difficult to precisely target specific areas, and hitting an unprotected area can easily lead to injury.

Fortunately, Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s thrust was accurate, and the facial protection gear had a downward extension with a thick resin plate guarding the throat area. Even so, Uchida Yuma held his breath as he was sent flying. While most of the impact came from the fall, it was still astonishing that a single thrust could send a 50+ kg male student flying.

Satisfied, Fukuzawa Fuyumi swung her bamboo sword and felt that despite not practicing much over the past year, her swordsmanship skills hadn’t deteriorated much. She took small steps and walked up to Uchida Yuma, glancing at him still dazed. Regardless of whether he could hear her or not, she smirked and taunted, “Oh dear, does it hurt? Don’t blame me, blame yourself for associating with Kitahara-san! Consider this a lesson for you. Watch your mouth from now on! Otherwise, every time I see you, I’ll give you a beating!”

Kitahara Hideji couldn’t help but look at Fukuzawa Fuyumi and raised an eyebrow. Winning is winning, there’s nothing more to be said about it. It’s true that Uchida Yuma may have been overly confident, but does that justify the excessive taunting from Fukuzawa Fuyumi? Besides, Uchida Yuma may have been a bit arrogant, but he didn’t really offend her, did he?

He stood in front of Uchida Yuma and asked, “Fukuzawa-san, what do you mean by this?”

Fukuzawa Fuyumi immediately shifted her gaze to him, scrutinizing him from head to toe. She put on a fake smile and said, “Kitahara-san, are you angry? Haha, don’t be in such a rush. It’s your turn now! Oh, but you probably won’t dare, what a pity… Your lackey took the hit for you!” Her voice was filled with contempt and delight, as if humiliating Kitahara Hideji even a little would bring her great satisfaction, as if she had released a deep resentment. “If you don’t dare, I can understand… Heh, even if you manage to defeat me once in an exam, so what? Overall, I am still stronger!”