The Water Magician

"Failures Are the Source of Success"

Ryo won't be discouraged by something like this.

"For now, let's put off creating the rice fields."

Yes, as long as he keeps postponing the problem without losing heart, everything will be fine!

In the battle against the kaitosnake, he was completely at a loss in close combat.

To be precise, it was close combat against the kaitosnake's "tail."

In other words, defending or evading the opponent's attacks is currently difficult for Ryo. Well, that's precisely why he aimed to hunt safely from a distance, so it makes sense.

He will continue to train his long-range attack methods as he has been doing.

There are still many things to improve, like the activation time and precision of magical control.

"After all, it took one second to generate the ice wall level 5, and that was one reason I took damage. I need to be able to generate it faster!"

Then there's the ice armor.

Ryo had prepared this defensive magic just thinking he might need some armor, and it proved to be quite useful. In fact, without it, Ryo would have been dead.

"It looks somewhat like a Saint Knight's armor, but it's not cumbersome to carry, and I should practice putting it on quickly before combat just in case. Oh, I wonder if I could run while wearing a heavier version of it. That could be good training."

His thoughts were completely leaning toward the muscle-headed side, but he was entirely unaware of it.

That said, it was a fact that his endurance had increased, which meant he didn’t run out of stamina during combat.

No matter how excellent one's technique, it cannot be utilized if stamina runs out.

Every day, along with his stretching exercises and running, Ryo always practices his swings.

A bamboo sword, about one meter in length, coated in ice, and adjusted for weight.

Normally, a bamboo sword is made by combining four pieces of bamboo split vertically into eight parts, but Ryo uses it just as it is.

He's simply cut a piece of bamboo, about one meter long, that is just the right thickness for gripping.

Of course, there’s no guard or anything, but he has been holding it for nine years. He has a rough memory of the length of the handle.

Whether it’s kendo, kenjutsu, or bamboo swords and japanese swords, the way to grip them is quite similar.

Grip the end of the handle with your left hand, and hold the area near the guard with your right hand.

The two fists do not touch.

There is enough space between the fists for another fist to fit in.

This fundamentally differs from gripping a baseball bat and such.

This is due to the differences in purpose.

For a bat, it is essential to transmit power, while for a bamboo sword or a blade, control is even more important; this is the difference.

Therefore, the length of the handle, whether for a short sword or a slightly longer tachi, is typically around eight sun, or about twenty-four centimeters.

This length has been recognized over time as being just right for swinging a sword.

By the way, in the case of the so-called two-handed sword in the West, the two fists touch while swinging the sword, much like a baseball bat.

If the emphasis is on power, the fists should be together, and if the emphasis is on control, the fists should be apart.

As mentioned earlier, the same goes for a baseball bat, right?

When swinging normally, the fists are together to transfer power to the bat.

However, when precise movement is required—like in a bunt—the fists separate, and one hand grips the middle of the bat.

The way you hold it determines how you move the weapon, and what the correct usage is.

Basically, whether it's a bamboo sword or a japanese sword, the left hand holds and supports.

The right hand is just for support... not entirely, but it determines the trajectory of the blade.

Among the fingers of the left hand, the pinky and ring fingers are crucial for gripping, which is similar in baseball, but they are fingers that are often not well-utilized in everyday life.

Therefore, repetitive practice becomes important.

After practicing his swings, he follows up with men, kote-men, do, and thrusts.