Kurugaya Yuiko(W.I.P)

Name: Kurugaya Yuiko
True Age: 20
Gender:Female
Personality:

A born samurai, Kurugaya Yuiko descends from a family who embodies most strongly the ideals of ancient Japan. Therefore, as one would expect, her upbringing was far from one of normalcy.  Although she was showered in an abundance of love and affection, her childhood included little relaxation. Playtime was not easily afforded to her – for indeed, training was her topmost priority.  Were she to be caught faltering even once, she would receive a severe scolding from her father, though fortunately these harsh tongue-lashings never escalated into physical abuse.  Even so, the perilous experiences she underwent, her strict upbringing, and the constant reminder of where her persistence would lead her… only served to strengthen her resolve over time.  

From the moment she was born,  her parents wholeheartedly realized that they were blessed with a legend in the making; they needed only to use the optimum amount of strictness to bring her potential into full bloom – and lo, as the years came to pass, their efforts were not in vain.  Her blossoming potential became even more profound, so much so that there was no doubt in her father’s mind that she would carry the Kuruguya name with honor.  Of course, as a woman hailing from a prestigious family such as her own, the concept of a modern-day Japanese woman is lost on Yuiko.  She was raised as a warrior, after all.  There was little time spent worrying about the current day-to-day status quo - trifles such as the most popular accessory, cell phone, or fleeting male idol sensations hardly ever caught her attention. In time, she grew to loathe these lesser things the women around her doted over.  

She was more enthralled by the sensations experienced in combat, by fighting against warriors of great import, by the idea of dying an honorable death on the battlefield! Compared to that dream, everything else was of little importance. And so, most of her days were spent studying, honing her ever-growing talent so that it might one day reach that of an accomplished master, of her ancient forefathers.   No doubt when one is tasked to comprehend Yuiko, an undeniable trait in her personality that hardly goes unnoticed…. is her ambition.  When a goal is placed before her, she places every fibre of her being into completing that objective.  Failure is not an option.  She is not discontent with the idea of making a mistake. Rather than berate herself, however,  she will merely correct those mistakes with better results.  After all, she is a woman who will not stand to have a blemish on her path to the perfect essence of the warrior.  

Of course, for all this myriad exposition of how she lives by the code of the warrior, Yuiko is still a woman at the core of her being. Exuding an ethereal elegance, Yuiko possesses a high degree of class than most can even fathom.  Growing up, though none of her teachings involved ways on winning a man’s heart, since the vast majority of them came from her father, her mother nevertheless found it necessary to instill in her daughter the knowledge needed to be a five-star housewife worthy of merit.  Whenever her father found it necessary to hone his own skills in seclusion, Yuiko’s mother would teach her a dazzling array of recipes, instructing her in the art of cooking, rather than swordsmanship.  

She also had a penchant for poetry, often reciting poems to Yuiko whenever the two were alone.  Her love of poetry was so great that Yuiko found herself enthralled, to such an extent that, whenever it was time for Yuiko to go to bed, she would practically beg her mother to recite these poems before she resigned herself to peaceful slumber. Thus, to this day, it is not so rare a sight to see Yuiko indulging in a piece of Shakespearean literature whenever she isn't engaging in training with her Katana.  And yet, for all that she is an elegant maiden, she has an uncontrolled spirit of rebellion that is not easily dominated.  

To clear any possible misconception, it is not as though she goes against her parents’ wishes - quite the opposite.  When her parents give her an order, not a single word of complaint is issued from her lips, she will follow the rules set out before her without hesitation.  But when it’s something that she does not agree with… That she believes will not benefit her in the long run… She will act against those wishes when she deems it necessary.  One prominent example of this… is arranged marriage, an unwanted gift that her father never wastes time in pushing onto her.  One thing she despises most is being paired off with a man she has no interest in, to say nothing of a complete stranger of whom she has never met in her entire life. Her father has a penchant for arranging dates with men she has any interest in, imbeciles who do little to excite her spirit.

In her heartfelt opinion, the best artificial love can give you is a life full of despair and tedium, something she does not wish to take part in.  True love, on the other hand, comes as naturally as the sea at low tide. When you have succeeded in finding someone who makes you heart ache with passion, capable of scorching all that stands within its way, then you have truly found the one, a soulmate to cherish until the end of time. It therefore follows that whenever any man tries to vie for Yuiko's attention, they face an uphill battle right from the very start. Yuiko does not enjoy being pursued. In fact, it is she who will do the pursuing once one has earned her favor, but of course, earning her favor proves little more than difficult to accomplish.

To reiterate an elemental facet in her personality that has not yet been unexplored, Yuiko is ambitious.  Whenever she has her eyes set on a task, she will give it her all, pushing her body to its maximum limit in order to see it completed, and with high results no less.  Due to this fierce mentality, Yuiko abhors the very thought of failure. Therefore, failure is not an option.  Should you fail, then you bring shame not only to yourself... but your entire family as well.  It is necessary to point out, however, that Yuiko does not strive for perfection. She is more than aware that certain things are out of her reach, and she is not against relaxation whenever the opportunity presents itself. Nevertheless, she makes note of when there is time to indulge, and when work takes precedent over self-fulfillment  

Whenever Yuiko is allowed to show the tinges of humanity in her personality, the first undeniable fact one will soon come to know, is that this empress has a penchant for teasing.  She can go from saying words of an elegant nature, to something risky, just so she can incite a reaction from her prey.  She is most fond of teasing cute people, especially women.  Although she does not identity as a bisexual, Yuiko is quite fond of females, both petite and tall. Much to her father's chagrin, she will never waste time in speaking candidly about them.  Playful though she may be, she still tends to suffer from the opposing ideals and viewpoints of others, making social conversations somewhat difficult at times. She does keep herself up with certain modern day subjects… yet they are worlds apart from what the modern day Japanese woman engages in. From studying day-to-day politics to quoting famous sayings from a legendary Samurai and world renowned poets, the way Yuiko carries herself would fly right over the everyday commonplace individual’s head.  Even so, Yuiko can adapt to any subject quickly, allowing her to analyze the knowledge necessary to attain some semblance of understanding.

As a warrior, Yuiko’s foremost defining trait is her bravery in the face of adversity.  She does not fear the thought of dying, nor is she averse to the thought of ending someone else’s life, if the need ever arises.  She is by no measure of the word a murderer.  In all of her documented battles, she has never once put an end to the life of another… And yet, she is not afraid to do so.  Of the many teachings her father instilled in her, the most invaluable lesson he taught her was that war is merciless; in a life or death battle, it is kill or be killed.  When the enemy has raised his sword against you, there is a reason, an idealhe must be willing to kill you for. 

As long as there is no hesitation in his eyes, then the answer should be undeniably clear!  Your will must be stronger than his; the very weapon you wield must hold the power capable enough of hurling him into the depths of oblivion, for there is no other way!  Your livelihood,  your ideals, the very things that make up the foundation of who you are, mean nothing if you aren't willing to place everything on the line to emerge victorious! From this perspective, it is clear that in any given battle, Yuiko will not allow anyone to trample over her honor, even at the risk of her own life.  She isn't ready to rush towards death just yet, however.  This young maiden knows wholeheartedly that she still has much to learn at her age, that the horizons for someone as prodigious as her are endless.  She will never truly be content with death until she has engraved her name within the timeless stones of history. With sword placed firmly at her side, what does the future hold in store for Kuruguya Yuiko?











Appearance:



Appearance Age: 19
Height:170 cm
Weight:55 kg


Natural Abilities:  

Swordsmanship Prodigy: Peerless and divine, an elegant flower that enthralls those blessed to bear witness to its beauty – Yuiko’s proficiency with the Katana is of great import. Born with a natural affinity in the art of swordsmanship, Yuiko’s skill leaves little to be desired.  Even though her modesty as a warrior prohibits her from comparing herself to the legends of days past, her artistry with the sword is in the upper echelons of a master who has trained for years in order to hone his divine craft.  Each time the steel graces her fingers, she puts on a performance of such great elegance that no warrior dares to deny her talent.  Each stroke of her steel companion are like musical notes, designed according to the wishes of their conductor.  Artwork in motion, able to incite the awe of any partisan who lives by the blade - Yuiko’s denomination of sword empress is by no means one conferred to her in hyperbole.  When battle is near, few alone are capable of testing the validity of her moniker. Every single time she engages in combat, Yuiko becomes both strategist and aggressor.  Indeed, it is profound rarity to see her lose composure during battle. She is intimidated by no one; she is the hunter, she controls the flow, and those foolish enough to incite fear in her will only succeed in increasing her battle capacity tenfold.  In most any duel, Yuiko strongly believes in using strategy to its highest advantage.  Although she is a woman of honor on the battlefield, she does not necessarily condemn using underhanded techniques in order to emerge victorious. Kenjutsu was built on how to kill; fairness hardly mattered in the eyes of battle-hardened samurai.  There was a level of honor that needed to be maintained, no doubt, but in the end, warriors of old went into battle with a strong resolve, content with the thought that any moment could see them taking the plunge into oblivion. No matter the duel, be it life or death, a spar fought for the sake of sparring, or even a  meager training exercise, Yuiko wholeheartedly believes that fighting is something to take pride in, that no warrior should deny themselves the joy of battle.  Whether it be the clashing of one’s ideals or a test of one's of mettle, Yuiko possesses a great reverence for the art of combat.  As an exponent trained in Kenjutsu for the better part of her entire life, Yuiko saw fit to engrave every nuance, principle, and technique taught to her by her father. Of each of those, there are four principles Yuiko adheres to in battle as well as everyday life. These four essential principles are Shoshin ,[ i]Munshin[/i], Fudoshin, and Zanshin.

The First principle is Shoshin - 'the mind of a beginner'.  As the name indicates, Shoshin is the state of open-mindedness, where one is full of eagerness, willingness, and lacks all preconceptions when studying in a certain art, much like a beginner would.  In the words of famous Zen teacher Shoryu Sozuki; "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few." Thus, when applied to combat, if one is able to accept new techniques, it is not completely appalling to consider that his experience on the battlefield will grow with time. When one opens his mind to everyday development, the possibilities are truly endless.

Mushin - "No Mind" - is the mental state in which expert level martial artists are said to enter during combat, as well as everyday activity. In essence, Mushin is the state of nil-thought or "mind without mind.” While it may no doubt sound foolish on paper, it is essential in securing victory during battle. This state of mind is achieved when one has resolved to rid his mind of anger, fear, or ego during everyday combat. Furthermore, with the absence of discursive thought and judgment, the individual is allowed to act freely and react towards his opponent without hesitation and disturbance from such trappings. In this state of mind, they do not aim to think of what their next move will be. Rather, they feel what their next move will be, and act upon it, allowing their intuition to take flight.

The mind is freed of all needless worries, distractions, preoccupations, conscious planning and all other trains of thought when preparing to engage in battle. Even though the mind is empty of all thought, the state of Mushin frees up the maximum number of brain neurons to hold ready for instant calculations of action when the critical moment is at hand. When you have prohibited your mind from thinking of anything during battle - while remaining acutely alert to, and focused on your opponent - each strike now comes automatically and naturally, as though your body has taken on a precognitive state of completion.  


Fudoshin, the third principle, is the 'immovable mind' - that is, the mind that has met all challenges in life, attaining a state of composure and complete fearfulness towards everyday matters, stressful or minor. In much the same way as Mushin, Fudoshin is a state of mind used to cut through all illusion and delusion in order to become aware of the world around you. It is a spiritual state wherein the mind is filled with courage, determination, and the will to surmount every obstacle that comes in its path.  Fudoshin is a feeling of invincibility, a mindset that cannot be perturbed by confusion, hesitation, doubt, or fear. Applying the same "in the moment" principle as Mushin, Fudoshin eliminates all internal thoughts and external factors, allowing the mind to flow freely, arriving at a state of calmness, detachment, and full awareness. Once more, the intuition becomes the master, allowing martial skill to bloom in the most crucial of times.


The Final Principle, Zanshin, is often labeled as the "remaining mind", and for good reason. Whereas Fudoshin and Mushin guides the practitioner through trained focus, Zanshin teaches him how to keep that focus, even after completion of technique. Rather than becoming aware of the enemy and his technique alone, Zanshin allows you to perceive everything even when you're engaged with the enemy in the midst of mortal combat. In the context of Kenjutsu, it is the continued transition of mental concentration and physical readiness towards the situation - an opposing attack for example - that is crucial to maintain after returning to the required posture, proceeding the completion of your technique. Remain aware of your surroundings at all times. Nothing, not even a leaf flowing through the wind, must escape your mind's eye.  

When all four of these are applied to combat, mastered at the furthest reaches, you will no longer know the smarting taste of defeat. Yuiko didn't just learn concepts and principles from her father. No, these were merely pieces of the puzzle. In later teachings, he taught her how to attack, parry, and execute a deadly strike when opportunity presented itself. The basis of Yuiko's swordsmanship not only revolves around attack, parry, and execution - it revolves around targeting the fatal openings in enemy defenses. If the neck is open, she will strike the neck. If the legs are unguarded, she will strike the thighs. If the groin is unguarded, she will strike the groin, no matter how much pain befalls the other party. While it may sound dishonorable, Yuiko is smart enough to separate an honorable duel from a fight to the death. She understands that there are times where things like honor and futility have absolutely no place on the battlefield. And that is why she remains a strong name among the martial circle of her family.




Superhuman: In terms of superhuman capability, Yuiko possesses inhuman agility, dexterity, and acrobatic finesse. Due to years of gymnastics training - something her father felt would benefit her - Yuiko can perform distance-closing leaps, death-defying somersaults, and as far as defensive maneuvering is concerned, she can evade an opposing enemy swordsmen by reading the flow of their body.  At the further reaches of this transcendent agility, Yuiko can even deflect, evade, and weave through bullets. Of course, in describing her superhuman capabilities, agility is far from the only thing she's praised for. Now, while her strength is not within the realm of other physically fit warriors, she is still not someone who is to be underestimated.  When she was fifteen years of age, her father issued her a challenge.  

"Push a boulder towards the opening of this cave. While it may sound easy enough, you only have one day to do so. “When her father posed this challenge, Yuiko had thought he went insane.  She wasn't frail, but she was no barbarian, much less someone who had the strength to move a boulder. She did not move the boulder, and opted to wait for his return.  Although he did return in order to gauge her progress, the veteran samurai was highly disappointed by the sight in front of him.

She remembered his exact words so vividly; "Hmph. If you cannot move a boulder, then you are unfit to wield a sword, much less the sacred heirloom that has been passed down through our generation! Know this, Yuiko, a samurai - no, a warrior, never backs down from a challenge, even if it sounds inexpressibly futile.  We accept everything that is given to us, so that in the future, we can learn from the situation and take lessons from them that will aid in the betterment of our survival!" Emblazoning that lesson within her mind, Yuiko did indeed push the boulder towards its destination, fighting through pain every step of the way.  Thus, from this part of her life, Yuiko learned that strength does not have to come from possessing muscle, but the determination of one's spirit. By using this determination, Yuiko is able to overpower her enemies with strategy and cunning. Rather than fight the opponent in a contest of strength against strength, she would calculate the precise moment with which to make a proper counter and bring her that much closer to victory. She uses the mind, not physical strength, to dominate her enemies.

Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Among the many combat procedures taught to her by her father, Hand-to-Hand combat was another important skill that Yuiko was grateful to acquire. Although the Katana is a great weapon, capable of ending a confrontation with one precise stroke,  it is not infallible. Therefore, one has to be prepared at a moment's notice, to use their body to ascertain victory when their sword can no longer guide them during battle. Fighting armed and unarmed is essential to building a true warrior, and Yuiko is no doubt eager to reach that level, to become a hardened master of war.  To reiterate, strength is not Yuiko's strong point. However, her intention in battle whenever she loses her sword is to find a weak point in the enemy's defenses. She can throw a mighty punch, and a full-momentum kick is enough to shatter an enemy opponent's skull. She relies more on her kicking power due to her acrobatic prowess, and will only engage in a full-on fist fight if there is no other way to win. Aside from her vast knowledge in the art of Kenjutsu, Yuiko is also well-versed in Aikido and Judo.




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