A/N: Here's Chapter Two of "Kiki's Martial Arts Training!" Please read and review, and enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope: Kiki's Martial Arts Training!

Chapter Two: Kiki's Sensei!

Kiki stepped out on her backyard, wearing a white gi with a matching belt, flanked by her mother who was dressed in a similar attire. She smiled at the man waiting in front of them, who bowed respectfully to the two of them. Kiki stared curiously at his lean, slightly muscular build and wavy white hair.

Kyoko took the opportunity to introduce "Kiki, this is Kenshiro. He's going to help me train you in martial arts. Kenshiro, this is my daughter, Kiki."

Kiki bowed respectfully as she replied "It's nice to meet you, Kenshiro-sensei. Ano…I don't mean to pry, but how do you know my parents?"

Kenshiro smiled reassuringly at her and explained "It was many years ago, but my girlfriend and rival, Sakura Ogami, Kami rest her soul, used to be your parents' classmate. Sakura used to call me many times to tell me about her friends at Hope's Peak Academy."

Kiki nodded in recognition, thinking I remember now, she was in that bedtime story Mom and Dad told me when I was five!

Kyoko nodded and explained "Sakura was known as the Ultimate Martial Artist, but she and Kenshiro competed for the title of The Strongest Human Alive." Kiki's eyes widened as Kyoko continued "That's why I asked him to help us train you. If The Strongest Human Alive can teach you what he knows, then you should be able to handle anything that comes your way."

Kenshiro chuckled "I'm afraid I can't exactly call myself The Strongest Human Alive anymore. Years of battling an illness weakened me, and even being employed at Hope's Peak Academy has only partially restored my strength. I can say that my strength is above average, but my glory days are long behind me."

"Still, the knowledge you learned would be invaluable for Kiki to defend herself." Kyoko pointed out. "You still recall the knowledge of martial arts you learned, correct?"

Kenshiro nodded and confirmed "Yes, I'm perfectly capable of teaching the next generation my mastery of martial arts. So, Kiki, are you ready to begin?"

Kiki nodded nervously and replied "Y…yes, sensei. I'm r…ready…"

Kenshiro chuckled, making her feel slightly more at ease as he assured her "It's okay, we won't jump right into complicated maneuvers right away. We need to start with training your muscles, so we're going to do some drills, okay?"

Oh great… Kiki groaned to herself, recalling the six years of drills she had to endure under Coach Karita.

Kenshiro ruffled her hair and assured her "I know it's not fun, but drills are the foundation for any martial style. Besides, this is a good chance for me to assess your initial physical limitations."

Kiki nodded before Kenshiro instructed "Alright, first, let me see your speed and endurance. You and your mother jog around the perimeter of this yard for ten minutes, okay?"

"O…okay…" Kiki reluctantly agreed before she and her mother stood by the back door, getting into a jogging position.

"It'll be okay, Kiki. We're not going to push you to your limits; it'll just be a nice jog, as long as you pace yourself."

"Okay, Mom." Kiki replied as they listened for Kenshiro's command.

"Three, two, one, Go!"


Kiki panted as she wiped the sweat from her brow while she sat on the grass. She held her water bottle to her lips as the liquid poured down her throat, quenching her thirst.

"See, this isn't so bad, is it?" Kyoko asked with a teasing smile.

Kiki nodded and reflected on the past hour of exercise. After the laps, Kenshiro had them do small repetitions of pushups, sit-ups, and other exercises that reminded Kiki all too well of gym class.

"At least I'm not being pushed past my limits." Kiki admitted. "It's more in line with Coach Nidai and Coach Akane's classes."

Kyoko nodded before Kenshiro approached, kneeling in front of them as he asked "How are you feeling?"

"…My muscles are slightly sore, but just give me a minute and I can continue." Kiki answered honestly.

Kenshiro nodded and replied "That's good, it's important to be honest about your condition. Numerous athletes have had to retire early because they went too far past their limitations. So it's important that you recognize your limits so you know when to stop." As Kiki nodded, Kenshiro continued "Speaking of which, these drills have given me some insight into your own physical capabilities, at least at this point."

"…And?"

"…Your physical capabilities are right about average, just like your father's when Sakura told me about him. You're not incredibly weak, but not incredibly strong, either. The good news is that your capabilities can improve with practice, and even with average strength, you can still defend yourself properly with the right strategy."

Kyoko nodded, recalling when she had given Makoto self-defense lessons during the Future Foundation days.

"With that in mind, I think it's time we began with some practical exercises." Seeing Kiki listening intently, Kenshiro explained "Today we'll be working on basic evasion. If you find yourself outnumbered or outmatched, the best thing to do is be able to get some distance between you and your adversary so you can make a strategic retreat and get help. I'll explain more once we start, so just catch your breath for now and we'll start in five minutes."

Kiki and Kyoko nodded as they continued to sip their water, the teenager nervously preparing herself for her first taste of proper combat training.


"Alright, set your feet equal width apart, shoulder-width apart." Kenshiro instructed as Kiki obeyed his directions. "Bend your knees, straighten your back, and relax your shoulders."

Kiki took a deep breath and adjusted her stance before she asked "Like this, sensei?"

Kenshiro nodded, smiling approvingly as he commented "That's right, you learn fast. Okay, now for the exercise. I'm going to throw single punches at you, while you lean to one side or the other to dodge them. Don't worry, I won't throw them too fast, so you should have ample time to evade my blows. Are you ready?"

Kiki nodded hesitantly as Kenshiro got into position and wound his fist back.

"Okay, one, two, three."

"Eek!" Kiki shrieked as she reflexively closed her eyes, bracing for an impact that never came.

She hesitantly opened her eyes, taking in the sight of Kenshiro's fist mere millimeters away from her nose.

Th…that was close!

Kenshiro gave a disappointed sigh and commented "Thankfully, I have the skill to be able to pull a punch at the last minute. But if that had been one of those bullies Kyoko mentioned, you would have probably ended up with a broken nose."

Kiki looked down and apologized "G…Gomen. It's just…when I saw that punch coming…I flashed back to when Nakajima punched me in the face…"

Kenshiro nodded in understanding and noted "I see, so it's a mental block that's keeping you from dodging in time. As long as you keep getting flashbacks, it won't matter how quick your reaction time is. You'll be too terrified to make any kind of move, whether offensive or defensive."

"I…I'm sorry…I…"

"It's okay." Kenshiro assured her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Everyone has something they struggle with, a barrier they need to break down in order to improve. I did when I was learning, Sakura did when she was learning, I'm certain your mother did when she was learning, and it was only a matter of time before we stumbled upon yours."

"So…what can I do, sensei? I don't want to be afraid of Nakajima anymore!"

Kenshiro hummed for a moment before he asked "Tell me, have you ever done meditation before?"

"…Once, when I was four. My mom had amnesia, and one of my babysitters, Kaito Momota, used it to help me get my emotions under control."

"I see…" Kenshiro nodded and decided "Alright, before we do any more exercises, we're going to do some meditation to help you move past your fear. Kyoko, Kiki, sit in front of each other, cross legged, and take each other's hands."

Kyoko and Kiki did as he asked, sitting down on the grass as the mother took her daughter's hands in her own, squeezing them in comfort.

"Alright, now Kiki, close your eyes, and take a deep breath." Once Kiki had exhaled, Kenshiro instructed "Now, focus on your mother's hands, and my voice, okay?" Kiki nodded as Kenshiro instructed "Now, repeat after me. Nakajima, I'm not afraid of you."

"Nakajima, I'm not afraid of you."

"Your punches can hurt me, but they cannot break me."

"Your punches can hurt me, but they cannot break me."

"I won't let you torment me anymore."

"I won't let you torment me anymore."

"So leave me alone, Nakajima."

"So leave me alone, Nakajima."

"Okay, now open your eyes, Kiki." Kenshiro instructed. Once Kiki's eyes fluttered open and she looked at Kenshiro, he asked "How do you feel?"

Kiki closed her eyes and concluded "I feel…not as afraid of her. She used to be this overwhelming presence in the back of my mind, casting a shadow over me that threatened to swallow me. Now…I'm still afraid of her, but I…I feel like I can move past her, not let her ruin my life like she wants to."

Kenshiro and Kyoko smiled in approval as Kiki opened her eyes, finally giving a genuine smile as Kyoko released her hands.

"…I'm ready, sensei." Kiki told him as she stood up, the slightest spark of determination in her eyes.

Kyoko smiled at her daughter as she and Kenshiro resumed their stances before he readied his punch.

"Okay, on three. One…two…three!"

Whoosh!

Kiki leaned to the left, causing Kenshiro's fist to miss her as she felt the wind brush her cheek. Kyoko grinned as the two resumed position and Kenshiro counted down before throwing a punch with his opposite hand. Kyoko beamed with pride as her daughter leaned in the opposite direction, avoiding his punch.

"Very good, you've moved past your mental block. Now, I'm gonna throw my punches a little faster. Ready?" Kiki nodded with confidence as Kenshiro wound his fist back once more, warning her "One…two…three!"

Whoosh!


Sakura smiled as she saw Kiki plop into bed, snoozing like a baby after her long day of training.

"Kenshiro's just as compassionate as I remember. Just as he helped me past my setbacks, he's helped Kiki move past her fear of Nakajima."

Mondo nodded and agreed "You said it. That chick's fuckin' dead the next time she tries to harass Kiki. Your boyfriend's gonna make her one tough chick, just like her mom!"

Mondo beamed proudly as he recalled how Kyoko stood in defense of Makoto against his former gang members, ready to beat them into submission for how they sexually harassed her and beat up Makoto.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him as she reminded him "Mondo, the point isn't to make her tough, it's to help her…"

"Help her defend herself, I know, I know. But the chick fuckin' deserves to get knocked down a peg for what she did."

"…Agreed, she has proven herself to be completely dishonorable, even if her pain is understandable." Sakura reluctantly concurred, though she found herself relating to Nobuyo due to her own past as a bully.

Mondo yawned before he turned around and decided "Alright, I'm gonna go hit the hay. You comin'?"

Sakura chuckled "Sure, be right there." She looked at the sleeping girl once more and muttered "Good night, Kiki…" before she turned around and followed Mondo out of the Afterlife Theatre.


"Okay, so what are we doing now, sensei?" Kiki asked as she removed her water bottle from her lips.

"Well, now that our warm-up drills are done, I'm going to teach you a basic offensive move that will stun an opponent and give you time to evade them and get help. Kyoko, will you help me demonstrate?"

"Very well." Kyoko agreed as she stood up and approached Kenshiro. "I'm ready when you are."

"Alright, Kiki, watch closely. Kyoko, throw a punch at me."

Kiki watched intently as Kyoko launched a quick jab at Kenshiro, only for the trained martial artist to grasp her wrist, halting it in its tracks.

"See?" Kenshiro demonstrated. "By grabbing their wrist, I can stop the momentum, and by twisting it, I can give them a momentary burst of pain, causing the aggressor to be stunned. While they're focused on the pain, I can either make another attack, or retreat and regroup. Are you ready to try, Kiki?"

Kiki nodded and traded places with her mother, who sat on the grass to watch her daughter.

"Alright Kiki. I'm going to throw a punch at you, just like before. However, when you avoid my fist, use the opening to grab my wrist and twist it, okay?" As Kiki nodded, Kenshiro counted down "Okay, one, two, three!"

Whoosh!

Kyoko smiled with pride as Kiki leaned to the right, letting Kenshiro's fist slide past her left cheek before she grabbed his wrist and twisted it with her right hand.

Kiki frowned and asked "Ano…sensei? Why don't you look like you're in pain? Isn't it supposed to hurt?"

Kenshiro nodded and explained "You're right, Kiki, that is supposed to hurt. However, I'm a trained former professional, so I'm used to it by now. It doesn't cause me as much pain as it would someone who's untrained in martial arts, like your typical school bully." As Kiki nodded in understanding, Kenshiro suggested "Alright, let's try it again, but this time, dodge in the opposite direction and catch my fist with your left hand."

Kiki nodded and got back into her neutral stance before Kenshiro launched his fist.

Whoosh!

Kiki leaned to the left, dodging his fist and grabbing it with her left hand before she twisted it.

Kenshiro nodded approvingly and praised "Very good, Kiki. Alright, I'm gonna throw my punches faster and faster. I want you to dodge and twist my wrist, but mix up the direction you lean and which hand you use. An opponent will be able to easily counter your strategy if they can see it coming, so it's important to be able to vary your technique and throw them off."

Kiki nodded and got back into position before Kenshiro threw his next punch. Kyoko watched with a proud, beaming smile as her daughter dodged every one, twisting her teacher's wrist in perfectly timed counterattacks.

Alright, Nakajima! Kiki thought as her eyes narrowed in determination. I'm not gonna take another beating lying down. Next time you and your friends come for me, I'll be ready for you!