My Refrigerator Turned Into A Dungeon
Chapter 290

Aikido

The second wave of the dungeon stampede caused significant damage. Even so, life finds a way, and people are diligently working to restore the daily routines they once had. Amidst all this...

[Hey! That's why I’m asking, please!]

"Hmm, well, I understand the story. But it seems it would be better to bring Ruu and the others instead of me. By the way, what about school?"

[I'm still on break. They said classes can't happen until the evacuees are settled. Anyway, I don’t care as long as I’m alone, so please, I’m counting on you! (Pfft)]

"Huh, I wonder what this is all about…"

I got a call from Shark, and when I picked up, it turned out that Hinagata Yuzuki—who always behaves so properly—invited me to her place, offering to teach Aikido.

Well, it seems they've made peace, which is good. But it seems that Yuzuki, who was always so prickly, suddenly became sweet the moment they reconciled.

(Well, she's awkward, so I guess she didn’t know how to interact before…)

That said, Shark, who has dabbled in martial arts and is more skilled than Ruu and the others in hand-to-hand combat, could teach them a lot. If he easily twisted someone like Shark, it’d be perfect for teaching them.

Indeed, it would be better for them to learn a proper martial art rather than my makeshift fighting style. I’m sure it will be useful for them. So, I decided to take the three of them to the dojo run by Yuzuki's grandfather.

...

"Welcome. Thank you for coming today."

The next day, at the entrance of a splendid traditional Japanese-style building, Yuzuki in her gi greeted us with a smile. This wasn’t the usual prickly attitude; today, she looked genuinely happy, like the gentle sunshine of a clear day.

"Hey, we came."

And, as usual, there’s this girl.

Shark responded to Yuzuki with a sullen attitude. But despite that, Yuzuki seemed genuinely happy she came, smiling brightly as she led us inside.

"We've prepared gi of the right size in the changing room. Please change there."

"Wow, it's pretty big!"

"This is my first time in a place like this."

"There are so many tatami mats."

The dojo had a kamidana (shrine) and hanging scrolls on the walls, and the walls themselves were made of wood. The size seemed about the same as the entrance hall to my refrigerator dungeon. That is, about the size of two regular classrooms.

...

Thus, the Aikido practice began under Yuzuki's guidance.

Today, the goal was to have Yuzuki teach the three of them and Shark, so while I changed into a gi, I sat on the side to observe.

"Ow! That hurts, Ruu!"

"Oh, sorry, Machi-chan!"

(Hmm... Seeing this, I realize Aikido really is a martial art based on calculations.)

As I watched Ruu and the others practice, I thought about Aikido.

It’s all about getting into a favorable position and angling the joints in a way that gives you an advantage. The key is how you move the opponent into an unfavorable position and posture. Because of this, I don’t think lucky punches, like in striking martial arts, would happen in Aikido.

...Yeah.

You have to stay calm and work through your plan step by step, or you can’t get into a winning position. And, because of how the human body is structured, there are certain patterns to these movements. These are then codified into forms, where you can predict and respond—just like solving a problem in chess.

(I see, it’s pretty much what I expected...)

Yeah, at this point, I can say I’ve already internalized it.

Why? Well, it’s not bragging. Think about it—when I was trying to master the footwork of a master, I fought against some pretty monstrous creatures.

Like the combat frog. A monster the size of a human, resembling a large frog.

The skin is slick with mucus, so if you don’t hit with perfect precision, your strike will slip off, losing its power. And the same goes for joint locks. To lock those slippery limbs, you have to apply a perfect hold. If it's half-hearted, the frog can slip out easily.

This combat frog, as the name suggests, was a true professional in hand-to-hand combat.

When it locked in a perfect submission with its own slickness, it would dive into the water, drowning its opponent. It was a terrifying creature.

Because I had to face such combat frogs in a hundred-man fight, I unknowingly mastered the perfect strikes that hit the center of gravity and the flawless submissions that wouldn’t slip away. I didn’t think about it at the time, but it was an excellent experience.

So, having been trained in such a brutal environment, I had no openings left.

(Thank you, combat frogs... Your noble experience lives on inside me!)

While reflecting on this, Shark came over to grumble at me.

"Why are you just slacking off? Since you’re here, you should join in!"

"Huh...? No, I’m just here as a supervisor today. Besides, I already understand the principles of Aikido."

"Wait! You can’t just say that! What do you even understand about Aikido!?"

Ah, oops... It looks like I accidentally stepped on one of Yuzuki's landmines with that comment.