Welcome Anastasia [Sign Out] [Multi-Login]


Add Reply
Tanaka Kou; Rising Gundam
Topic Started: Sep 29 2010, 05:02 PM (67 Views)
Zero

Posted Image

Name: Tanaka, Kou [Family name first]
Age: 19
Place of Birth: Kyoto, Japan
Occupation: Maid, Bodyguard
Personality:
To say that Kou is overprotective would be an understatement. Though a generally kind-hearted young-woman Kou can be considered ruthless when it comes to fighting to protect Mura. She's extremely prideful in everything that she does and never once considered it degrading that she was a servant. To strangers Kou appears distant and silent, though once you become someone she knows and trust it is hard to get the young woman to ever shut up.

Her primary dedications in life as Mura, Martial Arts, and Academics in that exact order. 'Fun' for Kou usually consists of sparring or reading a book, or simply hanging around Mura. Some people find Kou to be a bit abrasive, and she tends to judge others alot based upon whether or not they have any skill in Martial Arts. The obsession with Martial Arts was something that was pushed onto her from a young age, and she continued to practice it out of simple enjoyment.

Height: 165.1 cm
Weight: 60kg
Hair Color: Black//Purple
Eye Color: Blue

Martial Arts
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, the "Heavenly True, Correctly Transmitted Style of the Way of the God of Katori"
Quote:
 
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū (天真正伝香取神道流?) is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts, and an exemplar of koryū bujutsu. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by Iizasa Ienao, born 1387 in Iizasa village (present day Takomachi, Chiba Prefecture), who was living near Katori Shrine (Sawara City, Chiba Prefecture) at the time. The ryū itself gives 1447 as the year it was founded, but some scholars claim circa 1480 is more historically accurate. Tenshinshō-den Katori Shintō Ryū includes in its martial curriculum, iaijutsu, kenjutsu, bōjutsu (staff art), naginata-jutsu (glaive art), jūjutsu, shuriken-jutsu (throwing blade art), ninjutsu (espionage art), sōjutsu (spear art), senjutsu (tactics), and chikujō-jutsu (field fortification art).



-Naginatajutsu:
--Naginatajutsu (長刀術 or 薙刀術) is the Japanese martial art of wielding the naginata. In the early history of its use, the naginata was primarily used against cavalry, as its length kept the wielder a safe distance from horses and their riders. During the Tokugawa period (1603–1868), the naginata was transformed into a symbol of status for female samurai, as well as being the primary means for a woman to defend her home while her husband was away at war. This period also saw the propagation of the naginata as a feminine art and the weapon serving as more of a symbol of devotion to a woman's family.

-Jujutsu:
--Jujutsu is Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon.

"Ju" can be translated to mean "gentle, supple, flexible, pliable, or yielding." "Jutsu" can be translated to mean "art" or "technique" and represents manipulating the opponent's force against himself rather than confronting it with one's own force. Jujutsu evolved among the samurai of feudal Japan as a method for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon. Because striking against an armored opponent proved ineffective, practitioners learned that the most efficient methods for neutralizing an enemy took the form of pins, joint locks, and throws. These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker's energy against him, rather than directly opposing it.



Kyūdō
Quote:
 
Kyūdō (弓道?), literally meaning "way of the bow", is the Japanese art of archery. It is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and practitioners are known as kyūdōka (弓道家?).

All kyūdō archers hold the bow in their left hand and draw the string with their right, so that all archers face the higher position (kamiza) while shooting. Unlike occidental archers (who, with some exceptions, draw the bow never further than the cheek bone), kyūdō archers draw the bow so that the drawing hand is held behind the ear. If done improperly, upon release the string may strike the archer's ear or side of the face.

Resulting from the technique to release the shot, the bow will (for a practised archer) spin in the hand so that the string stops in front of the archer's outer forearm. This action of "yugaeri" is a combination of technique and the natural working of the bow. It is unique to kyūdō. Kyūdō technique is meticulously prescribed.

Hassetsu (or "eight stages of shooting")

1.Ashibumi, placing the footing. The archer steps onto the line from where arrows are shot (known as the shai) and turns to face the kamiza, so that the left side of his body faces the target. He then sights from the target to his feet and sets his feet apart so that the distance between them is equal to his yatsuka, approximately half his body height, and equal to the length of an arrow. A line drawn between the archer's toes should pass through the target after the completion of the ashibumi. During competition, an archer may have a second set of arrows sitting on the ground at his or her feet. To be correct in Ashibumi, these arrows must not extend in front of or behind the archer's footing stance. The archer's feet are then placed outward at a 60 degree angle from each other, forming a "V", this ensures equal balance to both feet.

2.Dozukuri, forming the body. The archer verifies his balance and that his pelvis and the line between his shoulders are parallel to the line set up during ashibumi. During Dozukuri, the Kyūdōka will arch his or her back, straightening the back and causing the buttocks to stick out slightly behind. Practically this posture is to prevent the strings of the hakama from being clipped by the bowstring during shooting as well as ensuring the back of the archer is very straight, which, in turn, prevents the bowstring from striking the archer's face when shooting.

3.Yugamae, readying the bow. Yugamae consists of three phases:
  • Torikake, gripping of the bowstring with the right hand.
  • Tenouchi, the left hand is positioned for shooting on the bow's grip.
  • Monomi, the archer turns the head to gaze at the target.


4.Uchiokoshi, raising the bow. The archer raises the bow above the head to prepare for the draw.

5.Hikiwake, drawing apart. The archer starts bringing down the bow while spreading his arms, simultaneously pushing the bow with the left hand and drawing the string with the right, until the arrow is level with the eyebrows.
  • Daisan, Big three. This forms the midway point in Hikiwake.


6.Kai, the full draw. The archer continues the movement started in the previous phase, until full draw is achieved with the arrow placed slightly below the cheekbone. The arrow points along the line set up during ashibumi.
  • Tsumeai, constructing the vertical and horizontal lines of the body.
  • Nobiai, uniting the expansions of the body.


7.Hanare, the release. The technique results in releasing the bowstring from the right hand.

8.Zanshin, "the remaining body or mind" or "the continuation of the shot". The archer remains in the position reached after hanare while returning from the state of concentration associated with the shot.
  • Yudaoshi, lowering of the bow.



History:
To say that Kou was born to a life of servitude would not be inaccurate, and it is something which she has always taken pride in. Tracing her families lineage back hundreds of years to the feudal era of Japan will reveal that her ancestors were Samurai, who served their lords faithfully until the end. Because of this strong sense of familial pride, Kou was pushed toward Martial Arts from an early age.

She studied a traditional style, and focused on Naginatajutsu and Kyudo, and though she has practiced both arts for years, she still continues to learn. Though born in Kyoto Kou would eventually move to Nara, Japan, where she would meet Echi Haimura, who's parents had been friends with Kou's. Kou was soon hired by the wealthy Echi family to act as a care-giver to Haimura. While Kou never truthfully considered it a job, as she enjoyed spending time with the young girl, she still took pride in her duties and the two girls got along perfectly together. Soon Kou's job would expand from being a simple caregiver to a full-time maid and bodyguard as she got older and the family noticed Kou's Martial prowess.

As Mura grew older Kou would press the blind girl toward learning Martial Arts, an activity which Kou felt the girl would enjoy despite her physical disability. Mura would come to enjoy the activity and soon the girl would be tested when the two were attacked one night. While Kou held the attackers off, Mura was forced to become involved in the fighting her self, and managed to defend her self through all the practice. The two would find them selves in America after sometime as Mura initiated the Shining and Rising Projects.

After the attack Mura started the Shining and Rising projects, the Rising Gundam PA having been designed to obviously play to Kou's strong suits.
Edited by Zero, Oct 3 2010, 02:19 AM.
PM Offline Member Profile Report Post Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic
Members: Anastasia
« Previous Topic · Character Profiles · Next Topic »
Add Reply
Fast Reply