Genma wanted her to train in all weapons, so that in a pinch she could grab whatever was handy and defend herself, but that she would have one primary weapon that she would actually specialize in.
The reasons for this were quite simple: she was not as manueverable as either Saotome, she tired a lot faster, and her arms and legs were shorter.
Weapons were usually eschewed by the Anything Goes users because dependence on a weapon meant that if it could be taken away from you - your combat effectiveness went into the toilet. There was another reason, which Genma hinted at and which eventually Saturn and Ranma figured out.
If you were going to fight someone, and it was not life or death, then unarmed was the way to go. There were less hassles, less bloodshed, and less problems with legal encounters. If you did need to kill/stop your opponent, then weapons were the most efficient way of going about it.
Saturn understood this, and admitted her slender hands were a little too soft and delicate for punching through engine blocks and the like. A weapon sounded good and had intimidation factor and the heft of a solid weapon in her hand felt right.
The question was what kind of weapon.
Genma had suggested the scythe early on. Weapon of death - the reaper - it definitely had an intimidation factor. Saturn wasn't sure about that. It seemed a clumsy weapon and required a lot of strength to move.
Saturn herself liked the Chinese fans she'd found at a US Marine base (Genma having heard of a special form of Marine-ryuu being developed there). Spring steel and reinforced kevlar. They were pretty too. Genma seemed to think they were too flashy and didn't look intimidating at all.
Ranma had considered the two and come up with a compromise. A simple length of wood could be a walking stick but it could also be used as a jo stick. (A walking stick for Saturn being not nearly the length of a bo staff.)
Genma tried suggesting a naginata - a traditional weapon used by women samurai, and he hinted he knew where a really good school for naginata-ryuu could be found.
Ranma came up with the idea of a jitte after seeing some collapsible steel ones at the Marine base.
Saturn started looking at kitchen supplies but was told that was someone's trademark already.
They were still debating various weapons for her primary when Saturn interrupted. She could feel a ring's presence nearby. It had been hidden until they had gotten very close, but now it was responding to her own magic as if anxiously calling to her.
It was in:
(Posted Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:34)
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