‘Idiot!’ they both barked at Saburo.

‘Sorry. His claims just seemed a little… unbelievable,’ replied Saburo, rolling off them and rubbing his chest.

‘Well, now you know they weren’t!’ said Yamato, kicking him away.

Jack shot Saburo a resentful look. It was his fault that they were in such trouble. Sensei Kyuzo had been introducing himself and listing his victories over various renowned warriors, when Saburo inadvertently snorted his disbelief and Sensei Kyuzo had stormed over.

‘What was that? Think I’d lie for the benefit of a snivelling kohai? Think someone my size cannot defeat a six-foot Korean warrior? Get up! You, Yamato-kun and the gaijin there,’ he said, stabbing a gnarled finger at Jack. ‘Attack me. All of you at once.’

They had stood awkwardly in the middle of the Butokuden, looking like startled rabbits. The old man was smaller than all of them, but appeared as dangerous as a rattlesnake.

‘Come on. I thought you were samurai!’ he taunted. ‘I’ll even it up a little. I promise only to use my right arm.’

The class had sniggered at this outlandish gesture.

‘Attack me now!’ he screamed.

They had stared at one another, then, as one, charged at Sensei Kyuzo. Jack had not even touched the sensei before he was flung through the air, crash-landing on the dojo floor moments before Yamato and Saburo joined him in humiliating defeat.

As Jack knelt back in line, he noticed Kazuki smirking at him.

‘I am grateful to my parents for giving me a small body. Warriors underestimate me. You underestimate me,’ said Sensei Kyuzo defiantly. ‘Have I knocked belief into you yet, Saburo-kun?’

‘Hai, Sensei,’ said Saburo, bowing so quickly that his forehead struck the floor.

Sensei Kyuzo continued to lecture them, while forcibly punching and stabbing his fingers at a wooden post. His fingers, hard as iron, made the post shudder each time he struck it.

‘In order to overcome bigger opponents, I have had to hone my techniques to perfection and train twice as hard.’

His voice pummelled their ears in short bursts, keeping time with his punching.

‘If my enemy trains one hour, I train two. If they train two hours, I train four. The key to taijutsu is hard work, constant training and discipline. Hai?’

‘Hai, Sensei,’ said each student.

‘I asked if you understood. The Gods in Heaven need to hear your answer. Hai?’ demanded Sensei Kyuzo again.

‘HAI, SENSEI!’ They yelled in unison, their shout resounding off the walls.

‘Every time you step out of that door, you face ten thousand foes. Hai?’

‘HAI, SENSEI!’

‘Regard your hands and feet as weapons against them. Hai?’

‘HAI, SENSEI!’

‘Tomorrow’s victory is today’s practice. Hai?’

‘HAI, SENSEI!’

‘Your first year of taijutsu will be devoted to basic techniques.’

Sensei Kyuzo continued to verbally punch the air with his words while slamming the wooden post with his fist.