Author: Jack Crawford
Title: Responsibility
Summary: A martial artist fails in her duties to her Master and must submit to a traditional, yet unorthodox, caning.  
Keywords: dom, MF, humil, md, spank, exhib, nosex 
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Copyright: 2010



   Sarah knelt on the tatami covered floor, head bowed before her teacher,
Sensei Otoshi.  She knew he was disappointed, but he could not possibly be
more disappointed than she was in herself.  Otoshi knelt before her, his
body at once rigid and relaxed.  Sarah could feel the energy emanating from
her great teacher, and she could sense the change in the energy flow.  Was
it disappointment that altered his usually implacable force or was it anger
or some other emotion?

   After nearly four years of Kendo training with Sensei Otoshi, Sarah had
known she would come to a crossroads.  Sensei had warned her of it before
accepting her humble application to be his student.  Otoshi trained only
those students who he felt had the potential to learn the one true way of
the sword.  His instant decision about an applicant was irreversible.  If
Otoshi said you would not train with him, that was that.  But, if accepted,
the student had to accept his directions without question.

   Kendo, Sensei Otoshi believed and taught, was more than just a method of
fighting or defending with the katana or long Japanese sword.  It was a way
to spiritual enlightenment.  In the few tournaments that Otoshi allowed his
students to attend, they were feared competitors.  Their mastery of
techniques and strategy were not mere physical achievements, but rather a
reflected amalgamation of physical development, internal control, and
spiritual enlightenment.  Otoshi's students fought with their entire being,
not just their physical self.

   And their fighting and swordsmanship were mere shadows of their entire
essence; a physical manifestation of their commitment to a set of beliefs
and ideology that were uncompromising.  Sensei Otoshi demanded commitment
to the Kendo ideals he taught ...  commitment in and out of the dojo ... 
commitment in all phases of his students' lives.

   And here knelt Sarah, having utterly failed her Sensei.  She was at that
great crossroads that Otoshi had foretold.  Her commitment had faltered. 
Otoshi had given Sarah the task of delivering his response to an invitation
by another martial arts instructor in the city.  In these matters, there is
a strict protocol that must be followed, including the timing and manner of
response.  Sarah had been given an important assignment to hand deliver
Sensei's response, personally to the other instructor.

   Unfortunately, the other teacher was unavailable when Sarah tendered the
offer and she was asked to wait for him.  Sarah nervously waited to deliver
the small package, anxiously checking her watch.  She had a very good full
time job, and had a critical meeting to attend and time was running out. 
As the minute hand on her watch moved inexorably towards the top of the
hour, Sarah could see herself losing her job because she failed to make a
business meeting and the all important presentation to the President of her
company.

   But, she also knew the consequences of failing Sensei Otoshi.  He had
warned her before, and she very clearly knew what would be in store for her
if she did not follow his instructions precisely.  As the hour of her
meeting approached, Sarah felt she had no choice.

   Leaving Sensei's package with the other instructor's assistant, as well
as her profuse apologies, Sarah bolted to her next meeting, barely making
it on time for her presentation.  It went well, and Sarah should have been
proud, but she was sick at heart.  Immediately after work, Sarah rushed to
the dojo to explain what had happened to Sensei Otoshi.

   It was instantly clear to Sarah that Otoshi already knew.  He was cool
and aloof, much more than usual, and ordered her to change into her hakama,
the skirt-like trousers and keikogi or jacket.  Once in uniform, she was to
remain kneeling in Otoshi's office on the tatami floor until Otoshi had
finished his classes.  Sarah had been ordered to reflect on her situation
while in zazen, the seated meditation posture of zen practitioners.

   She had spent more than three hours in the kneeling position,
contemplating her decision.  Sarah had known she had to make this decision
when she failed her instructor and the consequences worried her.  Of the
two options, the easy way out was to simply quit studying with Sensei
Otoshi ...  he would no longer have her.  But, that option was repugnant to
Sarah.

   The other option frightened her.  She would be physically punished
before all of Otoshi's students who were senior to Sarah.  (It would be
inappropriate for her juniors to witness such an event, however beneficial
it might be for their own development.) Worse, she knew what form the
punishment would take.

   Essentially, Sarah would have to submit to a form of caning.  She would
be bent over a bench, probably restrained in that position, and her
backside would be bared.  It was unclear how many strokes she would
receive, but she had heard others talk of how horrible the pain was.

   It would be no ordinary school cane that would strike her.  Rather, it
would be a shinai.  The shinai is a practice fencing sword made of bamboo
strips, generally a single piece of bamboo split into four pieces
lengthwise.  The ends are secured with string, but they make an awful
racket when striking an opponent.  The split ends of bamboo snapping
together harshly at every impact.  For this exercise, however, the string
bindings would be removed and the four split lengths of bamboo would be
free to move, or splay, on contact.  As she meditated in Otoshi's office,
Sarah trembled at the thought of the punishment.  The truth was, she had
trembled nervously throughout her presentation to the President of her
company because she knew what was coming.

   Sarah had never even been spanked before ...  never.  And, the thought
of public humiliation, the baring of her bottom in front of so many people
that she respected, caused her nerves to jangle.  She had to take a deep,
cleansing breath to calm herself, an exercise that became more and more
necessary as time passed.

   Could she stand the humiliation?  She wasn't certain, but knew that she
had done many things in Kendo that she never thought possible before she
attempted them.  But, could she stand the humiliation after the punishment
was over?  How could she look her fellow students and Sensei in the eye
after public embarrassment?  What about the pain?  Sarah trembled again,
knowing she would not have the protective armor of her uniform, just her
own, bare and unmarked skin to absorb the biting shinai.  Would she be
expected to keep quiet?  How could she?  What would happen if she cried? 
These were questions that tormented Sarah as she waited in silence for
Otoshi.

   Finally, he had entered the office and knelt before her.  He allowed his
energy to wash over Sarah allowing it to probe her own feelings and her ki,
or spirit.  They both knelt in silence for long minutes.  Minutes that felt
like hours to Sarah.

   Sarah was not surprised that, when the silence was broken, Otoshi
already knew her decision.  "You have decided to remain a student and
accept the punishment you deserve," he stated quietly and simply.

   "Hai, Sensei!" she responded without looking up.

   Otoshi rose and said, "I know you deeply regret your actions, Sarah, and
will accept your fate.  Please undress completely and wait.  Sutemi-san
will come for you." Otoshi left and closed the door.  She had many
questions she wanted to ask, but maintained her discipline, knowing it was
better to remain silent.

   Sarah removed her clothes and the few articles of underclothing she had
on.  Much as she despised Sutemi, Otoshi's senior most student, she was
told it would be Sutemi who would come for her.  She knelt, naked now,
wondering what Sutemi would think.  Sarah had a marvelous figure, sculpted
to perfection with her years of Kendo training.  Sutemi had tried to date
Sarah in the past, but she had not been interested.  Occasionally, Sutemi
would make suggestive comments to her, and thoughts of his treatment after
her rejections made her skin crawl.

   The door opened suddenly and she heard Sutemi's voice.  "Stand and come
with me!" She stood and turned to see him leering at her naked form.  He
actually licked his lips!  Then he ran his hand over her bare bottom as he
whispered to her, "I hope you give us a lively show, Sarah.  We've all been
waiting for this opportunity!" He gave a short sinister laugh, but Sarah
remained quiet.  He added, "We have all been waiting to see this, and to
see your ass striped and raw from the shinai!" With uncommon courage, she
followed him into the dojo.

   The lights had been turned down and it was fairly dark, but Sarah could
see that seven others knelt in a rough semi-circle around a high bench. 
The bench had been padded and at the foot of the four legs, Sarah could see
eye bolts and strips of wide leather.  Sutemi escorted her through the
circle to the bench.

   There, he secured her ankles to the front legs of the bench, then draped
her over the padded area and secured her wrists to the far legs.  She could
feel his hot breath on her skin, and it made her shiver as if she were
cold.

   Her nude body was bent well over, with her bottom poised perfectly for
punishment.  Sarah could feel herself blushing hotly as a cool breeze
tickled both her naked bottom as well as her most intimate spot at the
junction of her legs.  She was well exposed, and in this position she had
no secrets from her seniors who sat about her.

   His task completed, Sutemi took his place on the floor, bowed towards
the back of the room, and knelt at the edge of the circle.  Silently,
Otoshi approached from the shadows, and Sarah could feel the unmistakable
presence of his ki as he approached.  She did not hear him, but his
presence was palpable.

   There was no long speech.  Sarah, Otoshi, and the student witnesses all
knew why she was in her current position, but Otoshi did ask one question.
"Sarah, do you have anything to say before I purge you of your burdens?"

   "Hai, Sensei," she answered bravely.  "I apologize to you and the dojo
for failing you and I willingly accept the punishment I am about to
receive. Thank-you for allowing me to remain your student."

   She could not see, but Otoshi nodded his pleasure at her statement, his
face unmoved, yet smiling inwardly.  Sarah remained as still as possible,
not wanting to be a coward and peek over her shoulder to see if Otoshi was
preparing to strike.

   She heard the shinai before she felt it.  A thin, sinister whistling cut
through he silence of the dojo just before a loud CRACK!  resounded through
the room.  Sarah was unprepared for the impact.  She gasped, her head
snapping up and her knees trying to buckle together.  Sarah could not
possibly have imagined the pain before she actually felt it.

   The pain came in waves.  There was the implied pain from the sound of
the cut, but it was not truly felt.  Then came the actual cutting: a
searingly sharp pain as it registered on the brain just after the moment of
impact.  Finally came the longer lasting heat and bruising pain as the
sensation burned into the soft tissues surrounding the actual point of
impact.

   SWWIIISSHH .....  CRACK!

   A second, violent cut bit into her naked bottom, not more than half an
inch above the first cut.  Sarah choked back a whimper, but her body
disclosed its anguish as she bucked hard against the leather straps that
held her in place.  A third vicious swishing as the shinai cut through the
air and then the sudden rifle shot crack as the weapon burned into the
milky white skin of her bottom.  The pain was horrible and now Sarah could
not bite back a low guttural scream, the following whimper or the
inevitable tears.

   Otoshi had been standing behind Sarah to her left.  The ends of the
shinai had splayed with each stroke, four sharp ends of the bamboo biting
separately into her right bottom cheek.  Sarah now sported three livid,
angry red stripes across both summits of her backside, but her right cheek
was marked with purple splotches where the split ends curled around her
muscled bottom.

   Her Sensei moved to her right side and repeated the three strokes, the
terrifying split ends of bamboo now crashing into left bottom cheek. 
Struggling to remain disciplined with all of her energy, Sarah could not
retain her composure for those three cuts.  She howled, and cried as her
body fought feverishly to free itself from the leather bonds.  But, Sutemi
had tied her well and from his position right in front of her, he could see
appreciate her suffering with complete clarity.

   Sarah looked up and noticed Sutemi's wicked grin as she fought to regain
her breath.  Otoshi said something, that Sarah missed, but she soon
understood that Sutemi was being given the task of applying the final two
strokes to Sarah.  His evil grin widened when he heard Otoshi's command,
but only briefly as he quickly covered his glee with a mask of righteous
determination.

   Sarah's bottom burned with the very fires of Hell and she feared
Sutemi's two cuts with the shinai.  But, begging for mercy, or complaining
would be unacceptable, so she ground her jaw tightly shut and awaited
Sutemi's punishment.  Sarah tried to console herself in the knowledge that
Otoshi always did the right thing.

   But, to Otoshi, the right thing to do, was to severely punish Sarah.  He
knew of the bad feelings between Sarah and Sutemi and hoped that by giving
Sutemi the chance to regain face by punishing Sarah, then Sutemi might be
more manageable in class when Sarah was in attendance.  Besides, Sutemi had
a motive that Otoshi did not possess, and the end of her punishment would
be worthy of the transgression Sarah had committed.

   Otoshi and the other kneeling students were surprised at the viciousness
of Sutemi's attack with the shinai.  None were more startled than Sarah, of
course.  Sutemi, standing behind Sarah to her left, cut hard across the
very top of her thighs, just at the junction of the thigh and buttock.  The
length of the shinai cut across Sarah's left thigh as the end splayed wide
and the four split tips branded her right thigh with four points of intense
heat.

   Sarah screamed from the pain, but Sutemi had already begun a quick,
inward turn, completing two spinning steps to get to Sarah's right side. 
As he completed the second turn, he used the force of his body to bring the
shinai back across Sarah's right thigh, the very end searing into the back
of her left leg.

   As Sarah's scream climaxed, then subsided into heavy crying, Sutemi
raised the shinai and with a flourish, secured it in his belt.  He bowed to
his instructor, removed the shinai and presented the weapon with both hands
and a bow to Otoshi.  With a small bow, Otoshi accepted the weapon, then
indicated that Sarah was to be released.

   Her punishment over, the other seven students lined up in front of
Sarah, but with their backs to her.  Sarah crumpled to her knees as she
tried to stand, but quickly recovered and turned towards Otoshi.  Sutemi
had joined the other students, but still Sarah felt self conscious,
standing naked in front of Sensei Otoshi.  She bowed her very lowest bow,
realizing how her naked breasts must be giving Otoshi quite a show.  Still,
she followed proper protocol.

   Otoshi nodded, a small bow of acknowledgment, and said in a voice loud
enough for all to hear.  "The incident is behind us, Sarah-san." Her heart
warmed with the added respectful term "san" ...  something that had been
missing since the incident.  "None of us will ever speak of it again."

   Immediately, the students responded with "Hai!  Sensei!" And, Sarah left
to dress and go home.  It was not easy dressing, but she managed with as
much dignity as possible.

   As she left the dressing room, Sutemi approached her, a small jar in his
hand.  With a formal bow, he extended the jar, offering it to Sarah.  "This
is dit da chow, an ointment that will help your wounds heal." Sarah looked
at him suspiciously and Sutemi added.  "Sarah-san, I have had to use it for
the very same reason you now need this ointment.  It is a gift and I hope
you find it useful."

   Sutemi placed the small jar in her hand, folding her fingers around the
cold glass.  Her turned and walked away, stopping as Sarah called out to
him.  "Sutemi-san!" Her turned to see her smiling weakly.  "I'll let you
know how it works." He smiled in return and watched as Sarah gingerly
negotiated the long stairway to the street.  
