MAMA SIFU AND PAPA SENSEI'S SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS
    Located between Japan and China town, this school is completely hidden by 4 surrounding buildings.  There is only one main entrance to the school and that is a small alley between the building to the north and the building to the east, located on the east side.  The building to the north is a clothing factory, the building to the east is A large restaurant and tea house, the two businesses are separate but occupy the same building.  To the south is an antique store, mostly filled with useless junk and tourist bargains.  And lastly to the west is a flower shop.  The alley way entrance is constantly littered with refuse, and only a small clear pathway enough for single file travel is available.  Stepping off the pathway is ill advised as the clutter conceals traps, the traps on the ground are only to frighten intruders, alert the dojo, and if close enough to ensnare.  The more lethal traps are hidden in the walls, window's and overhangs of the buildings to either side and can only be activated from the inside.  The local residents are keenly aware of the danger of the alley and only those  who train at the school ever enter the alley.  A 12 foot tall heavy wooden gate made to look like a fence is at the end of the alley and serves to obstruct the dojo from view. A laser tripwire sits four feet from the gate, and triggers a silent alarm inside the dojo as a final early warning system.

    The dojo caters to anyone who wants to learn, and while the surrounding neighborhoods don't generally welcome outsiders any students of this school are given their space provided they don't interfere with matters beyond their school.  Students have a very simple set of rules to live by:

    Never reveal the location or existence of the dojo to anyone.

    All outside business stays outside.

    Personal grudges against other students will not be tolerated inside the dojo.

    Drug use of any kind will not be tolerated in the dojo.  (Mama's garden has all the medicine you could need)

    No guests, unless pre-approved by Mama and Papa.

    Preserve the innocence of the younger pupils.

    No Firearms inside the dojo.

    All students are equal, regardless of skill or tenure.

    No horseplay in Mama Sifu's garden.

    To become a pupil of the school, one must first impress Mama and Papa, not with martial skill but with general determination, will power, tolerance, and an open mind.   Before anything is taught to a new prospect, they are first turned away several times, this is too prove their determination.  The hopeful is simply told at the door that the school is full, if he returns asking to learn a sufficient number of times (usually 3) he/she is asked to run simple errands, such as getting a set of hedge clippers from a store on the other side of town, or taking a package to a location (the package is usually empty but the student won't know that).  This is the test of willpower and after several such errands the pupil is admitted into the school, but not as a student.  He/she is admitted as a janitor/maintenance person and is subjected to random humiliation by the other students and faculty, (although they are very careful about it and know the limits of such antics).  Finally after enduring these tests the prospective student  is put before the assembled Masters, he is asked what he wishes to learn, the best possible answer to this is "As much as I can.", the masters will then ask, where would you like to start and each master will give a demonstration of their skill.

    Mama and Papa along with a few of the other masters are permanent residents of the school, housing for about 20 students is also available and  rent is either paid by money or working around the school.  If the beds are full, up to ten students can elect to sleep on the floor, futons will be provided but the rent is not decreased.  The student lodgings are not private however, in fact nothing is for the students, not the bathrooms, showers, dressing rooms, anything.  The masters have their own private rooms and baths but usually shower with the students, this is not done out of perversion but rather to keep the school close, any complaints of unwanted advancements are dealt with very very severely.   Another reason the masters join the students in the shower is to prevent such a thing from occurring.  It is taught at the school that there is no shame in the body.  The strict rules on harassment does not mean that relationships are prohibited, relationships are tolerated so long as both individuals are consensual and mature enough.

    How each individual master teaches is up to him or her to decide as long as no unnecessary cruelty takes place, Mama and Papa always have the final word on any training performed though, or anything else related to the school for that matter.

    The average student body is about 100 to 120,  with each master getting roughly two hours use of one of the two main training rooms per day .  Fees for the school vary but the highest  price asked is never above 1000 eb a month.  Students who are without monetary means must perform labor for the school, the less you can pay the more work you have to do.

    Financially the school is backed and owned by Autumn Blade, the organization purchased the school when they were having monetary problems and occasional sends operatives there for training, as well as recruiting from its normal student body.   Even though Autumn Blade owns the school it has no power in how the school is run.

    The schools anonymity is strictly enforced, and exists for the protection of the school, they understand this and it is one rule they will never break.  Several of the masters own their own Dojo's and for those students who wish to enter competition many of the masters allow them to register with their own schools.
     

    THE MASTERS

    (Mama Sifu and Papa Sensei's School Martial Arts, Autumn Blade
     and the characters herein were created and written by Deric Bernier and Tim Covell.)

    wisdom000@gmail.com