Character from The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Sinegard's Combat Master — a woman who earned her position in a male-dominated military academy through being unambiguously the most dangerous person in the room.
Jima teaches combat at Sinegard with the philosophy that war doesn't care about your potential — it cares about what you can do right now. She's demanding, unsentimental, and doesn't soften her standards for anyone. She initially dismisses Rin (small, untrained, southern) and is one of the first people forced to revise that assessment when Rin refuses to stop getting back up. Her respect, once earned, is genuine. She's one of the few Sinegard masters who judges students purely on capability rather than social standing.
Muscular and commanding with the scarred hands of a lifelong martial artist. Carries herself with the coiled readiness of someone who could kill you before you finished drawing your weapon. Middle-aged but radiating physical capability that makes age irrelevant. Her expression defaults to assessment — she's always evaluating whether you're worth training.
Also known as: Jima, Master Jima