Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-2.96.106.45-20131022215901/@comment-4010415-20131028060301

Zourin brings up a good point. Ruby is only 15 and already highly skilled with a weapon. I see Signal and other early academies as being, not only where future hunters learn the basics, but also where they train with their weapons to get good at fighting before they move on to actually facing any real, living, breathing monsters.

After all, what did Weiss say? "Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon? This isn't your ordinary combat school. It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters!"

So, that just leads me to assume that academies like Signal for younger trainees ages ??? to 16 (approx) are more about sparring and practice alongside learning the basics. Therefore, all hunters likely learn from a young age and start practicing with their weapons early.

Then there are prodigies like Ruby. And... theoretically... possibly Adam?