by Lily Black
Then Master Hays arrived and started the meeting. He wanted to discuss a tournament Crouching Tiger had been invited to, which was several months out but sounded like a good experience for the students.
Alexa tried to keep her mind on the meeting, but she found her thoughts wandering back to the slash in her tire. She couldn’t shake the sick feeling that had formed in the pit of her stomach the moment she had seen the ragged cut.
She would feel better when this meeting was over and she could get on with teaching. She would feel even better once she got a bit of sparring in tonight. She needed to make sure she was paired with a fellow black belt, because she didn’t feel like holding back.
When the meeting was over, she caught Master Hays’s eye and signaled that she would like him to stay for a minute.
Master Hays nodded and waited quietly while the room emptied. Alexa watched him, thinking how well he embodied the silent and serene sensei, with his silver hair and wise eyes. But she knew he was also a man of experience in the world, and she was tapping into that side now. She trusted his judgment and wanted his insights on her stalker problem, and as an added bonus, coming to Master Hays would sooth Keri’s concerns.
When the last black belt filed out, Alexa took a deep breath. She spoke quickly so she wouldn’t chicken out. “I have a stalker. He slashed my tire today.”
Master Hays’s eyebrows rose, and he leaned forward. “Is this person someone you know?”
She shook her head and related what had happened so far. She left out the part where Drew had helped her change her tire. Master Hays probably already knew, but if he didn’t, she wasn’t going to tell him.
“I see.” The sensei leaned back, his eyes resting on Alexa’s face. “And you do not wish to involve the police as yet. Because they might take your concerns as the paranoid ranting of an overwrought female?”
Alexa nodded, grateful he understood. She had discussed her issues with him—her PTSD symptoms from an incident three years ago—when she’d first started learning self-defense and was having a hard time handling the physical closeness and calm it required. “Besides, what can they do at this point? They don’t have the manpower to give me a guard, and they have nothing to go on in catching this guy.”
“Perhaps you should give them more credit, Alexa.” He leaned forward and tucked her hand into his. His voice was gentle. “You are known here and will not be lightly dismissed. If anything further happens, promise me you will involve the police.”
She nodded, relieved he wasn’t insisting on it just yet.
Master Hays sat back. “I had hoped you wished to speak of our young competitor, that perhaps your feelings toward him had softened after his help this afternoon.”
Alexa felt a quick flush rise in her cheeks and took a calming breath in hopes she could force the tattletale pink back down. “You’ve heard the things he says about Crouching Tiger, about traditional martial arts. One good deed doesn’t erase all that.”
Master Hays nodded. “That is true, but much of what he says about our school is also true.” He smiled slightly at Alexa’s shocked face. “We cater to young children, who cannot hope to compete with an adult fighter, no matter how well they learn their kata. We offer classes that are geared toward fitness, not fighting, and take all comers, regardless of their athleticism. We also don’t pretend to train all or most of our students into fighters who can take the kind of beating dished out in a mixed martial arts ring.”
“So what if MMA manages to pound some skills into their fighters?” Alexa asked. “You can say that of any gang on the street too. Where are the values, the respect? Where is the rising generation that understands its place in a balanced world?” She made a flicking motion with her fingers as if tossing garbage to the curb. “Drew can jump on the MMA fad and ride it right out of town. He’ll never convince me that it has any lasting worth.”
Master Hays smiled but shook his head at her. “We are always open to learning, Alexa. New things do not threaten the old unless tradition is abandoned. Drew called a few minutes ago, and I invited him here this afternoon to witness our brick-breaking demonstration. Who knows, it may begin a positive relationship between our schools. We have much to teach each other.”
“Oh, fabulous.” Alexa shoved the chair back as she stood. “Let’s start a ‘symbiotic’ relationship in which Drew stomps all over traditional martial arts and buys us out when we’re thoroughly flattened.”
Master Hays lifted his hand. “I understand you don’t like it. However, he’ll be our guest while he’s here, and I would appreciate it if you could set an example for the other black belts in civility.” He leaned forward again. “Alexa, I knew Drew’s father and grandfather. I knew him as a boy and watched him through the years when he came back to visit his grandfather. I saw him grow to be a man. I trust him.”
Alexa wondered if that extended to trusting Drew’s cutthroat business sense, but she swallowed her retort and nodded. “I’ll be civil.”
Master Hays smiled and got to his feet. “Good. With my lovely Joanne and myself out of town for the next few days, I’ll rest easier if I know you won’t start a war while we’re away.”
“No wars, but I may not be able to prevent a skirmish or two,” Alexa said with a laugh. They walked together to the door leading out into the lobby. “Where will the two of you be going? The ocean or the mountains?”
“We still haven’t decided,” Master Hays answered with tranquil satisfaction. “It is our plan to tumble along like the windblown leaves.”
Alexa laughed again, enjoying the thought. Mrs. Hays, “the lovely Joanne,” was as sweet and grandmotherly as anyone could wish, but she also had a whimsical streak that asserted itself once in a while and took absolute control over Master Hays’s more practical side. In the face of a stalker and painful memories, Alexa felt good knowing that love endured and sweetened life.
She smiled at the students gathered in the lobby. The class of eight- through eleven-year-olds was at full chatter, hotly debating what kind of pie was best. They broke off when she walked in, and chorused a greeting.
“Is it time to line up, Ms. Wolving?” Brianna was an eleven-year-old bundle of energy with terrific kicks and a quick smile.
“What, and me teach class in my skirt?” Alexa asked in mock horror. The kids all laughed, and Brianna smacked both hands across her face in comic dismay at her goof.
“Don’t worry, I’ll change quickly. And when it’s time to line up, you can lead the bows,” Alexa told her. Brianna was all smiles again, so Alexa left the group and slipped into the changing room for a quick wardrobe swap. Out with the sweet, flower-attired librarian, in with the kick-butt black belt. That thought always amused her. As the heavy fabric of her gi settled over her shoulders, she felt her general agitation from the day disappear. Replacing it was the energized calm she enjoyed in the dojo. This was her sanctuary, her refuge, and her release. As she stopped in the doorway of the dojo and bowed, she embraced the feeling and smiled.
Brianna led the class in lining up and did a superb job leading them through the bow and oath. Alexa nodded to herself, pleased at the young girl’s progress. When she first joined Crouching Tiger, she had been so shy that no one could hear her when she whispered that she needed to go to the bathroom. Now she was capable of giving the whole class commands.
Alexa accepted the students’ bows to her then turned the group over to the teenage black belts, who led them through their kata. They started with the white belt form and worked on up.
Alexa walked the edges of the group, nodding her approval. There were occasional fumbles, especially among the white and yellow belts, but for the most part, the class was moving in sync. Even more impressive, they were getting their breathing right, and the upper belts moved with the calm grace of a true martial artist in the zone.
Alexa enjoyed a swell of satisfaction and almost maternal prid
e in her students as spunky Morgan stood on tiptoe and stretched her arms wide to execute the slow-breathing rest just before the end of the brown belt form. Next to her, Jake looked a little less poised. His rangy body didn’t take well to tiptoeing, but he was still pulling it off. Then Jake and Morgan came out of the slow rest and flashed through the end of the form, landing the final jump perfectly in sync.
Alexa grinned and moved forward to congratulate the kids on a job well done. The neo martial artists like Drew could mock the kata all they wished. She knew the forms served a useful place in martial arts training. The kata taught breathing, control, and instinctive understanding of one’s environment, all while cementing the basic moves that made up a martial artist’s repertoire. Drew could keep his souped-up street smarts. She would stick to the time-honored traditions of the age-old martial arts, thanks all the same.
The rest of the class was spent teaching the students their belt-appropriate combinations. Several kids received a new stripe on their belt, which was always something that made their eyes sparkle. The class bowed out, and Alexa bowed out of the dojo with them, intent on grabbing a sip of water before she was needed for the breaking demonstration.
Keri intercepted her on her way to the water cooler. Eyes alive with eagerness, Keri leaned in and kept her voice to a whisper. “I just heard who helped you change your tire. Why didn’t you tell me? Or better yet,” she added with a laugh, “text me so I could come and watch the fireworks?”
Alexa shushed Keri, her eyes darting to see who had heard. Her friend’s whisper carried easily in the hallway, and the students were watching them. But she wondered why she hadn’t texted Keri. Or better yet, why hadn’t she called her friend? If she’d whipped out her phone the minute she knew her tire was flat, Keri could’ve been there in time to help her with the stubborn lug nuts and Drew would’ve had no reason to stick around. Was there some Freudian part of her that had wanted Drew’s help? No way.
She thrust that thought away as soon as it flashed through her brain. So she wasn’t immune to the effects of his charisma. So what? She knew better than to throw herself at a heartbreaker. No way was she that pathetic.
She looked back at Keri and sighed at the speculative look in her friend’s eyes. That was one thought she would have to nip in the bud. “I planned to go get a snack after the breaking class, before I come back for the sparring class. If you want to get coffee with me, and you promise not to say a word until we’re safely away from the dojo and in no danger of being overheard, I’ll tell you every single detail.”
Keri laughed and gave Alexa a half hug. “So long as the details are sordid and the coffee is strong.”
Alexa hugged her friend back and refrained from making an ugh face.
Drew paused on the sidewalk to read the announcements taped to the glass beside the front door of Crouching Tiger. Testing was in two weeks, so pre-tests would be some time in the next week. A party for all belt levels was scheduled for later in the month and would include a movie and video games for the kids, while parents had a night out.
He shook his head. That was another reason why his studio would keep its focus on the practical application of mixed martial arts and real-life self-defense situations. As much as he loved kids, he didn’t think it was his job as an instructor to be their babysitter. Besides, it wasn’t as if he could pass on his skills as a trained combat veteran and Ranger to a pack of little kids. At best, the youth programs like the one offered by Crouching Tiger gave kids a sense of self and a desire to learn. At worst, the pseudo fighting and fancy moves left kids with an inflated sense of their own abilities and turned them into egotistical bullies.
Alexa had accused him of being a money-grubbing pretender, but he was willing to bet Crouching Tiger made most of their cash from the youth programs.
Still, he respected Master Hays and was quite willing to support his team in offering their brand of martial arts, while he offered his. Maybe Drew’s visit would help foster the goodwill needed for such an arrangement—Alexa or no Alexa.
He opened the door and stepped inside the spacious lobby. To his left were a small office and a storage room. To his right were a closed door and an impressive wall of trophies. Through the big glass windows in front, he could see a class in progress.
Little kids ran around the lobby and played on the floor, so Drew stepped carefully as he walked through.
“Look, they’re starting the breaking!” a boy of maybe six called out. His little sister had been sprawled on the floor. She jumped up and charged over to the windows, squirming between the other watchers to get a good view.
Drew had to smile. Okay, maybe if he had the chance to have kids one day, he would want them to have a place like Crouching Tiger where they could train.
He stopped in the doorway to the dojo and slipped off his shoes before entering. The students were gathered in the dojo center, so he made his way toward them. The rail behind him, the mirrors on the wall across from him, and the slight give of the mats under his feet reminded him of the little bit of traditional martial arts training he’d had as a boy.
As he entered, he could hear Master Hays discussing the technique involved in breaking brick. Then Alexa’s voice took over the instruction. Drew stopped at the outer edge of the circle of students, where he could look among them and watch unobtrusively.
Alexa stood on the far side of the group, facing Drew and the biggest cluster of students. In front of her, a smooth surface had been laid down on the mat floor, and bricks were set up on it. Two fat cinder blocks stood on their ends and provided upright supports on which a third cinder block rested. As Alexa talked, she stepped forward and placed one foot beside the standing brick on her left, and Drew saw the whole getup wobble. Alexa steadied the blocks, seemingly without giving it any thought, and continued to explain to the gathered students the principal points of a clean break.
“Remember to turn your hand to the side,” she said. “So it’s aligned with the brick, then hit it with the thickest part of your palm. Anybody want to tell me why we hit with that part of the palm?”
A smiling teen with her hair pulled into a ponytail raised her hand. “Because that’s the strongest part of the palm?”
“Yes, but also because hitting with that part of the palm allows you to provide the most impact in the smallest space.” As Alexa spoke, several students held their own hands up, looking at their palms as if seeing them for the first time.
“You want to shock the brick, send all the force of your energy through it,” Alexa said. “Simply slapping it will only make your hand hurt, and punching it will cause the energy to travel back up your arm.” She gave the students a grin. “Very painful, that. If you’re lucky, you’ll just jump around and swear. If you’re unlucky, your arm will hurt for upwards of a week. With the right technique, your hand will go through the brick like it’s slicing butter.”
As she finished, Alexa’s upper body was centered directly over the brick. She lifted up on her toes then dropped her center of gravity, while bringing the heel of her palm down on the brick in a sharp motion—down, then up. The brick sliced cleanly in two and clattered to the floor.
A scattering of applause came from the group of students and instructors.
Alexa stepped back, and a black belt standing by cleared away the broken halves of the brick then put another cinder block in its place. Drew couldn’t help noticing that the black belt was a good-looking guy who probably got plenty of attention from the girls. The guy was built like a tank and worked comfortably side by side with Alexa. Was it just Drew’s imagination, or did the guy seem to watch Alexa a little possessively when he stepped back?
Ugh. Maybe they were dating. Drew caught himself wondering how many push-ups the other guy could do and if he could keep military form while he did them. He quickly reined in his thoughts. If Alexa liked that kind of guy, there was nothing he could do about it—and giv
en that he only wanted a working business relationship, he shouldn’t have even noticed the competition.
“Remember, you want to drop your center of gravity as you break,” Alexa said. “Try to coordinate the movement so you hit the brick at the bottom of your drop. Let your body’s movement help you and keep the drop clean and quick.” She rose up a bit, preparing to drop into the move, and Drew shifted so he could get a better view.
Alexa’s eyes met his just as she dropped into the move. Even from across the room and with an untutored eye, Drew could see she hit the brick a lot harder than she had the last one.
The cinder blocks rocked. The top brick broke, and the two supporting blocks toppled over.
Drew stepped forward—an impulsive gesture, since he wasn’t nearly close enough to help.
Alexa snatched her foot back, but she’d waited too long. The cinder blocks slammed down on her foot.
Her face contorted with pain. “Fiddlesticks,” she ground out.
A tall female black belt jumped forward to support Alexa by the arm. Alexa accepted the support but gave her students a grim smile. “That was an example of excessive force, and it also demonstrates why you move your foot back out of the way after each break.” She looked to Master Hays, and some signal passed between them. “Brian.” She nodded to the black-belt stud who’d helped set up the bricks. “Could you take charge here and let the conditional belts start breaking?”
Brian nodded and moved forward to set up the cinder blocks. Alexa leaned on the arm of her friend and made her way across the dojo toward the lobby.
Drew told himself he wasn’t needed, that Alexa was in the hands of her friend. But he couldn’t pretend her accident wasn’t his fault. She’d been looking right at him when the bricks fell.
He waited while two conditional belts attempted to break, neither having any luck. When the third student managed to crunch through the brick, Drew used the cover of general applause and high fives to follow Alexa.
