Morning light peaked over the skyscrapers of the city and cast long shadows on the dusty junkyard. It was earlier than MC and GM usually started the day. “You’ve done well in your training so far, but this will be the hardest part yet.” said GM. Now that you’ve had your taste of a real fight, we’re going to need to hone your skills a bit. We’re going to do some sparring and I want you to fight like your life depends on it because that’s how it will be when you go on a mission. I may not always be around to help you finish the job,” said GM.
“If I’m going to go up against Jin and the Black Diamond I suppose this would be the next step,” said MC, feeling a little nervous.
“That’s the spirit,” said GM. “So, for today you and I will be doing some light combat training. Obviously, I’m going to hold back a bit to start off.” GM shed his layers, folding his jacket and shirt nicely and setting them aside. To MC’s surprise he had a chiseled set of abs and muscles that seemed to defy his graying hair. MC gulped and sweat began to run down his chin as he grew more nervous. He took off his shirt as well. “No need for anything fancy. I just want you to come at me like you mean it.” GM took a fighting pose with his arms raised. “Whenever you’re ready.”
MC’s face changed into a concentrated stare. He clenched his fists and prepared for the fight. What should I start with? A punch? A kick? Whatever, I’m just going to rush in and see what happens. He ran up to GM with his arm cocked back ready to strike. His attack was dodged and returned with a stern shove on his back that carried his momentum forward and made him tumble onto the dusty ground.
“See how I used your own attack against you to make you lose your balance?” said GM. “Keep going.”
With his arms up like that it makes it seem unlikely that I’ll land any attacks by just punching and rushing in. Let’s try something a little different. MC came towards GM with a flurry of kicks. GM pushed his attacks aside with ease until he eventually grabbed MC’s leg flipping him over onto his back. “One again, I used your own position against you. What do you think that means?
“I think it means that I’m covered in dirt and dust now,” said MC, getting up and patting the dust off his pants.
Their sparring took place until the sun began to set. MC was covered in sweat and breathing heavily while GM was completely unscathed and relaxed. “Well, let's call it a day,” said GM.
“But I didn't even land a single hit on you,” said MC.
“That may be true, but I didn't expect you to. Today was about more than just making sure you know how to hit someone. If you haven’t noticed that yet, then we have even more work to do than I thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“I knocked you flat on your ass over a hundred times today yet you still kept coming at me with the same motions and attacks. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Attacks come secondary.”
“What could possibly come before that?”
“Balance. If you had just made sure you had solid footing and looked out for my attacks, you could have avoided getting knocked over at least a few times.”
MC was stunned. It seemed so simple. He realized that he focused so much on attacking GM. He was too caught up on offense and didn't think to try and set himself up for defense at all.”
“Let’s get you home and cleaned up. You’re filthy,” he said while cringing. “Set your t-shirt on the seat under you so you don't dirty up my upholstery.”
That night, GM ordered Sora to go over martial arts techniques and theory with MC. The organization had hundreds of books and videos on combat and martial arts to train the new members. Sora grudgingly accessed their online database and spent far too long forcing MC to watch videos. Eventually he fell asleep right at the dinner table they were sitting at.
The next day, MC and GM went back to the training grounds. “We’re going to do the same thing we did yesterday. Keep in mind what I told you. It’s not all about attacking. Attacking is important, but it means nothing if you’re not able to defend yourself.”
“Right,” said MC, feeling determined.
Throughout the day, MC was still unable to avoid being knocked down even once. He was covered in dirt and sweat. A dirty mess once again. “Not bad, MC. I can see you tried, but you’re still figuring yourself out.” MC laid on the ground panting. “Sheesh, you reek. I brought a towel this time. Put it down on the seat you stinky bastard,” he said with a laugh.
MC’s training continued this way for the next several months. GM had also ordered Sora to teach MC technique and theory on an almost daily schedule. MC was usually so tired he studied with Sora until he passed out wherever he was. His skills slowly improved over the next few weeks. He was now able to keep his balance for the most part, think faster, and move automatically through several martial arts techniques. He was even landing a dozen or so hits on GM most days.
“You’ve done well progressing through the sparring. If you went up against that guy that beat you behind the restaurant a few months ago he wouldn’t stand a chance. This means that today we’re going to start focusing on actual fights you may encounter,” said GM.
“What do you mean by that?” asked MC. GM answered his question by pulling a folded pocket knife out of his pocket.
“The enemy won't play fair or go easy on you,” replied GM. He flicked out the blade and rushed towards MC, ready to strike.
“What the hell,” yelled MC as he backed up, almost stumbling over, but regaining his balance at the last second.
“Good. You instinctually backed away and kept your footing. Keep it up!” He charged at MC again and continued to swing the knife around. He flipped it in his hand and went from holding it one way to another. He lightly cut MC’s arm and then his chest. The cuts weren’t deep. They were swift and light, hardly even deep enough to start bleeding. It showed just how skilled GM was with a blade.
“This isn’t fair. I don't have a weapon and you do,” said MC.
“You of all people should know that life’s not fair. Especially when you choose to join a criminal organization. If you can land three hits on me, we’ll be done for the day. Keep up your defense until then or you’ll go home looking like you got in a fight with a pair of scissors.”
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MC paused and gathered himself, taking a defensive stance.“Alright. I can do this.” He watched GM’s eyes to see where he might strike. He studied his foot placement to predict movements. Just these simple skills showed that he had improved tremendously in the last few months.
The attack finally came. It was aimed at MC’s left arm. He stepped back with his left foot to dodge and threw a punch at GM’s abdomen only to be pushed away by his free hand. A series of quick attacks and blocks followed. MC stepped back with three new cuts on his body and one single punch landed on GM.
“Oof. I felt that one!” said GM, rubbing the spot of impact. “Only two more to go. I’ve got to keep my wits about me if I’m going to give you a challenge today.”
Hours passed and they were still at it. “Looks like you’re getting the hang of it. I haven’t drawn blood in almost an hour, but you’ve still only got one hit against me” said GM. “Let me tell you about another technique in fighting. Something the books and videos wont go over.” GM relaxed his stance and pointed his finger up like a teacher. “When faced with an enemy that has a seemingly impenetrable defense, you might have to take a trade.”
“Take a trade?” asked MC.
“Yes. What I mean by that is to allow them to land an attack on you to open up a spot in their defense. Think about it. The moment I land a cut on you with my knife is a moment when my right arm is at a drastic disadvantage. I can’t attack and defend at the same exact time. It takes precise timing and judgment. For example, you wouldn’t want to take an attack from a sword just to land a punch. It has to be a trade where you're going to give more damage than you’re going to receive.”
It all clicked in MC’s head. He was still having trouble landing attacks on GM in general, but if he allowed GM’s attack to go through he’d have an opportunity to pounce back.
“I’ll give it a try,” said MC.
“Just try your best,” said GM, raising his weapon and lunging forward. MC concentrated on the strategy that GM had described. He watched every swing of the blade, waiting for a time when he could get an attack. It didn't take long before he saw an opportunity. In a swift motion, he let GM’s attack hit him in the arm while he swung a fist back at him. To his surprise, GM was able to dodge his punch. MC jumped back, his feet skidding in the dirt.
“Hey what’s the big idea?” he said angrily. “I did just what you said.”
GM laughed. “What, did you really think that strategy would work first try? You’ve got to be realistic especially against someone who expected it to be coming. However, that attack was much closer than you’ve been getting for the last hour. Just remember to use proper judgment and timing like you did there. If my attack had been aimed at a vital part of your body, it could have been lethal.”
It made so much sense it seemed to slap MC in the face. There had never been anything easy about GM’s training and this exercise was no different. Day turned to night and still MC had only managed to land one hit on GM. His body was covered with small cuts and his pants looked like they had gone through the dryer with a pocket full of razor blades. “You’re starting to slow down. We’ve been at this for too long. I’m getting bored. Let’s head home,” said GM.
MC didn’t want to give up. “Can we keep going a bit longer?”
GM smirked. “If you really want to keep getting scratched up, be my guest.”
A half moon rose up over the horizon and illuminated the training grounds. MC’s attacks continue to hit nothing while GM’s fancy footwork and speed were blurred by the darkness. MC concentrated. He used all of his senses. He listened to the padding of feet on the ground and the sound of arms swishing through the air. That was when he landed a blow on GM. It was just a tap, but it was a landed attack nonetheless.
GM backed up a little, surprised. “How’d you swing that one? I figured you could hardly see my movements. I can hardly see yours now as well.”
“That’s exactly how I did it. You and I are mostly blurred in the shadows of the night, but the silver blade of your knife is reflecting the moonlight. That means I can see you more than you can see me. Just having that slight advantage allowed me to get a hit in on you.”
“Now I see why you wanted to keep going. Very smart, but can you land one more hit to finish the exercise?” GM challenged.
It was late. Almost the middle of the night. They kept sparring and the moment MC had been waiting for finally came. He noticed GM’s attacks hitting less frequently. He was getting sloppy. It was a war of attrition. He knew that GM hadn’t had any alcohol yet today. Being such a heavy alcoholic, his body started to have effects of withdrawal. His hands got shaky and he started sweating a bit, causing his grip on the pocket knife to weaken. It slipped around in his hand like a wet fish. MC realized he was at the end of his limits as well. Each attack he threw felt like it could be his last before collapsing from pure exhaustion. He had to put all of his effort into one last attempt. MC paused for a moment, letting GM hit him with a quick strike then unleashed all of his energy into his own attack. It threw GM off guard and MC’s first landed in the middle of GM’s chest, causing his feet to skid back in the dirt. .
GM stood there stunned for a moment before relaxing. “Well done!” he applauded.
“Thanks,” said MC with a smile before falling over onto his back. GM sat down in the dirt and they both looked up at the stars while catching their breath.
“Looks like you learned a lot today. When you were fresh in the fight you were able to hit me pretty quick. Then, you waited until night to have the sight advantage over me because of my shiny blade. Last, you waited until I started feeling alcohol withdrawal symptoms to have the physical advantage over me. Not bad. You were strategic and used your strengths and my weaknesses all at the same time.”
“I can’t believe I was able to hold out that long, but I don't think I can move now. GM, could you help me up?”
“What the hell happened to you guys?” yelled Sora, when they stumbled into the clubhouse. MC’s upper body and face were covered in what seemed to be hundreds of tiny cuts. GM was pale as a ghost and struggling to hang his car keys on the hook by the door due to his shaky hands.
“Nothing a few days of rest won't fix,” answered GM with a smile. “Anyway, I’m heading to bed,” he said as he grabbed a beer out of the fridge and made for his room.
MC laid down on the floor only feet away from the front door. “Sorry, Sora, don't mind me. I'm going to sleep here for the night.”
“Not like that, you aren’t,” she said. “You’re covered in cuts and some of these are dripping quite a lot. You’re getting the floor all dirty.” She went off and came back with a wet towel. “Here, MC. Clean yourself up.”
MC took the towel, but it slipped right out of his hand. His arm flopped onto the floor. “Here, take it.” Sora put the towel back in his hand, but he was out cold.
When MC woke in the morning he rubbed his eyes and was instantly reminded that he’d pushed his body past its limits yesterday. His arms were stiff and sore and he felt a sting all over his body. To his surprise he was covered with a soft blanket. Despite sleeping on the floor, he felt nice and cozy underneath the blanket. He sat up and noticed that he had bandages applied to some of the deeper cuts on his body and all the blood had been cleaned off him. “What happened? Did Sora do this?” He said out loud. “All I remember was trying to hold a towel last night and then falling asleep.”
He stood up and walked over to Sora who was awake and playing a video game on the living room TV. “Sora,” did you do this?” he asked.
“Sora, jumped with a start and her face turned red.”
“I don't know what you’re talking about. Anyway, you sure slept in today. It’s almost noon.”
“WHAT?” said MC. “Where’s GM? Aren’t we training today. Is he up yet?”
“He already left. He said to tell you that there’s no training today.”
“But I need to get stronger.”
“No complaints. We’re taking the day off,” said Sora, shaking her finger and mocking GM’s voice.
MC laughed. “I guess it probably would be best to take a day off. I might do more harm than good to my body if I tried to train in this state.”