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Authors: Elizabeth Staley
Tags: Fiction
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ranging from splintering shinai to make-shift nunchaku. “Something for everyone, I guess,” mused Andrea as she ambled toward the Wing Chun dummy.
She lay her left hand on one of the poles protruding from the large center post. The center was about one foot in diameter, with the extra pieces being about two inches across near the center and tapering to about one inch. The wooden training dummy was used to improve speed and to condition arms to take and give hits without being hurt.
“It’s been a long, long time since I’ve used one of these,” She ran her hand down the smooth wood as her eyes got a distant look in them.
“What’s this for?” a young Andrea asked, running her small hand down the protruding dowel of a training dummy. Her skin was splotched with yellow and green patches- bruises that hadn’t healed just yet. About half an inch from her hairline and across her forehead, a huge ugly gash marred her skin. She had no bangs, and patches of her hair were silver while the rest were dark brown.
“It’s for toughening yourself up. By using it you can make punching not hurt your hand.”
Andrea looked up, a sparkle in her blue eyes. “Really?! Wow!” She suddenly looked apprehensive. “But, it’s going to hurt, won’t it?” “Yes, it will at first. But soon you’ll get used to it.” Tony looked over and pointed. “There’s your sensei now.”
Andrea looked across the room, which was a rather small place lit by harsh fluorescent lights. Puzzle pieces shaped mats in differing colors were lined up along most of the floor, forming a practice mat for the students. A small and wrinkled, yet still tough and spry man came across the room toward them. Andrea bowed slightly, her hair moving to show rough, jagged cuts along the back of her neck. “Good morning, sensei. Thank you for teaching me!”
The old man glared at Tony and coughed a little. Tony bit his lower lip, then bent down and gently put his hands on Andrea’s small shoulders. “I have to go now, but I’ll be back this evening to get you, okay? Be good and do what your sensei tells you to, alright?”
Andrea nodded, smiling eagerly. “Yup!”
With that, Tony left, shoulders slumped and forehead furrowed in worry.
Andrea’s eyes refocused on the wood beneath her hand. She’d half-expected the bruises to still be there, and was grateful when she noticed they weren’t. For a moment, she stared down at her fingers. Then her eyes narrowed and she raised her fist, breathing a soft exhalation as she focused.
A sound like rapid gunfire reverberated through the abandoned temple, causing the entire company of Aka Ryuu to nearly jump out of their skins. “What is that!?” exclaimed Fushicho, poking her head out from behind where she’d dived for safety. After the initial shock was over, they went running to see what could be causing the noise.
They all piled through the doorway to the training room to see Andrea beating on the wooden dummy. Her face was contorted with a look of determination that bordered on madness, and she was moving with such blinding speed that the sound of each individual hit blended together to form an almost continuous sound of flesh hitting wood. Finally Andrea let out a loud cry, and in a blinding flurry reminiscent of a buzz saw, all of the protruding poles snapped off. One more swift motion from Andrea made the center pole snap clean in half down the height of it, causing it to fall over and clunk along the floor.
Andrea turned, looking crazed. She raced over and grabbed a bokuto and began to swing it, moving backwards and forward in haste. To an untrained eye, she seemed to be swinging randomly, but she was actually going through many complicated techniques with seething speed. She was drenched in sweat, her eyes narrowed to minuscule slits. She hit the wall with the wooden sword, sending splinters of wood flying across the room. Her anger still not satisfied, she spun and grabbed one of the broom
She lay her left hand on one of the poles protruding from the large center post. The center was about one foot in diameter, with the extra pieces being about two inches across near the center and tapering to about one inch. The wooden training dummy was used to improve speed and to condition arms to take and give hits without being hurt.
“It’s been a long, long time since I’ve used one of these,” She ran her hand down the smooth wood as her eyes got a distant look in them.
“What’s this for?” a young Andrea asked, running her small hand down the protruding dowel of a training dummy. Her skin was splotched with yellow and green patches- bruises that hadn’t healed just yet. About half an inch from her hairline and across her forehead, a huge ugly gash marred her skin. She had no bangs, and patches of her hair were silver while the rest were dark brown.
“It’s for toughening yourself up. By using it you can make punching not hurt your hand.”
Andrea looked up, a sparkle in her blue eyes. “Really?! Wow!” She suddenly looked apprehensive. “But, it’s going to hurt, won’t it?” “Yes, it will at first. But soon you’ll get used to it.” Tony looked over and pointed. “There’s your sensei now.”
Andrea looked across the room, which was a rather small place lit by harsh fluorescent lights. Puzzle pieces shaped mats in differing colors were lined up along most of the floor, forming a practice mat for the students. A small and wrinkled, yet still tough and spry man came across the room toward them. Andrea bowed slightly, her hair moving to show rough, jagged cuts along the back of her neck. “Good morning, sensei. Thank you for teaching me!”
The old man glared at Tony and coughed a little. Tony bit his lower lip, then bent down and gently put his hands on Andrea’s small shoulders. “I have to go now, but I’ll be back this evening to get you, okay? Be good and do what your sensei tells you to, alright?”
Andrea nodded, smiling eagerly. “Yup!”
With that, Tony left, shoulders slumped and forehead furrowed in worry.
Andrea’s eyes refocused on the wood beneath her hand. She’d half-expected the bruises to still be there, and was grateful when she noticed they weren’t. For a moment, she stared down at her fingers. Then her eyes narrowed and she raised her fist, breathing a soft exhalation as she focused.
A sound like rapid gunfire reverberated through the abandoned temple, causing the entire company of Aka Ryuu to nearly jump out of their skins. “What is that!?” exclaimed Fushicho, poking her head out from behind where she’d dived for safety. After the initial shock was over, they went running to see what could be causing the noise.
They all piled through the doorway to the training room to see Andrea beating on the wooden dummy. Her face was contorted with a look of determination that bordered on madness, and she was moving with such blinding speed that the sound of each individual hit blended together to form an almost continuous sound of flesh hitting wood. Finally Andrea let out a loud cry, and in a blinding flurry reminiscent of a buzz saw, all of the protruding poles snapped off. One more swift motion from Andrea made the center pole snap clean in half down the height of it, causing it to fall over and clunk along the floor.
Andrea turned, looking crazed. She raced over and grabbed a bokuto and began to swing it, moving backwards and forward in haste. To an untrained eye, she seemed to be swinging randomly, but she was actually going through many complicated techniques with seething speed. She was drenched in sweat, her eyes narrowed to minuscule slits. She hit the wall with the wooden sword, sending splinters of wood flying across the room. Her anger still not satisfied, she spun and grabbed one of the broom
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