Myka's Tail Ch. 04

My little break to listen in had delayed my changing, and I had to move into overdrive to get ready so that I wasn't late. I had no desire to piss Sensei Rick off, because I was not overly fond of having to do extra knuckle push-ups for a month, his standard punishment for tardiness. Within a couple minutes I had put on and tied my gi pants and my best matte black sports bra. I quickly slipped on a pair of cheap flip flops and checked to make sure that I had on none of my usual jewelry. That was another of Sensei's safety rules, and I had received a month of extra squat and kicks for forgetting my navel ring once.

"Ok, guys," I called out as I slung my workout bag over my shoulder with the rest of my gear inside. "Let's get on the road before I really am late."

"You're not coming along," Kelli's dad asked her when I gave her a good bye kiss.

"No, I can't tonight. I've seen Myka test before, and Cassandra really wants me to work on the non-construct magic that I've been putting off."

"Well shame on you little miss," My dad chided her, the mirth in his voice as clear as day. "Didn't we raise you better than that?"

"Clearly you did not," Kelli joked back, making us all chuckle. "Anyway, have fun and we'll see you back here in a few hours."

We gave her a final wave goodbye and walked out the door into the late evening chill. Crammed into my little college car and headed to Sensei Rick's dojo, I elicited only minimal complaints from my dads about my driving skills. I was being careful, but as I mentioned before, I really did not want to be late, especially on a test night. We got extra exercises if we were late on a normal day, but I would have rather endured eternal hellfire than receive punishment for lateness on a test day.

It didn't take long to get there, and I left my dads to fend for themselves as I grabbed my gear and rushed through the double doors of the central dojo. The familiar smell of sweat and exercise mats greeted my sensitive nose as I paused only for a moment in order to leave my shoes in my assigned cubby. I bowed into the lesson area proper and glanced up at the clock to see that I had 2 minutes to spare, then elicited a heartfelt sigh of relief.

"You're cutting it a bit close there, aren't you Myka," Sensei Rick chided me with barely a hint of a grin on his face.

"I apologize Sensei, and I will make sure to do better next time," I replied while giving him a short bow of respect.

"You were on the right side of the line this time so don't stress over it, but give yourself more room for error next time. And that also goes for everything you do in life, understand?"

"Hai Sensei. I understand perfectly," I said as I bowed yet again.

"Hey Steve, Dan," Sensei said, greeting my dads as they came through the doors. "Are either of you responsible for Myka's near brush with poor timing? Should you both be doing knuckle-ups instead?"

"Rick, good to see you again," Kelli's dad called out in greeting. "And no, Dan and I are not at fault, sort of."

My dad chuckled as Sensei raised his eyebrow to question Steve's response.

"What he means...," he interrupted. "Is that both of us had some questions about how our girls were keeping their apartment on their own, and we may have asked one too many. Also, good to see you Rick."

"Glad you're here Dan, and I will let the two of you off the hook this once," Sensei replied, causing everyone in the dojo to laugh.

"So Rick, may I use your back office to change and join in tonight," Kelli's dad asked as he picked up his gym bag.

"Sure Steve," Sensei replied.

The moment he turned to leave the training floor Sensei gave the command to form up and all of the students and I bolted to our positions with almost military precision. The next thirty minutes was used for stretching and warm up exercises before we went into the hour of basic drills and forms that we always did before moving on to those who would be testing.

By the time I was in place and leading a group of the intermediate and more advanced students through their blocks, kicks, and punches I glanced over to see Kelli's dad having a whispered conversation with Sensei. I made sure to keep most of my focus on the form and stances of the students I was instructing but, I also used my more sensitive hearing to pay some attention to what Sensei and dad were talking about.

"So how is she doing Rick," he asked, and in a glance I could see that they were both evaluating my performance.

"Steve, I have never come across anyone more gifted," Sensei commented. "I know that the cat part of her gives her advantages in strength, speed, and agility but Myka also seems to just pick up forms and techniques like she has been doing them for decades, not the two years that she has been training."

"I knew that she would do well, and I sent her to you for a reason, but from what you say and what I can see, she is far and above incredible."

"That she is, and I would actually love to have her in her black belt already, but the Federation has rules on how much time training and teaching that a student has to have documented before that advancement."

"If she asks, just tell her it's a lesson in patience," and both of them chuckled before moving off to observe some of the other students where I could no longer hear them.

I understood completely where Sensei was coming from, and one of the first things he had beginning students learn was the path and effort required by the Federation to achieve the rank of black belt. I also knew that I was performing well above my current rank of brown with two stripes, and after tonight it would be brown with three. Sensei had also promised me that in another six months I would be able to test for black belt, and he had already arranged for the required Federation representatives to be there at that time.

I was looking forward to showing what I could do in that test, but I managed to pull my mind back to my students and their training. It was another of Sensei's rules that when you were training, competing, or forced into a fight that you had to keep your mind in the present and on what you were doing at that moment. To do otherwise would leave you vulnerable at a crucial moment where the difference between being hurt and not was balanced on your state of mind.

I had my students begin several set techniques that would help them with their form, and I set the more advanced students to watch them while I stepped off to the side and began my own set of drills. I moved with little effort and a strong sense of purpose through my required katas and techniques, after which I began to move through the series of attacks that I would use later in my sparing sessions. It felt good to let my mind go, focusing on nothing but my movements and my breathing.

One of the nice things about being a Neko is that even with my attention taken up by my training routine I was tickled by an almost itchy awareness that let me know someone was trying to come at me from behind. I stilled my instinct to immediately turn and attack, and continued on with the next few moves of the routine I was practicing. It was at the last possible second that I shifted from a sweeping right block into a lightning fast roundhouse kick that I managed to pull back from before I knocked Kelli's dad for a loop or two. It was such a close thing that I had felt my foot brush the hair on the side of his head as I arrested my motion.

"You know, dad," I complained to him with a voice filled with mock scorn as I lowered my leg from the kick. "You shouldn't try and sneak up on someone who is working on their combat skills like that. It could cause you a real headache."

"True, but if you are trying to test whether one of your girls is learning her lessons properly then it is exactly what you should do," and the rest of the class broke the silence my maneuver had put them in with a chuckle at our banter.

"Ok, that's enough showing off from both of you," Sensei called out. "Everyone, its test time so take a seat on the outer mat please."

At that all of us took our places surrounding the center mat so that the tests were front and center for all to see. It was another way to learn, by watching, and no one had a poor view this way. Once we were all seated Sensei called out the order of the tests that would be administered that evening, and mine would be last because I was the most advanced student testing.

For the lower level belts the tests went by with a swiftness based on the simplicity of what those students had to demonstrate. Kelli's dad had taken a seat next to me and we conversed about and critiqued the form and skill of the testing students. I got the sense that he was testing me again to see if I had learned enough from my time here and I felt that I had really impressed him so far.

As part of the testing to be done with the more advanced belts I was called on to participate during their required sparring tests in the capacity of their opponent. Two of the students were advancing from blue to green belt and I made sure to push them enough to show that they had learned not only the forms and strikes required, but also the ability to think on their feet while in combat. Both of them performed well, and I knew that Sensei would certainly feel comfortable passing them up to the green belt level. Once they finished it meant that it was my turn to be tested since I was the only brown belt advancing that night.

Because I had more to demonstrate, my forms and katas took a while longer than the other students, but I was fluid and spot on in my execution. I had been practicing a lot, but I also knew that because of the earth aspect that I had inherited back in Scotland that my balance was near perfect as long as I remained close to the ground. It was as if the land and I were one, and I could move over her with practiced ease. Even during a sparring match it was extraordinarily difficult to sweep my legs or perform a takedown against me. I sometimes felt that it was sort of a cheat, but another of Sensei's rules was that if you were forced to fight you fought with every advantage you had until you either won or lost. My earth abilities were just another advantage that I had so I learned to be ok with it.

"Ok. That was a good example of form and execution," Sensei commented after I had finished the solo parts of my testing. "That is what I would like to see from everyone when they test, understood?"

Since I was front and center I gave a respectful bow that expressed that I had heard and acknowledged him, and everyone else in the room gave a loud vocalization of understanding. I was feeling somewhat put on the spot in that moment.

"For the sparring portion of your test Myka," Sensei explained. "You will first show your skills in handling multiple opponents by facing off against your three fellow brown belts. After this you will then fight with one of the black belts as the final portion of your testing after which I will evaluate your progress."

"Very good Sensei," I replied with another bow of respect.

"Mark, Josh, and Beth," Sensei called out and the three students joined me on the mat. "You may begin when you are ready."

We all bowed to Sensei before moving to the middle of the training area and bowing to each other, then we began to move around. Almost immediately Beth moved around to my back side leaving Mark and Josh to face me from the front. From what I could guess, they were probably hoping to use Mark and Josh's strength and size to overwhelm me from the front while Beth struck with surgical precision from the back in the off chance that they might be able to actually beat me in this match. With any other student it might have worked, but not with me.

I was in the zone now, so much so that I gave the vibe that the only things occupying my attention were the two that were crouched in their combat stances directly in front of me. Even though I had given the impression that I was not paying as much attention, I also had a handle on Beth behind me as well. Just as I had guessed, Mark and Josh at me like two rampaging bulls, alternating with a series of heavy strikes combined with a concerted effort to get me into a hold. I was able to keep shifting, however, and I blocked their attempts with utmost efficiency, only moving as much as I had to.

During the first thirty seconds or so of their assault Beth did nothing but watch and gauge my movements and reactions, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. I knew I would have to compliment her on that, because we had all been taught that the way to guarantee a win in a fight is to observe and learn about your opponent as much as possible. By now I had been in defense mode against Mark and Josh for over a minute, and I was also paying attention to how they fought. It was right then, however, that Beth decided to make her move.

She was fast; in fact she was probably the fastest normal student in the dojo. She hardly ever got beaten and always had a surprise or two up her sleeve for her sparring partner. Unfortunately for Beth, I was far and away much faster than anyone. I had turned to block a kick from Josh and deflect the simultaneous backhand from Mark when I heard Beth shoot forward to strike me in the kidney. I waited for it just a fraction of a second longer to make sure that she was fully committed to the strike and then I continued my turn so that her punch began to move past me. I also used a slight hip check to nudge Beth's arm enough that when her strike landed it was in Josh's midsection.

The whoosh of air leaving his lungs let me know that Josh had not been expecting the punch to the gut, and he hadn't had time to tighten his core to take the strike. I kept with my turn, taking a round house from Mark on my shoulder, but I was ok giving up that hit for the end game. Beth was still recovering from her punch, which had over balanced her when I had dodged, and I finished my turn with a leg sweep and sent Beth down to the mat on her back. I raised my arm to block Mark's second round house that was aimed for my head, and finished off Beth with an ax kick to the gut leaving her out of breath like Josh.

Now it was down to just Mark and I, and we both knew that one on one he was no match for me. I shifted from my defensive and reactionary mindset, and came at him in full on offensive mode. To Mark's credit, he managed to block and deflect some of the flurry of kicks and punches that I sent at him, but like I said, I was the fastest student in the dojo. He just couldn't keep up. In the midst of my assault I landed a kick to his thigh which slowed him down enough that I was able to move in behind and take him to the mat. I had control of Mark's arm as I planted my knee into his back so he wouldn't move and I grabbed the back of his neck to signal that I had defeated him. Sensei immediately called an end to the match, and as far as I could tell it had taken just less than two minutes.

I made sure to help both Beth and Josh to their feet, and made sure that they were ok, and aside from a broken sense of pride, they both assured me that they were fine. We took our final positions and bowed to each other, turned and bowed to Sensei, and then waited for his comments.

"That was a superb display of sparring Myka," Sensei commented. "However, even though I know your sense of timing and speed are better than most, I thought you cut some of your deflections and blocks a bit close. And don't even get me started on the dodge that turned Beth's strike into your strike. Showmanship can blunt the effect of good fighting"

"I apologize Sensei for any errors that I made," I replied. "Was there something else that I should have done, and do in the future?"

"In reality, I think you did exactly what you should have done Myka. Your reflexes and situational awareness border on the supernatural, which probably comes from your feline half. I would just like to see you give yourself a little bit more of a cushion during a confrontation so that if you run into a better opponent or make a slight mistake, that there will be some time to compensate before you get hammered."

"I will make sure and do better at that Sensei."

"Good. Now you have your spar with a black belt to finish before we award new ranks."

"Rick, may I be Myka's opponent for this match," Kelli's dad asked and I jerked my head in surprise to look at him.

"By all means, Steve. The floor is yours," and Sensei indicated that he could enter the ring with a wave of his hand and a wide grin.

We both made our way back to the center of the mat and gave our respectful bows to Sensei and each other, and then took our initial stances. I worked hard to control my breathing and keep myself under control because I really wasn't sure how this match would play out. Sparring with my fellow brown belts was one thing. We all had been training for a similar amount of time, but my superior reflexes and speed nearly always put me on top in any fight. I remembered, however, the first time I had faced off against Kelli's dad and the fact that even with extra strength and speed I still could not gain the upper hand against him. He had been training and using his skills for years and had vast experience on his side, and now I faced him in a fight that mattered.

"Ok, little girl. Let's see what you've learned," he whispered, just loud enough for me to hear, and then he attacked.

Facing off against Steve Harrison was like trying to predict the path of a tornado. I was still faster than he was, but he had honed the ability to alter his attacks in mid-strike which made it difficult to know where to block and deflect. My enhanced speed barely managed to keep me ahead of his landslide assault, and I was having difficulty in seizing an opening to go on offense. I managed to block two kicks and a punch and use my position to backflip and leap back further so that I could get a second or two to catch my breath and perhaps change the tide of the fight, but that didn't work either. He just leaped and double shuffled, adding a feint which I really shouldn't have fallen for, the end result of which was that I was being backed against the only wall of the dojo that touched the mat.

I moved and blocked, shifted and dodged, but it did no good. I hoped that my lasting this long against this kind of attack would be enough to pass this test, but my mind began to worry that I would fall short. I knew it was really bad form to let your mind wander during a fight, but I almost couldn't help it. My thoughts turned to a kung-fu movie that I had watched a couple of weeks ago, and I wished that I knew how to use some of those flowing and graceful moves in this match to counter my other dad's hard and forceful onslaught. My inattention almost got me brained by a punch that I barely noticed in time, but as I blocked it I felt a tingle shoot through my body and into my fatiguing limbs.

That tingle that ran from my head to my toes provided me with a feeling of rejuvenation, and I could sense that the warrior mask over my eyes that Miss Penelope had painted on my face so long ago had surfaced and become visible. A few months after Scotland I realized that the mask and the near blood rage that came with it only made itself known when I felt I was truly behind the eight ball, but my time training under Sensei Rick had given me much more control over my mental state. I was learning to use the rage to my advantage rather than letting it control me, and the pathway to winning this match suddenly became clear.

I allowed a slight grin to surface on my lips as I continued to allow Kelli's dad to push me back towards the wall, and I was focused on not letting him get in any lucky strikes as I moved. I tried to inject a sense of desperation in my movements, hoping to draw him in and make him feel confident but I figured that he probably saw through it. Back and back I went until I was nearly against the wall, and then I blocked two strikes and feinted before leaping up into a very high backflip. My extra strength allowed me to get a significant amount of height, and I was able to plant my feet against the wall as I rotated back. As my rearward momentum pushed me into a crouch against the wall above his head, I used my strength to leap again, this time off of the wall.