Jez stood outside the Holodeck, her Gi Shitabaki , a heavy canvas material with strong knee seams, a creation of her own, as she always seemed to tear her Gi at the knees. Her Uwagi is crisp white, her Dojo’s crest embroidered on the back, a yin-yang symbol representing balance, harmony, and the interconnectedness of opposing forces. Jez’s strategy was clear as Sin Tzu said, "If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate them," and Jez knew how to press Mike’s buttons.
“ Computer, recreate the Kyoto Butokuden” Ordered Jez.
The Kyoto Butokuden was erected in 1895, this is widely recognized as Japan’s oldest surviving martial arts center. Built near Heian Jingu Shrine, it was designed to preserve traditional budo (martial arts) during Japan's rapid modernization. It features a vast, unbroken tatami area and historic spectator zones where emperors have watched demonstrations.Jez knew Mike would recognize it and respect her decision.
The holodeck created a perfect replication; it was flawless. Jez had been there dozens of times. She was even in a tournament there in her Sophomore year at the Academy.
The Holodeck doors swished open, and in stepped Mike. “Good morning, “ said Jez.
“Good morning,” said Mike.
Mike looked around, “ Kyoto Butokuden, nice.” Said Mike.
“I thought you would like it, I created it for its easy access,” Said Jez, her tone implying that at Mike’s age, he couldn’t handle a steep walkway.
“Cute.” Replied Mike.
Jez motioned with her hand as if to say, “Let's go.”
The two entered the Dojo. Mike grabbed a Ghi. Had he inspected it, he would have noticed that Jez had programmed it with a Teddy Bear holding a Viking axe on the back of the Ghi.
The two artists entered the Dojo. Mike and Jez bowed, then began circling one another across the polished dojo floor. At six-foot-seven and nearly three hundred and eighty pounds, Mike cast an imposing shadow despite the gray beginning to creep into his hair. Ordinarily, he would have been fully focused on the match, but today his thoughts kept drifting toward Andrea. He caught himself wondering what she would think if she could see him now, then immediately cursed himself for the distraction. Jez noticed it at once. She always noticed. "You know," she said as she slipped outside a probing Oi-zuki and drove a sharp Gyaku-zuki into his ribs, "if you spent as much time thinking about footwork as you do lunch, you'd be impossible to beat." The punch landed harder than he expected. Mike refused to react. That actually hurt. "Funny," he grunted. "You hit like a starving rabbit." Jez grinned. "A starving rabbit that just moved three hundred and eighty pounds."
Jez continued circling, never staying where he expected. Mike launched a Mawashi-geri toward her thigh, but she danced away and immediately returned with a combination of Kizami-zuki, Gyaku-zuki, and a snapping Uraken Uchi that cracked against his jaw. His head turned slightly before he could stop it.
Did she just hit me in the face?
For an instant, he saw not the young woman before him but the gangly teenager who had first walked into his dojo years ago. That memory vanished when another jab snapped toward his nose. "Careful, Mike," Jez said. "At your age, recovery time is measured in fiscal quarters." Mike scowled and surged forward with a flurry of strikes designed to remind her who taught her everything she knew. Jez blocked, slipped, and retreated, laughing the entire time. "There it is," she said. "The face." Said Jez.
"What face?" Mike demanded. "The one that says your blood pressure just went up." Said Jez.
The laughter vanished when Mike pressed harder. His size and experience forced Jez backward for several exchanges, but she remained frustratingly elusive. Then, just as he began to settle into a rhythm, she sprang into a Ushiro-geri. Her heel slammed into his abdomen with enough force to drive him back two full steps. Air rushed from his lungs.
Holy hell.
Mike hated that thought the moment it appeared. The kick had been clean. Worse, it had been earned. Jez saw everything. "Oh, that one definitely landed," she said.
"No!" Said Mike. "You moved." Said Jez, with a smirk on her face, "I chose to move." Retorted Mike, clearly annoyed. "Pretty sure the laws of physics chose for you." She tilted her head and smiled sweetly. "Maybe Andrea would be impressed." Stated Jez. Mike's eyes narrowed. "Leave Andrea out of this." Jez's smile widened. "Ah. Found the weak spot."
That was when Mike finally stopped trying to overpower her and started fighting like the instructor who had spent decades mastering his craft. The next exchange lasted only moments. Jez committed to a Gyaku-zuki, expecting him to retreat. Instead, he flowed around the strike with a Nagashi-uke, stepped inside her guard, and executed a perfectly timed O-soto-gari. Jez hit the mat with a startled laugh, and Mike's fist stopped an inch above her chest before she could recover. Both of them were breathing hard. For several seconds, neither spoke. Then Jez looked up and smiled. "You know I was getting close." Mike wanted to deny it. He really did. Instead, he rubbed his aching ribs and sighed. "Keep dreaming." Said Mike.
“I did, and you know it.” Said Jez, Mike’s silence spoke volumes. Her smile became positively radiant. "The old man admits it." Mike shook his head and offered her his hand. "One day you're going to be insufferable." Jez accepted the hand and rose smoothly to her feet. "One day?" she asked. Mike couldn't help laughing. "Fair point."
She hits like Thor’s hammer. Don’t show that she hurt you.
“You want to go again?” Said Mike, in an attempt to save face, as he didn’t want Jez to think she actually hurt him.
Lucky punches. Thought Mike.
Smiling, as she knew. “No, I can't. I have a lot of work to do as the new Acting Security Chief and the Custody battle.
Mike is still smiling to hide his physical discomfort. Thank Odin, she’s busy. I need to go to Medical.
.
>> Next stop for Mike Medical.>>
“ Computer, recreate the Kyoto Butokuden” Ordered Jez.
The Kyoto Butokuden was erected in 1895, this is widely recognized as Japan’s oldest surviving martial arts center. Built near Heian Jingu Shrine, it was designed to preserve traditional budo (martial arts) during Japan's rapid modernization. It features a vast, unbroken tatami area and historic spectator zones where emperors have watched demonstrations.Jez knew Mike would recognize it and respect her decision.
The holodeck created a perfect replication; it was flawless. Jez had been there dozens of times. She was even in a tournament there in her Sophomore year at the Academy.
The Holodeck doors swished open, and in stepped Mike. “Good morning, “ said Jez.
“Good morning,” said Mike.
Mike looked around, “ Kyoto Butokuden, nice.” Said Mike.
“I thought you would like it, I created it for its easy access,” Said Jez, her tone implying that at Mike’s age, he couldn’t handle a steep walkway.
“Cute.” Replied Mike.
Jez motioned with her hand as if to say, “Let's go.”
The two entered the Dojo. Mike grabbed a Ghi. Had he inspected it, he would have noticed that Jez had programmed it with a Teddy Bear holding a Viking axe on the back of the Ghi.
The two artists entered the Dojo. Mike and Jez bowed, then began circling one another across the polished dojo floor. At six-foot-seven and nearly three hundred and eighty pounds, Mike cast an imposing shadow despite the gray beginning to creep into his hair. Ordinarily, he would have been fully focused on the match, but today his thoughts kept drifting toward Andrea. He caught himself wondering what she would think if she could see him now, then immediately cursed himself for the distraction. Jez noticed it at once. She always noticed. "You know," she said as she slipped outside a probing Oi-zuki and drove a sharp Gyaku-zuki into his ribs, "if you spent as much time thinking about footwork as you do lunch, you'd be impossible to beat." The punch landed harder than he expected. Mike refused to react. That actually hurt. "Funny," he grunted. "You hit like a starving rabbit." Jez grinned. "A starving rabbit that just moved three hundred and eighty pounds."
Jez continued circling, never staying where he expected. Mike launched a Mawashi-geri toward her thigh, but she danced away and immediately returned with a combination of Kizami-zuki, Gyaku-zuki, and a snapping Uraken Uchi that cracked against his jaw. His head turned slightly before he could stop it.
Did she just hit me in the face?
For an instant, he saw not the young woman before him but the gangly teenager who had first walked into his dojo years ago. That memory vanished when another jab snapped toward his nose. "Careful, Mike," Jez said. "At your age, recovery time is measured in fiscal quarters." Mike scowled and surged forward with a flurry of strikes designed to remind her who taught her everything she knew. Jez blocked, slipped, and retreated, laughing the entire time. "There it is," she said. "The face." Said Jez.
"What face?" Mike demanded. "The one that says your blood pressure just went up." Said Jez.
The laughter vanished when Mike pressed harder. His size and experience forced Jez backward for several exchanges, but she remained frustratingly elusive. Then, just as he began to settle into a rhythm, she sprang into a Ushiro-geri. Her heel slammed into his abdomen with enough force to drive him back two full steps. Air rushed from his lungs.
Holy hell.
Mike hated that thought the moment it appeared. The kick had been clean. Worse, it had been earned. Jez saw everything. "Oh, that one definitely landed," she said.
"No!" Said Mike. "You moved." Said Jez, with a smirk on her face, "I chose to move." Retorted Mike, clearly annoyed. "Pretty sure the laws of physics chose for you." She tilted her head and smiled sweetly. "Maybe Andrea would be impressed." Stated Jez. Mike's eyes narrowed. "Leave Andrea out of this." Jez's smile widened. "Ah. Found the weak spot."
That was when Mike finally stopped trying to overpower her and started fighting like the instructor who had spent decades mastering his craft. The next exchange lasted only moments. Jez committed to a Gyaku-zuki, expecting him to retreat. Instead, he flowed around the strike with a Nagashi-uke, stepped inside her guard, and executed a perfectly timed O-soto-gari. Jez hit the mat with a startled laugh, and Mike's fist stopped an inch above her chest before she could recover. Both of them were breathing hard. For several seconds, neither spoke. Then Jez looked up and smiled. "You know I was getting close." Mike wanted to deny it. He really did. Instead, he rubbed his aching ribs and sighed. "Keep dreaming." Said Mike.
“I did, and you know it.” Said Jez, Mike’s silence spoke volumes. Her smile became positively radiant. "The old man admits it." Mike shook his head and offered her his hand. "One day you're going to be insufferable." Jez accepted the hand and rose smoothly to her feet. "One day?" she asked. Mike couldn't help laughing. "Fair point."
She hits like Thor’s hammer. Don’t show that she hurt you.
“You want to go again?” Said Mike, in an attempt to save face, as he didn’t want Jez to think she actually hurt him.
Lucky punches. Thought Mike.
Smiling, as she knew. “No, I can't. I have a lot of work to do as the new Acting Security Chief and the Custody battle.
Mike is still smiling to hide his physical discomfort. Thank Odin, she’s busy. I need to go to Medical.
.
>> Next stop for Mike Medical.>>