Jude leaned forward slightly, his attention completely focused on Angela's form. He wanted to call out corrections, to guide her through the movements, but he forced himself to stay silent. Dawn was a good instructor—better than he was in some ways—and she’d correct Angela where necessary.
Dawn moved toward Angela with deliberate slowness, telegraphing her approach. Angela reacted exactly as she'd been taught, stepping to the side and bringing her arm up to block. Her form was good, better than it had been even a week ago.
"Good," Dawn said. "Now, counter."
Angela struck out with her palm, aiming for Dawn's solar plexus, but her movement lacked the force it needed to be truly effective. Still, her technique was solid.
They continued through a series of defensive moves, Dawn gradually increasing the speed and intensity of her attacks. Jude watched Angela's confidence grow with each successful block and counter, noting the way her shoulders relaxed and her movements became more fluid.
But then Dawn came at her with a move they hadn't practiced extensively—a grab for her wrist that Angela wasn't quite prepared for. For a split second, panic flashed across Angela's face, and her body tensed.
Jude felt his own muscles tighten in response, fighting the urge to step in and protect her.
But then something shifted in her expression. The fear gave way to determination as she remembered her training. Instead of pulling away—which would have strengthened Dawn's grip—Angela stepped toward her attacker, twisting her arm in the direction of Dawn's thumb, the weakest point of the grip.
Dawn's hold loosened, and Angela used the momentum to break free completely. She didn't stop there, following up with a strike toward Dawn's sternum that, while not powerful enough to do damage, showed she understood the principle of counterattacking.
"Much better," Dawn said, nodding with approval. "You remembered not to pull away."
Angela's chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, but her smile was triumphant. "I almost forgot. For a second, I just wanted to yank my arm back."
"That's normal," Dawn assured her. "The goal is to make the correct response automatic, so you don't have to think about it in the moment."
Angela nodded, pushing a strand of hair back from her flushed face. Her gaze flicked briefly to Jude, and he gave her a small nod of encouragement.
"Let's try it again," Dawn said. "This time, I'm not going to telegraph as much."
For the next ten minutes, Jude watched as Dawn put Angela through her paces, working on escaping from a variety of grips.
“Okay. Let’s see how you do against Jude.”
Angela looked at him with wide eyes, then nodded.
Jude watched the uncertainty flicker across Angela's face and felt his protective instincts flare. He wanted to reassure her, but he also knew she needed to push through this barrier. Fightingagainst someone larger and stronger was the whole point of the training.
"I'll start easy," he said, moving onto the mat. "Just like Dawn did with you."
Angela took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. The determination in her stance reminded him of the way she'd confronted her mother at the resort—that same quiet steel beneath the surface.
He approached her slowly, reaching for her wrist with deliberate, telegraphed movements. She responded exactly as she'd been taught, stepping into him and twisting away from his grip. Her technique was solid, but he could feel the hesitation in her movements.
"Good," he said. "But you need to commit to the movement. If you hesitate, you give your attacker time to adjust."
Angela nodded, her jaw set with concentration. "Again?"
This time when he reached for her, she moved with more conviction. Her escape was cleaner, faster, and she followed through with the palm strike Dawn had taught her. The heel of her hand connected with his chest—not hard enough to hurt, but with enough force that he felt it.
"Better," he said, stepping back. "Much better."
The approval in his voice seemed to bolster her confidence. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and when she looked at him, there was less fear in her eyes.
"Let's try something more challenging," he said, wanting to see how she'd handle a more realistic scenario.
Jude moved toward her again, this time with less telegraphing. He reached for her shoulder, and Angela reacted immediately, ducking under his arm and spinning away. Hermovement was fluid, instinctive, and he felt a surge of pride at her progress.
"Excellent," Dawn called from the sidelines. "That was much more natural."
Angela's face lit up at the praise, and Jude had to fight back a smile. The transformation in her confidence over the past few weeks had been remarkable to witness.
