Chapter19
Self-Defense Lessons
Sifu Liu ledus through our katas at the White Dragon Academy. The sounds of feet shuffling on the mat and the grunts at the end of thrusts and kicks mixed with the scent of sweat and rubbing alcohol. On Monday nights, I attended classes there.
One Saturday, years ago, I had attended a self-defense class and somehow the Sifu Liu, an ancient-looking man who looked older than any dragon, talked me into classes.
After three years, I had only earned my orange belt with three stripes. The way the Sifu explained it, I was the oldest novice he had ever trained. And the prettiest, he always added with a twinkle. I had never been the most dedicated student. The only athletic endeavor I’d ever been good at was swimming and only through my junior year in college. I rarely missed a Monday night class, but even the younger students seemed to learn the skills to advance quickly through the various colored belts.
I enjoyed the workout though and the sweating. It helped to keep my waist trim, my leg and arm muscles toned, and I felt somewhat confident I could fight off a mugger if I ever encountered one in the mean streets of LA. I had to chuckle at the thought. In LA, you had a better chance of being carjacked than being mugged. The mace in my purse would probably be a better deterrent, but I attended classes regularly, anyway.
Sweat rolled down my back as Sifu Liu told us to take seats around the mat. Everyone gravitated to their favorite spot. Mine was near the wall facing the mirror that occupied one full wall of the dojo. I could see the front and back of the room from there and also see everyone’s reflection in the mirror, including mine. I tightened my ponytail as the instructor addressed us.
“Today I have a wonderful treat for you all. My talented student and friend has come to teach some special self-defense moves. These moves are not kung fu, but they are equally effective. I believe you will learn a lot.”
I could see a man step through the door in the back that led to the locker rooms. He wore a white gi with a black belt at his waist. My eyes followed him as he moved to Sensei Liu’s right side. I couldn’t believe he was here.
“I want to introduce you to Sifu Baxter. Give him your attention and learn.”
He turned and bowed to Dirk and then stepped off the mat. He took a seat at the edge of the mat right beside a student.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Sifu Baxter. I want to thank Shigong Liu for inviting me to teach here tonight. It is a great honor.” He turned and bowed his head to the ancient instructor.
“Besides being a black belt in Kung Fu, and thanks to the tireless efforts of Sifu Liu, I also served in the army of the United States. I served in Iraq most of my tour and picked up various styles of martial arts and self-defense. Today, we will look at moves and techniques to get out of a dangerous situation.”
He scanned the room, measuring each student with those dark eyes of his, and locked eyes with me for what seemed like a minute, even though it was only two breaths. Even though I had sworn to keep my contact with him to a minimum, here he was invading my sacred time at the White Dragon Academy.
After scanning the room, he called for volunteers. One student, in his late teens, volunteered and Dirk ran through different moves, holds, and throws. He demonstrated them in slow-motion and then did them at full speed with him being an attacker and the volunteer trying the move. He repeated this with several more volunteers.
Whenever someone had difficulty with a move or throw, he called on one of the older students and showed them again, both slowly and at full speed. There were many gasps and winces throughout the demonstration and more than one student sat back down, a little woozy from their lesson. When a couple of students threw Dirk and he hit the mat hard, I winced and my heart jumping with concern.
Fortunately, over the next ninety minutes, Dirk never called on me. There had been enough willing students in the class that night and I was not in the mood for being thrown, choked, or pinned to the mat. I had a feeling that any physical contact would be more than my body could take. The attraction I had for the man seemed to intensify over the length of the class, though, even as my brain was trying to keep him at a distance.
When he finished, Sufi Liu and Baxter bowed to all of us and the academy master dismissed us all. I headed to the locker room to change into some comfortable clothes I always had packed in my duffel.
“Miss Davenport.” Dirk said just as I reached the door.
I stopped and took in a deep breath. Did I dare turn around? He was close behind me and I could sense his dark eyes penetrating the back of my skull with their intense gaze.
“I noticed you didn’t volunteer to come up and learn how to protect yourself.”
“I already know all of those moves.” I turned around to face him and immediately those black eyes of his mesmerized me. He looked extremely powerful too in his gi with his black belt.
“I think I might know some moves you haven’t seen.” He strode towards me with slow, measured steps.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I’m sure of it.” He stopped a foot in front of me, and I had to look up to meet his eyes.
“Show me.” I remained calm, but my heart rate had already elevated and the heat in my neck and cheeks rose.
He motioned me to the center of the mat, and I eyed him warily. I’m sure I had a smirk on my face even though there was a part of me that wanted him to grab me, throw me to the ground, and take me.
“Turn around. I’m going to teach you how to escape a rear choke hold. If someone grabs you from behind and wraps their arm around your throat, don’t panic. Just remember balls, ribs, feet.”
He came up behind me and wrapped an arm around my front and slid it up under my chin. His other hand went to the back of my head.
I immediately experienced a rush of excitement, not so much out of fear but from his touch. My hands also went instinctively to the forearm at my throat.
