Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Next it was the beginners' turn to confront the old master. The first was Mike, who after attacking the sensei with great force rolled on the dojo floor amid uproarious laughter from his companions and himself. Nick was easy prey and was deposited very gently on the floor. Chandice attacked with great vehemence but she was unable to dodge the trainer's shots and had to bite into her hurt ego.

It was finally Zhi's turn, and everyone could tell from the start that there was a difference. When the young woman approached Taro to take a shot, the teacher eluded her agilely, but when he at the same time tried to grab her to raise her up into the air, it was the girl who eluded the shot amid the cheers of her classmates. Both contestants, the old teacher and the young student, continued that showy dance for a long time to the delight of the attendees who celebrated each unforeseen movement.

It was evident that they were both getting tired, so referee Jack Berglund decided to cut the show.

"Well that's enough, I declare a tie."

He said as he clapped, accompanied by all the other trainees. Suzuki wiped the from his face and hands on a towel and approached the young Chinese woman, holding out her hand.

"I congratulate you. It doesn't happen to me very often that I can't beat an opponent, much less a woman as light as you.

Zhi responded to the congratulation with a bow.

"I am very honored for the words from a teacher like you."

" You deserve them. Tell me, are you a practitioner of any Chinese martial art? Tai Chi maybe? "

"That's right, Suzuki San."

"So, when you rest a bit, we are going to ask you to show us the shape you use at your school." Suzuki referred to the Form or choreography that each martial art has to showcase its classic movements and allow the cultists of that art to practice them and stay in shape, while calming their mind focusing it in the concentration of their movements and breathing, in what is the equivalent of what is called Kata in karate.

“I will gladly do it right away, master. I am ready. "

Zhi placed herself in the center of the dojo and began the slow dance with movements of the whole body revolving around itself, in an imaginary fight in which she was facing several opponents who attack her at the same time. The Form consists of a number of pre-established movements, an amount that varies with each particular school of Tai Chi.

Both Taro and Jack and the three companions stared ecstatically at the gentle display of concentration and strength that the Singaporean girl was offering them, wishing the show would not end.

Finally Zhi stayed still at the end of the choreography, she bowed to greet the spectators who burst into applause, which produced a blush on the girl's cheeks.

The rest of the morning was spent with judo classes by the sensei, who was showing his disciples how to perform each shot, first practicing personally with each of them and then allowing them to face each other in pairs. At a certain moment, the rumbling of the engine of a large displacement motorcycle was heard and those present saw a vehicle moving inside the premises but far from the dojo, but they could not distinguish who it was. Berglund said. “Well, enough for this morning. Now we are going to have lunch. " Nick asked turning to Taro. "Sensei, are we going to continue with judo in the afternoon?" “No, we will continue these classes the day after tomorrow. This afternoon you will meet my assistant. " As they walked towards the canteen on the premises, the youths could see in the distance a small figure dressed in a black leather suit and a motorcycle helmet on his head walking about a hundred meters away. When the helmet was removed, they could see that it was a young person with Asian features. "Is she Suzuki's assistant?" Mused Zhi.

After their light lunch Jack led them to an open-air space where there were a series of fixed posts marked on the ground and at a hundred yards from them were paper targets mounted on racks.

"A target shooting range." Exclaimed Mike surprised.

Brief moments later they saw Taro Suzuki approaching accompanied by a small and enigmatic figure. In fact, the small size of the character had not only to do with its ethnic origin but also with its gender. Fully dressed from head to toe in a black tunic and pants, it wore the head covered and face veiled by cloths of the same color. The four pupils could only see the eyes and forehead, but even so it was possible to distinguish the gender and race. She was definitely a young Japanese woman. Suzuki approached the group while the woman kept a certain distance from him.

"Well Taro." Said Jack. “Aren't you going to introduce your companion to the group? Or do you prefer me to do it? "

The man in question felt momentarily embarrassed.

"Yes Yes. Of course. She is Mitsuko, my favorite disciple. "

"Disciple?" Chandice asked. "In what discipline?"

The girl named Matsuko opened her mouth and with the soft tone typical of well educated Japanese girls spoke in correct English not devoid of accent.

"Suzuki San is my sensei."

"Your sensei?" Nick repeated incredulously.

Taro replied.

“As everyone knows I am an instructor in various martial arts. Matsuko is my favorite student. But in this case she is present here not as an apprentice but as a teacher. She will guide you in the handling of a series of silent weapons. "

"Silent weapons? Are you referring to weapons fitted with silencers? " Nick asked naively.

“No. He refers to weapons… more primitive but no less lethal. " Zhi replied, who had already intuited what was to come.

Indeed, Matsuko, Taro and Jack approached some metal cabinets located under an eaves and the American proceeded to open the padlocks that closed them. When the doors were opened, the four students were surprised to see their content.

"Oh! Crossbows… and bows and arrows. " Exclaimed Chandice .

"I see javelins there too" Mike completed.

Jack called out to them to overcome the distance.

"Come closer."

As they did so, the American accompanied by Taro and his assistant began to distribute the crossbows and bows among the four new disciples. The emotion of the youngsters when making contact with the weapons was remarkable. Mike, who knew about weapons, carefully examined the ones that had been given to him and said.

“They are handcrafted weapons, made very carefully. They are not made of fiberglass or carbon fiber coated with resins but of wood. "

"From woods carefully selected and following secret procedures of true master artisans who have inherited an art of an antiquity of hundreds or perhaps thousands of years." Taro replied. "Its manufacture is as careful as that of high quality violins."