Tournament

The tournament date had finally approached. Fortunately this year Michael's University was hosting it so he did not have to go far to attend. The tournament had a separate Jiu-Jitsu and a Karate division. Naturally, the girls and boys had different Teams.

Michael woke up early and had steamed Lobster tails for breakfast. He arrived at the gymnasium and joined the team meeting. Jennifer was going over the tournament rules and giving a last minute pep talk.

After the meeting, everyone dispersed and went to the Locker rooms to get changed. Michael realized that he had never worn a karate gi (uniform) before. He managed to put it on and tied the belt in a simple knot. The gi had a Longhorn logo on the back to indicate his allegiance.

Michael walked out of the locker room and approached his first fight. The tournament had a bracket system and his first fight was against an A&M student. As soon as he stepped up the student turned towards him. All of a sudden the student started laughing at Michael. Soon the bystanders started looking and they too started giggling.

Michael was confused because he could not understand why everyone was laughing at him. He checked his uniform for stains or holes. However, he could not find anything wrong with his uniform. Jennifer noticed the spectacle and came up to Michael.

" Your Belt is tied wrong. There is a proper way to tie it." Jennifer explained while giggling. She showed Michael how to tie it properly and Michael adjusted it. Michael turned to his opponent who was still smirking. He would get his revenge soon.

The referee came up and started the fight. As soon as the fight started Michael threw a hook kick hitting the opponent's head. The judges put up a blue flag indicating one point for Michael. He needed two more points to win. Michael started pulling back; The opponent retaliated with fierce kicks and punches. However, Michael dodged them all, aggravating the opponent.

The spectators were mesmerized by Michael's dance. He was dodging everything while still staying within the boundaries; It was like he was playing with children. Michael threw a jab and scored another point. He finished the fight with a classic roundhouse kick.

The judges were stunned by his performance. Michael was basically untouchable; the funny thing was that he used only a third of his strength. Michael walked to the locker room to wash up before his next fight. He washed his face and went to the restroom. When he came out he noticed several people waiting for him.

In fact, he already knew that people were going to ambush him; his animal instincts had told him that he would be in a combat situation. However, Michael was not worried because he knew that none of these thugs posed any danger to him.

The assailants surrounded him. Michael noticed his first opponent among them. "Michael right? My name is Edgar. I was surprised to see your martial arts skills. Unfortunately, you are in the wrong college. Why don't you drop out of UT and join A&M next year? I will reserve the Vice-Captain spot for you." The leader replied.

Michael was taken back by the sky-high demands. Did these people expect him to move cities and college just for some MMA tournament? He knew that students took college competitions seriously; However, this was just plain ridiculous. " And what if I don't take up the offer?" Michael asked. He was interested to see how far these guys would go.

" Hmph if you don't agree. Then we will have to make sure that you do not participate in the rest of the tournament. We will put you to sleep and by the time you wake up the tournament will be over." Edgar declared. He knew that Michael was arrogant and would not give up easily; that is precisely why he brought back-up. Perhaps none of them could take Michael on alone; however, together they could overwhelm Michael. After all one hand cannot fight against ten.

" Are you not afraid of people finding out? I will call the cops." Michael threatened.

" Hmph... by the time you wake up we will be out of this town and besides, it is your word against all of ours. We know how to handle you without leaving any bruises as evidence." Edgar explained. They had done this before and knew how to handle arrogant idiots like Michael.

" Oh, so what happens here will not be found out? Well, that is good to know." Michael declared while smiling.

All of a sudden the assailants felt a chill run down their spine. Michael moved very quickly and followed the plan proposed by Edgar down to every detail. Except, the assailant and the victim roles were switched around. Michael left the locker room through the back exit and went around the gymnasium. He was sure that the attackers had men posted by the locker room doors.

The tournament continued and Michael participated in every fight. A&M Men's team were nowhere to be seen which left many spectators speechless. Michael's team performed well with him having perfect scores in every fight. This boosted the team's morale and they continued to perform well.

*****

Jennifer was ecstatic because UT had won the tournament for both men's and female's team. This had never happened before. Even though the Women's team usually performed very well the Men's team always had dull performance. She noticed Michael standing in a corner away from the celebrations.

Jennifer knew that the credit for this achievement belonged to Michael. She felt like nothing was impossible around him. The reason why she abandoned her COO position was because she felt like the company was not bold enough. They ignored her new ideas saying that they were too risky. Her management skills were still top notch so they kept her, but she wanted to find a company where she would be given more opportunity.

Jennifer felt like the company that Michael establishes will be the right fit for her. She wanted to work for someone who could do the impossible. She walked towards Michael.

" Thank you, We would not have won without you. It means a lot to me to win during my last semester." Jennifer replied from the bottom of her heart.

" You are welcome. I enjoyed the tournament. It was fun to meet people from all the different colleges. Besides, it was a team effort so I don't deserve all the credit." Michael explained.

Jennifer knew that Michael did not like to draw attention to himself so he would never admit to winning the tournament. She steeled her resolve before deciding to ask him the magic question.