Fighting by Cat Phoenix Read Free Book Online

this was all a "warm up" to combat training. 
    Yay.
    By
the time I did the last sit up, my abs, not used to vigorous, repetitive
movement, were screaming at me, as were my arms and upper back muscles.  After
he called out the last rep, I sprawled out flat on the floor and just focused
on my breathing.  I liked yoga because it was about strength and control.  This
workout regimen, in comparison, was about strength and agility.  I knew I'd
find my footing and regain my control eventually, but right then, all I could
think about was the loose strands of hair sticking to my face and neck and how
much I felt like taking a nap.
    Ross
was laughing at the tortured expression on my face, but the kind way he was
doing it made it feel like he was laughing with me instead of at me.  He
offered me a hand up and I took it, sure that I'd be unable to get to my feet
without assistance.  He handed me my water bottle and I drank some as we
crossed the hall and joined the others in the studio.
    He
walked to the opposite side they were all on and stopped at the punching bag. 
I looked around the room and memorized the layout.  To the right of the room,
where we were, there was a wall of glass windows and French doors that opened
up to a moderately sized balcony.  A wall of mirrors ran along the entire wall of
the room.  On the other side of the room, where the others were, there was
space cleared with various equipment in piles along another wall.
    "So
normally I wouldn't cut you any slack, but since you're a beginner and you
appear thoroughly exhausted from your workout, we'll just go over the basics
today and then we can start you out for real tomorrow," he said kindly. 
"First, let's wrap our hands.  We have to wrap them for fighting because
the bones in our hands are pretty sturdy for everyday use, but it's pretty easy
to break them with as little as the wrong angle going into a strike."
    "Right,"
I said.
    "So
when we thread this material through our knuckles and wrists, we stabilize the
hand and give it extra support so that you're not striking anything with bare
knuckles.  It's a necessary precaution and eventually you'll get so used to
wrapping your hands that it will be second nature and you can do it
blindfolded."
    I
nodded receptively and copied his movements with my own hand wraps.
    "Hey,
Spencer!" Ross yelled out to the others.  Everyone turned their heads in
our direction.  "Come give me a hand for a second."
    Spencer
jogged over and Ross used him as a guinea pig to go over the four basic punches
in mixed martial arts, moving his hands in slow motion.  I watched his form,
taking note of where his feet were placed and how his body turned.  I had taken
a few self-defense classes but just to be safe, I wasn't going to volunteer any
information that I already knew, just in case it was wrong.  I simply watched and
listened quietly until it was my turn to try.
    By
lunch, I hit my second wind and wasn't feeling so tired anymore.  I followed
the others to the kitchen, leaving Brooks, Ross and Ethan behind in the
studio.  Gwen made lasagna for lunch, and it was absolutely divine.  I hadn't
had a home cooked meal made by someone else since I was in high school. 
    I
sat down first, and they filled in around me.  Oliver sat across from me and
jumped right into a conversation.  Spencer sat beside him and August sat beside
me, flashing a timid smile in my direction. 
    Oliver
ran a play by play of our gaming marathon from the previous night for Spencer,
detailing how even though I was really very good, I still only managed to beat
him a few times. 
    Spencer
stuffed a bread roll into his mouth and then said, "Impressive." 
Only it sounded more like, "Inpreffife."  He made a mammoth effort to
swallow the roll almost whole without taking a sip of his drink (which actually
was impressive) and spoke like I couldn't hear him.  "To be the best, you
have to beat the best.  You need to challenge her again and take no