always you || eli moskowitz

04

Miguel and I are standing in front of my dad in our karate dojo, no one saying anything.

"So are we going to get the karate pajamas too?" Miguel asks him.

"Quiet." He yells, looking at both of us.

"I wasn't even-" I begin but get cut off.

"I said quiet!" He screams once more.

"Ok." We both mutter, looking at each other.

"The student only speaks when spoken to. Is that understood?" He asks us.

"Yes Dad."
"Yes."

He looks at us, expecting us to say something else.

"Yes sir?" Miguel says in more of a question.

"You always address me as Sensei. Is that understood?" He asks us.

"Yes sensei." We say to him at the same time.

"These aren't pajamas. This is a gi. And you'll get one when you've earned it." He pauses for a second, looking at us. "All right, are you guys ready to bring your training?"

"Yes sensei." We say at the same time once again. All of a sudden, he pulls Miguel down in one swift motion. When I laugh, he pulls me down too. We're both laying on the ground, groaning.

"What the hell Dad?" I ask, still laying on the ground.

"Lesson one. Strike first." He says, looking down at us. "Never wait for the enemy to attack."

"Well you coulda given us like a warning." Miguel says, struggling to get up.

"Quiet!" Dad yells at us. I get up first and help Miguel s get up too.

"We do not train to be merciful here." Dad says, circling around us. "Mercy is for the weak. Here on the street, in competition, a man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy. What is the problem Mr. Diaz?" Miguel is using his inhaler, and my Dad clearly doesn't know why.

"There is no problem Sensei. You punched me, and I have asthma, so-" Miguel stops talking when Dad grabs the inhaler and throws it across the room and breaks it.

"Not anymore." He says looking at Miguel. "We do not allow weakness in this dojo. So, you can leave your asthma and your peanut allergies and all that other made up bullshit outside. Understood?"

"Wait but Dad, I used to have asthma." I say, confused.

"No you didn't." He says to me, making me scrunch my face in confusion.

"Guys, no allergies and shit. Understood?" He tells us again.

"Yes Sensei."
"Yes Sensei."

"Cobra Kai isn't just about karate. It's about a way of life." He says, pointing to the back wall wit a motto on it. " Take that first lesson. Striking first is the initial step towards victory. Ok? Like when your at a party and see a hot babe-" He stops and looks at me, " Or dude. You don't wait for someone else to talk to them first, do you?" He asks us.

"I mean, I've never been to a party so." Miguel says.

"Yeah me either." I agree.

"Big surprises. All right look. Striking first is about being aggressive, all right? If you're not aggressive, you're being a pussy, and you don't wanna be a pussy. You wanna have balls."

"Don't you think you're doing a lot of genderizing?" Miguel asks.

"Yeah Dad." I say to him. He looks at us like we're both crazy.