fault - eli moskowitz

forty-five

"never underestimate your enemy." kreese told us. "even if you think they're weaker than you, you always have to be one step ahead of them." he said as he walked around the room. we all stood at the edges of the mat, "that's the only way to garuntee victory." kreese said. "is that understood?" he asked us. "yes sensei." we all responded. "good." the man said. "now lets see if you truly understand the lesson." kreese said as he started to walk over to the log, that stood upwards with a plant on top of it. "i wan't you to kick this tree off the top." kreese said. "red, you start." he told a guy. the guy walked over and went to kick the plant off- it was too high though. "pathetic." kreese said as the guy got up off the ground. "rickenburger, show him." he told another guy. he actually jumped pretty high but he still missed, and fell to the ground. "stop your sniveling." kreese said as the guy got up off the ground. 

i thought for a second, i got it! you had to kick the log down to the ground in order to get the plant down with it. "i can do it, sensei." hawk said. "well, what're you waiting for?" kreese responded. hawk walked forward, "don't you want a running one?" kreese asked, i knew what hawk was doing though. "don't need one." hawk told the man before he kicked the log down, the plant had fallen to the floor. kreese laughed, "not bad." he said. "not bad at all." he told hawk. hawk walked backwards and into his spot again. 

"but he cheated." someone said. "no, he didn't." kreese told the kid. "unlike you, he did exactly what i asked him to do." kreese walked forward. "if your mind is agile, so are you." he said as he walked in front of everyone. he walked in front of me and i stared forward, he then moved on. "that's the best way to beat your enemy." he told everyone. "not just with brute strength, but you have to fight smart." kreese told us. "do that, and you'll always come out on top." the man said as he stood in front of hawk. 

hawk had turned over to me and i nodded and slightly smiled in a way of saying, good job.