This is a story about friendship, competition, glory and representation of something big that you are proud to be a part of. If you are a recurring reader of this series then you know that this story will include Jeremy and Chad. The boisterous lads who have forged quite a bond over the years. They laugh together and they cry together. These two are nigh inseparable. One would be hard pressed to find a better pair. Now then, enough of the author bragging about their characters. You came to read about their adventures and not just about how great they are, even though they are.
Jeremy was a longtime practitioner of karate. Specifically Shorin-Ryu ShorinKan. He has practiced this martial art for over 5 years, has won many awards at tournaments and championships throughout the nation. This was achieved by using his light stature to move and get around his opponents attacks, but also using the tremendous exercise and strength training he put himself through to be able to rush in with an all out blitz. Therefore allowing him to rush his opponent down with a flurry of well placed punches and kicks while blocking incoming attacks. If that couldn't work due to the opponent being too strong or too fast then he would be methodical and more defensive. Waiting for the right time to strike. He was considered one of the best in his dojo before leaving to continue on in his life and learn some new things. Though it has only been half a year since he left his dojo and he has never stopped training and practicing.
Chad was a large lad and he was well aware of it. A year after Jeremy had started karate, Chad decided that he needed to learn some sort of combat skill so he and his most radical and dearest companion could have some sparring sessions. He had chosen boxing as the form of combat expertise that he would learn and the style he chose was mainly a slugger style with some out boxer skills mixed in. The way he did this was by initially relying on his often superior
size and strength to rush people down with slow but powerful punches(and kicks if he were dabbling in some kickboxing) like a slugger. He would even do this with those bigger than him if they didn't absolutely overpower him. In these instances, or when they were just too fast, the man would start to use a more out boxer approach by electing to keep his distance from his opponent and fight more defensively while using his reach and good timing to land the blows.
Jeremy had 5 plus years of training under his belt and Chad had just shy of 4 years. Today would be the day of their first sparring match. The two were getting prepared in the screened in porch, which was stationed at the back of the house and had a view of the gorgeous lawn, that the two had converted into a sort of training gym. It contained a mat floor, weights, resistance bands, punching bags, pads, a water cooler and a few weapons that Jeremy had left over from training and forgotten to take home from his last visit. Chad was wearing his typical boxing attire of shorts, pads, cup and mouthpiece. Jeremy had on his gi, cup, mouthpiece, belt and pads as he typically would during a match.
"Today is the day my most radical homie of mine." Jeremy said with a grin as he pulled back his hair and allowed it to leave the back of his headgear. Chad returns with a grin of his own as he stands up and heads to his place on the mat.
"Indeed it is my bodacious compatriot. Today is the day that we shall finally engage in a sparring match." Jeremy walks up to his place on the mat which is opposite to and facing Chad.
"This is gonna be so much boppin." Jeremy says as he lifts his arm and holds out his hand to receive a friendly bro-fist. A bro-fist is simply a fist bump between bros. "This is a self called match. Whenever one of us feels that we have scored a point we shout out 'break' and then we go back to our places and the other will confirm if they felt it as well. I have full confidence in your honesty homie. Sound good?"
Chad lifts his hand and gives Jeremy a bro-fist. "Sounds great, my guy. I have full confidence in yours as well." The two share a smile as Jeremy goes to set the timer before the two set up in their respective places and assume their fighting stances. Jeremy is in a sideways stance with his feet shoulder width apart and knees bent as he bounces on the balls of his feet. The hand that is closest to his opponent, in this case his left due to Chad being right handed, is raised at the level of Jeremy's mouth to block incoming attacks as well as deliver swift strikes while his other hand is stationed at his stomach where it is chambered to primarily deliver stronger blows.
Chad is standing upright with his knees bent much less than Jeremy's, but enough to allow for swift movement. His hands are up in front of him to where the hands can block high blows and his elbows and forearms are placed where they can block mid blows. Illegal places to strike are legs, butt, back and neck. Everything else is fair game. His arms are also bent in a way that allows for swift jabs even though most of his attacks are a bit more telegraphed than that. The fight will begin when the timer rings for the first time. This will give them a minute to score a point. If the timer rings before then, they will go back to their places regardless and wait for the timer to ring again to signal the start.
The bell rings and Jeremy instantly begins circling his opponent as both of them have seen the other fight and blitzing right of the bat would be expected. Chad turns as to not let Jeremy get behind him or even to the side before lunging forward with a left hook. Jeremy moves his head to the side and narrowly dodges the massive punch, but it is enough time for him to lunge in himself and score a solid punch into Chads liver before bouncing out again and calling "Break!"
"Oof man, you got me good!" Chad says with a smile as he sets back up in his position to wait for the signal to go again. "Liver shot. That's your point. Is this to 3 points?" He asks.
"Hehe yup and yup. You just barely missed that punch though. You're fast for a big dude." Jeremy says while returning the smile and taking his place on the mat.
"Thank you thank you." Chad says. As the bell rings, Chad thinks that he'll need to mix up his moves or he won't beat Jeremy's speed. He throws an axe kick which comes crashing down next to Jeremy. An axe kick is when someone will pick their leg up high, fully straighten it out and then slam their heel into the ground like an axe into wood. Jeremy was able to dodge this slower technique but it was a powerful one that took his attention away from the right handed hook that Jeremy had sent out even before his heel hit the ground. This punch connected with Jeremy's shoulder which technically counts as a block, but the left handed jab that followed quickly after was able to land straight in the center of the off balance Jeremy. "Break!" Chad called out as he panted a bit.
Jeremy smiles at Chad as the two get back to their places to catch their breath. Jeremy was also panting just a bit. "Now that was a nice combo, my most radical homie!" He says with enthusiasm and resumes his stance. "I'm impressed! Your speed with something that you don't often use is very impressive! Got me pretty well. Square in the sternum."
"Thank you very much. I've actually been practicing that one for a while." Chad says with a laugh. "I just never used it in a match before."
"Well you better start now. Too good to waste." Jeremy thinks to himself that if blitzing is his specialty then there is no reason to hold back on it and when the bell rings he does a cross-step lunge and bends his knees just a bit more to land a swift blow to Chad's groin. A cross step is when you put your back leg in front of your front leg and use it to push forward. Using
this allows for the attacker to hide the other body movements that can show when the attacker is about to move in. "Break! You alright homie?" Jeremy calls before hopping back to his spot and giggling a bit due to his pride in that technique.
Chad hadn't even had the chance to do more than move his head to watch as Jeremy had lunged and struck him and despite the cup, he was having to bend over and catch his breath. "Yeah man. No problem I just need a sec." Chad caught his breath pretty quickly and was back to standing upright.
"You're just about too tall for me to be able to get ya in the head when you're being so defensive so the guts are all I can go for." Says Jeremy.
"Aw it's no problem!" Chad said "This is a sparring match after all."
"That it is. 2 to 1 by the way." Says Jeremy. Chad nods in agreement and resumes his stance. The two analyse each other and try to think of ways that they can gain a point on the other. Jeremy decides to open with a hitching side kick. Hitching kicks are just when you pick your leg up to kick and use it's momentum combined with a push from your stationed leg to launch forward. Chad dodges the kick, but then Jeremy hooks it back and his heel makes a connection with Chad's rib. Jeremy calls "Break" and the two set up at their places.
"Ahh you're just too fast" Chad says in a joking, whiney voice and gives Jeremy a grin. "But you won fair and square." He takes off his glove and holds out his hand for his pal to shake.
"You aren't slow by any means, my guy." Jeremy says with a soft tone albeit a bit winded. "I'm just a smaller dude so I'm gonna be a bit faster. Less of me to move and all that." He shakes his pal's hand.
"Yeah you're right. It was fun though." Chad says as he starts to remove his pads. "It totally was. Wanna order some Pizza?" Jeremy asks as he also removes his pads.
"Yeah, dude. That sounds most epic." Chad says with a laugh.
Jeremy responds with a simple "Righteous" before grabbing his phone and calling their local Dominos.
