𝚂𝚎𝚎 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 #1: 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡

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TAMMY:
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As I stepped into the building, I spotted a guy who was probably in his mid-twenties. He stood by what I presumed to be a punching bag and threw jabs and kicks at it.

The ends of the black belt that was tied around his waist moved at his rapid movements while he let out gruff sounds at intervals.

He was Joseph Yusuf, Ifeoluwa's previous tutor Mum and Dad had arranged for him to be thought him martial arts, Karate to be specific.

Ifeoluwa wasn't interested in learning the skill which came as a suprise to I and the rest of my family because, well, he was a guy. And most guys were interested in this stuff. Nevertheless, Ifeoluwa and I stayed friends with him, he was only a few years older than us anyway.

"Te– Sensei." I called as I walked towards a yellow bench nailed to the wall by the side of the large room.

The guy – who busied himself by hitting the punching bag – stopped and turned to me, breathing heavily. He smiled as he walked towards me.

"Otamayomi." He called causing a smirk on my face.

He was one of the few people that actually bothered calling out my full name.

"Sensei Yusuf." I said, placing my arms firmly on the sides of my body and taking a bow before the man. He did the same and turned around, walking back to the punching bag.

I held my tote bag and walked into a smaller room by a corner of the larger one. There, I brought out my Gi and changed into it, putting the clothes I wore to the place into the tote bag.

I walked out in my Gi, leaving my tote bag in the smaller room.

"You know the norms." Sensei Yusuf said, still hitting the punching bag. "Your fifteen minutes warm up."

I nodded and started with some stretches, but then he paused what he was doing and glanced at his watch.

"You've been away for quiet some time. Make it twenty." He said, and I nodded.

I continued with my stretches, and after doing a few more, I began to jog and I continued with that for about ten minutes, then, moved on to the next warm up exercise.

Sensei Yusuf began to walk away from the punching bag just as I approached it. I started with some blows I threw with both hands, one at a time, and then jabs.

Eventually, I began to do kicks too and with every blow, kick or jab, the punching bag kept thrusting forward and back.

Finally, I stopped, walked towards Sensei Yusuf who sat by the bench and asked him of the day's lesson.

"You still haven't perfected your round- house kick, so we'll start with that." He said, taking a stance in the middle of the room.

I rolled my eyes and glared at him. "Yes, I have. If I hadn't I wouldn't have earned my yellow belt."

He lips formed an 'O' and he nodded in realization before bursting into laughter. "I'm sorry, your majesty."

I rolled my eyes and smirked at him, then took a stance beside him.

"Okay, then. Show me wh—"

I swiftly did a round house kick on Sensei Yusuf, just as he leaned backwards, held my upright leg and pulled me down the floor.

I winced as he laughed and watched me lay on the floor in pain.

"You were right beside me, Otamayomi. Remember what I told you. What was lesson one?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I don't know. It was lesson one."

"Always be aware of your surroundings, and aside your hands and legs, your eyes should also be used as a tool for fighting." He said.