Street Fighter

In the cage

As I pounded the hanging punching bag with my taped knuckles my head slowly cleared and I relaxed, settling into a rhythm and working up a sweat. The steady thudding of my fists were all I could hear in the deserted gym.
It was during these moments while I was working that I could reflect. Some people like to think in the shower or while running, I do it in the abandoned gym, tiring both my mind and my body simultaneously. It clears my mind and helps me to concentrate on school and the other more important things in my life.
Without warning a hand was placed upon my shoulder, startling me and arousing me from my stupor. Startled, I grabbed their wrist, bent my knees, twisted my hips and flung them over my shoulder. They landed hard on their back on the ground in front of me, winded.
Squinting in the rays of sun streaming in through the single window in the corner of the dusty gym, I peered at the immobile body sprawled in front of me.
"Ash?" I questioned cautiously. "And to think I taught you that" the girl on the floor whimpered, "Ash!" I said rushing to her side and helping her to her feet. "Just gotta rotate your hips more and remember to weight bear evenly" she said as she slowly stood up.
"Thats all you say" I said incredulously "are you ok?" Ash gave me a disapproving look as she squared up to me, "I thought you knew me better than that."
Ash is a bit of a character, I see so much of myself in her. You see she was the one who took me in when I was just a youngster. She is my trainer and mentor I suppose, she works me through my drills, teaches me the fighting techniques and weapons training and organises my fights.
I lowered myself into my stance and brought my fists up to defend my face as we slowly moved in a circle, our eyes never leaving the others face. Our problem was that we knew each other too well, we had trained together and sparred together long enough to know each others tactics, therefore neither wanted to make the first move.
I decided to try another tactic, casting my eyes down momentarily to distract her I swung my left leg up and around in an arc in a roundhouse kick only to be blocked by her arm before reaching my destination. In the same instant I had jumped up off of my right leg, extended my guard out and connected hard with her chest sending her stumbling backwards.
"Thats not fair" she complained, "thats my trick!" I just laughed, returning my fists the their original position and crouching down again in my comfortable fighting stance.
She lowered her head, and staying low she charged at me taking me by surprise and started punching my abdomen, hooked in such a position that i was helpless to get her off of me. I thrashed around trying to free my arms or get a leg up to push her off with.
Then she released me, pushed her fringe out of her eyes and looked at me seriously, "Rogue, never let them get in close to your body, always be alert." I bent over, clutching my stomach and made noises to indicate I was in pain.
Concern written over her face she approached me, "you better not be messing with me you little...." I ducked down and rolled away from her, twisting my legs around and rotating my hips in a circle pulling her legs out from under her body. Springing up I knelt on top of, pinning her legs and arms to the ground using my body weight. I sat there for a minute before we just looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Getting up I offered her a hand which she swatted away, "leave me with some of my dignity why don't you" she muttered under her breath as she hauled herself up panting.
We then ran through a few more drills and exercises for about half an hour. Once we were hot and sweaty we left the practice area together, towels in one hand and drink bottle in the other laughing like old friends, reenergised after a good training session.