The Five [COMPLETED]

Part Five

What is love? I had never known it. I was an unwanted child who brought nothing but shame and bad fortune to those who were supposed to love me. No wonder then that my six-year-old heart could be consumed by such hatred. It came easily.

With the cleaver tight in my hand, I let the full weight of my arm fall.

Then, an almighty force, like a rushing tornado. In a flash, Sifu's eyes sprang open. His left hand grasped the arm in which I held the weapon. Twisting it up my back, he seized me by the neck with his right hand, throwing me to the floor. It was a move I would learn and use myself in the years ahead. This 'dim lo' technique is designed to immobilize an attacker in an instant. It is derived from a similar move called the 'dim mak.' Had he used this, he would have killed me. His fingers dug deep into my neck, cramming my head to the floor. I gasped for air but would have welcomed the peace of death. I thought I detected a half-smile on his face as his piercing eyes bore into mine. Perhaps this is what he had been waiting for: a demonstration that, somewhere among his filthy Chinese blood, there was enough spirit in him to secure the treasured legacy of the Shaolin fighters. All I knew then was the full weight of his anger towards me. Dragging me by the hair, he pulled me out of the Hall, screaming that the lesson I was about to be taught was like no other. 

It was. I was severely beaten, then made to stand in the icy torrents of the river. After several hours of pain I could remember no more. I awoke in a hospital once again, this time with hypothermia and injuries that had taken me to death's door. After that incident, something hardened deep within my spirit. I truly resigned myself to Sifu's will. I was like a horse, finally broken and in submission to its' master. I promised myself I would become like him. I would earn his respect by being able to fight him as an equal. I became strong, focused and determined. By the time I turned eight years old I had truly accepted my privilege as one of Lowsi's students. As a novice, I had been severely tested. All those beatings and training exercises only served to make me strong for the years ahead. Now, Sifu was satisfied that we were fully committed to the way of Kung Fu. Now, he would begin to reveal the secrets of his heritage. 

Our training moved to the first level. We worked a minimum of eight hours a day with him as he determined what animal style we were most suited to. In the end, I received the Tiger Style. We began to hone new techniques and build power, speed and strength. Sifu would often send us to different areas of the courtyard so we could focus on our separate styles. He would constantly move between us; show one of us a move from that specific style and expect them to practice it while he observed the other children. One day, when Sifu was meditating on the steps that led to the Training Hall while we trained, I stopped and began to watch the other children. Their movements were so different from mine, and I began to wonder how all these styles would work together in a real combat situation. I realised that even though I had been living with them for more than a year, I had never really talked to any of them. Surely he wouldn't mind? Surely he doesn't want us to live in isolation from one another? I was snapped from my thoughts when I saw Sifu staring at my still, unmoving form. He no longer beat us like he used to. He rarely offered us praise, but it was much better than having fresh wounds every day, dreading the moment when that bamboo cane would strike you again. I continued to practice my forms until the sun began to set upon the Valley. As usual, we formed into a line and bowed to Sifu before beginning to head back to the Barracks. My breath was coming in small pants as we walked; not from tiredness, but nervousness. Finally, I got the courage to speak. 

"It's been a pretty hard day," I said to no-one in particular. I held my breath, waiting. Will anyone answer me? 

"No harder than any other day," someone replied. I jumped and saw Matthew staring at me. I gave him a small smile. 

"At least Sifu doesn't beat us anymore," Violet added. "They really hurt." She looked at me. "What did he do to you the night . . . you know . . . tried to kill him?" 

"He beat me," I replied simply. "And then he made me stand in the icy river in the woods on the hills behind the Jade Palace."

"That's terrible!" Violet exclaimed. "But . . . I guess you can get why he did that. I mean, it's Sifu."

"Yeah," I said. We spent the rest of the trek discussing the beatings and our training as novices. As we entered the barracks and headed to our rooms, we told one another goodnight. Each candle went out one by one until the barracks were silent. As I climbed onto my bed that night, I felt more content and happy than I ever had in the past year at this place.