Greg slammed Eric to the mat. Pain shot up through his arm. Normally he didn’t feel pain. He was always so focused. Not today.
“What are you going to do, Eric?” Sensei asked. He was standing near them. Many of the students had gathered to watch the boys roll.
Sensei Chen had originally said no intense sparring. Eric and Greg didn’t seem able to roll that way. It had to be intense.
Greg wrapped his legs around Eric’s leg.
“Are you breathing?” Sensei asked.
Eric tried to shift. His goal was to move his opponent. He needed to shift him a little. Maybe it would create an opening.
Greg didn’t budge.
Eric was nervous. He never felt that way before. When Sensei’s eyes were on him, he could still perform. He could tune out the entire center.
Today he felt like he was being judged. Did everyone know?
They knew about Michelle dissing him. About Dan being Danielle. Before long he would become a joke. Everyone would know about his past with Danielle.
He crumbled. Greg shifted him. It was an arm bar submission. Greg was bending his arm at the elbow joint.
“Get out of it!” Sensei Chen said.
Eric tried.
“He’s got him!” a student said excitedly. Nobody moved or said another word.
Most people would tap out. The pain would be intense. Eric had never been submitted in this way. He lifted up his other hand. His arm throbbed as Greg pulled on it. It was time to tap—
“Time!” Sensei Chen said.
Greg let go. Both boys got up.
Everybody cheered. Students congratulated Greg. Some patted Eric’s back.
“What’s going on?” Sensei asked.
“He just got me,” Eric said. He was breathing hard. The match had wiped him out.
“Why do you think that is?” Sensei’s tone was calm. He was always calm.
Eric was not calm. He felt embarrassed. It wasn’t just that Greg beat him. He’d lost Michelle. Again. He couldn’t get Dan out of his life. Things were spinning out of his control.
“I don’t know,” he said. He didn’t look at Sensei Chen. He eyed Greg, who was talking to Adam. “Greg, let’s go again.”
“Now?” Greg laughed.
Other students laughed too.
Everyone knew the sparring session had been too intense. The students could still roll. They just had to do it at half speed. Sensei Chen didn’t want anybody to get hurt. The tournament was only a few weeks away.
“Yeah, why not? Afraid you’ll lose this time?”
Nobody said a word. Greg eyed Eric. Then he looked at Sensei Chen.
“You two aren’t rolling again,” Sensei said. “It’s too close to the tournament. Eric, you’re not in the right frame of mind.”
“What?” he yelled.
Sensei stared at him. Eric never acted disrespectful. All eyes were on them.
“I want to roll. Let us roll. This is an MMA center, right?” Eric was being foolish. But he couldn’t stop.
Sensei Chen moved closer to him. “Eric, you should go home,” he said evenly. “Come back when you’re in the right mindset.”
Before he could speak, Sensei walked away.
The students returned to their practice. Rolling continued. The center’s buzz resumed.
This place had been Eric’s sanctuary. But it wasn’t today.