CHAPTER 5
That week went by fast. It wasn’t a terrible week. There were no meetings with the principal, but Kenny did talk back a few times to Ms. Riaz.
At karate class on Saturday, Kenny lined up with the other students. He made sure his belt was tied correctly.
Sensei bowed. Kenny bowed back with the other students.
“Today,” Sensei said, “we will work on blocking. You will be able to defend yourselves against the punches we learned last week.”
Sensei stepped to the center of the mat. “I will show you several blocks before we begin,” he said. “Mr. Parks, you will attack.”
Kenny opened his eyes wide. “Me?” he asked, shocked.
“Me, Sensei,” the teacher corrected. “And yes, you, Mr. Parks. Please stand here in your punching stance.”
Kenny stepped forward and stood on the mat. He faced Sensei. Then he spread his feet and bent his elbows. He was in the punching stance he had learned the week before.
“Good stance, Mr. Parks,” the teacher said. “Attack me whenever you feel like you are ready.”
“You want me to punch you, Sensei?” Kenny asked, surprised.
“I want you to try to punch me,” Sensei replied, smiling.
Kenny inhaled deeply and clenched his fists. He thought back to the last week of class and remembered the way to do a punch to the chest.
He took a step forward. With a loud grunt, he punched.
As fast as lightning, Sensei blocked the punch with his left arm. Then, before Kenny could pull his arm back, Sensei lifted him by the elbow and dropped him onto his back.
In less than a second, Sensei was standing over Kenny. Kenny stared up at him from the mat.
“Ow,” Kenny moaned.
Sensei turned to the class. “Do you see, students,” he said, “how I used Mr. Parks’s energy against him?”
“Yes, Sensei!” the others replied.
Kenny was angry. Sensei had made him look like a fool!
Kenny jumped to his feet and ran at his teacher. “Block this!” he yelled. He charged at the small man.
“Gladly,” Sensei replied. He calmly stepped aside and gently caught Kenny by the shoulder. In less than a second, Kenny was on his back again.
Sensei kneeled over Kenny. “Mr. Parks,” the teacher said quietly. “You must learn to control your anger. Otherwise, your anger will control you.” He reached out his hand to help Kenny up.
Kenny got to his feet with Sensei’s help. “That’s easy for you to say,” Kenny said under his breath.
* * *
An hour later, class was over. Sensei had been Kenny’s partner for all the sparring. Somehow, Kenny had managed to stay on his feet most of the time, except whenever he’d gotten angry.
The class lined up. “Very well done today, students,” Sensei said. “I will let you go in a moment. First, I have an announcement.”
Kenny glanced at the other students. All of them kept their eyes straight ahead.
“In three weeks,” Sensei continued, “we will have a class tournament. Every year, we hold a tournament for the students in each level’s class.”
He smiled. “Being in the tournament is required,” Sensei added. “The winner of the tournament will earn the respect of his Sensei and his classmates. He will also receive free lessons for the next level of training.”
Some of the students smiled or cheered. “Cool,” said the guy next to Kenny.
“Thank you, students,” Sensei finished. He bowed. All of the students, including Kenny, bowed back. Then they headed outside to wait for their rides home.
“Man, I really want to win that tournament,” a kid said to Kenny as they waited.
Kenny shrugged. “I doubt I have a chance,” he said. “Did you see the way Sensei threw me around in there?”
The other kid laughed. “That just means you get more practice than the rest of us,” he said. “And sparring against Sensei is better practice than sparring against one of us.”
Kenny nodded. “That’s true,” he replied.
The other kid kept talking, but Kenny wasn’t paying attention to him.
Hmm, Kenny thought. Maybe I do have a shot at winning the tournament.