“What is” is more important than “what should be.”
—BRUCE LEE
“The basics of self-defense are actually pretty easy.” I tried to project confidence. I thought I knew them well enough to teach them—but could Jenny learn? If I had learned anything about martial arts, it was that more than half of it was attitude. If you believed you couldn’t do something, then you couldn’t. But the reverse was also true.
Jenny squared her shoulders. “Then show me.”
I let go of the makeshift nunchuck. The can thumped on the couch. “The first step is to protect your head. Always keep your hands up in front of your face.” I demonstrated, but only with my good arm, which felt really strange.
Jenny raised her hands, which she had curled into fists. But her thumb was tucked inside her fingers.
I shook my head. “Don’t even worry about making fists,” I said. “If you make one with your thumb inside like that, and then hit him, you might break it. Just keep your hands open and up. If he tries to grab or punch you, raise your arm just enough to block it with the side of your wrist.” I raised my right hand, parrying an imaginary blow while still keeping my forearm at a right angle. “Now try to hit me on the right side of my head.”
Jenny pulled her hand back for a slap. I raised my forearm a few inches and blocked it. Our wrists clashed.
“Ouch!” She rubbed her wrist. “That hurts.”
“My sifu has this saying—” I started, but Jenny interrupted.
“Sifu?”
“Sifu means ‘teacher.’ My sifu says you should put hard bones in soft places. Now you try. Put your hands up and block me.” She did and easily blocked my slap, then a right roundhouse I threw.
Although I knew her wrist must still be hurting from the clash of our bones, now she wasn’t even wincing. I’d been expecting her to have the slightly stunned look most women did when they realized that martial arts was going to involve physical contact and even some actual pain. But Jenny, with her scars, her knowledge of teeth and Tasers, was more familiar with pain than I was.
She was far stronger than she looked.
Feeling more confident in her abilities, I continued. “A punch is basically like a fast push. Strike with the heel of your hand. Remember, hard bones, soft places. So you’ve got the eyes, the nose”—with my good hand I demonstrated lightly on myself—“and the neck. And if you catch him under the chin and push, he’ll have to go where you push.”
I ducked into the bedroom and came back with the pillow. Holding the back of the pillow in the center, I lifted it to head height, off to one side. “Pretend this is his face.”
She grunted as she threw her first strike, hard enough that I staggered. “Nice!” I adjusted my stance so my shoulder could swing away to better absorb the impact. “Don’t pull your arm back before you hit him, or he’ll know what you’re doing.” I thought of Daniel but pushed the thought away. I had to focus. “Always keep your elbows in front of your ribs. Now hit some more.” As she struck again and again, I grunted each time. “That’s right. Pivot from the feet. Use your hips.”
My shoulder aching, I finally dropped the pillow. “That’s very good. You move well. A lot of people don’t realize that the power of your hands comes from your feet and hips.”
Jenny ducked her head, but I thought she looked proud. “I ran track in middle school.”
“That should really help your kicks. A good place to aim for is the groin. Think of making contact with your shoelaces.”
She kicked in the air with her toe pointed. “Like a scoop?”
I nodded. “Exactly. Exactly like that! Or kick him in the knee with the bottom or side of your shoe. With his knee dislocated, he couldn’t chase after us. Kicks are good for keeping distance. But if he gets in too close, raise your knee just like you’re climbing the stairs and hit him in the groin. If you lean back, you’ll give it more force.” Since I didn’t have two hands to hold the pillow, I had Jenny practice both kicks and knee strikes in the air.
“Even if you end up on the ground, you can still kick him. Smash his knees, his groin, even his ankles.” I thought back to what Sifu had said. Was it just two days ago? “The main rule is that there are no rules. Do whatever you have to do. Scratch or bite or gouge his eyes.”
Outside, Rex started to bark again.
Jenny clutched my arm. “He’s already coming back!”
We weren’t nearly ready. Should I position myself on the far side of the door, where he wouldn’t see me at first? Or on the near side where I could strike as soon as possible? What if I tried to hit him with the can just as Jenny was striking him and I ended up hurting her?
I chose the near side, swinging the can over my shoulder. It thumped painfully on my lower back. Jenny stood opposite me, her hands near her face, her open palms ready to strike him or grab the Taser.
Sourness spread over the back of my tongue. My pulse slammed in my ears.
And we waited for the door to open.