by Lotta Bangs
I had to return to the loo to try to scrub off the beslimed feeling Phillip had left me with.
Chapter 13
Discovering Treasure
Paul took one look at me when I returned and opened his arms wide. I stepped into the hug and he lifted me onto his lap. He felt so wholesome after the other guy.
“I bet you have a little sister.”
“Yeah, she’s a real sweetheart. Feel better?”
“Yes, but keep holding me please. I just sent a pedophile away. I still feel dirty.”
“That Phillip?”
“Yes.”
“Thought he was a wrong ’un, but wouldn’t have guessed he was that bad.”
“Can I ask you a personal question Paul?”
“You can ask. There’s some I won’t answer.”
“Do you and your sister have the same father?”
“No we don’t. Mom was seduced by a well-known ladies man we had around these parts. Good looking, sweet-talking charmer, just couldn’t keep it in his pants.
“Went after the married women too. Probably left forty or more by-blows before the sheriff ran him out of town after catching Dad with his wife. The wife had a daughter, prettiest thing. The sheriff adores her. She’s as charming as our Dad was.”
“So Ron and his sisters are your half siblings and you all have this kinesthetic talent to some degree. And there could be another forty people with the same genetic gift here. I’d like to locate them all and test them. We could start a martial arts revolution if I trained them all. They’d make fantastic teachers and champions.”
“Is there money in that?”
“Sure is, if you’re really good. It’s one of the few areas in which children can earn as much as adults. I’m not seven yet and I own three other dojos besides half of this one and I’m raking it in.
“I have a milder version of your talent, had a really great teacher and a compulsion to learn. You have the potential to be far better than I am, and currently I’m the most accomplished martial arts expert in the country, possibly both continents.
“There are martial arts tournaments held all over the world with lots of prize money and prestige, and of course more is made on gambling.
“A good teacher can make his own hours. I don’t spend all my time on martial arts. I just set up the dojo, retrain the teachers to my standards, hire other staff to work in the pools, gym, shops, cafeteria, crèche and whatever and sell shares to the teachers so they get some of the profits as well as wages.
“I teach when I feel like it, but mostly I study, I’m doing several university courses at a time by computer, picking up new languages, learning medicine and law.
“I’m thinking of adding nursing and veterinary science to cover the healing spectrum, then the natural health studies: chiropractic, naturopathy, iridology, homeopathy and whatever else I can find.
“There’s interesting work being done in nutrition and in proving the really ancient Indian Ayurveda remedies and Chinese herbal medicine.”
“You’re lucky to be able to learn so much while young and stay out of the school system. That stultifies and compartmentalizes kids. They are brainwashed instead of educated. And emerge unable to think for themselves or research information, despite the great information revolution computers and the net have brought.”
“Ooh, I like a man with passions. What other interests do you have?”
“I’m interested in nearly everything I learn. I keep getting side-tracked by one subject after another and haven’t found anything yet that I want to specialize in.”
“Have you studied anything formally?”
“I did two years of college, went from course to course, read loads of recommended texts and learned more from them than the set work. I haven’t stopped reading since.”
“Do you speed read?”
“No, I didn’t like what I discovered about it.”
“I know what you mean. Some methods teach you to photograph whole books in your head but don’t give you any index to access the information you want, so you have to read through the whole memorized book again until you get to what you’re after.
“I can teach you a better way. You need to speed read and sort the info as you go, discarding what you don’t need. Even the best texts are three-quarters waffle, and you shouldn’t clog your brain with that.”
“Sounds great. I’d like that, Thanks.”
“We’ll start after dinner tonight.”
* * *
I sat and watched the after-brunch session as one person after another made the quantum leap discovery. We soon had two correctors for each person still trying.
“Those of you who have already helped someone else transform, please work on practicing the second kata until you make the leap again, then the third. I’d like most of you to break through on the whole ten today, so we could do something different tomorrow.
“The rest of you continue to help the others. You need to learn to recognize the perfect form when you see it in someone else, either in those who haven’t quite achieved it, or those working on the second kata.”
An hour later, there were only fourteen people who hadn’t yet advanced to the next stage. Everyone else had helped at least two persons to get past the barrier.
“Okay, I want to try something new. Sometimes a kata just gets to be too familiar, and we find ourselves going through the motions without really working at it. So, I’ve put the same moves together in a different order to make it feel unfamiliar.”
I demonstrated these with only slightly taller Bettina. Even in a varied order, the steps didn’t faze her. She owned those moves. The initiates were pleased to discover that they did too.
By the third repetition, four of the triers had cracked it. They and their attackers both became emotional at the accomplishment. Shortly the rest were there.
I was so pleased at the success of this maneuver I wept too. Paul handed me a tissue. We were on the fifth large box by then.
“Sensei have you ever helped a roomful of people to make the breakthrough before?” asked Armando.
“No, but only because I’d never thought to try it. Nobody has ever done it before. Getting there has always been an individual achievement, though it’s inspirational to everybody who witnesses it.
“I just thought that if I could get Ron and Paul over, they could help me to push more people through. But I didn’t expect all two hundred and eight of you, some complete novices, to penetrate the barrier in five and a half hours. I thank you all for this mighty honor.”
I bowed to the class and they to me.
We broke early for lunch. I managed to grab the photographer and persuaded him to download all his pics to my computer. They were very professional, with some terrific action shots he had taken in close-up, wandering around on the periphery of the group.
He had captured the joy and the tears too. I paid him well for them and scanned his card so I could credit him with those I published.
Most of the students had brought their own lunches which they ate in the dining area with us, so I didn’t need to treat them. Fermina had been chatting with the kitchen staff most of the morning, exchanging recipes, as she told me when we caught up again.
When I was temporarily full, Armando came over and sat with us.
“Taj, I think we should commemorate the momentous events of this morning. You accomplished something that has never been done before in martial arts. It should not be forgotten. I’m sure everyone here feels equally proud to have been part of this historic occasion.”
“What do you suggest, Armando? A special certificate to mark the occasion? A bronze plaque somewhere in this ballroom in front of which our students could be photographed at celebratory milestones in their lives? Or an annual recreation of the event by invitation?”
“I think we should go with all three of your ideas. They’re outstanding.
“But what I was actually thinking of was that each person who participated in
these sessions should write up an acknowledgement of what happened from their own point of view. How it affected them and their attitude to martial arts, what they learnt from it that might serve them throughout their lives. That kind of thing.
“We could start a large scrapbook with these pasted in with some of those photographs you have and update it regularly.”
“Well, if you can talk the students into doing that, go ahead, but putting it on computer might work better. You’re the one big on certification. I’ve done okay without mine so far, though I do hope to collect them all one day. Master Prospero would be unhappy to know that I hadn’t wallpapered all my offices with them.”
I nibbled away at the rest of my lunch while composing a long email to Emil. I asked if the magazine Savate which had featured our story would be interested in printing articles by La Tabanita.
The first would be about how in less than two days I had 208 students, new to me, of all ages and degrees, including 43 savate novices and six martial arts newbies, achieve the kata breakthrough six to ten times each.
In the second I planned to give complete instructions on how this was achieved. I attached six of the better photos and the photographer’s details, saving the best ones for the articles and cover.
Horrie subscribed to that magazine among others, I figured that if Typhon hadn’t noticed my previous cover and other pictures, they wouldn’t see this either, and it would be a way of letting my sensei know I was doing well.
* * *
I had not considered Armando to be a very persuasive person, but next morning he gave me a great sheaf of acknowledgements, mostly written on the hotel stationery. Some were only a few lines, some over five pages, and sure enough, there were 208 of them. I scanned them to computer and handed them back for safe keeping.
Simon had returned to class after having heard of yesterday’s breakthroughs. He was unable to participate in floor work yet, but having passed the white glove grade, he must have qualified to judge at national and inter-club competitions.
I asked how many contests he had judged. He had to admit that he’d only adjudicated at club matches as there were no dojos teaching savate nearer than mine.
I taught the morning class three more kata and reciprocal combinations, each featuring a spin and the important Decalage sidestep after a completely different type of move. After brunch everybody again practiced each kata until achieving the breakthrough, far more quickly than yesterday. There were fewer tears this time, but a lot of happiness.
After lunch I had Simon and the other five students who had reached white glove grade or higher, judge sparring pairs. Most everybody achieved white or yellow grade, with only a few, including Janine and other former neophytes at red glove status.
That also was phenomenal, but of course no large groups have ever achieved perfect form in savate so quickly, thus bypassing the earlier clumsy grades.
I actually would have classed many of the students at higher levels, but accepted these gradings and put them into my computer, then printed out certificates for each person except Simon.
I’d designed the breakthrough certificate last night: white background, raised gold heading and names, with a fine line deep blue surround and deep blue writing with my usual logo.
None of the newly upgraded students had judged competitions as yet, a requisite of each senior grade, but that would be remedied shortly after the rebuilding was completed, and I could bus out some of my previous students.
More importantly, each student had demonstrated the ability to read when another student had achieved perfect form. That was much harder to do than judging competitions.
Their teachers now needed to put the students through various official internet coaching and training courses, and check they had learnt all the requirements, rules and regulations.
The students would need experience at sparring and competing in club matches before meeting with my other students for their first interclub competitions.
I gave Paul his certificates first and suggested he spend the evening with his family as we would be returning home early the next morning. I handed out the remaining certificates without too much ceremony.
I asked for four volunteers to accompany me to my other dojos for additional training and to help extend the breakthroughs to my earlier students. As it was still school term, I couldn’t take children, school teachers or anyone with a fulltime job.
Also they would need a current passport to go to Buenos Aires. That left over fifty eager applicants. I chose Janine, Armando, Scott, the senior karate teacher and Maureen, the intermediate savate teacher.
Armando thanked me for everything I had accomplished with the group. I thanked the class and told them I’d see them in the new building soon.
Fermina and I packed everything except what we’d need tomorrow and retired early.
Paul delivered the remaining shop boxes to the home of the senior savate teacher, Sebastian, who would be in charge until Armando returned, then he drove us home.
Chapter 14
Upgrading the second Dojo
We dropped our guests at my big dojo, the men to share the three-bedroom flat, the women in a two bedroom one. I requested they order several boxes of apples and put the entire school through the regimen I had taught them.
I introduced Paul to the gym members who had billeted Emil and the other French champions. They lived four doors down from Fermina’s house. The limo would be parked in Fermina’s empty double garage.
Fermina was happy to get back to her own life while Paul and I attended to my dojo. It was harder during weekdays to combine all the savate or karate classes as more people here worked odd hours.
Only two of my teachers had ever made the breakthrough, and that only once each in their specialties, so they were intrigued by the possibilities of multiple breakthroughs replacing years of often tedious training.
So our movements would be completely clear, Paul and I both wore tight tee-shirts, he in muscle pants and I in workout leggings. Good-looking, athletic, blond Paul managed to charm all the young female savate and la canne students.
They slacked off in order to have him come and correct their postures when they should have been working harder to perfect their stance.
He handled that beautifully, frowning in annoyance when they repeated errors he had already corrected.
Inevitably the first girl achieved perfect form. Paul sparred with her, then hugged her as she wept. He gave her a fresh tissue from a small packet tucked inside his tee-shirt pocket and a kiss on the forehead when he brought her apple.
The other ladies then applied every effort to win his approval, but Paul only kissed those who had been trying all along, whether they were matrons, elderly or very young.
I restricted my attentions to the male students who weren’t interested in flirting and brought them over fast so they could help Paul spot the errors and the perfect form.
Soon Paul too could take a break as the students helped each other come across. I noticed with amusement that the girls weren’t interested in being kissed by anyone other than Paul.
Again I ensured the students who hadn’t yet helped another, had more chances to do so while the rest worked on their second kata.
It all worked so easily now that we understood the method and had at least two persons who recognized perfect form handling each class, Paul and I had everybody pair up and spar for the last half hour while we judged them.
Each person achieved white or yellow grade. Five students, three of them teachers, were borderline silver. Everyone thought the results were spectacular. Paul was definitely first level silver already as I had judged him while he sparred with the initiates in the latter kata.
* * *
After eating in the cafeteria, I had a short private session with Paul and the five borderline silvers, teaching them new kata with the most difficult movements to anticipate and defend against.
Of course Paul was the first to perfect them.
We sparred for quite a while as he recognized that I was teaching him more in my attacks than had been evident in the original kata.
I drew more out of him than he knew he had. Paul came up with two innovatory moves to defend against some of my own invented ones. When I ordered him to attack me, he was equally clever and twice suckered me in with his unusual feints.
My mouth hurt from grinning so wide, so I stepped back and bowed to him. He bowed too while I and the small class clapped him. Paul looked confused.
I bowed again while the class continued applauding.
“Congratulations, Paul. You are the first person who has ever defeated me. I am very proud of you. And I love your two innovations. They are beautiful and will be major assets to the savate syllabary.”
“Savate has a syllabary? Like ballet choreography?
“Of course. It was necessary. As the only person with perfect form who is a master of each of the arts, it had to be my job to begin it. The various kata have been the only way to record them up to now, but nobody else teaches kata for savate.
“Many martial arts moves never made it into a kata and have disappeared completely. So have whole kata that were too long or too difficult. Even filming the moves is an imperfect recording system because the person performing so rarely has perfect form.
“Now, can you repeat each of your new defenses so the others can appreciate them?”
And Paul did, proving he really understood them and they weren’t just flukes that had developed out of the sparring and immediately been forgotten. They were also the perfect counters to my original attacks.
“You have a real instinct for martial arts, Paul. I did tell you that you had the potential to be much better than me. You’re proving me correct.
“You’re currently a second level silver in ability, except that you haven’t had the coaching in judging and competition rules, what needs to be known at each level and, the actual judging and teaching practice.
“You also need to choreograph a long sequence of moves like a kata and its reciprocal combination which you should practice with a buddy so you can do them perfectly for the judging. None of that should be a problem for you. It’s best to choose someone of similar height and build.”