Text copyright © 2004 by Matt Christopher Royalties, Inc. Illustrations copyright © 2004 by Michael Koelsch
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
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First eBook Edition: September 2008
The Hachette Book Group Publishing name and logo is a trademark of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Matt Christopher® is a registered trademark of Catherine M. Christopher.
ISBN: 978-0-316-02998-8
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Is Kung Fu Right for You?
The eXtreme Team
CHAPTER ONE
Mark Goldstein took off his glasses, wiped them clean, and put them back on again. I’ll never be able to do this, he thought. Alison Lee, the teenager who kept watch over the town skatepark, was demonstrating a skateboard move called the kickflip. Mark and his friends, Savannah Smith and Belicia “Bizz” Juarez, were about to try it for the first time.
“You guys can do ollies, right?” Alison asked. Mark and the girls nodded. “Well, the kickflip is like an ollie. Except when the board is in the air, it flips around, like a barrel rolling. Here, let me show you.”
She put her left foot on the board’s kicktail. Her right foot went between the front and back trucks. “With an ollie, your front foot is sideways. With the kickflip, it’s at an angle.” She turned her right foot. “Think of the board as a clock face. The nose is at twelve o’clock. Point your foot between ten and eleven.
“This next stuff happens fast,” she continued. “Stomp your back foot to make the board pop up, just like an ollie. At the same time, drag your front foot forward and off the side. Flick your toe just enough to make the board flip toward you. After the board flips all the way around, it falls to the ground and you land on it. Like this.”
One moment, she was standing on her board. The next, she was high in the air, legs tucked up and her board a blur of motion beneath her. Then the board landed on its wheels and she landed on the board.
“Easy, huh?” she said with a grin. “So, you wanna try?”
Mark figured he’d have as good a chance of doing that move as flapping his arms and flying to the moon. He was about to say as much, but he didn’t get the chance.
“Absolutely!” Bizz grabbed her board. “I’m going to practice on the grass first. It won’t hurt so much when I fall.”
“Who said anything about falling?” Savannah picked up her board and carried it to a spot near Bizz. “Me, I plan to crash-land!”
“Do a couple of ollies first, to warm up,” Alison advised. The girls nodded.
Now, only Mark stood on the pavement, still undecided.
“C’mon, Mark, you’ll never know if you can do it unless you try!” Alison encouraged.
With a sigh, Mark put his board on a patch of grass. He placed his feet as Alison had shown him. But when he lifted his back foot for the stomp that would pop the board into the air, he lost his balance. Arms wheeling, he tumbled to the ground. He lay on the soft grass, staring up into the bright blue October sky. Then a shadowy figure blocked his view.
“Whoa! Excellent fall, man!” It was Xavier Mc-Sweeney, better known as X. X held out a hand, grinning.
“Well, you know what they say,” Mark replied. He took X’s hand and stood up. “Practice makes perfect.”
“You’ll have to practice more later, then,” X said. “I’m calling a meeting.”
CHAPTER TWO
Mark was more than happy to do as X asked. He could feel the beginning of a new bruise from the fall he’d taken.
“Huddle up here, guys,” X called. Mark, Savannah, and Bizz joined X and their two other friends, Jonas Malloy and Charlie Abbott, at a picnic table. Alison wandered over to see what was happening.
X reached into his backpack and pulled out a stack of bright orange papers. “It’s that time of year again,” he said solemnly. He handed a paper to each of them.
Mark read what was on the paper — and tried not to groan. “Uh, oh,” Alison said, reading over Mark’s shoulder. “I’m outta here.” She put her board down and skated away.
ANNUAL TOWN COSTUME PARADE! the flyer in Mark’s hands announced in big black letters. CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
Halloween was X’s favorite holiday. Every year he came up with a crazy costume in the hopes of winning first prize in the town parade. The year before, he’d dressed all in orange and put a real, hollowed-out pumpkin on his head. “I’m a walkin’, talkin’ jack-o-lantern,” he’d said. “See the scary face I carved?”
Unfortunately, X’s costume was not a success. Even though the judges agreed it was the most original, they couldn’t award X first prize because he hadn’t worn the costume for the entire parade.
“The inside of a pumpkin doesn’t smell so good,” X had admitted later. “Plus, I kept bumping into people. At least I think they were people. Might have hit a telephone pole or two.”
Mark smiled at the memory. He couldn’t wait to hear what X had dreamed up for his costume this year. Then he looked at the paper again. “Hey, there’s a new category of costume this year,” he said. “‘Groups of three to six people may combine to form one costume.’ What does that mean?”
“That,” X said, rubbing his hands together, “means that this year, we’re all in this together. We’re going to come up with the biggest, best, most outrageous costume ever! So, any ideas?”
The other kids looked at one another. X sighed. “Okay, I’ll think up something. But you guys have to promise me you’ll all be in it. Deal?”
Mark wasn’t sure he wanted to promise to be part of a costume X had thought up. But he didn’t want to disappoint his friend, either. “I’m in,” he said. Everyone else agreed, too.
“Great!” said X happily. “Now, what were we doing before I called the meeting?”
“Let’s see,” Jonas said. “You, me, and Charlie were ridin’ the rails. Bizz and Savannah were mastering the kickflip. And I believe Mark was working on his kick-flop!”
Mark laughed at Jonas’s joke with everyone else. But inside, he was a little embarrassed. It was hard knowing his friends thought he was a klutz.
But what can I do about it? he asked himself. There’s no miracle cure for clumsiness!
CHAPTER THREE
Mark left the skatepark soon after. He wanted to thank Alison for trying to teach him the kickflip. She’d taken off already, however.
Mark decided to cut through the Square on his way home. The Square was a wide brick street lined with little shops and restaurants. When the weather was good, vendors sold cool stuff from outdoor carts. No cars were allowed in the Square, so it was a great place to hang out. If it wasn’t too crowded, kids were allowed to skateboard there, too.
As Mark boarded through the Square, he heard someone call his name. It was Alison.
“I was just think
ing about you,” she said. She pulled open the door to a large brick building. “Come here. I want to show you something.”
Mark joined her. “Is it okay for us to be in here?” he asked, walking into the building.
“Don’t worry,” she assured him. “My uncle runs this place.” She flicked on some lights.
Mark was standing in a huge room. The floor was wall-to-wall mats. Mirrors covered the front wall. Hanging on another wall were dangerous-looking weapons: long swords, spears, daggers, and short poles joined by chains.
“What is this place?” Mark whispered.
“It’s my uncle’s kung fu school,” Alison told him. “I thought you might be interested in seeing it. Maybe meet my uncle, too.”
“Why?”
“Okay, don’t get angry at me,” Alison said. “But I’ve noticed that you’re, you know, clumsy.”
Mark felt his face turn red. Before he could say anything, a deep voice interrupted.
“I was clumsy, too, when I was your age.”
Mark spun around. A muscular man came toward them. He smiled kindly at Mark.
“Uncle Eric, this is the kid I told you about,” Alison said. “Mark, this is my uncle, Eric Hale.”
“Uh, hi, Mr. Hale,” Mark said uncertainly. What did she mean, “the kid I told you about”?
“Call me Eric. As I was saying, I used to be clumsy, too. When I was twelve, I went through a growth spurt. I went from being five foot two to five foot six in less than a year! My arms and legs felt like they belonged to someone else. Then I found something that helped me.” He fixed a steady gaze on Mark. “Alison was thinking it might help you, too.”
“What?” Mark asked. Maybe there was a miracle cure after all! he thought.
Eric smiled again. “Kung fu,” he said.
“Kung fu?” Mark echoed doubtfully. “You mean, like the fighting you see on TV and in the movies and video games?” He turned to Alison. “You want me to learn how to fight? Why? So I can beat up the next person who makes fun of me?”
“No!” Alison looked horrified. “Kung fu isn’t all about fighting. It’s — it’s — oh, Uncle Eric, you explain!”
“Kung fu does teach you how to fight, but also to defend yourself,” Eric said. “And to do that, you have to practice many different moves. The more you practice the moves, the more you learn to control your body. In time, most people find that they can move with more grace and speed.”
“That sounds okay,” Mark admitted.
“And that’s just one piece of the puzzle,” Eric added. “Kung fu is also about learning to believe in yourself. To trust that you’ll make the right decisions when faced with problems. Without that piece, kung fu is just another way to punch and kick and block.”
“So!” Alison said suddenly. “Wanna learn?”
CHAPTER FOUR
Mark wasn’t able to answer Alison’s question right away. But he was certainly thinking about it as he left the school. Was it possible that kung fu could really help him become better coordinated? Alison and Eric seemed to think so. But what if he tried it, only to fall flat on his face in front of other students?
“I dunno,” he said out loud.
“Dunno what?”
The sound of Jonas’s voice jolted Mark from his thoughts.
“I, uh, I dunno if I should get an ice cream on the way home,” he stammered. He decided not to tell Jonas what he’d really been thinking about. Jonas would just make a joke about it.
“Ice cream? Stop by my house,” Jonas said. “We’ve got a freezerful. My dad’s working on a new game. He likes to take ice cream breaks when he gets stuck.”
Mark and his friends thought Mr. Malloy had the coolest job ever. He worked at home, dreaming up new video games for kids.
“So what’s this new game going be?” Mark asked. Jonas shrugged. “He likes to keep it a surprise until it’s done. But last time, I figured it out. He needed to know what the hardest tricks in vert boarding are.” Jonas rolled his eyes. “He could’ve asked me, but no. He got a bunch of lame-o books on skate-boarding from the library.” He grinned. “Anyway, he left the books lying around. It didn’t take a genius to guess what the game was about.”
“Books, huh?” Mark looked thoughtful. “Listen, Jonas, I gotta get going. Catch up to you later!”
Ten minutes later, Mark walked up to the front desk at the public library. Two minutes later he walked out again, empty-handed. The librarian had told him all the library’s kung fu books were checked out.
Of course, there was another way to learn about kung fu. When he got home, he hurried to his family’s computer and logged onto the Internet. He typed the words “kung fu” into the search bar. A long list of Web sites appeared on the screen.
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Mark said to himself. For the next hour, he clicked on different sites. On one, he learned that kung fu is a Chinese martial art that has been practiced for thousands of years. Another site was filled with photos of kids and adults doing kung fu moves. That one also told him that a kung fu training hall is called a kwoon and that kung fu instructors are called sifus.
The last site opened with a photo of a fantastic-looking creature. It was a Chinese Dragon, a mythical beast with special powers. The site explained that some kung fu schools teach students the traditional Chinese Dragon Dance. When they perform the Dance, the students wear a Dragon costume. The costume has a huge head and a long tail. The dancers in the head make the eyes blink and the mouth open and close. The dancers in the tail make it flutter up and down, like a long wave.
“The Chinese Dragon Dance is an important part of the Chinese culture,” the Web site stated. “The Dance has been handed down from generation to generation. Each move in the Dance is carefully worked out so that the Dragon moves with grace.”
“Cool,” Mark murmured. He wondered if some day he might be part of the Dragon Dance. And as that thought crossed his mind, he suddenly realized he wanted to take kung fu lessons.
Now all he had to do was convince his parents.
CHAPTER FIVE
To Mark’s surprise, his parents were very agreeable about his taking kung fu. So three days later, Mark found himself standing in front of the mirrored wall with four other kids, waiting to start his first lesson.
I wonder if they’re as nervous as I am, he thought. “Welcome to the kwoon!” Eric Hale walked to the front of the room. “I am your sifu, your teacher. Please call me Sifu Hale. Ready for your first lesson?”
Mark and the other children nodded.
“Then do as I do.” Sifu Hale clasped his hands in front of him and bowed. As the students imitated him, he explained, “We bow every time we enter the school, before and after each class, and before each fight. Bowing shows respect for your teacher, for each other, and for this school. As you will learn, respect is a big part of kung fu training.”
He smiled. “But enough of that. Let’s stretch out, then begin the lesson.”
Sifu Hale led them through a series of stretching exercises to warm up their muscles. Then he told them to stand in a line facing the mirror. “Today, you’ll learn one stance, one punch, and one kick. We’ll practice each separately and then put them all together into sets.
“Most kung fu moves have animal names,” he continued. “This is the horse-riding stance. See if you can do it.” Sifu Hale spread his legs shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out slightly. He bent his knees. Then he made his hands into fists, turned them so his wrists were facing up, and tucked them in at his waist.
The children copied him. When Mark looked in the mirror, he saw he did look like he was riding a horse.
“From this stance, you can move into others. You can also deliver a punch —” Sifu Hale’s right hand suddenly darted out — “or a kick.” His left leg flashed up and back. “Let’s try punches only to start. Watch yourselves in the mirror.”
Mark did his best to imitate Sifu Hale’s moves. He thought he’d done them right until Sifu Hale called ou
t, “Mark, move your thumb to the outside of your fist. Thumbs inside the fist can be broken when the fist strikes something. And when you punch, start with your hand turned up. Then corkscrew it around and strike with your first two knuckles. Those knuckles are the biggest. In a real fight, they’d do the most damage to your enemy.”
Mark tried the punch again. Sifu Hale nodded and told him to try it with the left hand. “Both arms and both legs must be able to do these moves,” he said. “Otherwise, you’re only fighting with half your body.”
Left. Right. Left. Right. After ten minutes of punching from the horse-riding stance, Mark’s arms were aching. He was relieved when Sifu Hale moved on to kicks.
“This is called a side kick. Bring your knee up to the side of your body as high as you can. Your upper body leans away from the leg for balance. Then lash out with your leg. Strike your opponent with your instep or heel. Try it slowly at first.”
Mark was determined do this move right the first time. He didn’t want Sifu Hale to correct him in front of everybody again. So with as much force as he could muster, he kicked out to the side with his right leg.
To his horror, the kick was so strong that it lifted him right off his feet! He landed on the mat with a dull thud.
Well, this is just great, Mark thought. He rolled to his back. So much for the klutz miracle cure.
CHAPTER SIX
As Mark lay staring at the ceiling, he heard giggles from the other students. He wished the mat would swallow him up. Instead, Sifu Hale pulled him to his feet.
“When you fall, you must get up again,” the teacher said quietly. “Otherwise, you will lose the fight. Now, try the kick again, slowly this time. It might help if you separate the kick into four parts. One, knee up. Two, leg out. Three, leg in. Four, foot down.”
Still burning with shame, Mark crouched into the horse-riding stance again. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to do the kick. But when he broke it into four parts, he found it was easy to do.
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