J.T. worked one arm up and around in an arc, then the other, loosening the muscles of his back and shoulders in anticipation of the sparring match.\u00a0 The cold would make their muscles tighten faster, make them more prone to injury, but as long as they warmed up properly before going at each other in a match, the risk of injury would be fairly low.<\/p>\n
Matt took a few long, lunging steps into the sunshine and rolled his neck, then stretched one arm across his chest, grabbing it at the elbow to get more stretch, then repeated the action with the other arm.\u00a0 \u201cWill we be starting with basics?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve grasped most of them,\u201d J.T. said.\u00a0 \u201cPositions, basic maneuvers.\u00a0 We\u2019ll do some forms to warm up, then we\u2019ll do an easy sparring match\u2014first to three touches.\u00a0 You know what that looks like, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, whenever Marin used to drag me to Ren fest stuff and I\u2019d sit on those damn bales of hay and watch you guys beat each other with sticks I never quite understood why some things that looked like good hits weren\u2019t touches but things I barely saw were.\u201d<\/p>\n
J.T. laughed and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou and a lot of other people.\u00a0 We\u2019ll sort it out.\u00a0 Ready?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt nodded, swinging his arms around a few times before he squared off in front of J.T., the tip of his kendo stick hovering just short of shoulder level.\u00a0 \u201cReady when you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
J.T. grinned and fell into his own favored stance, holding his kendo stick in a slightly higher guard than Matt.\u00a0 He watched the other man\u2019s eyes for a moment.<\/p>\n
Then Matt moved and J.T. reacted, stepping quickly to one side and swinging his bamboo weapon down in an arc to deflect the coming strike.\u00a0 He laughed despite himself, enjoying the kiss of the wind against his cheeks as he twisted his wrist in an attempt to trap Matt\u2019s weapon and possibly disarm him.<\/p>\n
The younger man backpedalled, grinning.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing,\u201d J.T. said, then lunged into a strike toward Matt\u2019s hip.\u00a0 \u201cAnd everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the bound bamboo staves twapped against Matt\u2019s side, the younger man swore and jumped back, then laughed himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to bruise me good today, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou and then hopefully Thom!\u201d\u00a0 J.T. said, grinning back.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s one nil.\u00a0 Two more to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, so it\u2019s on now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYup,\u201d J.T. said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s on.\u201d<\/p>\n
He moved to strike again, but Matt was ready this time, dancing back with a devil-may-care grin on his face.\u00a0 \u201cFantastic!\u201d the younger man said.\u00a0 \u201cNow I get to show you the dirty tricks Thordin\u2019s been teaching me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He dipped down and grabbed a handful of snow, pitching it toward J.T.\u2019s face.\u00a0 As the medic lifted his arm to shield his face, he felt Matt\u2019s kendo stick bounce off his ribs.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, very nice!\u201d \u00a0J.T. said.\u00a0 \u201cVery nice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying fair doesn\u2019t always help you win,\u201d Matt said.\u00a0 \u201cSometimes it just gets you dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWise words,\u201d J.T. said, resetting his stance and wiping the last of the snow from his face.\u00a0 \u201cReady?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
J.T. laughed again.\u00a0 \u201cThen lay on!\u201d<\/p>\n
The sound of bamboo on bamboo echoed off the trees, off the ruins, as two men squared off in the snow at the top of the hill, laughing and yelling as if they didn\u2019t have any other care in the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
J.T. worked one arm up and around in an arc, then the other, loosening the muscles of his back and shoulders in anticipation of the sparring match.\u00a0 The cold would make their muscles tighten faster, make them more prone to … Continue reading