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sound of clattering weights came from the workout equipment to our
right.
    A
man with a buzz cut and tattoos up and down his arm approached us from behind
the front desk. “You guys look new. You here for the karate class?”
    Cody
thumbed at me. “He is. We’re just here to pump some iron.”
    The
man suddenly looked worried as he assessed both of them, like he couldn’t
believe they had even managed to open the door to get inside.
    “That’s
all good. Welcome, then. I’m Darian, the assistant manager and head karate
instructor.” He produced three forms and some pens. “You guys get a free month
trial period since you’re students. You ever done karate before?” Darian asked,
as I started filling out the form.
    “I’ve
taken Kung-Fu,” I said. “Does that count?”
    “Absolutely.
Kung-Fu’s a little less common than, say, Shotokan or American Tai Kwan Do.
This class doesn’t focus on one type. Most people are just here for the
sparring.”
    Perfect.
    We
finished the forms and handed them back.
    “We’ll
hit the weights,” Cody said, dragging Matt over to the bench press.
    “Take
it easy to start there, champs,” Darian yelled after them. “Come on, Drake,
we’re getting started.”
    All
of the guys were older than me. Most had tattoos like Darian. I was surprised
to see a girl my age. She was laughing at something one of the other guys had
said, making her black hair bob up and down. She was toned, for a girl, I mean,
and her eyes were both kind and courageous. She had to be if she was here among
all these men.
    “Hey
hey! Fresh meat, Darian?” One of the guys yelled when I came over.
    Everybody,
including the girl, looked at me. I felt like I was being sized up. The girl’s
gaze lingered then she returned to talking.
    “Let’s
get started,” Darian said. “This week is Brazilian jiu jitsu first before
sparring.” He split us into groups and walked between each, correcting them and
showing a better technique. He made his rounds over to me. He stood there for a
minute, watching me go through the moves.
    You’re
pretty good,” he noted. “Actually,” he dropped into his own pose of the one I
was doing, “that’s perfect. You pick up quick. Hey! Newbie here’s outdoing you
all. Let’s pick it up!” The others grumbled and the girl shot me a nasty look.
    After
an hour spent punching defenseless bags, and learning jiu jitsu holds, grips
and throws, Darian clapped his hands.
    “That’s
enough. Thomas, what’s wrong with your neck?”
    Thomas
gestured towards me. “Newbie squirt pinned me when we were practicing triangle
holds.”
    Darian
burst out laughing. “We’ll all get to spar him eventually, then. Get your gear
and be back in five. Drake,” he pulled me over as everyone went to their duffel
bags lying on the side of the ring. “you can borrow my gear until you get your
own.”
    “We’re
just sparring, right?”
    Darian
nodded. “Yep. Casual sparring. But we always wear gear. Some of the guys get a
little intense but it’s all for fun. Any style allowed. Just get a good hit in
and don’t hurt anyone.”
    His
knee, hand and elbow pads were a little too loose and smelled funky, but I put
them on and stood awkwardly outside the mat. I caught Cody giving me a ‘what
the heck are you doing’ look while Matt struggled to lift the bench press bar
behind him. A couple of the other gym patrons had stopped their workouts to
come watch.
    Darian
started breaking us up in to pairs. He paused when he came to me.
    “Drake,
you and Liz are both pretty new, so you can spar each other. Use that corner
over there.”
    The
girl with the black hair and the courageous eyes, Liz, met me there. “Liz,
huh?” I said. She finished tightening the strap of her glove. “Elizabeth. You a
freshman at Queensbury?”
    “Yeah.
You?”
    The
glove finally on, she pounded it into her other fist a few times. “Yep.” I took
a place in front of her.
    “Elizabeth
what?”
    She
smirked and bowed.