Rekindling

Chapter 10: Tris - Defenses

A/N: Yay, I found time to write a chapter this week! It's fairly short, but at least it's here. Also, this is one of two chapters that weren't in my original outline but that I found myself increasingly wanting to add. So, that means the story is now likely to be 17 chapters long. Hopefully, that's a good thing.

I also want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reviewing this story as you read. Your support really helps a lot. Thank you also to BarbaraK2U, who has been turning around my chapters very quickly every time I finally manage to get one to her. You definitely make life easier! :-)

Chapter 10: Tris – Defenses

The room fills slowly, with people trickling in as families or individuals. Tris is pleased to see that Tobias was right about the age range – there are two kids and a few teenagers, but the rest are adults, with several who are definitely older than she is. And at least half of the group is female. Good.

They're all in sweats and T-shirts except for Amar, his husband George, and Tobias, who are wearing their karate uniforms – Tobias used the word "gi" – complete with their black belts. They look more than a little intimidating as they wait to start the class.

Tobias closes the door right at six o'clock, and George immediately claps his hands for attention. "Welcome to Introductory Karate!" he announces, once all eyes are on him. "I am your lead instructor, Sensei George. I will be here every class." He gestures toward his husband. "Sensei Amar will be here most nights, and Sensei Four is here for at least tonight." His gaze flicks between Tobias and Tris, knowing full well that Tobias is only here for his girlfriend. He normally assists with the intermediate and advanced classes instead.

George assesses the people around the room next, his expression neutral. "Before we begin, I want to make sure that everyone is clear on the purpose of this class. There are many misconceptions about karate, but we are definitely not here to learn to hurt others, or to be bullies. Karate is the art of self-defense, and it should only be used in a real situation as a last resort."

His gaze takes in the entire group, making sure they understand. "If you do not have the right attitude, I will kick you out of this class, so be clear on that going in." He stares hard at two of the younger men, waiting for them to nod before adding, "The main things you will learn here actually have nothing to do with fighting. You will learn discipline, self-control, and self-confidence." Tris swears that he looks at her on the last part.

He moves around a bit as he continues. "We will start every class with warm-up exercises, and then we will practice technique and movement. You will not be sparring in this class – that is reserved for the next level up – but we will spend a quarter of each session on practical self-defense." His gaze sweeps the room. "Any questions?"

There are none, so he immediately moves on to a series of stretches before introducing basic punches and kicks and blocks. They just aim into the air today, since apparently they're likely to hurt themselves if they hit bags with their current lack of skill, but the techniques are still more complicated than Tris expected. She's glad that Tobias pauses by her, helping her get each move right before going on to assist the others.

It's strange to see him in this context – he seems so calm and professional. But that shouldn't really be a surprise, since he started taking classes from Amar and George some eight years ago, when they were all in Boston together. By now, with his second degree black belt, he's almost as polished as his two teachers. She can't help but wonder if she'll ever get that good – probably not, judging by the critical eye that George turns on her as she struggles with the back kick.