Training with Marcus wasn't progressing like I'd hoped it would. He was very difficult to deal with and often defied instructions. I didn't want to give up on him just yet. He had potential. And he hasn't been training that long. Maybe he just needed more time.
"Ugh... we've been doing the same punches forever. Is that all you're capable of?" Marcus snapped, as we were training the following day.
"We can't move on until you improve your hooks and jabs. Try it again, but slow down this time."
Marcus sighed and got back into his offensive position. He slowed his punching down a little, making it easier for me to see what he was doing. His jabs weren't straight, causing him to miss almost everything he tried to hit.
"What am I doing wrong?! This is so stupid!" he yelled He sent his fist into the wall, causing huge hole.
I put my hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him, but he slapped it away.
"Hardly anyone gets something right on the first try. That's why it's good to practice. You'll improve with time."
He glared at me. "Whatever. Maybe you're just a horrible teacher."
I sighed and replied, "We've only been training for a few days. Do you want me to show you again?"
Marcus shook his head and started the punches again. He was still missing most of them. Maybe punching wasn't his strong point?
"Okay," I said, "how about we try some kicking techniques? These could be useful if you're trying to trip up your enemies."
He shrugged. "Fine. What do I have to do?"
"Lets start with a basic kick. A front kick shouldn't be that hard for you. I'll demonstrate," I said.
I lifted my leg up, brining my knee straight forward toward the target area, striking it hard.
"See? There's not much to it. You'll have to make sure your leg is straight, or else you might miss your opponent," I told him.
He nodded and tried to demonstrate the kick. Besides his leg being a bit crooked, his kick was pretty strong.
"That was easier," Marcus said, getting back into his fighting position. "Can we try it again?"
I chuckled. "Sure. Try to aim straight this time, okay?"
He nodded and lifted his leg upwards. I adjusted his position a bit before he did the move again. He hit me pretty hard in the stomach. I staggered a bit, but I was careful not to fall.
"Sorry. Did I do it okay?" he asked.
I smiled and nodded. "That was near perfect. Excellent work. Your aim needs a bit more improvement, but that shouldn't be an issue. We can continue training tomorrow."
Marcus rolled his eyes, "Sure. Whatever."
"Hey, you should be proud. Not many are able to pick up basic moves. At least not that quickly," I said.
"Punching really isn't my thing. I'd rather trip up my opponents and then finish them off rather than actually fight them," he explained.
I stared at him. "Oh. Well, everyone has their fighting style. Ready to try again?"
He was about to attack me again, when a voice called out to him.
"Good luck, loser. You're fighting style is so bad, you'll probably get expelled!"
I looked past Marcus to see who was shouting at him. A student around his age was laughing along with some of his friends.
I didn't know much about him other than than his name was James and he loved to pick on other students whenever he saw them struggling. Marcus was known for having a temper at times. Especially when someone was teasing and taunting him.
"What was that?" Marcus asked.
James glared at him and replied, "I said that you're probably going to get expelled since you suck so bad."
"Don't listen to him. Let's just focus on your kicks," I said, getting back into my fighting stance.
Marcus charged at me and started to attack.
"I'd like to see you take me on, you weakling," James taunted.
Before I could stop him, he charged straight at James. I watched as he front kicked him into the ribs. James stumbled and leaned against the wall to keep himself balanced.
"Is that all you got?"
Marcus glared at him and grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him off the floor several inches.
"I can take your life in a heartbeat. Don't forget that," he said, shoving James into the wall. I thought he was done fighting, until I saw him punch James straight in his face. Blood gushed from his nose, and was dripping onto the floor.
"That's enough, you two," I said, walking over to them. "You're aren't toddlers. Stop acting like one."
Marcus said nothing as he stormed off into his dorm. James was still holding his face, which was still gushing blood.
I made my way to the laundry room and grabbed a towel and handed it to him.
He pressed it to his nose and help it there until the bleeding had subsided.
"I hope you've learned something today. Don't taunt your classmate like that," I said.
I took James into the nurses office and stayed for a bit. The nurses should make everything better.
"I have to leave early for class, so I can't stay with you," I explained.
"Whatever... I didn't need any company," he mumbled.
"Suit yourself. I'll see you in training," I said, smiling.
He glared at me, but said nothing as I walked out the door.