club in the first place. Brian puffed out his chest. He felt important in his official club hoodie and had already detected a couple of respectful glances thrown his way. Tony might actually manage to pull this thing off.
"Welcome to the club, gentlemen," Tony said, his voice dope-husky but loud and confident. "A few housekeeping rules to begin with and then we'll get down to business."
The attendees nodded hellos and agreement.
"First, be sure to practice everything very slowly at first. I'll be teaching you some very dangerous techniques. Used incorrectly, you could harm your training partner."
Somebody muttered and two or three of the lads near him chuckled. Brian smiled in their general direction. The minor hubbub dried up fast. He was going to tell them that it was okay to laugh, but he wasn't completely sure himself so he kept his mouth shut and turned his frown the right way round.
Tony continued: "Respect your training partner, okay? We're all here to help each other, not compete."
A tall lad with steel wool hair and large clusters of freckles on his nose and cheekbones raised his hand.
"Is there any sparring or competitions?"
"Good question. Great question, actually," Tony said. "But no. That isn't what this is about. We're practicing a martial art, not preparing to fight in a ring or a cage. Leave that up to the knuckleheads who want to prove themselves to ring girls and the likes. My club... or should I say, our club, is more interested in self discovery first with self defence as a close second."
Brian scanned the gathering to see how this went down. A couple of guys shared an amused glance but the majority were nodding along with Tony's sentiments. He'd expected a much higher level of cynicism. Tony had used the words 'self discovery' for Christ's sake.
Tony opened his arms to his audience, hands at waist level, palms turned outwards. "Any other questions?"
No hands were raised.
"We'll get started, then. A quick warm-up, folks. As we progress I'll teach you some kung fu forms that'll help improve technique as well as provide you with some mild exercise and stretching to help prevent injury."
For a fighter, Tony seemed to have a real obsession with health and safety.
"Tonight, we'll just do some jumping jacks, running on the spot... that sort of thing."
The students looked at Tony, ready and willing to follow his lead.
"Go on, then. Jumping jacks."
Tony performed three star jumps. "Like that, all right?"
Somebody, Brian didn't see who, said, "I thought they were called overheads."
The guy with steel wool hair said, "Nah, man. They're star jumps."
Brian nodded.
"Let's not worry about names and all that right now," Tony said. "Just get that heart pumping, okay?"
The students, a bit helter-skelter at first, found a rhythm and were soon jumping in time. Brian sidled over to Tony and whispered in his ear.
"Should we not be doing these too?"
"We've done our warm-up, man. Let these guys catch up with us. Besides, we need to tire them out before we let them attack each other. It's safer that way."
"I feel a bit weird, though."
"Chill out. Just walk around the group a bit, act like you're keeping an eye on them, you know? It'll make them try harder."
Brian nodded slowly, unconvinced.
Tony rolled his eyes. "Just follow my lead."
Brian literally followed his lead, tailing Tony on a lap around the students. More than half of them were red-faced and visibly suffering. The heaviest guy in the room had all but stopped, taking three or four huge gasping breaths between each jump. Tony clapped that guy on the back and murmured some encouragement. Brian thought he should probably do the same. He decided against it in the end and offered a tight-lipped smile instead. The heavy guy upped his pace a little. Brian started to worry about the poor fellah's heart and knees.
Tony completed his circuit. Brian stood beside him at the top of the room, hands itching to hide in the big pocket at the front of his
"Welcome to the club, gentlemen," Tony said, his voice dope-husky but loud and confident. "A few housekeeping rules to begin with and then we'll get down to business."
The attendees nodded hellos and agreement.
"First, be sure to practice everything very slowly at first. I'll be teaching you some very dangerous techniques. Used incorrectly, you could harm your training partner."
Somebody muttered and two or three of the lads near him chuckled. Brian smiled in their general direction. The minor hubbub dried up fast. He was going to tell them that it was okay to laugh, but he wasn't completely sure himself so he kept his mouth shut and turned his frown the right way round.
Tony continued: "Respect your training partner, okay? We're all here to help each other, not compete."
A tall lad with steel wool hair and large clusters of freckles on his nose and cheekbones raised his hand.
"Is there any sparring or competitions?"
"Good question. Great question, actually," Tony said. "But no. That isn't what this is about. We're practicing a martial art, not preparing to fight in a ring or a cage. Leave that up to the knuckleheads who want to prove themselves to ring girls and the likes. My club... or should I say, our club, is more interested in self discovery first with self defence as a close second."
Brian scanned the gathering to see how this went down. A couple of guys shared an amused glance but the majority were nodding along with Tony's sentiments. He'd expected a much higher level of cynicism. Tony had used the words 'self discovery' for Christ's sake.
Tony opened his arms to his audience, hands at waist level, palms turned outwards. "Any other questions?"
No hands were raised.
"We'll get started, then. A quick warm-up, folks. As we progress I'll teach you some kung fu forms that'll help improve technique as well as provide you with some mild exercise and stretching to help prevent injury."
For a fighter, Tony seemed to have a real obsession with health and safety.
"Tonight, we'll just do some jumping jacks, running on the spot... that sort of thing."
The students looked at Tony, ready and willing to follow his lead.
"Go on, then. Jumping jacks."
Tony performed three star jumps. "Like that, all right?"
Somebody, Brian didn't see who, said, "I thought they were called overheads."
The guy with steel wool hair said, "Nah, man. They're star jumps."
Brian nodded.
"Let's not worry about names and all that right now," Tony said. "Just get that heart pumping, okay?"
The students, a bit helter-skelter at first, found a rhythm and were soon jumping in time. Brian sidled over to Tony and whispered in his ear.
"Should we not be doing these too?"
"We've done our warm-up, man. Let these guys catch up with us. Besides, we need to tire them out before we let them attack each other. It's safer that way."
"I feel a bit weird, though."
"Chill out. Just walk around the group a bit, act like you're keeping an eye on them, you know? It'll make them try harder."
Brian nodded slowly, unconvinced.
Tony rolled his eyes. "Just follow my lead."
Brian literally followed his lead, tailing Tony on a lap around the students. More than half of them were red-faced and visibly suffering. The heaviest guy in the room had all but stopped, taking three or four huge gasping breaths between each jump. Tony clapped that guy on the back and murmured some encouragement. Brian thought he should probably do the same. He decided against it in the end and offered a tight-lipped smile instead. The heavy guy upped his pace a little. Brian started to worry about the poor fellah's heart and knees.
Tony completed his circuit. Brian stood beside him at the top of the room, hands itching to hide in the big pocket at the front of his
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