During one of the rounds, I noticed one of the fighters had used a takedown approach to get their opponent to the ground and suddenly, I knew exactly how I was feeling…
Nervous.
Nine
Val
The rest of the week flew by quickly, and training grew more intense. I’m pretty sure if Mark had it his way, we would have worked together 24/7 these last couple of days with no sleep. I was barely finding time to eat on top of working my full-time job. I was exhausted and unsure of how I was going to compete against any other fighters unless it was their first day ever on the mat.
I wasn’t that lucky. There was a lingering feeling in the back of my mind that Mark had something up his sleeve. It wasn’t enough that he had begun to exhibit some red flags and as much as it broke my heart… Perhaps it was time to focus on finding a new gym. One that strictly focused on a mixture of martial arts.
Once Summer arrived, I felt a bit more at ease. Our eyes locked and I felt like I was ready to take on any opponent thrown at me. From across the gym, I perceived something in her gestures and demeanor. Paying close attention to her subtle movements, my eyes slowly glossed over in the direction she was looking and I noticed Mark engaged in a conversation with a group of men. I was too far away to hear what was going on, butSummer was closer. She quickly glanced back at me before her eyes went right back to Mark.
What the hell is going on?I wondered, wishing I could pull out my phone and text her to find out. They prohibited phones until after our match to prevent us from learning about our opponents and starting conflicts with them on social media, a common professional practice. While it was fun to get the fans riled up, I don’t think I could ever do something like that.
The first couple of fights went off without a hitch. They were exciting, featuring perfectly matched fighters, which gave me hope my opponent would be exactly what I needed to identify areas for improvement. Part of me hoped Mark had similar intentions in the group but Summer’s look of disgust was burned in my mind and I couldn’t wait for my time to be over so I could stop worrying.
My thoughts were disrupted by the intercom’s screech signaling the next fights were about to be announced. “Fighting in the red corner will be Valerie Kage.” My nerves began to skyrocket as the crowd of people who had come to watch the open mat fights began to cheer. “Fighting in the blue corner will be, Mia Amore!”
My eyes briefly fell upon my opponent as she walked toward the ref for inspection. Inspections included nail checks, weapon searches – gloves and body – and Vaseline application. This aimed to increase skin elasticity and slipperiness, minimizing tear risk. I doubted its effectiveness, considering the brutal injuries I’d witnessed during fights, but I was about to find out for myself.
Then it was my turn.
I stepped up to the referee and held my hands up, letting him examine the front and backside of my hands and gloves. Then I stretched my arms out to look like the letter T as they concluded their check. The Vaseline smoothed over my skin asthe ref applied it and I got lost in a momentary thought before the cheering of the crowd brought me back to reality. ????Walking onto the mat I got a better look at my opponent. She was a beast.
Mia was a brunette and covered in tattoos. Not to mention the fact her vibe left me feeling like she had probably been training for years. Her muscles were huge. The look emitting from her dark brown eyes sent a message: she was about to destroy me.
I glanced over at Summer. Something about her presence made me lock in and focus once more. ????The referee began his spiel. “Alright ladies, you know the deal, it’s three five-minute rounds unless one of you takes the other one out sooner.” His voice trailed off as I kept my eyes on Mia, trying to analyze her strengths and weaknesses in hopes I might have a fighting chance. “Don’t grab the fencing with your fingers or toes. Do you understand?”
I inserted my mouth guard while buying time to figure out if I had questions. Nothing manifested. “Got it.” I said out loud while Mia stared me down. If looks could kill…I was a dead woman. She nodded.
“Great. You may touch gloves.” He invited us to participate in the glove touch as a sign of good sportsmanship, but I seriously had my doubts about this one. I didn’t know her personally to be able to make such an assumption. We touched gloves, and the crowd fell silent, awaiting the ref’s cue. “Now, fight!”
The roar of the crowd was a distant hum. Once the ref gave us the go ahead, it was all swallowed by the thumping in my ears. Mia was far from sugar and spice. She screamed power and predatory grace while we danced in a circle, waiting to see who would make the first move, her eyes like chips of ice. Suddenly, I could read her like a book and I knew her game: grappling. And I knew mine: not grappling. My stomach clenched and I felt likeI was going to throw up. It was time for me to fake it and do all I could just to survive since this was not an area Mark had trained me in.
Don’t let her get you to the ground,I repeated to myself, hoping it would help get my mind where it needed to be.Focus on guarding and keep her upright.
Mia faked a jab, and I bit, my guard going up. In an instant, she was low, shooting in.
“Sprawl!” Mark’s voice was muffled by all the noise coming from the sidelines. His words echoed uselessly in my head.What the hell did he even mean?His coaching became more of a distraction than help, and it was too late. Mia’s hands locked around my legs, and the world tilted. The canvas rushed up to meet me, a dull thud rattled my entire body.
Damn it.
She was on me in a flash, her weight pressing down like a concrete slab. The air was squeezed from my lungs. I bucked, twisted, trying to create even an inch of space. “Under hook! Get the under hook!” Mark yelled, his voice seeming more frantic now.Under hook?
My mind raced, grappling with the word, trying to match it to a motion I didn’t possess. All I knew was the crushing pressure, the mixture of sweat and blood stinging my eyes, and the sickening realization: I was trapped. My mind began to go on an adventure back down the rabbit hole to a place where James had put me before.
Mia’s elbow brought me back for a brief moment as she pressed it into my sternum, grinding. I could feel her breath hot on my ear as she adjusted her weight, trying to pin my arm. “Bridge! Bridge and roll!” Mark’s shouts were a torrent of alien commands, a language I didn’t speak.Where the hell was this training before today?He had set me up to fail.
Each unknown word he shouted became a fresh wave of frustration. How was I supposed to bridge when she felt like she weighed a thousand pounds? How was I supposed to roll when every muscle screamed in protest and every escape route seemed to be sealed shut?
The clock was ticking, an unwavering beat in my pounding temples, and all I could do was grunt, squirm, and try not to drown.
I was completely lost, not just in her world, but pinned against my thoughts, unable to move, speak, or even breathe.
Ten
Kaden