Chapter 4 #3
“It was the only thing I had clean,” she blushed.
“And what is that smell? Smells like fucking Bath and Body Works in here,” I accused.
“I just used my sanitizer just in case no one cleaned anything after they used it,” she admitted.
“Medina, remember when I asked you to help me forget you’re not a girl?” pointing to her workout clothes. “This, is not helping.”
“I can’t wear neutral stuff for your benefit all the time.
Unless you’re going to pay for all that.
And I don’t like that you have to pretend that I’m not a woman just to take training me seriously.
I’m a woman. Who just happens to like Hello Kitty.
That’s not going to make me take what you say any less seriously,” she challenged.
At this point, it wasn’t even about that I didn’t think she would take things seriously, forgetting she was a woman was more for my benefit.
Prancing around in those short ass tight shorts and leave-nothing-to-the-imagination sports bra, not to mention, I had to be subjected to that she smelled better than most fighters that worked out here, was not good for me turning my attraction button off.
Fully dressed, she was just a pretty girl with doe eyes and locs. But now I had to be subjected to her sexy white painted toes, too? “I just don’t want you to distract anyone.”
“I’m not worried about distracting anyone. The only person I’m worried about is you, and you’re not distracted,” she spoke too soon.
“Kid, you’re working my last nerve, you know that?” I laughed, sliding into a pair of focus mitts, as I didn’t plan to waste any more time than we already had. “We’re gonna work on some basic drills, and if we have time, work on your guards—”
“Pad work? But that’s like the most basic stuff,” she argued.
“Which you need, because it’s clear you never learned.”
“I just think our training could be used better than basic drills. I did win my last four fights, you know?”
“And you lost your first four. Complexity only comes after you’ve mastered basics. Now fists up. Jab-jab-cross.” Following my commands, she took to the focus mitts, but without intention, like she was holding back.
“What is this? Barbie’s vintage gym set? Give me a real jab-jab-cross.” Bringing distance between us so she would fucking move her feet. She went through with the command, but I reached in and tapped her face.
“First rule, always protect yourself. Keep that fist up,” as she followed through. “Jab-cross-hook-cross,” a sense of pride rising that she was finally giving me more. “There she is! Jab-cross-left body kick—”
“But you’re not wearing kick pads,” she interrupted.
“Did I ask a question or did I give a command?” This time instead of talking back, she performed the drill, only I reached in and caught her leg, showing her where she’d made her mistake.
“I did that because your power lies there, but you’re slow to react.
I wasn’t trying to embarrass you, just see what you would do if someone is smart enough to know that’s where your power is,” I admitted, taking off one of my mitts.
“Sit down,” I said, coaxing her to sit on the mat with me, as I explained what she did wrong.
“Medina, I’m seeing you have a natural talent.
But natural talent can only win so many fights.
Judges see you try to get the cheap win.
Basics, endurance, working through mental blocks can stand in the way of you and a title one day, so don’t ever think that what I’m doing, I’m doing because I don’t think you can handle more.
It’s because you can handle more, but I want you to handle what you’re missing first, ?Me copias*? ”
She nodded, and followed me back to go over basic drills.
It was insane how I never noticed how amazing sweat looked, as much as it looked dripping down her brown skin.
Even though I wasn’t turned off by muscle, I had arguably never pursued a woman with strength to her build, and I couldn’t for the life of me wonder why.
Medina was built like a brickhouse. If she could just move her body in the cage as she clearly did in the gym, half the work would be done.
“Move around Medina, there’s always an entire cage you’re fighting in, don’t let someone corner you into it,” as this song and dance went for as long as she needed a water break.
Toweling herself off, I instantly missed the contrast of strength and sweat, but figured she could use one more drill to test her endurance before I dismissed her for the night.
“Let’s see you give me twenty tuck jumps.”
“What, like right now?” she faltered.
“No, two days from now—what do you think? Twenty jump tuck jumps. Now,” I called out as Sierra proceeded to jump in, bringing her knees to her chest, but by the first two, I demanded she stop.
“Gosh, what now?” she bemoaned.
“What do you mean what now? I’m trying to help your form so you don’t overload your ACL. Quit that knee in landing. Focus on keeping your knees in line with your toes. For both takeoff and landing—”
“That's what I was doing,” she interrupted.
“If it were what you were doing, I wouldn’t have stopped you. Fix your alignment, and you'll have better control over your knee valgus.” Despite not having been clearer, she performed two more with a knee in landing, forcing off my mitts, as I stepped behind her to show what she was doing wrong.
“It seems like I'm riding your ass, but I'm trying to show you how to utilize power in your body correctly,” as I stepped my feet underneath her, spreading her feet hips width apart. “For women, the focus has to be different.”
“It feels like every time I mess up, you blame it on me being a woman.”
“I'm not blaming anything,” softening my tone. “I'm just realizing I have to train you differently based on factors that are new to me. Can I?” Waiting for her consent to place my hands on her hips, admiring the mix of strength and softness.
“Okay, now keep your hips aligned,” as I pulled away, giving her the command to jump. “Soft controlled landings,” I said in a clap, watching her get it right a few dozen times.
“Remind me to work on your hip abductors and glutes our next conditioning section. Hip stability is the main foundation to a tuck jump,” I said, as she fell to the floor in slight exhaustion.
“I didn’t tell you could rest,” adjusting my tone.
“Coach, we’ve been at this for nearly two and a half hours. It’s my first day and I’ve barely eaten since work. I’m just a little light headed,” she admitted.
“You sticking to the meal plan I gave you?”
“I haven’t had time to go grocery shopping,” which suspiciously sounded like a lie, but I wouldn’t push it.
“Well, just know, when you’re in my house, that body of yours is no longer your own. At House of Beast, I take care of it on the inside, but when you’re out there, you take care of it on the outside, ?Está bien*?” as she nodded like she understood.
“While we’re down here, why don’t we make use of it. One last thing before you go. Let’s go over basic guards. Tomorrow we’ll work on crawls, so this time I’ll go easy on you.”
“Like breaking a guard with someone your size is going to be easy or something,” she said, dismissively.
“Well, Ma, how you gonna break a guard from a fighter that’s taller than you?
I’m not gonna break you or put any excessive strength into it.
But trust me, when I’m done with you, you’ll be taking down women twice your size.
I don’t bite.” I pat the space on my hips, as she opened her legs, took one of her hands in mine, as I hoisted her hips on top of mine, and brought my chest down against her in a guard.
“Come on, Ma. What you gonna do when someone's got you?” Taunting her as she fought to wiggle out of my guard. “Someone's got you. How you gonna get out?” I found myself pushing her against the edge of the cage, unable able to break my guard.
“Shit,” she struggled underneath my weight, admitting defeat.
“Yeah, no shit. If you can't break my guard, how do you expect to win your next fight?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“When is my next fight?”
“Like you said, we’re at day one. If you’re ever late again, question how I’m training you, or assume you know so much better, than probably never.” She pounded both her thighs in frustration though a pout.
“I didn’t think you’d show up tonight and I definitely didn’t think you would listen after we went back to beginning. You say you don’t need it, but I want to make you stronger. So today was about me proving you wrong. Every session thereafter, is about you proving me, wrong.”
* Stupid piece of shit
* Vulgar c-word that translates as Damn! Or Fuck! Especially in Cuban slang
* What the fuck!
* Vulgar c-word that translates as Damn! Or Fuck! Especially in Cuban slang
* You understand?
* I already heard you(but like annoyed)
* Do you copy?
* Alright?