"I'll work with the new lady. " he announced loudly. Rick looked uncertain. "Be careful, Josh. Light contact only. " "Of course, Sensei. " Josh's tone was innocent, but his eyes gleamed with mischief. Tyler, watching from nearby, gave Josh a thumbs up.
The pair spread out across the floor. Josh squared off against Thelma, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. Thelma stood in a basic stance, her guard up, but her posture stiff and awkward. "Ready, Grandma? " Josh asked, just loud enough for those nearby to hear. Thelma nodded.
"Ready. " Josh threw a light jab, clearly pulling his punch. Thelma attempted to step aside, but moved too slowly. The punch grazed her shoulder. She tried to counter with a basic block and punch combination, but her timing was off, her movements clumsy. "Come on. " Josh taunted.
"Even my little sister hits harder than that. " He threw another punch, this one a bit faster. Thelma shuffled awkwardly to the side, nearly losing her balance. Josh followed with a light kick that tapped her hip, causing her to stumble backward. Several students had stopped their own sparring to watch, including Tyler, who was openly laughing now. "Josh. " Rick called from across the room, his tone carrying a warning.
"Keep it appropriate. " "Just teaching the basics, Sensei. " Josh replied innocently. He continued to dance around Thelma, throwing controlled strikes that she either blocked poorly or failed to avoid entirely. Each time she stumbled or winced, Tyler and a few others would snicker. Mia watched with a frown, her own sparring partner forgotten. Rick finally approached and ended the session.
"That's enough sparring for today. " he announced. "Let's move on to kata practice. " As the class reformed into lines, Thelma caught her breath, her face flushed from exertion, but her eyes calm. Josh returned to Tyler's side, both of them mimicking her movements and laughing. "Dude, did you see her face when you got her with that roundhouse? " Tyler whispered a little too loudly. Mia shot them a disapproving look, but said nothing.
After class, Thelma thanked Rick once again with a formal bow. He acknowledged her with a nod, though his expression remained neutral, betraying neither approval nor disdain. The following day, Mia found herself at the public library after school researching karate history for a social studies project. She browsed through the sports section, pulling out books on martial arts from different eras. As she flipped through a book on American martial arts pioneers, a name caught her eye.
Thelma Gardner. Curious, she read the brief paragraph. Among the few American women to train in Japan during the early 1970s, Thelma Gardner, pictured below with the Tanaka school champions, earned the respect of traditionalists through her dedication and natural talent. Her competitive career was cut short after the controversial Tokyo Open of 1974, where she The paragraph ended there, continuing on the next page, which had been torn out. The referenced photo was missing as well.
Mia stared at the text, her mind racing. Could this be the same Thelma? The elderly woman fumbling through basic stances at Golden Dragon? She checked out the book and spent the evening searching online for more information, but found little beyond a few mentions in archived martial arts forums, references to Thunder Hand Gardner, and the Tokyo Scandal. That evening, in her modest apartment, Thelma stood before her bathroom mirror.
Her nightgown partially lifted to reveal a long, jagged scar that ran across her abdomen. The tissue was puckered and pale against her dark skin, a permanent reminder of violence endured long ago. She traced the scar with her fingertips, her expression solemn. Then she closed her eyes and performed a breathing exercise, slow, deliberate inhales and exhales that gradually deepened, her body relaxing with each breath. Across town, an elderly Japanese man in an impeccably tailored gray suit sat in a rental car parked with a clear view of Golden Dragon Karate Academy.