Kapitel 186: Karate is Not for Everyone

"I want to welcome our guests from Cobra Kai, a dojo that has slightly jumped to fame in the valley and has secured the championship in the male division at the Karate tournament," said Dash as he walked towards the center of the training arena.

Everyone gave him mixed looks; some felt admiration, and others felt pride because the guy in front of them was someone many wanted to defeat. Dash stood in front of everyone and closed his eyes slightly as his voice became even clearer and louder.

"Learning a martial art is a personal desire of each one here today, but you must be clear about the qualities that unite us all as a family, even though we don't know each other."

"Honor, respect, loyalty, balance, courage... These are some of the qualities sought and appreciated in a person who, after years of training, claims to live for and through martial arts." After saying these words, Dash thought carefully about what he wanted to convey.

"These are not just words spoken for the sake of speaking, but an entire philosophy of life that can be applied and reflected in many ways in the daily lives of those who decide to live their lives in a special way and embark on a path in a very personal way."

"Their foundations can be found in Zen, Taoist, Confucian, Shinto, Bushido, or even ancient Christianity and all the teachings of warriors from ancient times, including pre-Hispanic ones, which were based on spiritual disciplines and teachings to access knowledge that leads to a balance between matter, mind, and spirit, which in turn leads to inner peace and harmony with oneself and all creation."

"Although the different philosophies have their rules, dogmas, and laws, in martial arts, their path is the control of the body and emotions through exercises that strengthen determination, body, and mind, which, in turn, awaken sensations, senses, and faculties unknown to the initiate in these disciplines."

At this moment, there was no person who was not deeply focused on Dash's words and who seemed like a leader completely determined to guide everyone. The Cobra Kai students felt ashamed; although they understood that their No Mercy philosophy prepared them for real life, what Dash was saying certainly made a lot of sense.

Anton showed no emotion on his face and said, "These same characteristics are some differences between a martial art and a sport, no matter how extreme it claims to be, since in the former, everything is a stage to acquire knowledge and improvement throughout life, while in the latter, everything focuses on competition until a certain age."

"In that sense, you will determine whether this is a sport or a way of life in which you will never stop training after a certain time. I made that decision personally a long time ago, and to be honest, I see all of this as an awakening; only after being defeated will I go a bit more calmly."

Dash turned his attention to the Cobra Kai students and said, "The martial arts we teach here at Sakura Bushido are full of values and principles that are very valuable for daily life, such as respect, discipline, perseverance, humility, and empathy. These principles apply not only to training. They make martial artists better individuals for society."

"Victor, share one of our mottos in this martial arts school." Dash suddenly shouted without even looking at his friend.

Victor felt incredibly excited and shouted, "The society that separates its intellectuals from its warriors will make cowards make decisions, and fools fight in wars."

"Martial means related to war; martial arts, therefore, are a moving manifestation of the fight. It is the only violent art, and this makes it exceptional. However, it is limiting to consider that the only basis of these arts is violence."

"Aggressiveness is only the tip of the iceberg; underneath, we find thousands of years of lives marked by a journey of self-knowledge and improvement, both physical and spiritual. Some examples: pancratium, a form of what would now be known as wrestling, which existed in the Olympic Games of Greece; Kalari Payat originated 2000 years ago in India; Cambodian Bokator has another two thousand years of life."

After saying this, Dash paused and pointed: "Today, many go to gyms to learn to defend themselves or get in shape, but they end up finding much more than they thought: community, friends, challenges, personal growth... Thanks to facing the difficulties that martial arts will necessarily expose them to, they may discover more hidden personal traits, such as discipline, commitment, or passion."

With everyone's attention, Dash looked at Devon, who was sitting next to him, and she stood up after understanding that the most crucial moment of the teachings they were sharing with the guests had arrived.

"But there's something important that everyone must keep in mind, and that is that in the real world, the last thing all of you should do is resort to violence." Dash walked backward, leaving Devon to step forward.

At that moment, everyone watched as Devon assumed a fighting stance, and it was then that Dash said, "This mentality is for everyone. Miss Lee, try to hit me."

"Now!" At that moment, Devon kicked, hitting Dash in the stomach, making him step back a few steps.

Everyone was confused; they watched this demonstration with many question marks in their heads, but no one said anything.

"When you fight with a stranger, you think you're above them just because you know martial arts and are good at it. But what many of you won't understand is that in this country, anyone can be armed, and that could take your life away." Dash said as he pulled out the replica gun hidden in his body.

While pointing it at Devon, who was a few meters away from him, she stopped moving and looked at Dash expressionlessly.

"This is real life; you will die if you encounter the wrong person. From being stabbed to being shot for seeking a fight that you could easily avoid by being smarter than others, Dash said as he lowered the gun.

Kresse, who was watching Dash's demonstration, looked at Chozen, who was beside him, and said, "You have a very peculiar way of conducting your classes—nothing in line with what they claim to teach in this place."

"I may understand who this class is directed to, and I want you to know that Sakura Bushido is aware of many of the misdeeds that Cobra Kai students are doing now that they know a lot about Karate, but they lack understanding and wisdom."

Chozen turned his head to the Cobra Kai kids and said, "I know they were all oppressed, beaten, and bullied before, but if they don't understand when to stop, any of them could lose their lives in the troubles that adults involve them in."

"So, if you know what my students have suffered, you'll understand that hitting back is the right thing to do to stop the harassment." Kresse said, smiling slightly, understanding the intentions of this sensei.

Chozen shook his head and said, "But the kids don't know when to stop; more hatred generates even more hatred. Hit first, hit harder—no mercy! That motto is made for killing, not for winning a fight. If you teach them that, they will die because they are not in a war, and I think you understand that."

"You teach whatever you want to your students, but I won't allow you to change the mentality of my students to one of weakness." Kresse said it seriously, making his point clear.

Chozen smiled weakly but was not intimidated by this old man, so he watched as Dash shared his words with all the students.

"In conclusion, karate is not for everyone, and even less so are the martial arts." Dash said, making it clear that if they couldn't behave, it would be better if they didn't continue training.

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Kapitel 187: How a Champion Trains

As the class continued, Dash walked over to Devon's side, and she asked him in a low voice, "You should start considering your own teachings. I remember you being the first one to fight when problems arise."

Dash didn't look at Devon but whispered, "I won't allow anyone to insult you. I used to be very aggressive, but now I'm a completely new guy, and even better, a much more enviable boyfriend."

"Yeah, I admit that, but you must also agree that you have an irreplaceable girlfriend. It's not for nothing that you fell in love with my charm." Devon and Dash had long set aside any nervousness around each other, making jokes like these.

Dash grunted a bit and said, "But it's also good to learn to set boundaries. Being good people doesn't mean putting up with everything."

At present, there was only one thing that would make Dash so angry that he would completely lose patience, and that's if someone messed with Devon. He couldn't bear to see anyone try to harm her, and he wouldn't allow it either. She knew how much Dash cared for her, and she did the same for him. So, the only way she'd start a fight is if someone messed with her boyfriend.

In the end, they had come to a very sincere, fun, and romantic relationship for the moments when they could enjoy each other's company alone. Although they were a couple, they were only romantic when they were alone because it was something they wanted to share more secretly.

"You're my favorite person, the only one who has my full attention after Kung Fu, of course, but not for long, just until they defeat us," Dash said with a wide smile, appearing completely different from a moment ago.

Devon couldn't resist the urge to tousle Dash's hair, but when she realized they were in the middle of a class, she withdrew her hand and did nothing more.

"Miss Lee, behave in class; you're getting looks from your friends," Dash said, keeping calm but smiling slightly at this critical moment of teasing Devon.

"I'll kill you later; there's a kick I want to try, so you'll be my assistant."

"I can certainly help you try that kick, but we could do it elsewhere if you prefer."

Devon looked at Dash and, after understanding what he meant, averted her gaze. "You're crossing the line..."

"A champion has no limits," Dash said with a slight smile. However, after saying those words, he regretted it because he began to feel a stronger and stronger pinch on his back.

"Um..."

After letting out a bit of her embarrassment, Devon caressed where she had teased Dash and said, "You decide where to practice."

"Oh, Miss Lee..." Dash smiled slightly, trying not to draw attention away from Chozen's explanations.

"Very well, then find your partner and start training," Chozen said after starting the duo exercises.

The idea was for Cobra Kai students to join Sakura Bushido students, and both would train in a way that they could learn from their differences.

"Dash, do you want to team up with the two of us?"

Perhaps because Dash was too engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't stand up as soon as the initiative began. He had reached a point where he didn't educate anyone anymore.

Generally, Dash was a guy who liked to make eye contact with people to understand what they were thinking and feeling. In his opinion, that was the most correct way to know what each person felt. Devon, who noticed this, shook Dash's shoulder slightly and said, "What? Are you so surprised by my words that you've become immobile? Your friends are talking to you; it seems they want to train together."

Eli looked at Devon and asked, "Are you giving us a pity look?"

"Exactly. Dash's training is exactly what is said to be torture... Hawk, Miguel, I recommend you don't follow the training lunatic, or you'll regret it."

Devon shook her hand and, after giving Dash a sweet smile, went to find Tory, who should be nearby. When Dash lifted his head, he saw who he thought were Hawk and Miguel, who were going through love troubles.

"The three of us?" Dash asked as he stood up.

This was a surprise; after all, they had to form teams of two, but that was fine; it was just a question to start a less awkward conversation.

"Friend, let me tell you that we're ready to find out how you're trained; we're damn war machines," Hawk said as he slapped Miguel on the back.

Miguel, who wasn't very convinced, nodded, saying, "We're ready."

"Then follow me. I usually don't train in this place unless it's an instructor for the younger ones." Dash walked out of the place where everyone was exchanging knowledge and looked down as some people headed to the second floor.

Miguel, who looked at the very clean floor, asked, "Where are we headed?"

"Exactly where I usually train. This place is only reserved for the best students. It's not good for a young person to see the training capabilities of a fellow student who has been here longer. That would give them the wrong idea that they can reach that level in a short time," Dash said, pointing to the place where he usually trains Kung Fu.

In this place, the atmosphere was more serious; everyone training here was focused on their own goals and practically didn't need a mentor to teach them what to do because they knew exactly what to focus on.

For Miguel and Hawk, if the previous place was intimidating, this place was terrifying due to its intense aura.

"If you're going to train with me, I only need one thing: listen to me as if I were your instructor, and then maybe you might learn something," Dash said, awaiting the response of these two enthusiastic guys.

Eli nodded and said, "I'm ready."

Looking at Eli, who had agreed, Miguel also had doubts and nodded. "Just tell us what to do, and we'll do it."

In the end, everyone always wonders, How does a champion train? As with elite athletes against their opponents, if they devote the same amount of time to training as everyone else, they might learn where their potential comes from: hard work or talent. At some point, these two things might mix, but normally, a champion doesn't maintain their pace once they've won. However, Dash isn't in that circle; he has not only improved but has gone much further.