perception. How we act or react to a certain situation is derived by stored responses to certain stimuli. Mastering the identification and procession of those stimuli is key to a higher level of awareness. Enhanced perception in a moment of contest can lead to the desired outcome.” She stared down at him. “After our session, what does your perception tell you now?”
“That I’m an idiot,” he grumbled and rubbed his sore shoulder.
Maya smiled at his comment and helped him to his feet. “Raf, I think both of us have had our perceptions challenged in the past few weeks.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “Mine most of all.”
“Ah, don’t beat yourself up,” he said as he limped to the edge of the mat and sat. He wiped the sweat from his face with the towel. “Descherra had us all fooled. I’m just glad we were able to take him down.” The notorious criminal Frank Descherra had been one of the colonists on Cygni, who’d pretended to have been reprogrammed by the Embrace units. After the battle with the Chi’tan, he’d tried to kill Maya and Sanchez. Descherra had had Maya at his mercy, until a battered Sanchez had killed him.
“My suspicions were sound, but I lacked proof. Unfortunately, I didn’t sense the other changes in him, and that left me unprepared.”
“Well, faced with a difficult situation, you have to have things that help even the odds. Like that sword of yours. Speaking of, how about you teach me to use it?”
“You have weapons training, don’t you?”
“I’ve had all the standard stuff, small arms and basic knife work, but that’s about it.”
Maya stepped past him to a small weapons rack just off the mat. “My instructors taught me that swords are the easiest to wield and yet toughest to master. In medieval Asian cultures, swords were carried by the elite and were often used to exact final punishment. Common people weren’t allowed weapons and had to devise other methods to defend themselves against robbers, murderers and the elite warriors sent to subjugate them.” She picked up a long staff and tossed it to Sanchez. “We will start with the bo.”
Sanchez grasped the staff with both hands and held it upright. “How could this stop a sword?”
“A weapon is merely the extension of its user. The bo were made to carry heavy loads while balanced across the shoulders of workers. They were fashioned from the strongest wood to prevent splintering.”
Sanchez smirked. “It looks good enough, but I don’t think it could stop a sword strike.”
“A few blows, yes, but the idea was to never present yourself as threatening. Weapons like a sword or bow are obvious threats. The bo staff is not.” Maya pointed to the weapons rack. “The nunchaku was used in the fields to thresh grain and rice. In ancient Eastern cultures, the early versions of the sai were hoes for planting seeds. Everyday tools converted to a defensive need.”
“Huh. I had no idea.”
Maya picked up a training sword from the rack and traded it for the bo in Sanchez’s hand. She moved to the middle of the mat and waved him closer. “Now, approach me with your sword at your hip. I’m not a threat, so there’s no need to draw it.” Her earlier soft voice was stern now, and he sensed the challenge in her eyes.
Sanchez did as she asked, while Maya lowered her head to the floor and placed the bo in perfect balance across her shoulders. Sanchez took a few more cautious steps toward her. When he closed within two meters, Maya raised her head and stared at him. Innocence shone in her blue eyes, her face was serene and passive. A quiver passed over her lips that reminded him of a child who was afraid and alone. His eyes were captivated. In this one moment, he felt as if he would do anything for her if she asked.
He took another step and quickly realized the bo was no longer on Maya’s shoulders. His hands started to bring the sword up, but he felt as if he was in slow motion. He stopped them just above
“That I’m an idiot,” he grumbled and rubbed his sore shoulder.
Maya smiled at his comment and helped him to his feet. “Raf, I think both of us have had our perceptions challenged in the past few weeks.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “Mine most of all.”
“Ah, don’t beat yourself up,” he said as he limped to the edge of the mat and sat. He wiped the sweat from his face with the towel. “Descherra had us all fooled. I’m just glad we were able to take him down.” The notorious criminal Frank Descherra had been one of the colonists on Cygni, who’d pretended to have been reprogrammed by the Embrace units. After the battle with the Chi’tan, he’d tried to kill Maya and Sanchez. Descherra had had Maya at his mercy, until a battered Sanchez had killed him.
“My suspicions were sound, but I lacked proof. Unfortunately, I didn’t sense the other changes in him, and that left me unprepared.”
“Well, faced with a difficult situation, you have to have things that help even the odds. Like that sword of yours. Speaking of, how about you teach me to use it?”
“You have weapons training, don’t you?”
“I’ve had all the standard stuff, small arms and basic knife work, but that’s about it.”
Maya stepped past him to a small weapons rack just off the mat. “My instructors taught me that swords are the easiest to wield and yet toughest to master. In medieval Asian cultures, swords were carried by the elite and were often used to exact final punishment. Common people weren’t allowed weapons and had to devise other methods to defend themselves against robbers, murderers and the elite warriors sent to subjugate them.” She picked up a long staff and tossed it to Sanchez. “We will start with the bo.”
Sanchez grasped the staff with both hands and held it upright. “How could this stop a sword?”
“A weapon is merely the extension of its user. The bo were made to carry heavy loads while balanced across the shoulders of workers. They were fashioned from the strongest wood to prevent splintering.”
Sanchez smirked. “It looks good enough, but I don’t think it could stop a sword strike.”
“A few blows, yes, but the idea was to never present yourself as threatening. Weapons like a sword or bow are obvious threats. The bo staff is not.” Maya pointed to the weapons rack. “The nunchaku was used in the fields to thresh grain and rice. In ancient Eastern cultures, the early versions of the sai were hoes for planting seeds. Everyday tools converted to a defensive need.”
“Huh. I had no idea.”
Maya picked up a training sword from the rack and traded it for the bo in Sanchez’s hand. She moved to the middle of the mat and waved him closer. “Now, approach me with your sword at your hip. I’m not a threat, so there’s no need to draw it.” Her earlier soft voice was stern now, and he sensed the challenge in her eyes.
Sanchez did as she asked, while Maya lowered her head to the floor and placed the bo in perfect balance across her shoulders. Sanchez took a few more cautious steps toward her. When he closed within two meters, Maya raised her head and stared at him. Innocence shone in her blue eyes, her face was serene and passive. A quiver passed over her lips that reminded him of a child who was afraid and alone. His eyes were captivated. In this one moment, he felt as if he would do anything for her if she asked.
He took another step and quickly realized the bo was no longer on Maya’s shoulders. His hands started to bring the sword up, but he felt as if he was in slow motion. He stopped them just above
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