“There you go. Don’t hold back just because of me. I’m wearing these on purpose. Hit me like I’m your opponent.”
I hit him harder.
“Good. Again, but use all your strength. You’re still holding back. If you hold back with me, you’re going to hold back with your opponents. Now, again!” Artie said.
I hit him again and knocked him over.
“Artie! I’m so sorry,” I said.
Artie got up. “Good job. That’s what I’m talking about. Again.”
We went through this drill a few more times. I knocked Artie over every single time.
“You’ve got the strength. You just need to make sure to utilize it. Quit focusing on everything else going on in the world. Focus on the cage. Block out the noise outside of the cage. Focus on your breathing and getting your opponent to submit.”
A few more minutes went by before I saw Anna walk into the gym. She looked just as beautiful as ever. I could feel my heart skip a beat as I watched Margie run over to Anna. Anna picked her up just like she did on Saturday before we went to the theme park.
Artie waved hello. “Hello, Anna. It’s good to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you again, too, Artie,” Anna said, waving back to him.
I turned my attention back to Artie and instantly felt much more focused than I had before she showed up. Artie said we should switch it up, and we moved on to some Judo moves.
“Yay! Go, Daddy!” Margie yelled.
“Yay, Justin!” I heard Anna yell, and then they both laughed and clapped.
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. I turned my attention back to Artie again and took him to the ground with a perfect hip toss.
“That’s the kind of focus I’m talking about Justin. You didn’t hesitate; you went for the opportunity. I think you’re finally getting it together,” Artie said. “You are a great fighter. All you need to do is focus.”
“Thank you,” I said. It had been a while since he last complimented my work. I figured I must be doing something right, and I owed it to Anna. Her presence made me much more focused. Her presence made me more in tune with what was going on. Her being around me was all I needed.
Another gym member, Zach, showed up a few minutes later. He was in my weight class and an MMA fighter. Artie stepped out of the ring and put us together to work on our moves. I felt pumped to do this with him. He didn’t have as much strength as me, but he was quick, and it was exactly what I needed to work on my focus.
I glanced at Anna and Margie. They were messing around and pretending to train. Anna was holding up a mat, and Margie was hitting it. Her form was wrong, but she was throwing herself into it. They were both laughing.
“You ready?” Zach said from behind me.
I tore my gaze from them and turned to Zach. “Oh yeah, let’s do this thing.”
We touched gloves, and Artie said, “Fight!” It reminded me of the game Mortal Combat that I used to play when I was younger. My mind drifted for half a second before I remembered Artie’s insistence that I stay focused.
Zach aimed for my face, and I blocked it, getting him in the ribs all in one motion. When I focused, I could find the person’s weaknesses in no time. I could use that to my advantage.
“Good, Justin. Zach, make sure to tuck yourself in after a blocked hit. The first thing your opponent is going to do is aim for your weak areas.”
Zach nodded.
He threw another punch; I blocked it and went for his ribs, and again he didn’t block me.
“Focus, Zach,” Artie said.
Zach went for a rib shot and then tricked me and turned it into a face sho
t, but I was able to block both. So far, he hadn’t been able to get any hits in.
I went for an uppercut and got him; then I went for a right hook. Zach went to the floor. I was glad we had our protective gear for sparring. I wasn’t looking to hurt the guy.