Malik Fences Off Bullies

 

 Malik was preparing his gear for the Fencing competition coming up on the weekend. He felt confident, knowing he was well trained with the epee, the dueler's sword. It is similar to the foil but with a stronger blade. His equipment is good, of the finest quality. 
    He mentally went over the various techniques. His thrust was good, extending the sword at arm’s length. Judges in previous tournaments had given him good scores. He was told his was above par, as was his lunge.

     The lunge required carefully determined practice. All movements from his leg and foot positions to advancing toward the opponent required perfected skill. Malik had practiced it until it became natural to him. He could lunge, retract and repeat with balanced speed.

     Thinking about the opponents he was about to meet, his main concern was his feint. Provoking a reaction from the other fencer was a form he felt was his least strong technique. Malik was not a provoker.

     Sitting on the side of his bed, the weapon lying across his knees, he thought about a debate a few days earlier during lunch at the high school. Malik and several of his friends were talking about martial arts. A buddy from his former Tae Kwon Do class asked him why he was no longer doing martial arts.

     "I'm still doing it." Malik picked up a French fry, dipping it in the watery Ketchup.

     "Which one? Judo? Karate?"

      Malik swallowed, took a gulp of milk from the carton, and replied. "Fencing. I fence."

     Loud, boisterous laughter came from several boys at the next table who were listening.

     "Fencing, hell man, that ain't no martial art. And it ain't no sport. Prancing around like some ballerina waving a stick at someone." One of the guys from the other table called.

     Malik knew that these tough guy-bullying jocks thought that only hand-to-hand combat was a true sport. They didn't know that fencing is considered a martial art and a sport. He knew the difference and was proud to be good at both. Having played soccer and baseball when he was younger, then moving into Tae Kwon Do, he had learned the ins and outs of being on offense and defense.

     He could have told them that a goal in most sports is getting mastery over others; a goal of martial arts is to master oneself.  Malik had learned that early in life. He also had learned early in life that arguing with people who are determined to provoke you into action is useless.

      Instead of retorting the comment at the jock, Malik picked up his lunch tray, stood, and changed the subject. "So how do you guys think the game against Brashier, our biggest rival, will go Friday night?" He pushed his chair under the table. "It's the biggest basketball game in the county. Think we're going to win?"

      Distraction, tossing the potential argument in another direction, always worked. Malik had perfected it, not just in fencing but also in life. When he was in elementary school, he learned how to evade the tough kids who tried provoking him because he didn't fit the description of a normal family. A bi-racial, adopted by a single mom kid didn't fit the stereotypical family identity pattern. It wasn't a problem for Malik. He was proud that he fit exactly where he belonged.

       It was like that with Fencing, Malik thought, releasing the memory of the lunchroom. He put the weapon back on the wall mount. He could relate fencing to life.

       Some time ago he read a book about fencing. That's what drew him to take lessons. The author had written that fencing is the art of negotiating for a position, for cooperation, and learning to give and take in order to achieve goals.

      His first fencing teacher had emphasized that the skills he would learn in this mastery sport would change his life. It would enable him to make good choices in life. And it had, Malik thought. He had learned how to parry, a defensive move aimed at blocking or deflecting an opponent. That's what he did at the high school lunch table. He distracted the jock. He could have made a counter-attack and responded with a defensive remark. Instead, he maintained his position of strength, deflecting the comment that was meant to provoke him.

     Ending his thoughts, he started packing his fencing gear into the unique equipment carrier his mother had bought for their travels to various fencing competitions. He was ready for this next one, he felt confident but maybe he should practice his feint and strengthen his ability to provoke his opponent. It was a good move in fencing, but in real life, Malik liked the art of deflecting.  It always served him well.

The End

Written for Malik by his G'ma 

©2013 All Rights Reserved

All stories are fiction.

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