Wude

The air is cool and light as the sun sets over a Kung Fu Kwoon, the hazy orange light peeking through the windows. Stood in the centre of the room are two people, a young man, and a slightly older but still young woman. They are both dressed in their kung fu zhì fú and are stood a few metres apart, facing each other. [[Bow]]

The two of you bow to each other and assume your stances. Before either of you move, the girl speaks up. "You honour me with this match, Kueng." [["As do you, Lian. Now hurry up and attack!"]] [[Ignore her and move in to attack]]

Lian springs forward, launching from the balls of her feet. She looks as though she's about to strike with her right fist... [[Block]] [[Dodge]]

Lian barely finishes her sentence before you're in her face. You can see a look of calm determination in her eyes, almost like she expected you to do this. You throw a punch that she parries effortlessly. She pushes you back so there's some space between you. [[Move in to try again]] [[Hold back and wait to see what she does next]]

You raise your arm to block the punch, but as she reaches you, she grinds herself to a halt and in less than a moment, her feet twist and her back leg rises as she spins around, swinging a reverse roundhouse kick directly at you from the left, connecting with your torso. You grunt loudly as the force of the attack shifts you to her right. [[Counter]] [["You're going all out right off the bat, huh?"]]

You wait for the moment she begins to strike, ready to move back. Just as she reaches you, she grinds herself to a halt and in less than a moment, her feet twist and her back leg rises as she spins around, swinging a reverse roundhouse kick directly at you. Being ready though, you lean your head back, her foot narrowly missing the tip of your nose. She wasn't holding back there, you could feel the power she'd put behind her attack as it flew past you. [[Counter]] [["You're going all out right off the bat, huh?"]]

You place your back leg behind your front, stepping in to strike Lian with a side kick. Your front foot launches at her, catching her off-guard and causing her to stumble back a few steps. She smiles, "Good form, Kueng." She stands upright, placing both her feet together for a moment and breathing in deeply. In less than a second, she launches forwards with both hands and strikes you in the chest, knocking the wind out of you as you collapse to one knee. After catching your breath, you resume your stance. [["You're going all out right off the bat, huh?"<-"Not holding back, are you?"]]

"This is an important moment for both of us, Kueng. I can't afford to go easy on you, and I know that you wouldn't want to go easy on me either. Whoever wins this moves up to the final degree. Our black belt. I know for you that just means 'proof of your immense strength,' but for me, it means I'm one step closer to being allowed to teach others. Others like us. I can help any children put in the same position we were!" You drop your stance for a moment to speak. [["It's not just about strength for me. I need to win at least one sparring contest against you before you leave!"]]

Relentlessly, you launch blow after blow, occasionally managing to break through Lian's near perfect guard, but not enough to land anything resembling a real hit. You've pushed her to the edge of the room, and her back is nearing the wall. As you go to strike with your front foot, she deftly sidesteps, and sweeps the foot you still had on the ground, knocking you down. [["You're going all out right off the bat, huh?"<-"Are you //trying// to embarrass me?"]]

She continues to stand opposite you, stillness washing over her face like a statue. "You're still too eager, Kueng. You're rushing in without thinking, and without respect for your opponent." "I thought our master had taught you //better//!" She steps forward and twists her waist. You notice her stance shift ever so slightly so that her weight is on her front foot. She's either about to attack with a kick from her back foot, or a punch from her rear hand. [[Raise your knee to block a kick]] [[Raise your arms to block a punch]]

You bring your arms up just in time as Lian's fist collides with your forearms, pushing you back slightly. You remember what your Sifu taught you about watching your opponent's movements to react accordingly, and it's paid off this time. You lower your arms and resume your stance, a smile forming on your face. [["You're going all out right off the bat, huh?"<-"Going all out already? I'm glad you want to make this fun for me!"]]

You bring your knee up to block a kick, but one never arrives. Instead, you feel a blunt ''SLAM'' as a punch hits you square in your chest. As you regain your footing, you remember what your Sifu taught you about watching your opponent's movements to react accordingly. Next time she tries that, you'll be ready. [["You're going all out right off the bat, huh?"]]

You resume your stance, determination in your eyes. Lian resumes hers. She steps in towards you, as you do the same. She twists her waist as her back foot pivots and begins to leave the floor. [[Block the kick]] [[Strike before she can finish her attack]]

Her foot flies up towards your abdomen, but your arm is in the way. The two appendages collide, and as her leg bounces away, you grab it, move your front foot behind her calf, and use your remaining hand to push her shoulder as your foot pulls back and sweeps Lian off her remaining foot. She hits the ground hard, and lies there for a moment, catching her breath. [["Got you that time!"]]

You strike with your rear palm, colliding with her shin and pushing it away. As she stumbles, you step in so that there are mere milimetres between the two of you, and twist, putting your entire body weight into a Bajiquan style shoulder strike that slams into Lian. She flies backwards, losing her balance and falling onto her back. With a cough and a lot of effort, she rolls over onto her front and stands up. "Hah! I got you that time," you yell. "You know as well as I do that //that// isn't enough to win this," she responds. The smile on your face at finally getting the upper hand slides off your face, morphing into a scowl. You //do// know that, but couldn't she let you have a little win, just this once? Just for a moment? [["Then I'll just have to go even harder!"]]

She continues to lie there, staring up at you calmly. "Concede!!" You yell. A smirk flashes across her face, and she spins herself around to try to sweep your legs. You jump over them, but as she reaches the end of her sweep kick, she rolls back and up onto her feet again. "You know I cannot do that, Kueng." She resumes her stance, her legs bending slightly as she readies her next move. Whatever it is, it's going to involve her leaving the ground. [[Block high!!]]

You launch forward before she can resume her stance, ready to perform a flurry of punches. [[Punch!]]

Lian launches, her feet almost at the same height as your waist, as her right knee is brought up at blistering speeds. Your hands, clasped together, one behind the other, reach up in front of your face to stop the attack, colliding with her knee. You push it to the side, and, while she's still airborne, throw a punch towards her abdomen. She flies back a little, landing on her feet, and you follow up by jumping into the air and bringing your front leg up and kicking while you gain height. She sidesteps the attack and pushes your leg, sending you spinning around so your back is facing her as you land. She performs a quick front kick and pushes you away. After that exchange, the two of you are both panting slightly. You eye each other up as you both catch your breath. You can see a single drop of sweat drip down Lian's cheek. [[Press the attack!]]

You step forward and raise your back foot into the air above your head. Lian glances up for a moment, as your bring the back of your foot down at a blistering speed. She raises her arms in an X shape to block your axe kick, catching it on her forearms, before pushing you back. "Strength alone isn't enough, surely you can see that!" She shouts. "But, if I was stronger back then, I...!" You begin to say. She interrupts you, yelling "You're stuck in the past, Kueng! What's done is done, why can't you see that?!" She's clearly starting to lose her cool. [["It's not about the past! It's so that what happened to us doesn't happen to anyone else!!"]]

Lian isn't ready at all, and takes the first blow to the chest, stumbling her slightly. [[Punch again!]]

"We can't control things like that! The best we can do is help them after the fact! //That's// why I need to win this!" She shouts. You move in, and Lian does the same. She steps forward and twists her waist. You notice her stance shift ever so slightly so that her weight is on her front foot. She's either about to attack with a kick from her back foot, or a punch from her rear hand. [[Raise your arms to block a punch!]] [[Raise your knee to block a kick!]]

You recognise Lian's movements, and are ready. You raise your arms and deflect her punch, immediately countering with a palm strike to her chest. She slides back along the floor slightly, and you follow up by jumping into the air, your knee raised. She steps back to avoid it, but you extend your knee, turning the attack into a kick. She parries it with her arm, pushing your foot down to the ground. Her guard is open! [[Roundhouse kick]] [[Sweep kick]]

You bring your knee up to block a kick, but one never arrives. Lian weaves past your knee and strikes you in the abdomen. You feel a ''SLAM'' square in your chest as you're knocked back slightly. You know she has a tell when she's about to do that feint attack, if she tries it again, you'll be ready. [[Step forward and attack!]]

As your foot hits the ground, you retain the momentum from your jump, twisting your ankle and spinning, your back leg outstretched, heel flying at Lian's head. She ducks, weaving effortlessly beneath your leg, and attempting a counterattack. She strikes just as your movement ends, and dodge her attack. You recover and parry, countering. She parries your attack in return. You trade blows, blocking and parrying each other in a loop for a few moments. Lian throws a punch, you catch it. You swing your leg to kick, she brings up her knee, stopping your attack in it's tracks. Eventually, the two of you step back from each other. Your evenly matched contest of blows has tired the two of you out. Between breaths, you speak. "You're...too...defeatist...Lian..." "And...you're...too...naive...!" She responds. "We...can...we can stop...bad things happening to people...if we try!" You yell. "No we can't! We can just help pick up the pieces and give the victims guidance!" "Look at us! We were powerless back then, but how far have we come? I might not be the best at listening to Sifu, and I might not understand the spiritual side of our training as well as you do. But we aren't powerless anymore!" She stops for a moment, clearly contemplating your words. [[Let her think]]

As your foot hits the ground, you spin, stretching your back leg out so that it'll catch her and pull her off her feet. She hops over your leg sweep, and moves in as soon as she lands. You recover and parry, countering. She parries your attack in return. You trade blows, blocking and parrying each other in a loop for a few moments. Lian throws a punch, you catch it. You swing your leg to kick, she brings up her knee, stopping your attack in it's tracks. Eventually, the two of you step back from each other. Your evenly matched contest of blows has tired the two of you out. Between breaths, you speak. "You're...too...defeatist...Lian..." "And...you're...too...naive...!" She responds. "We...can...we can stop...bad things happening to people...if we try!" You yell. "No we can't! We can just help pick up the pieces and give the victims guidance!" "Look at us! We were powerless back then, but how far have we come? I might not be the best at listening to Sifu, and I might not understand the spiritual side of our training as well as you do. But we aren't powerless anymore!" She stops for a moment, clearly contemplating your words. [[Let her think]]

You throw another punch, and another, and another, all landing and beginning to knock her further off balance. [[And another!]]

As you go to throw a fifth punch, you catch a glimpse of her face, a look of determination shooting across it. She deflects your punch, and begins a counterattack, a flurry of blows of her own. You manage to block the first two, but she's moving so quickly and with a fluidity you haven't seen in her before that the next two manage to slip past your guard, knocking you back. She relents, and lets you catch your breath for a moment. [["That motion...like a river..."]]

"Sifu has spent time with me working on my movements. If you paid attention and you focused on growth as a person instead of just raw physical power, he would have gladly worked with you on it too," she says. You feel a rage burning inside you as she calls you out again. If you had been stronger when you were both children, you would've been able to protect your parents, and Lian's. It's not like you're unappreciative of Sifu for taking you in after that, but he doesn't understand what you went through. Lian does, or //should//, so how can she not feel the same way? As the rage begins to fill your body, you yell. "Why don't you understand?! You were there too!" [[Press the attack!]]

She continues to stand there, perfectly still, as she stares dead into your eyes. Eventually, she speaks. "You're right...we aren't powerless anymore." A smile forms across your face. She's finally starting to see! "But what we do with that power is up to us," she says. "I don't think we'll ever agree on where our efforts are best focused." [["Then we'll just use this sparring match to decide."]]

The two of you step in close to each other and you throw a punch. She parries it and pushes you back. You recover and parry, countering. She parries your attack in return. You trade blows, blocking and parrying each other in a loop for a few moments. Lian throws a punch, you catch it. You swing your leg to kick, she brings up her knee, stopping your attack in it's tracks. Eventually, the two of you step back from each other. Your evenly matched contest of blows has tired the two of you out. Between breaths, you speak. "You're...too...defeatist...Lian..." "And...you're...too...naive...!" She responds. "We...can...we can stop...bad things happening to people...if we try!" You yell. "No we can't! We can just help pick up the pieces and give the victims guidance!" "Look at us! We were powerless back then, but how far have we come? I might not be the best at listening to Sifu, and I might not understand the spiritual side of our training as well as you do. But we aren't powerless anymore!" She stops for a moment, clearly contemplating your words. [[Let her think]]

This is it. One last push. Win or lose. The two of you step back in towards each other, placing the back of your leading arms against each other. The two of you look more determined than at any point up to now. If anyone walked into the room now, they would be able to feel the tension in the air, like someone had lit bonfires around the entire kwoon. You feel Lian's arm tense up. [[Move your head to the side!!]]

You throw your head to the left, narrowly avoiding a punch from Lian's front fist. [[Counter!!]]

You throw all your weight behind a punch from your rear fist, colliding with the side of her torso. She winces, and turns, bringing her rear leg up to kick you. [[Raise your arm to block!]]

You bring your arm up, but not fast enough, as Lian's kick hits you square in the side of your ribcage. You stumble slightly. The two of you are now stood facing each other, a metre or so apart and starting to flag, neither of you really had enough time to catch your breath after everything so far. You lock eyes with Lian. She steps forward and twists her waist. You notice her stance shift ever so slightly so that her weight is on her front foot. You've seen this before. You know that she's either about to attack with a kick from her back foot, or a punch from her rear hand. What was it last time? Now's when it really counts! [[Raise your arms to block a punch!!]] [[Raise your knee to block a kick!!]]

Lian crounches slightly and extends her rear arm. You feel the amount of force she's put behind her punch, as her fist collides with your arm. You knock it away, as she stumbles forward. Now's your chance! [[Attack, and win this!]]

Lian crounches slightly and extends her rear arm. You feel the amount of force she's put behind her punch, as her fist collides with your chest, throwing you backwards, stumbling, and onto your back. She moves over to you at lightning speed, and with the last of her energy, pins your arms to the ground with her knees. "Looks like you lost, Kueng." You don't have the energy anymore to fight back. [["Damn it..."]]

As Lian falls towards you, you raise your rear fist, catching her in the stomach. She coughs, you can tell you've knocked the wind out of her. She crumples to the ground, holding herself up on one knee. "Well...done..." she wheezes. "Thank you," you say. [[You won!]]

Lian stands up. She extends a hand to pull you to your feet. [[Take it]] [[Slap it away]]

Your Sifu enters the room. "Well done, Kueng," he says as he gives you your black belt. "You are now on your way to being qualified to teach, if you so wish. Either way, there is little more I can teach you alone. You beam with happiness and turn to Lian. She is also smiling at you. You can sense a feeling of pride from her. "You fought well, Kueng. I may not always agree with your philosophy, but I can't deny it has made you strong. Thank you for the match," she says, putting her fists together and bowing deeply. You bow in return, and thank her for the match. [[Start<-Play again?]]

Your Sifu enters the room. "Well done, Lian," he says, and hands her a black belt. "You are now on your first steps to teaching others. I have nothing left to teach you." He turns to look at you. "//You//, however..." Lian also turns to you. "You fought well, Kueng, but surely now you can see strength isn't everything? I hope you learn from this." She turns and walks away from you. You can sense a level of disappointment in you from her as she does. Sifu follows her. You are left alone to comtemplate your loss in the cold, empty kwoon. [[Start<-Try again?]]

You reach out and grab Lian's hand. She uses what little strength she has left to pull you to your feet. "At least you're more gracious in defeat than you were before," she says. "You fought well." "As did you. Thank you for this match," you reply. [[You lost...]]

You reach up, and Lian smiles at you. Just as she thinks you're about to take her hand, you slap it away, and push yourself off the floor. As you stand, you notice Lian glaring at you. "Still a child, after all this time," she says. "You lost either way." That's right... [[You lost...]]