"If I'm going to bumble through this," you laugh, "I might as well bumble the whole way."
He takes you through the first six strikes again, then shows you how the next six are really just variations of each. But powerful variations which hit a different part of the body. You realize that each pair of strikes looks the same as you start to move, but then finishes very differently. It's an excellent technique for fooling your opponent. Karim walks you through the entire set a few times, then starts to speed it up. You do your best to block his moves, but it's impossible to guess which strike he intends until it's too late. You eventually take the offensive, and he walks you through each strike. It's tiring work, wielding the rifle-stick, but your muscles are flowing and you feel how you can make it an extension of your body. Your strikes become smoother, and quicker, and you even once fool Karim. Almost.
He eventually steps back, his shirt plastered against his broad chest. He might even almost be breathing hard.
"Good work, Nubes. You picked that up pretty fast."
"Thanks, sir," you say between gasping breaths.
"But we better wrap it up," he says, glancing at the clock. "The Commander wants our report in an hour."
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