Mar 12, 2012

Trip to the dojo

Chapter 13 of the book offers up a slightly different sequence of events at the Cobra Kai dojo. I will cover them in two sections.

The first is the karate lesson activities before the confrontation between Mr Miyagi and Sensei Kreese.

Chapter 13, page 57

The students paired for combat practice and, for the first time since he'd arrived in California, Daniel had an opportunity to observe a karate match without being an unwilling participant. There was an awesome beauty in the grace and speed of the motions, but even with hand and foot protectors, it was a rough game. One of the students was downed by another and was in obvious pain.

Kreese was not sympathetic.

"Get up," he said, coldly. "Pain purifies. The mind is master."

The boy gasped for breath, trying to pull himself up. To Daniel, he didn't appear purified - merely petrified.

"Say it!" commanded Kreese.

Weakly, the boy repeated Kresse's phrase.

"Louder!"

"Pain purifies. The mind is master!" he shouted. Kreese nodded and ordered the injured boy to do a hundered sit-ups. The boy dragged himself to the sit-up board and began his task.

It was at this point that Johnny spotted Daniel and Mr. Miyagi in the gallery. Kreese observed Johnny's distraction and said, sarcastically, "Lose concentration and you're dead meat, Mr. Lawrence."

Johnny leaned forward and whispered to Kreese. The sensei's hard eyes focussed on Daniel and Mr. Miyagi. Daniel was unnerved by his look and began to stand up.

"Let's go," he whispered to Mr. Miyagi, but the old man's hand rested gently on his knee, staying him. Kreese walked to the edge of the gallery and stood before Mr. Miyagi, towering over him.

"I understand you jumped on my students last night."