Bruce opened his brown eyes from dozing off, but it felt… weird.
Like he was in an unfamiliar environment, and at the same time, it was familiar but it was not. He sat up and looked around confusedly, and from the environment, it looked like some kind of… dojo?
Something mixed between a house and a dojo. Like, yes, a dojo is a house, but not everyone sleeps in a dojo. And then, all of a sudden, his mind twitched.
A horde of memories burst into his mind as he closed his eyes to process them, and now he was bewildered.
He was in the country of South Korea, in a city called Seoul, and he had a dojo where he trained students in a martial art called Jeet Kune Do.
But he was not famous here, for some particular reasons, as from his memories he or I had the same capabilities as I did, or even better.
Maybe I just started the dojo and arrived in Korea? Or I was particularly low-key? Currently, I have one student named Sienna.
And why am I not panicking? I would have expected fear, but there was nothing. And I thought I died… maybe the gods gave me another chance. But a chance for what? And why exactly in Korea, and not in America or China?
He sighed, stood up, and walked toward the sliding door, opening it as expected.
It was a dojo, full of space and training equipment like a wooden dummy with branch-like extensions similar to what he trained with Ip Man a long time ago along with a double-end bag, punching bags, and more.
"Looks like I adapt quickly to this place," he thought to himself as he inspected the dojo. Then he heard footsteps, followed by the sound of a door opening, and a figure appeared short bobbed hair, dark eyes, lazily smoking a cigarette. She had several piercings and a visible floral tattoo on her neck, giving Bruce a lazy smirk.
"Master Lee, you inspecting your beautiful dojo?" And when she noticed Bruce's disapproving look, she just ignored it and continued, "And yeah, don't worry. I have the monthly fee this time for that time and now."
Bruce just looked at her, searching his memories. She was Sienna a rebel, you could say, but kind, though with a lot of bad habits like smoking at her age of eighteen, piercings, and tattoos.
She had been training under him for one month and had not paid a monthly fee before, but from his memories, Bruce took her in because she had potential. Of course, he wouldn't teach blindly just because a person had potential, but if he could fulfill his role in this life being a mentor then he would take it.
"You're late," he said calmly. "And you know the rules focus comes before everything."
Sienna blew out a stream of smoke and waved her hand nonchalantly. "Yeah, yeah, Master Lee, I know the rules, but you're still staring at me like I'm a lab experiment."
Bruce didn't answer immediately but moved toward a wooden dummy, tapping its branches lightly with his fingers, feeling the texture of the wood.
"You've improved since last week I saw you," he finally said, his voice calm. "But there's still something off in your stance. Watch me."
He demonstrated a swift, fluid combination of strikes and footwork beside the wooden dummy, and Sienna's eyes followed, slightly widening but she was used to it over the month.
Bruce stopped and turned to her. "Training is not just the body, Sienna. The mind must be sharp, adaptable, and aware too. You cannot simply copy you must feel."
Sienna inhaled smoke from her cigarette and crossed her arms, smoke curling from her lips. "Yeah, but you make it sound so easy."
Bruce smiled lightly. "Nothing worth mastering ever is easy."
He watched her reluctantly take her stance. Before they could continue, a loud knock sounded on the front door of the dojo.
Sienna frowned in annoyance. "Who's that?"
Bruce opened the door, peering outside. Two older teenagers leaned against the wall, arms crossed and smirking like cocky young masters. Their clothes and hairstyles screamed street hierarchy.
"Hey, Master Bruce Lee, is that right? Your name?" one voice said casually, but with malicious intent. "Looks like this is your place we're just… collecting monthly fees around here."
Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Monthly fee?"
Sienna gave a small, almost amused smirk. "Oh… they're the 'collectors' around here. Don't worry, Master Lee. Nothing serious… usually."
Bruce studied them silently, noting their untrained movements, their confidence, and their energy.
The two teens glanced at Sienna, expecting a timid, obedient, cliché student who cowers at the first sight of people like them. But instead, they froze, their confident smirks faltering, replaced by hesitation.
Sienna was leaning casually against a wall, cigarette in hand, her brown-almost-black eyes staring back at them with a lazy, unreadable expression. She dropped the cigarette to the ground inside the dojo and crushing it under her boots. Bruce gave her a look, and she just eye-twitched, picked up the crushed cigarette, and threw it outside through the opened door.
"Uh… she… trains here?" the shorter boy stammered, glancing at his companion while signaling a neck cut with his hand, as if saying, "We're leaving."
"Yeah, well…" the taller one said casually, though a little nervous. "We didn't know we won't disturb."
Bruce tilted his head slightly, noticing the sudden change in their demeanor. They looked nervous, but he hadn't even taken a combat stance yet.
The boys exchanged a last glance and quickly left, muttering barely audible apologies as they went.
Bruce watched the two boys disappear down the street, their hurried footsteps fading. Then his gaze returned to Sienna as he closed the door.
"You were quite calm… you handled that well," Bruce said calmly, then continued, "And don't forget to give me the fees."
She just rolled her eyes, hoping he would forget or let it slide, letting her train here infinitely for free. But that was naive thinking. She took from her leather jacket pocket money worth two months of training under Bruce.
Bruce took it into his wallet as Sienna gave a lazy stretch and finally stepped into her stance for the martial art Bruce Lee taught her
Bruce returned to the wooden dummy. "Focus. I will demonstrate again."
He demonstrated the same combination as before, strikes snapping with each hit, footwork precise, but his mind was now quietly analyzing the dojo itself the layout, doors, windows, potential entrances or escape points just in case. He had the memory of the place anyway, just making sure.
Sienna mirrored him as best she could. Since he started demonstrating at the wooden dummy, her eyes narrowed with concentration.
Bruce moved around her and the dummy, watching her carefully. "Your timing is improving," he said. "But notice how your weight shifts, and you must flow with each movement, not fight against it."
Sienna adjusted her stance as instructed, rolling her shoulders. Her movements were a little better this time, though she would probably forget again.
"Good, but again anticipate, don't react. Let the body act before the mind commands."
Sienna tsked faintly. "Master Lee, you say that every time, but I feel like I'm already anticipating."
Bruce didn't answer, only observed her. Outside the dojo, the faint sounds of the city carried on footsteps, distant voices, and the hum of motorbikes.
He moved again to the dummy and demonstrated a final sequence, a combination of strikes and shifts that flowed like water. "Now you do it," he said.
Sienna repeated it. As she finished the combination, breathing lightly but maintaining her lazy, effortless demeanor, she smirked. "Done," she said.
Bruce nodded, satisfied. "Good. You're improving, as always."
She gave a casual nod, as expected. They trained for a few hours until she yawned, fatigued.
"Hey, Master Lee, thanks for today's teaching."
Bruce just nodded. "Rest well, Sienna, and don't oversleep for school."
Sienna: "Stop nagging, Master Lee. I am leaving for the cursed J High tomorrow… and don't get bored here without me." She opened the doors, stepped outside, and closed them.