At J High, Sienna sat in the middle of a crowded classroom, lazily scrolling through her phone between lectures. She almost ignored the notifications at first, but not before an interesting clip caught her eye.
She whistled as she watched three high schoolers from her school, probably judging by the uniform, get completely dismantled in seconds by a single figure, which is in fact her master. Not to brag, as one student leaning over her shoulder said, "Whoa… what the hell? Yeah, we have monsters in our school, but now another one?"
She just pushed him lightly off her shoulder while another muttered, "How can someone move like that? That was fast as hell and cool as hell too."
The video replayed over and over, each time revealing more details, like the mastery and perfect angles of strikes, like he was dancing, and no one knew him or saw him, or not that they would remember.
No name, no introduction, just a stranger appearing from nowhere in the video, fighting, moving at the speed of a car, and leaving just as quickly.
Bruce had already begun his warm-ups at home, stretching slowly and testing his reflexes with subtle movements around the wooden dummy.
The sliding door creaked open and Sienna sauntered in, hood half up and cigarette stub behind her ear, eyes still half-lidded with sleep from daydreaming in class.
"Sup, Master Lee," she said, stretching her arms overhead with a lazy yawn.
Bruce didn't look up immediately, observing her posture. "You slept well, I assume?" he said sarcastically but calmly.
"Yeah, so-so," she replied, humoring him while rolling her shoulders. "Don't glare at me like I'm a mistake this time."
He smiled faintly, moving to a nearby double-end bag. "Focus is the first lesson of the day. Mind and body must be aligned before any strike is made."
Sienna leaned against the wall, flicking ashes from her cigarette onto the floor. "Yes, yes, I know. Show me then."
Bruce nodded. "But today we'll test something different."
He stood and moved toward the center of the dojo. On the floor were several small weighted sandbags arranged in an irregular pattern, some lying flat, some standing upright. Bruce picked one up, held it at chest height, then tossed it lightly toward Sienna.
"Catch it," he said.
Sienna blinked. "That's it?"
Bruce shook his head. "No. Move, predict, and adjust, smartass."
He began tossing the bags faster, changing directions, heights, and angles. Some he rolled along the floor, others came from overhead. Sienna ducked, caught one mid-air, stumbled, and finally began reacting more smoothly, getting used to it slowly.
"See?" Bruce said. "Martial skill is not just strikes. It is timing, reflex, and adaptability. Life does not come in straight lines."
Sienna smirked. "Alright… Master Monk. You're just making me dodge garbage bags now?"
Bruce only smiled faintly. He stepped back, raising both hands in one fluid motion. He kicked a bag that was standing upright. It bounced unpredictably, and Sienna barely managed to deflect it with her forearm.
"Good," he said. "Now combine it with footwork. Move, anticipate, and respond without thinking too much."
Sienna rolled her eyes but grinned. She began weaving between the bags, striking some to knock them off balance, catching others mid-fall, all while keeping her footing light and agile.
"Better," Bruce noted. "You're learning to react without hesitation. That is far more important than raw power."
Then he added a twist. He clapped his hands and a small weighted rope fell from above, swinging unpredictably across her path. Sienna had to duck, jump, and roll, timing her strikes to avoid being tagged by the swinging rope while keeping her momentum.
Panting, she finally stopped. "Okay… okay! I get it. This is actually… quite fun," she chuckled lazily.
Bruce said, "Fun comes after understanding, and strength comes after control. Remember, adaptability is the true weapon, and a rigid mind loses first."
Sienna said, while wiping sweat from her brow, "Master Lee… you're insane sometimes, but fine. I'll admit it. Today I actually feel like I learned something."
Bruce said calmly, "Good for you."
"Master Lee…" she began, a mischievous grin forming on her lips. "I gotta ask."
Bruce looked up, calm as ever. "Ask what?"
Sienna's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Today… when you stepped out to the market I assume… those guys, the three punks harassing the old lady… you made them look like fools. I saw some of it through the videos online. What the hell… was that?"
Bruce didn't flinch. He returned to adjusting the dummy arms with deliberate calm. "I just taught them a lesson," he said simply. "Nothing more."
While cursing inwardly at this age of technology, since in the 1970s there wasn't such stuff like social media, Sienna tilted her head. "A lesson? Goddamn right. They didn't even touch you and you… I mean, you moved like…" She waved her hands in the air, struggling to explain. "Like water. Like everything they tried just didn't work."
Bruce just shrugged. "That's the principle. Movements must flow, adapt, and neutralize. I know I am repeating myself in words, but remember it."
Sienna just curtly nodded with her head lazily. "People are talking about it everywhere in school. Some students at my school saw the video and they are calling you 'Kung Fu Panda' or something."
Bruce nodded slightly. "Interesting choice of their nicknames," he said flatly.
Sienna smirked, leaning back against the wall. "Still… you made them pay for being jerks and I kinda wish I could've seen it live. I kinda… want to learn to move like that too."
Bruce tapped the wooden dummy lightly, his tone calm and instructive. "Then you will, by time, but I hope not to impress or scare, only to protect yourself or others, and only when necessary."
Sienna crossed her arms while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I get it. Still, you're kinda terrifying when you leave the dojo. Don't be surprised when a lot of teenagers arrive at your doorstep, whether for beating or to be taught, Master Lee."
"Let them come. Maybe some will be worthy to teach," said calmly Bruce. "And let's continue training."
The two spent the next few hours immersed in training, like each day. Sandbags, ropes, strikes, footwork, and fluid motion. Sienna's movements became better and better, and she wasn't as bad as she was when she started training under him over a month ago.
Bruce was just sometimes observing silently while adjusting her form, correcting her timing, and pushing her limits.
By the end of the session, sweat soaked her white shirt and her lungs burned.
"Good as usual, Sienna. We are done for today." Sienna just nodded at Bruce's words as she sighed in relief, unexpectedly exhausted. She saluted mockingly to Bruce while he just pretended he saw nothing as she grabbed her jacket from a chair, and threw it over her shoulders.
"Alright, Master Lee. I'm gonna be back tomorrow." and she left the dojo