Page 70 of Two Chambered Heart

“Ready?” Kayden asked her.

She nodded her head, so he opened the door and let her enter first.

Jason looked over from where he was loading the barbell.

“Hey,” she said, giving him a smile. “What’s your workout today?”

“Uh, deadlifts,” he answered, caught off guard by the question. He was probably expecting that their last encounter would have Corey ignoring him for the rest of his life. Kayden had to stifle a chuckle. That was not their girl’s style.

Jason gritted his teeth and turned back to his barbell.

Kayden guided Corey over to the far corner of the gym where the punching bag and mats were. He grabbed two sets of training hand-target pads, leaving one set close by and putting the other on.

“Okay, you remember your stance from the bag the other day? Hand-to-hand is the same.” Kayden adjusted his stance so his feet were shoulder-width apart, and he lifted his arms so the hand targets wereat shoulder height.

Corey stopped shifting her weight from foot to foot and took position. She bent her knees slightly and brought her hands up, making fists in front of her face.

“Good. Elbows in closer to your body,” Kayden instructed, stepping closer to Corey to adjust her arms. “There.”

He stepped back, pads up. “Try a jab—it’s the same as the bag. Quick punch straight out from your shoulder, aiming for the pads. The pads are your targets.”

Corey didn’t hesitate, her arm shooting out like an asp, hitting the target pad with decent force.

“Good! But rotate your hips with your arms for more follow-through. Go again. Three jabs on each side.”

Corey went for it, using her hips to propel more power into the punches. She hit the targets each time, the impact on the pads getting louder with each jab. Kayden actually needed to work to keep the pads from moving.

“Add a cross now. Jab, then the other hand comes in with a punch to the same target.”

Corey hit a jab and a cross and stood back.

“Now three on each side, Corey,” Kayden said approvingly.

She took a deep breath and moved, fluid and precise, focused on the rhythm. She jabbed and crossed, the movements becoming natural as she went through the repetitions.

“Add the footwork. Left foot moves when you throw the jab and then right into the cross. Two steps. Go.”

Corey went through the combination again, her confidence growing as she moved seamlessly, her body picking up the patterns quickly.

“Keep maintaining your control. Effective offense isn’t just about how strong you are, it’s about controlling your power for maximum output.”

Corey nodded in acknowledgement and took up her stance again, her expression serious and focused.

“Go.”

She threw her punches on each side, again and again. Kayden’s arms worked to absorb the impact. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead as she pushed onward.

“Do you remember the hook?”

“Yup, punch from the side.”

Kayden grinned at her certainty. “Show me.”

He lifted his arms again. Corey executed a perfectly smooth left hook, her fist arcing sharply before landing on the pad.

“Remember your footwork, pivot and then the hip rotates fully for more power.”

Corey went again, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she moved with a natural rhythm through continuous hooks.

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