Page 34 of Savage Ruin
“Aaarrggghhh!”
I grab her from behind in a choke hold. “The only way you can get out of this is to yell like your life is on the line.”
She yells, a little louder this time. “AAAarrgghh!”
I drag her backward. “Yell, damn it. If you don’t yell, he’s going to kidnap you to an abandoned place where nobody will be able to find or hear you. YELL!!”
She takes a deep breath and yells with everything she has in her. “AAARRRGGHH!”
I let her go. “Your first line of defense is to run, but if you can’t, use your voice. Make a scene, and don’t stop yelling. Wave your arms. Make it apparent to anyone nearby that you need help. It’s uncomfortable. Women are programmed not to make a scene and we need to eliminate those barriers. We’re going to integrate yelling into every aspect of our training. You will yell at the beginning and end of each session, and you will yell when we’re attacking each other. Got it?”
Her face loses some of the embarrassment and gains a bit of determination back. “I’ve got it. No loose clothing. Yell like hell.”
“I’m going to teach you how to properly kick a man in the balls. Like the yelling, you need to throw yourself into this move at full force. No half-ass kicks. Got it?” I demonstrate how I want her to kick, making sure to put force into it.
I motion to her legs. “Which leg is dominant?”
“Right.”
I place my legs in a staggered stance with my right leg behind me. “The first thing is getting your body into a position of power. Mimic my stance, with your dominant leg in the back position and your hands and arms raised. This will help give you more momentum when you kick. Good. Balance more on the balls of your feet, not the heels. It will help you move quicker, adjust faster, and stay more balanced when you kick or hit your attacker.”
She shifts to the balls of her feet.
“Good. Rock back and forth. Get a feel for it. Bring your hands up for balance. When you’re ready, bring your dominant leg through and straight up as hard as you can, then step back into the stance. The entire time you’re kicking, I want you to yell. Got it?”
She brings her leg through and kicks me hard between the balls. I block with the pad in my hands.
“You didn’t yell. Do it again.”
Her yell is softer than I’d like, but she does it.
“Again. Louder and harder.”
“AAARGGHH!” she screams.
I pump a fist. “Yes! Let’s repeat that a few more times.”
She flushes with pride and proceeds to yell and kick like a demon.
“Every day when you come in, I want you to practice that maneuver. Do you think you could take me down?”
She scoffs. “Not a chance. You’re stacked muscle and I’m obviously not.”
My mouth twitches at her description, but I refrain from laughing. “Everyone has soft spots. When attacking or defending yourself, these vulnerable areas can incapacitate them, even the big ones. I want you to repeat them several times a day until you can’t think of one without the others. Okay? If you know them, you’re more likely to look for opportunities to strike them in those locations and do the most damage. I’ll demonstrate what I want you to do. Stay very still, okay?”
She stands in front of me with her feet shoulder width apart.
Bringing up my fists, I use my hands in short strike motions to get her used to someone attacking her. “Eyes.” I punch forward, and she staggers back a step. “Nose.” Punch. She wraps her arms around her head and squats down.
Shit, shit, shit. I didn’t think about my fists triggering her.
I squat down beside her and gently pull her into my arms. “Shh, querida, I’ve got you. I’m sorry. It’s okay.” With careful movements, I sit on the mat with her in my lap while I continue to reassure her. My hand runs through her hair a few times. It’s so soft. No wonder Mateo’s always playing with it.
A few minutes later, her hand flexes against my shirt. “I’m sorry. Maybe I can’t do this,” she says dejectedly, looking down at her lap.
I sweep the pink hair back and pull her head up. “No, I’m sorry. This is entirely my fault. I didn’t think. We need to get you used to someone striking against you but without triggering you. I think if I use exaggerated slow hits, it might be okay. Do you want to try or call it a day?”
She scrutinizes me. “If you have time, I want to try again.”
