All-Asian Association (AAA)

The Traveler
On one of the last days of training with Nikki, I decide to stay behind as Nikki leaves to go meet his friends. What can I say? I'm a "workaholic" in many ways – I wanted to train myself more in blending my own experience as a martial artist and cage fighter with perhaps existing pro wrestling styles that would complement my experience well. I'm in the ring practicing some high-flying moves, for now. The airborne somersaults and flips from the top turnbuckle, getting a solid feel of how to launch myself off the ropes themselves, skidding across the canvas... And then I hear the door to the ring open. "Nikki? I thought you with your friends already! Did you forget something?"

The ring:

The Traveler
And I fully turn around and find it's my old friend Zay, standing at the doorframe. "Zay, is that you? Good to see you man, it's been so long!" I exit the ring and go to give you a hug.

Zay Rycerz
"Haha surprise Jackson, yeah my plane to Japan got delayed so I thought I would walk around and see some places, and I thought I saw you through the glass" as i hug you close."

The Traveler
"You were gonna go to Japan? That's amazing bro! What a delay to be stopping in Paris though, and of all places! Well, welcome to the ring I've been training in for almost two weeks now," I say with a little chuckle, bringing the hug out and extending my left arm out to gesture at the room and the ring near the upper-right corner of it. "How long until your next flight, my friend?" I give you a soft smile.

Zay Rycerz
"Yeah I thought I could relax and study the festivals and it's food and stuff" as I smile at you seeing you so excited, "it's delayed until tomorrow" I reply back.

The Traveler
"I see! Well..." I say with a leading voice and walk a little forward away from you and then turn my head so I can side-glance at you, "since you're here... And you came in straight through the gym... Do you have all your gear?" I say with a smirk. "We have a lot to catch up on, and I think it'd be a pretty good way to catch up with what we did in the good old days... Say, a spar?"

Zay Rycerz
"Yeah I always have my gear with me Jackson... Haha, sure, for old time's sake." as I see your smirk and start to laugh a little.

The Traveler
"I think I'm due to get a second win on ya," I wink at you and chuckle. "Go on, there's a locker room through those doors on our upper left that you can use to store your stuff and change. I'll wait in a corner of the ring for ya," I grin at you.
And as you head off to the locker room, I make my way to stand in the far right corner of the ring, in my camo-themed compression shorts and black ankle support socks.

Zay Rycerz
"Oh okay Jackson, I'll be back" as I head through the doors of the locker room and put my bag up and change in my black and purple tights with matching boots before I head back to you I pull out my necklace from the outer pocket of my gear bag and put it on and then head out to you and crack a smile at you, "it's been a long time when we had one of these spars huh Jackson?"

The Traveler
I see you head out of the locker room. "Looking good Zay! Yeah, it definitely has been a long time, about two, two and half months give or take!" I push myself off the corner and meet you in the center. As I approach the center I bring my arms up, curl my right hand into a fist and push it up against my left palm to "greet" you in a traditional kung fu greeting stance.

The greeting stance:

The Traveler
"Ready to start, my good friend?" I give you a confident smile.

Zay Rycerz
"Always Jackson, just don't expect it to be easy to beat me hehe" as I laugh and then slide into the ring and "bow" at you in a Japanese bow, and then get into my stance ready to spar.

The Traveler
I back up and get into a more untraditionally open but fluid stance, my hands now to my side, as I begin to circle you. "Let's dance bro," I smirk and go to lunge at you, bringing my hands up at the last second to fully initiate the collar/elbow lock up.

Zay Rycerz
"Bring it bro," as I lock up with you and start to push you back as I knee you in the gut and then backflip back away from you.

The Traveler
As we push up against each other I get too into the moment and you manage to land a knee to my gut. "Ughhh!" I let out and stumble back as it connects, then I see you backflip away. "Good shot, but..." I back up to the ropes and use them to propel me forwards so I can dart right at you and I hold out my arm to fake a clothesline, only to shift angles and get to the ropes behind you and I jump up to the top rope and spring off of them to corkscrew over your head, positioning my legs so that right when I am slightly above head level, I open my legs and enclose them around your head to take you down in a headscissor takedown, power assisted by the momentum gathered by the ropes and corkscrew. "Don't expect me to be easy either bro," I say as I use the remaining momentum to twist my body a little to give you a little wrench in the lingering headscissor.

Zay Rycerz
As I'm in the air with my backflip you bounce off the ropes and fake a clothesline which almost hits me, but as I land you bounce off of the ropes behind me and corkscrew above me "wha..." and then catch me in your headscissor takedown "Ugh! Not bad Jackson... but I won't lose... just like that" as I shift my body to my front and roll back towards you and try to monkey flip you to try and get you to drop the hold.

The Traveler
As I see you try to maneuver your way out of my lingering headscissor, I release it and let you monkey flip me, but I use the flip to send a launching kick at your head with my left foot so I can further propel myself and corkscrew-somersault and land back on my feet. I turn around and get back into stance, waiting for you to get back to your feet.

Zay Rycerz
As I monkey flip you as intended you strike a hard kick at my head with your left foot "Argh!" and then land with grace and precision, "not bad Jackson.. guess you honed your skills a bit, but I won't let that stop me from turning this around," as I spin and sweep your legs from under you and then push myself up with my hands and kip kick as I spin like a tornado and then transition it into a high knee with I aim for your chest with it.

The Traveler
I see you aim a sweeping kick at me so I jump up to dodge it, and as I land you send a kick through a rotating kip-up, which I step to the right and use my left arm at the right moment to push away and use it to spin away and behind you so that your resulting high knee only hits air. As you land on the ground and turn to face me I send a sweeping kick back at you and as you are almost swept up in the air, I use my position to pounce and lunge up at you to almost spear you, targeting your abs with my shoulder, into the corner. I finish my sequence my using your left leg as a platform, which I jump and send a stomp with my right foot at it to push me off and I can reverse somersault and land on my feet again quite a few feet away from you.

Narrator
Nikki enters the room, feeling a bit of nostalgic passion for the ring, and sees Zay and Jackson in the heat of the spar. He decides to go to the wall to his right, nearest to the entrance of the room, leans up against it and silently spectates the rest of the spar.

Zay Rycerz
"Argh! You're not doing too bad Jackson," as your combo nails me pretty good, "but that only fires me up more haha," and I fall onto my back laughing a little, remembering the old days, but I kip up again and then slap my cheeks a little to focus up and then run at you and spin towards you and launch a barrage of kicks towards yours chest and abs "how's this Jackson haha you remember my Tempest's Howl?" And then sweep your tripping you into a elbow drop to your chest.

The Traveler
My eyes widen as you recover quickly and send your barrage of kicks at me, dubbed by you as the Tempest's Howl. I quickly block and dodge them as necessary, using blocks to assist in dodging. The final block though helps you as it lets you send a sweep to trip me. "HAUP!" I let out as I fall to the canvas, and see you follow with an elbow drop, but I can't let this hit me, so at the perfect time, I roll out of the way at the last second so your elbow hits the canvas. I hear a loud thud as you crash, and I use that to send a kick right at your solar plexus so you roll back and away from me. I then rush at you and hook your ankles under my arms drop to my back to launch you to the other side of the ring, hoping I had enough strength and momentum so your throat would bounce off the top rope to stun you. "Of course I remember," I chuckle out as I get back to my feet and turn to face you again. "How's your throat?" I quip as I see you rolling on the canvas.

Zay Rycerz
I try to pressure you with my Tempest's howl but it's like you read me like a book and block it perfectly, but my sweep still makes it through and as I'm airborne you roll out of the way and my elbow slams on the canvas and as I'm holding my arm you launch a mean kick to my solar plexus and then launch me to the corner where my throat hits the post and I can't speak for a second. Then, when I can talk again, "ha...ha... Not bad Jackson, but it's not over yet" as I get up dust myself off and look more determined to fight until the end so I adjust my stance and wait for your next move.

The Traveler
I see you get up and dust yourself off, with more determination than ever to fight me. I see you take defense now, so I circle you back and forth, like I'm stalking you, and then I charge at you, motioning my arms as if I was going to launch and tackle you, but at the last second I send myself down onto my side to slide between your legs and get behind you. I wrap my arms from under your shoulders in a half-nelson, just to immobilize you and then I kick you on the back of both of your knees and release you from the half-nelson at the same time so you drop down to your knees, giving me the perfect opportunity to spring above you and grab your head as my body is perpendicular to yours to bring your head down in a diamond cutter! As we both feel the thud, I hope that stuns you enough so I tumble on the canvas and get back on my feet, eyeing you. "Allow me to show you the results of my training," I let out as I continue to watch you.

Zay Rycerz
"Ugh!" As you nail your combo and then your diamond cutter has definitely stunned me in more ways than one as I moan a little and then slowly get up.

The Traveler
I see you slowly get up, and now I feel the presence of another in the room, but I don't stop to turn to see who it is. I have to continue the momentum as you get up. I sprint towards you and jump up and corkscrew right in front of you as I bring my left foot down onto your head to kick you down again. As you are sprawled out on the canvas, your back facing the ceiling. I continue by bringing a couple forearm clubs to weaken your back, before sending a karate chop to the part of your spine that is between your neck and upper back to stun you more. I then get up off you, to your right, and send a low snap-kick to your side, hoping that will force you to roll away to put some distance between us.

Zay Rycerz
"Argh! It can't end like this" as I take another one of your kicks and then your elbows to my back and as I arch up you chop my upper back and it stop me from moving for a minute, but i try fight through the numbness. I twist myself so I'm on my back and then get snap kicked in my side but I roll towards you to confused you as I twist myself so I'm on my back and then send a kick to your chin and then kip up and then roll back.

The Traveler
You fight through the assault and use your adrenaline to numb the kick to your side. My eyes widen as you roll towards me and you send kick up to my chin, to which I step and lean back to narrowly dodge. You use the resulting momentum to kip up and kick, which I have to dodge again by turning my body to the left and stepping my left foot behind my right to fully turn my body, then you bounce back. As you're fully on your feet again, I launch myself at you to tackle you to the ground, for real this time, and we find ourselves rolling on the mats. I manage to mount on top of your chest, and twist my body to the right so I can send a karate chop down to your solar plexus again, before rolling us again so I can lock your head between my legs in an arm-trapped triangle choke, keeping you in place by grabbing both of your wrists and pulling them up so you can't use your arms while I choke you out with my legs. "We're in the final act now, Zay," I breathe out with complete focus, increasing the pressure steadily.

Zay Rycerz
"Argh! Not like this....." As you dodge both my kicks and then tackle me down and then lock me in a triangle choke and then you grab my arms and stop me from using them.

The Traveler
I steadily continue to increase the pressure and security of the hold, closing in your opportunities to breathe. "Go in peace lil bro," I breathe out soothingly and begin to increase the pressure a little faster – still steadily – now, to really show you the results of my training so far.

Zay Rycerz
"Ah.... Why..... Why.... Now....." As i feel lightheaded and not able to keep my eyes open as I'm trapped.

The Traveler
"Shhh, shhhh, sleep easy Zay," I continue to hush out soothingly, waiting for you to go fully limp to sleep, increasing the pressure more and more to get you there faster.

Zay Rycerz
"Jack.....son.....zzzzzzz"

The Traveler
I hear you mutter out my name and then fade into a snore. Completely out, I ease the pressure slowly and let you fall onto me. I quickly turn your body around so you're lying on your back. I sit there for a minute, panting, and then I look up, and see Nikki standing, leaning against one of the walls of the room.

"Nikki?" I say in a pleasant, but slightly exhausted tone. "What are you doing back here, and when did you get in here? Wanna get some water for my KO'ed partner here? I'd like to wake him up and introduce you two to each other," I say softly smiling at you while panting.

Zay Rycerz
"Zzzzzzzz"

Nikkiman
"Jackson. It's so good to see you." I look at your opponent on the ground and start to smile. "You've made some progress Jackson. I knew you were an incredible fighter but now I have proof."

The Traveler
"Good to see you too," I chuckle out as you glance at Zay. "Thank you my friend, I don't know how long you were watching but it was definitely a battle of stamina," I continue to chuckle out and then get up to lean down at Zay and begin to lightly slap his cheek so he'd wake up. "Zay, buddy? Time to wake up," I say softly and smiling. Nikki hands me a bottle of water, and I wait for Zay to wake up so I can give it to him.

Nikkiman
"Jackson! I watched most of this fight. It was wonderful the way you two got along. You're both incredible fighters. - You should put a prop under his head to make him feel better. I felt a rare intensity between the two of you."

Zay Rycerz
I moan lightly as my eyelids twitch, then slowly open up. "ngh..... Huh? What happened? Jackson? Did i fall asleep or something?" as I look up at Jackson.

The Traveler
As I go to drag you by your shoulders to the nearest corner and I prop your head up on the bottom turnbuckle, first I respond to Nikki, "haha, thank you Nikki," and then I hear you start to come to, so I kneel beside you and smile at you. "Something like that," I chuckle out. "Here, have some water," I hand you the water bottle in my hand and then I stand up slowly and offer my hand down at you to help you up.

Zay Rycerz
"Thanks big bro" as I take your hand and water bottle and start to drink a little of it.

The Traveler
As Nikki makes his way inside the ring now, I gently grab your wrist and bring my arm around your back to support you. "Come, I want you to meet my current trainer who's been training me for almost two weeks now. Zay, meet Nikki, the wrestling Champion of France, and Nikki, meet Zay, my old friend who I sparred many times with before I left on this journey to train," I introduce you two to each other, with a soft smile.

Zay Rycerz
"Nice to meet you Nikki, it's a pleasure" as i put the water bottle down and put my hand out to shake your hand.

Nikkiman
"Zay, I've heard a lot about you! It's a real pleasure to meet you." When I look at this wrestler I don't know well, I see in his eyes something similar to what I felt when I met Jackson: a kind of mutual understanding. When he was lying there in the ring, not looking so good, and yet I think we understand each other without really having exchanged anything, just like I understood Jackson the first time I saw him.

The Traveler
I look on in happiness as I see you two shake hands and begin talking with each other, looking back and forth as you two converse, my right arm around Zay's back to continue supporting him.

Zay Rycerz
"Really? You've heard alot about me?" I say shocked and see a lot of passion and fire at this guy who I don't know besides that he's training my dear friend Jackson, but I can tell he has a lot of respect for the way he wrestles and his opponents.

Nikkiman
"Yes. I'm very interested in all the fighters and we hear about you everywhere, like about Jackson. You inspire a lot of respect and confidence in what people say about you."

Zay Rycerz
"I never knew my name was getting around like that... Jackson, what have you been saying about me?" as i jokingly nudge Jackson with my shoulder.

The Traveler
I see you two hit it off, and then you nudge at me lightheartedly. "All good things Zay, all good things," I chuckle out as a response. I look at you two for a bit as a silence begins to set in, and then I shake my head and look at Nikki. "Oh, Nikki! I thought you went to meet with your friends! Did you forget something here or in the locker room?" I ask Nikki.

Nikkiman
"No Jackson! You know, I just need the smell of this room. I need to smell the ring. I haven't been in there in a long time and I need it. I need to feel that smell, that atmosphere."

Zay Rycerz
"Haha so you like the feel and atmosphere of the ring Nikki?" I ask.

Nikkiman
"Zay, it's not that I like it. It's more that I can't live without it."

The Traveler
I nod and chuckle to your response, and then lightly nudge my head at Zay's direction, "ah, nostalgia and passion," and then Nikki responds and I smile softly at Nikki.

Zay Rycerz
"Yeah, it reminds me of myself truth be told Nikki, i love the ring cause it like when I'm in the ring i have this flame inside me that yearns for battle and shines bright in my soul, and I'm sure my big bro here can pretty much tell you that and some more about me haha" as I respond to Nikki and chuckle at Jackson.

Nikkiman
I look at Zay and Jackson "I think we have that in common. That passion for fighting. That sense that you can overcome yourself through combat, not make your life better, but just prove your abilities, your limitations but also your weaknesses and live with them."

The Traveler
I chuckle back at Zay and respond to Nikki, "yeah, Zay has this fire when he's in the ring. Before I started this journey, Zay and I sparred a lot, and it was his passion that took me down countless times." I continue to smile at the both of you. "Anyways, Nikki, after Zay and I hit the showers, I was planning to show Zay night life in Paris... He's here for the night. Would you like to join us?" I ask Nikki.

Nikkiman
That would be so cool. I would love to show you all the cool places here. Not just the touristy places but the things that allow you to totally understand the French spirit!"

Zay Rycerz
I start to blush when Jackson talks about me.

The Traveler
I chuckle at Zay as I see him blush. "Awesome Nikki, thank you for wanting to join us," I smile at Nikki then turn to Zay. "Alright lil bro, there are some showers in the locker room. Let's freshen up, then get ready to experience night life in the city!" I grin widely at the both of you then turn both me and Zay around to walk the both of us to the locker room.

Zay Rycerz
"Okay big bro, you lead the way" as i crack a smile at Jackson and then walk with him to the showers.

NARRATOR

Later that evening, after Zay and Jackson freshen up and patch each other up, both Nikki and Jax guide Zay through the beautiful night life of Paris, showing him around all the amazing and hidden gems of the city. They all chat and bond together. As the night wraps up, Nikki and Jax head back to Nikki's place, and Zay heads back to his hotel room for the night. The next morning, Jax and Nikki take Zay to the airport so he can catch his connecting flight to Japan. They bid him farewell, and continue on for the last day of Jackson's training regimen with Nikki.

Published: 2022-12-03, viewed 87 times.