Johnny pulled back his hand with a wince, staring at the redness on his knuckles. The wooden board in front of him remained intact. His third failure.
"Do it again," ordered Sensei Kreese. "Put some force into it."
Johnny paused, worried that another hit might split the skin, or even break the bones in his hand. How would he explain that to his mother?
At the boy's hesitation, Sensei Kreese taunted, "What's the matter, Mr. Lawrence? Are you ready to quit? Are you a quitter?"
"No, Sensei," answered Johnny, pulling his fist back before launching it full-strength at the board.