Chapter 22: The Tournament Begins

"Ladies and gentlemen...you've been waiting a long time, but we're finally here. Dojos from all across the Valley have been training for a year for their shot at glory. You ready to meet 'em? You? You? All right. This sensei and dojo need no introduction. He took the All Valley by storm in 1984 and '85 and quickly became one of the greatest underdogs in the history of the sport. Last year, this dojo came out of nowhere and made it to the finals. They've got some new fighters, and they're ready to show the world that they're the best around. Give it up for Miyagi-Do Karate, led by two-time All Valley champion Daniel LaRusso!" The announcer shouts. That's when we step out. Mr. LaRusso leads the charge with Sam, Demetri, Eli, and I in the front. The rest of the students, including Chris, Nate, and Abe, follow behind. The next dojo to get introduced is Cobra Kai. The Sensei's are the two older men who showed up at Miyagi-Do that one time. Robby, Tory, Kyler, and Steve are in the front. The final dojo to get introduced is Eagle Fang. Leading is Sensei Lawrence. Following is Miguel, the new female student, Chase, Mitch, and Bert.

"At the end of the day, only one of these dojos can be crowned Grand Champion. Welcome to the 51st annual All Valley Under-18 Karate Tournament! It's karate time." The announcer says. After the introductions conclude, Mr. LaRusso gives us a pep talk.

"Miyagi-Do's, bring it in. Some of you have been here before, and for some of you, it's your first karate tournament. I still remember my first All Valley, where I stood here proudly with my sensei. Where I fought and where I faced down the bullies of Cobra Kai. Now getting here hasn't been easy. There've been some bumps in the road, to put it mildly. But you guys got this. Remember what's at stake. If Cobra Kai wins, our dojo closes for good. But is that gonna happen? Of course not. Because we have something that Cobra Kai doesn't. We have Miyagi-Do. We're gonna use it, and show Cobra Kai what we're made of. Are you ready?" Mr. LaRusso asks.

"Yes Sensei!" We shout.

Later…

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to begin our skills competition. Up first, Demetri Alexopoulos from Miyagi-Do Karate, who'll be showcasing the kamas." The announcer says. All of us are extremely nervous. However, as soon as Demetri started, I knew it would be fine. In fact, he was really good.

Later…

It was now my turn. Demetri and Eli walk on the mat holding a single board together. Chis and Abe walk on stage as well, also holding a board. Chris and Abe hold their board right behind the board Demetri and Eli are holding. I would be doing a kata, showing off all my moves. I start by doing a spinning back kick. I then do a series of punches and elbows. I then do a flip and immediately after I land on my feet I do a front kick. I think about all the things that Steve did to me and it fills me with rage. With this rage, I'm able to break through both boards. I finish my kata by performing the Wax On Wax Off movements and then getting into a fighting stance. The crowd goes wild and I bow. I then look at Steve and see him smirking at me. I see him shake his head and I quickly look away.

Later…

It's now Chase's turn and I'm excited to see what he does. He goes on the mat alone. He also performs a kata, doing moves like roundhouse kicks and knees. He finishes it off by doing a flip. However, when he lands on his feet, his leg twists in a weird way and he falls over in pain. Everyone gasps. However, he quickly gets back up and waves his hands as if to say that everything's okay. He must get injured a lot playing basketball. He hops off the mat and I can't help but notice that Steve is looking at Chase's injury.

Later…

It's the second round of the skills competition and Cobra Kai really stepped up their game. It's now Steve's turn and I silently wish he would mess up. Robby and Kyler get on the mat and hold a board behind Steve facing towards the ground. The board is also very close to the ground. Other Cobra Kai members also get on the mat. There are now two other boards, one in front of Steve and one to the side of him. First, Steve breaks the front and the side board with a front and side kick. He doesn't put his leg down in between kicks. Then, Steve does a backflip and when he reaches the ground, punches through the final board. The crowd cheers and Steve looks at me with that stupid smirk. I glare at him when he gets off the mat.

Third Person POV:

The Qualifying Matches were set to begin and Sam was thinking about the inevitable fight with Tory.

"Hope you're ready to get your ass kicked by Tory." Steve says as he walks by.

"And I hope you're ready to get your ass kicked by James." Sam says. This makes Steve stop walking and turn around.

"James? You think James is gonna kick my ass, huh?" Steve says while holding in a laugh. Sam begins to glare at Steve. "The kid who's ass I've been kicking since day one? The kid who got his ribs broken because he couldn't handle a few untrained fighters? He's gonna beat me?" Steve says while smiling.

"What about the-" Sam says before she is cut off.

"For the last time, James did not win the house fight. He kicked me into a pool and walked away. If you think just because he has one "victory" that he can beat me, then you're more stupid than I thought." Steve says.

"You better be careful, James is stronger than you think." Sam says.

"I'm pretty sure I can manage just fine." Steve says before walking away. As soon as Steve leaves, Sam marches over to James.

"James, when you fight Steve, there's something I want you to do." Sam says.

"What is it?" James asks.

"It's a move I want you to do." Sam says while smirking.

James's POV:

My first qualifying match is up. I'm going against a student from a random dojo.

"You can do this, James!" Mr. LaRusso shouts. I get into my fighting stance and get ready to attack. When the match begins, I run up to the guy. He tries to punch me, but I duck under it and sweep his legs. When he's on the ground, I deliver a kick to his chest.

"Point! 1-0."

When the next round begins, my opponent tries to kick me but I move to the side. I then punch him in the chest.

"Point! 2-0."

The next round begins with my opponent trying to punch me. I back up a bit and when there is an opening, I kick him in the face.

"Point! White side, winner!"

I step off the mat and see that Sam and Eli are both smiling and clapping. Demetri looks concerned.

"James, you didn't use any defense. What karate were you using?" Mr. LaRusso asks. Crap.

"I just did what came to mind." I lie. Mr. LaRusso stares at me before dropping it.

Third Person POV:

Chase was fighting a kid from Cobra Kai. The score was 2-1 in Chase's favor.

"You're going down, traitor!" The kid shouts. The next round begins with the kid delivering kick after kick. Chase constantly has to block and gets a bit overwhelmed.

"You got this! Stay focused!" Johnny shouts. Chase calms down and manages to catch his opponent's leg mid kick. Chase then punches him in the face.

"Point! White side, winner!"

"Agh!" The kid shouts in anger. Chase can see that the rest of Cobra Kai is annoyed, especially Steve and Kyler.

Later…

Steve was destroying Abe 2-0. When he tries to punch Steve, Steve pushes his arm down. Steve then kicks him right in the face.

"Point! Red side, winner!"

Daniel was getting frustrated. Steve was advancing a round. Then again, so were James and Chase.