Chapter Three: Legacy
…
The Lankershim Cobra Kai dojo had been closed. Tourists could now pay a small fee and walk around the exhibits on the mat behind all of our history.
Now, the 'Flagship' dojo in Encino was our headquarters, and wow did it look impressive.
There were multiple mats, even a juice bar.
Sensei Silver walked towards me wearing a black GI with red outlines. "The champ arrives. How do you like our new dojo?"
"I preferred our old one to be honest."
"You're a world champion now Lucas. The best, deserve the best, come along, there's someone I want to introduce to you."
Sensei Kreese, and a woman I didn't know were standing on one of the new and large black and red mats.
There were also a large variety of strange men in new black Cobra Kai GIs there as well.
"Uh?" I looked at the admittedly beautiful but very strange woman with a sort of weapon on her long black ponytail. "I have yet another Sensei now? Who's this?"
"Someone important." Sensei Kreese recognized her with a nod. "Trust her. Like you trust us."
"This is Sensei Kim Da Eun. Master Kim Sun Yung's grand daughter, the founder of our karate's, very own flesh and blood." Sensei Silver said.
"Really? How come I've never heard about her?" I raised an eyebrow.
Kim Da Eun smiled. "Ironic. You claim to know my grandfather's legacy, yet you do not respect me."
"I have enough trainers."
"You don't."
"I'm a world champ in WKF and PKF lady. I think I know I my stuff."
Kim smiled. "You are a boy, you have far too much to learn before you can start giving orders."
I was going to retort but Silver interrupted. "Schwarber. Fall in."
"Yes Sensei." I muttered quietly.
I took my spot in Junbi stance next to Tory and the others.
"These will be your new Senseis. They've come here from South Korea," said Sensei Silver. "And will help teach you the way of the fist. Master Kim."
Kim bowed.
"Will help lead training today."
Sensei Kreese spoke. "They will aid in being the instructors at dojos we've recently merged with."
"Topanga Karate, Locust Valley, and Xtreme Martial Arts. As well as Krunch Karate and several others have become part of the Cobra Kai franchise." said Sensei Silver. "Their very best students will be coming here shortly. And you will train with them."
"Only the best will survive the trials to train here."
From what I gathered, those dojos were never the best at anything. Xander Stone probably left a while back.
…
Turns out Devon Lee had joined a dojo in fact. Topanga Karate.
She showed a lot of promise, she was better than Piper and all the girls in our dojo, except for Tory by a longshot.
Sensei Kreese, and Sensei Silver both watched with crossed arms as Kim Da-Eun trained them.
"This test is meant to drill your reflexes, and your speed." said Kim with crossed arms.
On a plyometric platform, laid a stick. Oddly Kim held one in her hand.
"Nichols will defend, Lee will attack."
In a blue Topanga karate uniform, Devon bowed off the square of both Cobra Kai, Topanga, Krunch, and other karate students.
Tory faced off across from her.
"You." Kim turned to Tory. "Prevent her from taking the stick at all costs. She takes it off its place, you lose. Understood?"
"Yes Sensei."
"Ready? Begin."
Devon was hesitant at first, but Tory managed to keep her away from it with some decent strikes. Still, Devon was quick enough to touch it.
"You must be more merciless. Harder!"
Kim had struck my girlfriend on the calf with the stick.
My eyes widened. I would not allow this at all, and I looked to Sensei Kreese who merely shifted where he stood.
Was this a test? It had to be.
They went at it again, Tory managed to hit Devon harder and keep her more on her toes, but Devon still was quick enough to grab the stick even after being struck and even had it knocked out of her hand.
It wasn't good enough for Kim Da-Eun.
"I said! Harder, do you not hear me!?" Tory winced in pain, barely resisting the urge to hiss in pain when Kim struck her on the hip hard with her stick.
I spoke up calmly. "Do that again and I'll snap that stick over your head."
The entire dojo turned to me and where I knelt on the combat square.
"Excuse me?" asked Kim.
"I said. You'll regret doing that." I repeated.
Kim chuckled. "You're dismissed girls."
Devon and Tory bowed and returned to her spot on the square as Kim walked towards me slowly.
"So. You are a Sensei now?"
"I've sparred with Sensei Silver and even Sensei Pat Johnson. I was defeated, but I sure didn't make it easy."
Kim nodded with a very cold smile. "Even a champion needs discipline. Especially a champion. Schwarber, up here."
I refused to bow when walking to the center of the mat, facing her.
Kim crossed her arms, still holding the stick. "I thought you knew what my grandfather fought for. What he taught."
"That you fight for what's yours at all costs. I don't really care if you hit any of these people." I muttered, looking at the people from Topanga and all sorts of other dojos across the Valley that just merged with Cobra Kai. "But if you hit Tory Nichols again, I'm going to hit you." I said calmly.
Kim nodded, rubbing her chin.
I saw the stick strike coming from a mile away.
I turned and used the momentum of the blow to throw Kim away like she was made of cotton candy.
I was impressed when mid fall she swung around and I got hit by something in the jaw. Hard, very hard, harder than almost any hit I've ever taken to the face.
The small metal ball she had on the tip of her ponytail almost broke a tooth off!
…
Lucas rubbed his jaw, chuckling.
Everyone in the dojo knew Lucas' ancestors had felt that blow.
Kim straightened her GI. "Are you satisfied? Or must I instruct you again?"
Lucas took a deep breath. "Try that again."
Kim took a fighting stance.
Then she attacked Lucas with the stick and a series of strikes.
Lucas dodged all of them before tying up Kim at close range. They grappled for a split second and Lucas managed to trip Kim's leg.
Lucas easily checked a round kick to the knee off his shin as Kim spun, but Lucas stomped in place to pin Kim's ponytail to the mat.
Both Kreese and Silver nodded in approval.
Before Kim could strike or counter to remove the pin, Lucas used his leg to pin Kim's wrist and pull the stick from her hand.
Lucas simultaneously dodged and smacked Kim in the leg with the stick as hard as he could while the woman went for a knee attack.
She barely staggered and then Lucas threw a jab to set up a combination. He pinned Kim's arm while she threw a punch of her own as he dodged and elbowed her in the ribs. Then he smacked Kim directly above her hip with the stick as well.
Kim was barely shaken as Lucas snapped the hardwood stick over his knee without blinking an eye.
"I never liked weapons anyway," Lucas said nonchalantly with a shrug throwing the pieces off the mat.
Kim successfully staggered Lucas' leg with a furious low kick after that, he dodged a high kick.
Then Piper winced at a backfist to the jaw and a knee and round kick to the chest Lucas failed to counter in time.
The two began to exchange and land strikes very evenly for a moment. Lucas' superior size and strength held in place by the experience advantage Kim held.
After a moment, Silver spoke. "Enough."
…
I panted very quietly.
I realized I had some blood on my lip, I could've sworn Kim just rubbed her rib in the most subtle of ways for a split second while we stopped fighting.
"Schwarber, back on your line." Sensei Silver uncrossed his arms. "Sensei Kreese can explain the dojo's motto to our new students. Lord knows even our best students could learn a thing or two about the fundamentals, and respect."
I was confused that he looked at Tory and I.
Sensei Kreese stepped forward. "Thank you, Sensei Silver."
He began.
"Our dojo dates back to the late 70s and early 80s. Sensei Silver and I trained under Grand Master Kim Sun Yung of South Korea who trained G.I.s in Tang Soo Do." said Sensei Kreese. "Without discipline there is no trust. No strength. No power."
I nodded.
"Mr. Schwarber here has Cobra Kai within his very blood. His mother was a close friend of one of the best students I ever trained. Johnny Lawrence."
I looked aside.
"But despite the way of fist having only decades of tradition, our vision is to create the best for every single one of you. Sensei Silver?"
"Thank you Sensei Kreese."
I watched Sensei Silver step out into the middle of the mat.
"The All Valley is finished. There is no karate left in this Valley not named Cobra Kai karate. And that's the way it should be. However there is a much bigger world out there than just the Valley, as our very own champion has proven." Sensei Silver nodded to me.
Tory and I looked at each other and Sensei Silver continued. "There are world karate federation events around the world nearly every month. And while our objective is to build a top tier team to be the best in the entire world, there is only one place we will be able to truly prove this."
I listened.
"The Sekai Taikai, now named the Korea Open, will take place in the near future. This tournament was the largest karate tournament in the entire world back in the day, and it still is." Sensei Silver said. "Just with some added improvements. The rules of this tournament are a bit different than what you're all used to."
He continued. "The points are counted a little differently and warnings are a bit different. Other than that, all the strikes all of you know to score with are the same. They also require you to wear gloves and foot protectors."
Everyone looked confused for a second and then Sensei Silver spoke. "Make no mistake, this is modern karate. We still have a lot to work on, Schwarber, end class."
"Oss."
I stood up off the square and walked to the front of the mat.
"Attention Charyot!" I called out.
Everyone in Cobra Kai jumped up all at once in a collective snap of everyone's new black GIs with red outlines.
"Kyung-nae!"
Everyone's hands snapped to their sides and we bowed to each other.
We added an extra bow to bow to our three main Senseis.
Senseis Silver, Da-Eun, and Kreese.
I honestly didn't like Kim in the slightest, bad first impression.
…
In Silver's new ostentatious office, Kim Da-Eun stood next to Silver's chair he sat in while Kreese entered the room, fixing his new sleek black and red outlined GI as he did so.
"Terry-"
"I am astounded," said Kim with a slight accent and crossed arms. "How have you been able to train such a student for so long to be so disrespectful?"
"It is important to note that Lucas trained with me prior to both of you even knowing Cobra Kai could come back," said Kreese raising his hands slightly. "Prior to anyone knowing Cobra Kai could come back. A boy of fourteen sacrificed an entire summer training in an abandoned super market loading dock just to learn the way of the fist."
"So we let him do whatever he wants?" asked Silver.
Kreese sighed. "Luke's used to tough training. All this traditional stuff is sort of new to him, he wasn't trained like we were."
"Korea does not allow weakness to cloud the judgment of karatekas," said Kim proudly. "It's that girl, Nichols. Schwarber retaliated after she was disciplined."
"First." Kreese began with another sigh. "This is yet again, the first time our students are receiving old world training."
"Old world training?" scoffed Kim.
"They just need some time that's all."
Kim stepped towards Kreese. "The next time the boy acts in such a way I will personally fix it."
"Remember who you're speaking to Kiki," Kreese muttered back coldly. "It's surprising to see you so upset over almost losing a match to a teenager. That boy properly could've defeated you during your first day here."
Kim looked like she was about to grab a katana on display in Silver's office and take a stance against Kreese right there and then but Silver spoke. "Alright, enough. John stay. Sensei Da-Eun, dismissed."
She bowed deeply before she left, looking at both men as she walked out the door.
Silver's gaze slid from the door to Kreese sitting in front of him. "We've expanded. No more time to play games, we need to include both modern and traditional training."
"Terry-"
"And I can't believe I'm saying this but, you need to be tougher on both Nichols and Schwarber."
"They're both All Valley champions, and Lucas is a world champ I can't just-"
Silver chuckled, rubbing his chin. "Nichols lost if I remember correctly. As for Schwarber, he beat some well trained and experienced fighters. But they weren't killers, we've seen fighters like Kenny Payne, Sam LaRusso, Robinson, Nichols." Silver shrugged. "And Diaz. Schwarber hasn't gotten back in the ring with fighters who almost beat him in a long time."
"Almost beat him? What are you trying to say?"
"That Miguel Diaz should have no goddamn reason to even be considered as an issue, now or a few months ago. Schwarber started training a full year before he did, in both styles. Both of Diaz's Senseis, were our students at one point. And we can both say we've trained better."
"Who said Diaz could be an issue?"
Silver shrugged. "Miyagi-Do is closed. But that doesn't mean Diaz may stop competing."
"Where in the world would he train?" asked Kreese, confused.
"Who knows? Either way, I've said my piece John. Dismissed."
"Dismissed?" Kreese was confused. "Since when am I given orders to? Aren't we equal in command?"
"Not anymore. Captain." Silver said simply. "We're not in 'Nam anymore. Are we?"
Kreese looked around Silver's office, nodding slowly.
He left with a strong scowl on his face.
…
Daniel was on his computer in his home, scrolling through Facebook. Only he had been scrolling for far longer than he normally would have.
He saw a familiar face, squinting at the screen. Someone had been included as part of a post.
"Kumiko?" Daniel whispered beneath his breath.
According to a bit more research, Kumiko was living single still in Okinawa as a professional traditional dance teacher. Even more oddly, Daniel found a post, written entirely in Japanese, including another familiar face helping to teach yoga as well as karate.
"Ch-Chozen?"
Within a matter of minutes, Kumiko Horiba had accepted Daniel's friend request.
…
"No."
"Honey-"
Amanda raised her voice. "No!"
Daniel sighed. "You have no idea how dangerous Silver is."
"Why in the world would you need to fly to Okinawa?"
"Maybe shelter our family from two deranged and violent psychos? Maybe to find help?"
Amanda covered her face. "Enough, with Cobra Kai. Please."
"Amanda please-"
"It's over Daniel. All the kids fought. You lost, get over it. I mean, did you think you were cheated?"
Daniel tutted. "No."
"Then it's time to move on."
"With Kreese still by his side and more dojos than ever Silver can't possibly get any more dangerous. Kreese sent kids into the country club to have a giant karate brawl. Almost seven teenagers were hospitalized. And you want him and his best friend, far more dangerous than him, to own this Valley block by block?"
"You should've left things alone the moment they started." Amanda shook her head. "I mean helping our daughter and all of her friends get into a karate turf war? That's literally insane!"
"The only way this ends is if we get help."
"No Daniel, the only way this ends is if you let it." exasperated Amanda. "Why would I let you go to Okinawa and try to bring back some karate master to live as some sort of ninja with our children?"
"Chozen was family with Mr. Miyagi's best friend. That makes Sam Chozen's family in a way too, and mine almost."
Amanda sighed. "A fully grown man none of us have ever met. And that you haven't seen in decades. Is our family?"
Daniel frowned. "I don't know how to explain this in any other way but. You can't possibly imagine the lengths Silver will go to to get what he wants."
Amanda nodded. "You need to think about what this karate rivalry is costing you and your family. It'll be more than any plane ticket to Okinawa I assure you."
Daniel sighed again as Amanda left the kitchen without another word.
…
Tory hissed quietly in pain on the couch in my garage.
I pressed healing ointment in a cotton to her bruises from Kim Da-Eun. I had no idea this woman even existed, let alone could be this merciless.
That's Cobra Kai still.
For Tory to be making any sort of acknowledgment of pain, she must've gotten pretty hurt today.
"Thanks." Tory smiled. Instead of letting her shirt roll back down her chest to hide her bruises, she just took it off, laying back on the couch.
Tory reached out for me. "Come here."
I nuzzled my head into her bra covered pillows. Wow these things were big, and comfy too.
"I missed you so much when you were overseas." Tory sighed, hugging me tighter. "Thought every day about what might happen if you lost."
"Still be known as a super champ back home here in LA."
"I mean still. It wouldn't have been fun if after two weeks you didn't even get second place." Tory muttered.
I looked up at her, rubbing the soft skin of her back and placing my head against her chin now. "I missed you too."
"I need to learn to fight better." Tory looked down at the skin above her hip and around her ribs. "Keep needing you to patch me up."
"I'll always be here for you Tory."
We kissed.
Tory looked at me quietly. "Um. You didn't need to do that by the way."
"Do what?"
"Step in."
"What?" my eyes widened. "Some person we literally just met was smacking you in the leg and the torso with a freaking stick. She could've broken a bone or something."
"I almost had Lee."
"Forget Devon, that doesn't matter. All that matters to me is that you're safe Tor."
"Luke, I'll be fine. I can handle myself."
I squinted at Tory. "You want me stand by and let some woman beat you? Is that what you want?"
"I mean. Yeah. I've been in Cobra Kai as long as Hawk or anyone else I don't have a problem with this. Again, you're the only student Sensei Kreese still has had that trained longer than any of us."
"No, I'm fine with Cobra Kai too don't get me wrong. But I'm Cobra Kai, the Cobra Kai. I can call the shots if it means someone I love is getting hurt. And you saw what happened, this Kim Da-Eun chick went toe to toe with me and she's like twice my age."
"So you're saying I need you to come help me? I can fend for myself?"
I stood up, sitting on my knees to look at Tory in confusion. "What is with your odd obsession to always need to be so tough?"
"I lost to Aisha and she's fat as a whale. I'm not, and I lost."
"Fat as a whale?" I scoffed. "How could you talk about Aisha like that? She was your friend?"
"No she wasn't." Tory said, slipping her shirt back on. "What is with you?"
"What's with me? What's with you? You act like every tiny use of my power as Cobra Kai's champion is some sort of retraction to Miyagi-Do. You've done it for ages, even when we weren't together."
"You mean when you lied to Sensei Kreese?"
I shook my head. "You know how much I regret that. You know what?" I tutted, putting my shoes on before opening my garage.
"Where are you going?"
"Out. I need some time to think."
"Luke seriously?"
I shrugged. "You're being annoying and irrational. Just give me some time to think."
"Luke!"
I ignored her, I put my bike helmet on, revved up my Kawasaki, and basically let the road take me where it wanted.
…
Cobra Kai OST: Miyagi-Do
…
A part of me felt broken seeing a white canvas over the sign where Miyagi-Do was.
A small part of me, but Tory was right. In a way, even the tiniest bit was still there.
I opened the gate and walked through and walked up into Miyagi's home.
There was a small room, Mr. Miyagi's bedroom. No one was allowed back there, ever I'm sure while Daniel trained his students.
And I walked into it.
Memories of a previous childhood flooded to me seeing the pictures.
Miyagi's wife, Miyagi's medals, his note to Daniel to practice chores to learn kata.
I spoke to the man, but in this room, the Karate Kid lived and met his master.
I picked up the picture of Miyagi's wife.
"Lucas?"
I turned around almost dropping the picture, Daniel was there.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I set an alarm after I closed this place up. Almost called the police."
I nodded. "Sorry."
"What are you doing here exactly?''
"Needed some space. From my girlfriend."
Daniel smiled. "She seems like a real handful."
"You're not mad? That I'm, you know, here of all places?"
"Oh, I'm furious. But, you're seventeen, we all make mistakes. Once, I broke into your mom's country club just to try to get a date with her."
I chuckled, he got spaghetti on himself for that.
Daniel smiled, pointing at the picture in my hands. "That was-"
"Mr. Miyagi's lover. Yeah."
"How did you know that?"
"Sensei Kreese has a picture just like that. Or, he did, in the homeless shelter he lived in."
Daniel frowned. "Kreese was homeless?"
"Sure was. Anyway, I'm going on too long. Should get going."
"Wait. That wasn't just Mr. Miyagi's lover. That was his wife."
"Did you ever meet her?" I asked, despite knowing the answer to that question.
Daniel shook his head. "Mr. Miyagi carried so much grief around with him it was almost heartbreaking to think about. His village had banished him, and the only family he found died in a concentration camp. Instead of bottling up that pain, turning it to anger and letting it consume him. He spent his time trimming bonsai, and fixing leaky drains."
"There are other things we can do with our pain. Turn it into strength."
"Like your Sensei does?"
"Sensei Kreese was hurt too. By things I don't want to share. But unlike Miyagi he wanted people to excel, to be powerful. To be proud. You can't be proud of anything at Miyagi-Do. Humility is the only trait you're allowed to have here."
"Humility. And virtue. And trust. And honesty. Mr. Miyagi wasn't the clearest person in the world, but he never lied to me. Not once."
I nodded. "It's like talking to a brick wall."
"Lucas you let yourself become so consumed with the idea of winning you found a person you know hurt me out of pride, let them injure me out of spite and lack of empathy, and did the exact same thing to Miguel too. You let ignorance cloud your virtue."
"Look I accomplished more with karate in one week than you have in over thirty years. Because karate became so obsessed with how it looked, instead of how actually applicable it was in combat. No one respects it anymore. Until I changed that."
Daniel sighed. "I still don't understand why you felt the need to destroy me, this dojo, and centuries of Miyagi-Do tradition just to get this change you're talking about."
"Without me, there'd be no Miyagi-Do either. You'd still be selling cars using karate as a gimmick, this place would just be another abandoned car lot."
Daniel inhaled slowly and loudly. "You're trying to rile me up. Just like Silver."
"You're right I should talk about what's really bothering me." I shrugged. "You. More specifically your students."
I frowned. "And how I've wronged them."
"What?"
"What I regret most is letting violence get in the way of a good old fashioned tournament rivalry. I egged on Miguel, pushed him into a corner. And for the rest of our lives, he won't be able to forgive me."
Daniel nodded. "Probably not."
"But what I regret more than anything is that bond that we shared. Couldn't be shared at the same time with Sensei Kreese."
I looked around Miyagi's room with a sigh.
"I honestly get what you saw in him. I get why you wanted someone to be compassionate, but honorable, safe, but not timid. Miyagi-Do's greatest flaw, is that it's too virtuous. It takes all the fun and competition right out of karate. But you never understood one very important thing."
Daniel was interested.
"The only way that matters in karate isn't the one that works for you. It's the one you make work. This might sound crazy, but Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do were meant to be the same style. I've been the only one to prove it and yet you still deny it."
Daniel stayed quiet.
"I just want one thing now. One thing more than anything. I've had two first place karate championships in as many weeks. And I've realized one thing."
"Which is?"
"In a way. Miyagi was right. Winning truly isn't everything. You probably figured this out after you got your trophy but. The bonds you made along the way, were more important."
I frowned, scoffing. "What am I saying?"
"No Lucas. You're speaking sense for the first time in ages."
"Look. There's only one way I'd ever come back to this place. Only one way I'd ever train with you again, is if Sensei Kreese was my Sensei during that time too. Because that could never happen, I made my choice. But I have to let you know that I don't care anymore about winning."
Daniel was quietly shocked.
"I'm a champ sure, the greatest in the world but. Where will my friends be in a few years? Who will be affected after we all graduate high school? Do I really want history to repeat itself? Let some poor soul hold a grudge against me for the rest of our lives because I won a karate tournament when we were teenagers?"
I shrugged. "I just want peace. If you can give me that. If you can make Miguel promise to drop everything. Then I can promise peace in return."
"How?"
"Kenny is targeting your son over my sister."
Daniel made a very unimpressed face.
"Yeah, I know. History loves to repeat itself but. Plenty of your students hate my friends. I can make them all promise to leave everyone alone for the rest of this summer and school again when it starts. If, and only if I can know Miguel wants to bury the hatchet with me.
"So. You really want peace?"
"More than anything now. But I'll never leave Cobra Kai to do it."
Daniel nodded. "I'll deliver the message."
"No problem."
"And um. This might not mean much, but thank you."
I smiled at Daniel. "This might be odd too but. I actually really appreciate it."
"Thanks."
I was about to leave when Daniel spoke out.
"Was there ever a chance Luke? Was there ever, a chance you could've just never found Kreese? And just let everyone lead a normal life? Or just have become a Miyagi-Do?"
"There was a chance. But my suspicions were true. Sensei Kreese is the same man Mr. Miyagi is deep down. Same past, same love for his students. He just shows it in a different way."
I left the house.
…
…
…
