(The Bloodsport bearhugger versus another monkey fighter! ;) )
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It had been a difficult journey, but Eileen had finally made it onto the fighter's bench of one of Hong Kong's underground fighting tournaments. Held as a forerunner event to the annual Kumite, the mat rested in a dimly-lit basement, whose damaged lighting fixtures were all focused on those who did battle for the gambling audience.
"Soon I will meet you at the World Fighting Tournament, Pai Chan," thought Eileen. The teenager, trained by both her grandfather and her time with a Beijing opera troupe, would begin her career as a fighter to find and meet the martial artist whose grace and strength had inspired her. She attended the tournament dressed in a red sleeveless shirt and black capri pants, with yellow tassels tied around her wrists. Short-haired with her hands and feet bared, Eileen would have no distractions as she fought to win, for the first time.
"Into the ring! Eileen, and, Pumola!"
Hopping onto the mat, Eileen was filled with energy as she locked eyes with her opponent, a large man in a simple loincloth. She rolled forward, rising to leap once and land in a crouching position before she said, "Don't underestimate me!" Pumola blinked, and then began to laugh as he slapped his ample gut. Eileen smiled, ready to take the last laugh for herself.
"Fight!"
Eileen surveyed her opponent, wondering why he simply walked towards her with his arms down. She advanced, and then rolled back as Pumola suddenly grabbed at her. Moving forward again, Eileen leapt over another grapple attempt and landed on Pumola's shoulders. She sprang off of them, smacking the back of her opponent's head with a kick as she ended up behind him. He turned around and charged at Eileen, who once again dove over his large frame and scored another blow to his head. Rubbing his sore skull, Pumola winced as he turned to continue his simple attack plan.
Raising his arms to prevent an aerial dodge, the large fighter caught Eileen's shoulders in mid-jump. The teenager quickly understood where Pumola's strengths lay as she struggled to get free of his powerful grasp. A lucky knee to his gut gave her the chance to go to the ground and crawl between his legs. She rolled over and sprang up, and then jumped onto Pumola's back. Clambering up onto his shoulders, she laughed as she pounded on his head and face with her hands and feet. Before he could throw her loose, Eileen vaulted off of his shoulders with another kick to the back of his head. Watching her opponent stumble forward, Eileen taunted him and played to the crowd. "You'll never catch me!"
Loaded with adrenaline as the crowd cheered, Eileen ran towards Pumola and leapt at him with a double-footed kick to the chest. The crowd cheered even louder as Pumola made a show of brushing some dust off of his pecs, after Eileen bounced off of him. Frustrated, the teenager rushed Pumola again to leap onto his shoulders. The large fighter caught her more solidly than before, only letting one of her feet touch the ground before scooping her up into the air. Eileen was shocked to find herself utterly helpless, flailing her limbs madly as she was held over her opponent's head. Taking a few steps back as the teenager struggled, Pumola then threw her across the ring. Eileen bounced once and rolled over before finally coming to a rest near the opposite edge of the ring,
"Only one move...it was only one..." thought Eileen, using all her strength just to crawl to her hands and knees. Seeing a shadow fall over her, the teenager whirled around and drove an elbow into Pumola's gut. The larger fighter laughed, catching her arm followed by one of her legs as she tried to kick him in the face. He pulled her straight up off the floor, turning around once before dropping her into a backbreaker over his knee. Eileen screamed once before falling to the mat, rolling over a few times to get some distance as she writhed in pain.
She was still moaning as a hand grabbed her ankle and dragged her back into the center of the ring. Pumola lifted her back to her feet by the back of her neck, and then leaned down to wrap his arms around her chest. Eileen cried out as Pumola squeezed her in a standing bearhug, and beat at his head violently. Pumola squeezed harder, and then righted himself to lift his opponent off her feet as he continued to apply the hold. Eileen shook her head as she strained to breathe, and then howled as another tightening of the hold made one of her ribs crack. Pumola jerked her to one side, crushing Eileen's ribs as her smaller body thrashed in his grip.
The smaller fighter clawed at Pumola's shoulder, trying to pull herself free as she gasped for breath. "C-can't lose, not so quickly, not so--" Eileen's train of thought was cut off by the audible snap from inside her chest, and the rush of pain that filled her body. Her eyes and mouth were wide as her body quivered and curled. Pumola lowered her back to the ground, but only in order to shift the bearhug's pressure from her upper body to her lower body. His arms now firmly wrapped around her lower back, he pulled the teenager back off her feet. Eileen had completely given up as the bearhug began to wrench her aching spine, and threw her arms wide as she wailed in agony. Her legs kicked wildly as Pumola shook her up and down, grinding her vertebrae and bending her at the midriff. Eileen's head began to sag back, her eyes fluttering as her mouth hung open. Pumola continued bouncing her body in the bearhug as it grew limp, his opponent's struggles shifting into lifeless jiggles. Eileen made one final noise as her back popped, spasming and coughing up some spittle over her chin.
Pumola released the bearhug, letting Eileen drop to her knees before catching her head and holding her unconscious form upright. Taking hold of the back of her neck, the large fighter lifted Eileen off the mat and held her body up in victory. Her arms and legs dangled as Pumola waved her like a trophy. After a few moments, he let her go, and she immediately collapsed facedown on the mat. Eileen convulsed limply as Pumola walked back to the bench, otherwise motionless until she was dragged out of the ring. Waking up several hours later and barely able to breathe without pain, she would not underestimate an opponent again.
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It had been a difficult journey, but Eileen had finally made it onto the fighter's bench of one of Hong Kong's underground fighting tournaments. Held as a forerunner event to the annual Kumite, the mat rested in a dimly-lit basement, whose damaged lighting fixtures were all focused on those who did battle for the gambling audience.
"Soon I will meet you at the World Fighting Tournament, Pai Chan," thought Eileen. The teenager, trained by both her grandfather and her time with a Beijing opera troupe, would begin her career as a fighter to find and meet the martial artist whose grace and strength had inspired her. She attended the tournament dressed in a red sleeveless shirt and black capri pants, with yellow tassels tied around her wrists. Short-haired with her hands and feet bared, Eileen would have no distractions as she fought to win, for the first time.
"Into the ring! Eileen, and, Pumola!"
Hopping onto the mat, Eileen was filled with energy as she locked eyes with her opponent, a large man in a simple loincloth. She rolled forward, rising to leap once and land in a crouching position before she said, "Don't underestimate me!" Pumola blinked, and then began to laugh as he slapped his ample gut. Eileen smiled, ready to take the last laugh for herself.
"Fight!"
Eileen surveyed her opponent, wondering why he simply walked towards her with his arms down. She advanced, and then rolled back as Pumola suddenly grabbed at her. Moving forward again, Eileen leapt over another grapple attempt and landed on Pumola's shoulders. She sprang off of them, smacking the back of her opponent's head with a kick as she ended up behind him. He turned around and charged at Eileen, who once again dove over his large frame and scored another blow to his head. Rubbing his sore skull, Pumola winced as he turned to continue his simple attack plan.
Raising his arms to prevent an aerial dodge, the large fighter caught Eileen's shoulders in mid-jump. The teenager quickly understood where Pumola's strengths lay as she struggled to get free of his powerful grasp. A lucky knee to his gut gave her the chance to go to the ground and crawl between his legs. She rolled over and sprang up, and then jumped onto Pumola's back. Clambering up onto his shoulders, she laughed as she pounded on his head and face with her hands and feet. Before he could throw her loose, Eileen vaulted off of his shoulders with another kick to the back of his head. Watching her opponent stumble forward, Eileen taunted him and played to the crowd. "You'll never catch me!"
Loaded with adrenaline as the crowd cheered, Eileen ran towards Pumola and leapt at him with a double-footed kick to the chest. The crowd cheered even louder as Pumola made a show of brushing some dust off of his pecs, after Eileen bounced off of him. Frustrated, the teenager rushed Pumola again to leap onto his shoulders. The large fighter caught her more solidly than before, only letting one of her feet touch the ground before scooping her up into the air. Eileen was shocked to find herself utterly helpless, flailing her limbs madly as she was held over her opponent's head. Taking a few steps back as the teenager struggled, Pumola then threw her across the ring. Eileen bounced once and rolled over before finally coming to a rest near the opposite edge of the ring,
"Only one move...it was only one..." thought Eileen, using all her strength just to crawl to her hands and knees. Seeing a shadow fall over her, the teenager whirled around and drove an elbow into Pumola's gut. The larger fighter laughed, catching her arm followed by one of her legs as she tried to kick him in the face. He pulled her straight up off the floor, turning around once before dropping her into a backbreaker over his knee. Eileen screamed once before falling to the mat, rolling over a few times to get some distance as she writhed in pain.
She was still moaning as a hand grabbed her ankle and dragged her back into the center of the ring. Pumola lifted her back to her feet by the back of her neck, and then leaned down to wrap his arms around her chest. Eileen cried out as Pumola squeezed her in a standing bearhug, and beat at his head violently. Pumola squeezed harder, and then righted himself to lift his opponent off her feet as he continued to apply the hold. Eileen shook her head as she strained to breathe, and then howled as another tightening of the hold made one of her ribs crack. Pumola jerked her to one side, crushing Eileen's ribs as her smaller body thrashed in his grip.
The smaller fighter clawed at Pumola's shoulder, trying to pull herself free as she gasped for breath. "C-can't lose, not so quickly, not so--" Eileen's train of thought was cut off by the audible snap from inside her chest, and the rush of pain that filled her body. Her eyes and mouth were wide as her body quivered and curled. Pumola lowered her back to the ground, but only in order to shift the bearhug's pressure from her upper body to her lower body. His arms now firmly wrapped around her lower back, he pulled the teenager back off her feet. Eileen had completely given up as the bearhug began to wrench her aching spine, and threw her arms wide as she wailed in agony. Her legs kicked wildly as Pumola shook her up and down, grinding her vertebrae and bending her at the midriff. Eileen's head began to sag back, her eyes fluttering as her mouth hung open. Pumola continued bouncing her body in the bearhug as it grew limp, his opponent's struggles shifting into lifeless jiggles. Eileen made one final noise as her back popped, spasming and coughing up some spittle over her chin.
Pumola released the bearhug, letting Eileen drop to her knees before catching her head and holding her unconscious form upright. Taking hold of the back of her neck, the large fighter lifted Eileen off the mat and held her body up in victory. Her arms and legs dangled as Pumola waved her like a trophy. After a few moments, he let her go, and she immediately collapsed facedown on the mat. Eileen convulsed limply as Pumola walked back to the bench, otherwise motionless until she was dragged out of the ring. Waking up several hours later and barely able to breathe without pain, she would not underestimate an opponent again.
