By
Nikko Lee (Guest Blogger)
When
I started karate class at the age of sixteen, I was painfully shy,
overweight and by no means naturally coordinated. I fell in love with
the powerful punches and graceful kicks as much as the confident and
dedicated attitudes of the black belts.
Over
the next eighteen years, I was thrown in the sparring ring with
opponents who could run circles around me and weren’t afraid to hit
a girl; taught kids as young as three years old to pull their toes
back before they kicked; and found the courage and strength to be the
person I wanted to be regardless of what anyone else thought.
I
found good friends who shared the journey for a month or years. It
was where I met my first boyfriend. We used to joke that karate class
was the best dating service because so many of the students who stuck
around eventually found their short-term or long-term partners in the
dojo. There’s something about spending six out of seven days
working out, traveling and struggling together to be better that
forges a deep bond.
Training
in martial arts has taught me more about myself and others than any
other experience I’ve had - except maybe motherhood and distance
hiking. In the sparring ring or on the dojo floor, you can only run
so long from your opponent or yourself. It is the one place where it
is safe to make mistakes and getting back up again is the ultimate
achievement.
I’m
still shy at times, but I can step in front of a crowd and do my
best. I’m still not in the best shape, but I have the confidence of
knowing what my body can do if I push myself. And I can kick ass when
I need to.
Giveway!
Have
you taken a martial arts class before? Got a favorite martial arts
movie? Post a comment and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a
digital copy of Spar by Nikko Lee.
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Buy Links
Torquere
Amazon
All Romance
Add on Goodreads!
Blurb
As
a black belt, Tyler helps his students face their fears, but he has
yet to come to terms with his own bisexuality. When he finds a new
sparring partner in Jaime, an openly gay man struggling to find his
place in the dojo, Tyler is surprised at how right it feels to be
intertwined with him.
Determined
to put his partying days behind him, Jaime returns to martial arts
training and swears off one-night stands. He is finally ready to look
for something more when Tyler approaches him with a request - help
Tyler explore his new found sexuality. Their physical relationship
intensifies in secret. It isn’t long before their time together
becomes about something more than just sex.
Despite
their growing closeness, Tyler refuses to acknowledge their
relationship in public. Now Jaime must choose between returning to
his former lifestyle and falling in love with someone afraid to
embrace him in front of their friends. Tyler doesn’t want to lose
Jaime as a student, much less as a lover, but can he overcome his
fears and accept his new identity?
Excerpt
As
soon as they got their gear on, they bowed and faced off in the
center of the dojo. It didn’t take long for Jaime to get a little
more aggressive with his attacks. Tyler could see him trying some of
the moves they had learned in class that night. Unfortunately, his
distancing and timing were still off.
Tyler
used the opportunity to work on some kicking techniques.
The
first roundhouse kick caught Jaime off-guard and stopped just shy of
his head. He acknowledged the strike, and they returned to their
beginning position. Jaime was a quick study and, unlike other white
belts, knew when he was defeated without Tyler having to beat it into
him.
Tyler
should have known better than to try the same move twice in a row,
but he didn’t think Jaime was paying that much attention. As soon
as Tyler’s kick neared Jaime, he stepped in and caught Tyler’s
leg on his shoulder. With a quick sweep, Tyler was falling.
Instinctively, he grabbed the lapel of Jaime’s gi. If he was going
down, he sure as hell wasn’t going alone. His weight dropped back,
Tyler pulled Jaime over him. He weighed even less than Tyler thought.
With little effort, he launched Jaime as he hit the ground. At best, he would dive roll and end up several feet from Tyler. He’d have plenty of time to regain his feet.
Instead
of letting go as he rolled, Jaime pulled Tyler along with him. A
clumsy cartwheel landed him on his back with Jaime on top. Before
Tyler could push him off, Jaime pressed his forearm against Tyler’s
throat and cut off his airway. Jaime’s wide eyes watched Tyler with
such an intensity that Tyler wondered what he was expecting to see.
Whether he searched for anger, fear, or resentment, Jaime never
relented his hold.
The
first spike of panic hit when Jaime cut off Tyler’s airway. The
weight of Jaime’s body on Tyler’s chest burned into his muscles.
Tyler knew he wouldn’t black out for another thirty to forty
seconds. Plenty of time to find a weakness in Jaime’s hold. A shift
of his hips only served to bring Jaime’s face inches from Tyler’s.
Those brown eyes of his were filled with concern, but he sank into
the shift and increased the weight on Tyler’s throat.
By
the time Tyler realized he was completely helpless, his vision was
starting to close in. In the instant he tapped frantically against
Jaime’s back, the choke hold was released. Exhilaration and oxygen
flooded Tyler’s senses. There were few things as satisfying as
being soundly defeated by someone he knew in his gut would never hurt
him.
Air
rushed into Tyler’s lungs as soon as Jaime shifted. He settled
straddled across Tyler’s ribs, concern and triumph mixed in equal
parts in his eyes.
“Did
I go too far?” Jaime asked.
Sitting
on Tyler’s ribs, his weight was more a comfort than a burden. Every
breath that filled Tyler’s lungs lifted and settled him.
Tyler
shook his head, still trying to catch his breath and unable to look
away. A wicked grin crept over Jaime’s lips. He was so confident
and triumphant. It was beautiful. Tyler wiped that thought away as
soon as it occurred to him. Men weren’t supposed to find other men
beautiful. Strong, powerful, hell, even handsome. All could have
described Jaime in that moment, but only beautiful came to mind.
“You
know I like it rough.” Tyler choked the words as much from
embarrassment of his thoughts as the scratchy feeling in his throat.
A
crimson flush suffused Jaime’s cheeks, which he tried to hide by
looking away as he stood up.
“I
should probably get going,” Jaime muttered and avoided direct eye
contact.
“Yeah,
me too,” Tyler said as they bowed. “Jenny’s expecting me to
come over tonight.”
“Girlfriend?”
Tyler
nodded. “She doesn’t like it when I’m out too late.”
They
headed down to the changing room. When they got there Jaime moved to
grab his bag and leave.
“Didn’t
I tell you I’m immune to your charms?” Tyler said without looking
at him.
“Sempai?”
“I
don’t mind if you change in here.” Tyler undid his belt and took
off his gi top.
Jaime
stopped in the doorway, clutching his bag to his chest.
“Unless
you think you won’t be able to resist me.” A smile was all it
took. Jaime exhaled the breath sharply.
“I’ll
do my best, Sempai.”
There
were certain unwritten rules when guys got naked around other guys.
Rule number one was not making direct eye contact. Peripheral glances
were unavoidable, but the gaze should never linger more than a few
seconds. Tyler’s idiotic ego was almost disappointed when he looked
up to see Jaime focused on his bag as he changed. Whatever the
unwritten rules were for gay guys, they didn’t seem much different
than those for straight guys. Neither of them spoke as they changed.
Tyler was not sure what he was expecting, but Jaime didn’t behave
any differently than the other guys. It wasn’t that Tyler was
expecting Jaime to jump him; Jaime was too polite for that. Part of
him wondered if he just wasn’t Jaime’s type. Part of Tyler
chastised the other part of him for even thinking the thought.
“Can
I ask you a personal question?” Tyler said once they were both
changed and headed out the dojo.
“Sure,
Sempai.” Jaime spoke without hesitation.
“Out
of uniform, I’m just Tyler.”
Jaime
nodded, a relaxed smile on his lips. “Okay, Tyler. What do you want
to know?”
Tyler
hesitated. The more he worked with Jaime, the more Tyler was
convinced he belonged in the dojo. The problem was Jaime would have
to get over his nervousness around the other guys if he wanted to
hang around. His trepidation and hesitation only brought out their
aggression. Tyler doubted any of them would be openly hostile with
Jaime, but it was the little slights like being last to get a partner
or being excluded from the changing room comradeship that would wear
on Jaime. Eventually he would get discouraged and leave. Tyler
couldn’t force the other guys to like Jaime, but he could make sure
Jaime didn’t back down from them.
Tyler
was confident that, if he stood his ground and demanded equal
treatment, the other guys would have to respect him. If not, it
wouldn’t be long before Jaime could handle anyone of them in a
sparring match. As hardheaded as Steve could be, he had to respect
skill.
“Why
do you have such a hard time working with the guys in class?” As
soon as Tyler spoke the words, Jaime’s smile faded. “You have no
problem sparring with me.”
Jaime
shrugged. “I guess you don’t seem to have a problem with the fact
that I’m gay.”
His
voice trailed off before he finished the thought.
“Sensei
Melissa would never let anyone get away with bullying you.” Tyler
wanted to reassure Jaime, but he wasn’t sure how.
“I
don’t want to make trouble for anyone.” Jaime’s eyes drifted
back to the dojo. The sadness in them spoke of more distant and
painful memories.
“Sometime
trouble is worth making,” Tyler replied and put his hand on Jaime’s
shoulder. “It tests character and reveals strength.”
“Thank
you, Sempai.”
“Tyler.”
“Tyler.”
The
way Jaime smiled softly as he said Tyler’s name elicited an
uneasiness in him. Tyler pulled his hand away. The heat contact still
burned the palm of his hand.
“I’d
better get going. Jenny’s going to be pissed as it is.” Tyler
said quickly. “See you next class.”
Also
available by Nikko Lee
Wolf
Creek
Life
as an omega werewolf is no fairy tale.
Bio
Nikko
Lee is a scientific curator by day who enjoys writing genre fiction
from erotica to horror in her spare time. Born in Canada, she moved
to Maine after completing a PhD in Zoology and her post-doctoral
training. She resides near Bar Harbor with her husband, daughter, two
cats and malamute. She blogs about hiking, writing and science at
www.nikkolee.com.
Links
