San Fernando Valley: The Fall Of Cobra Kai Karate

Tory recovered from a few hits from Sam and attacked again with a crescent kick that Sam dodged and then she dodged her follow up kick, grabbed her leg, turned her leg and threw her aside before kicking Tory in the back. Tory stumbled forward and bumped into the stairs railing. She slapped her palm against it and attacked again with a series of revolving kicks that Sam ducked and dodged until Tory went down for a sweep kick at her leg that Sam leaped over. Tory got back up but she was nailed with a quick snap front kick from Sam that knocked her back down again. Enraged, Tory quickly got up to his feet and she attacked again. She leaped in the air and kicked at Sam's head but she blocked it, then she blocked the following kick to her mid-section and grabbed Tory's leg, stepped in, grabbed Tory's face, kicked out her leg and threw her to the floor! Sam quickly nailed Tory in the face before backing away and putting some distance between them. Tory rubbed her face but quickly got back up again and went on the attack against Sam. She went for a left foot jab that Sam shut down, then she deflected her jab aside, followed by deflecting her straight right, blocked her right hook kick and the follow up left foot jab, deflected her punches, dodged her kick, avoided her punches, dodged her crescent kick and then she caught her spinning crescent kick only for Tory to bring her other foot around and catch Sam in the face. She stumbled away and wiped her mouth while Tory dropped to the floor and scrambled back to her feet. Tory flared her hands and feet again and pressed the attack. They exchanged blows but once again Sam focused on her defensive moves to fend off Tory's enraged attacks until Tory slipped up and she dodged to the side and kicked her in the stomach. Tory recovered and attacked with a spinning back fist but Sam dodged it, grabbed Tory and flipped her to the floor and quickly nailed her with a few hits and then put distance between them again. Tory jumped back to her feet again but Sam kicked her feet again and threw her down all over again and hit her again.



"Dammit!" Tory swore out loud and rolled away and started getting back to her feet again only for Sam to close in, shut down her punches, grab her face and kicked her feet out from her and brought Tory down and hit her again. Tory grabbed her face and looked up at Sam in rage. Sam meanwhile simply kept her defense up. Tory managed to get up again and attacked her with a spinning jump kick and brought her other leg around but Sam just dodged her and kicked Tory's feet out from under her while she was landing and off guard. Tory hit the floor hard but sprung back up and attacked her with another combination and Sam simply backed away while maintaining her defenses, blocking, slipping and deflecting Tory's attacks, until she found an opening and she nailed her with two quick punches and then nailed her with a few quick front kicks.



Sam wasn't as strong as Tory but she was smarter. Cobra Kai's flaw, as Daniel had explained, was their blind aggression. Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy, was meant to overwhelm their enemy with a wild offensive and giving into their anger and directing it at their opponent. A constant onslaught, having no rhyme or reason, often in folly. It was good for most fights but against someone with a brain and defensive skills, like Miyagi-Do, they could shut it down and wear the Cobras down until they made mistakes and were punished for it. The longer this went on, the angrier they got, they sloppier they got, the more they left themselves open for counterattacks. All Sam had to do was focus on maintaining her defense and let Tory defeat herself.



Tory meanwhile was going all out on her assault. Sam blocked her roundhouse kick, blocked her low, middle and face punch, side stepped a front kick, dodged a roundhouse kick, dodged her back kick, deflected her punches, dodged a kick, evaded a jumping snap kick, dodged a series of spinning kicks and then deflected and dodged around her punches, ducked a spinning back fist, grabbed Tory, swung her around and threw her towards the lockers followed by a jump kick to her back that sent her crashing into them. Tory collided with the lockers face first and dropped to the floor moaning in pain.



"Come on, Tory, even you should be able to see the writing on the wall here. Give up and stay down." Sam advised her.



"N-no...no! No! No!" Tory repeated while she sat up gasping in pain and sweating bullets. "No. Not...done...yet."



"You're deluding yourself at this point. Give up."



Tory shook her head and her vision cleared. She tried to get up but fell against the locker again. She managed to stop herself and her hand slid down...and she noticed something. The lock was hanging loosely. She wasn't out of this fight yet. Tory caught her breath and recovered while slipping the lock out and surrounding it with fire. "I ain't done yet...Larusso. I'm not done...but you are!" She stood back up and flung the lock at her like a fastball! Sam barely had time to dodge it and it flew past her and across the school lobby right towards a couple of students who'd been watching the fight from a distance!



"NO!" Sam cried out and tried to go after it but it was too far away already! She wasn't going to make it! The kids could only stare at the metal fireball hurtling towards them! There was no time to dodge! That was until a tall girl leaped into action from out of nowhere and swiped her hand through the air and caught the burning lock! Sam didn't recognize her but she was tall. Taller than her or Tory for sure and she certainly had a muscular build. Whoever she was she certainly looked like she worked out. She had dark hair and the most piercing Hazel eyes with a penetrating stare that looked into and through you! As if she was staring into your soul. The girl raised her hand up and then she opened it back up. To Sam's shock her hand was not only unharmed but it was, in fact, crackling with electric sparks that now surrounded her palm and the lock! She smirked and dropped the locker master padlock onto the floor.



"Wh-wha? Huh? Hey, who are you?" Sam asked.



The girl said nothing but pointed behind her.



Sam's eyes widened and she turned around to attack Tory but instead she was caught by a scissor-leg takedown that brought her to the floor! Sam hit the floor hard and Tory seized the chance to get on her back and wrap one arm around Sam's neck and then grab it with her other hand. She smirked and rolled over onto her back while still tightening her grip on Sam's throat. "Got you now, Larusso."



Sam gasped for breath and struggled against Tory's grasp. "Tor-Tory...Tory...you...threat....innocen...people."



"This isn't a tournament, Larusso, I'll fight however I like! NO MERCY!"



Enraged, Sam began violently struggling and thrashing the best she could against Tory's grasp until she was able to get a hand on Tory's and violently pulled on her two fingers while kicking at her legs and knees. The end result forced Tory to let up and release Sam who rolled away and raised a chilled hand to her throat while gasping for breath. She rubbed her neck and sucked in oxygen through her mouth and nose while continuing to back away from Tory. Tory recovered first however and attacked Sam with a flying kick that she desperately blocked but she was off balance and she wasn't able to withstand all of the force of the kick and she stumbled away while Tory's kicking attacks continued and she kicked Tory's side and leg and stomach before stepping in and delivering a punching combination to her that sent Sam sprawling and crashing to the floor. She hit the floor hard but she managed to roll out of the way and get up on one knee and block and grab her leg and twist it and throw her to the floor but then Tory kicked her with her other leg in the chest and Sam fell back and then they both got back up to their feet, both gasping for breath. Tory attacked her again with a series of punches and kicks that Sam fended off. The two of them exchanged blows back and forth in the middle of the lobby before Sam suddenly stepped in and grabbed her arm and began delivering brutal hard punches to Tory's ribs! Tory took a hard beating but managed to kick Sam away. Sam stumbled away and then the two of them turned to face off against each other one last time.



The two of them took a brief break to catch their breath until Tory ran at her head on with a wild punch but Sam braced herself for the attack unleashed the Miyagi-Do Drum Technique on Tory.



The drum technique is not just a lesson, but also the secret to Miyagi-Do Karate. The basis, is based off a principal for defense, as stated by Miyagi: "Best way to avoid punch. No be there."



First thing's first, you need a Den-Den Daiko or Japanese Pellet Drum. Play around with it for a few minutes to get an understanding of it. Then go with your teacher to a location where there are ropes with hooks on it. In the case of Daniel and Miyagi's lesson, they travelled to Sato's Cannery in Okinawa. You stand in the designated spot, and wait for your teacher to drop the rope against you. Then once your teacher let's go, you twist your body either left or right, while raising the following hand up. It should be in a manner similar to the pellets striking the drum. If done right, that hook would hit the wall, not you. It is also possible to work a counter-punch into the technique, which Daniel incorporated. Once mastered, the student is ready for the next lesson.

The “Drum Technique” is really about hip and body movement; what you do with your arms and legs may change, but the base of the technique is getting the center line of your body out of the way of a committed attack. In this case, with Tory over committing to her punch, Sam's hips moved her upper torso out of the way, and in that same movement, she used the momentum for power in her counter punch and cracked Tory across the face.



Tory's head jerked to the side and spittle flew out of her mouth. She turned to the side but recovered and tried to attack again but Sam deflected it aside again and punched her again. Then she repeated this. From right to left and back again while advancing on Tory. Beating her right and left and left and right with her power packed iced up punches. Once she finally finished her beatdown she turned around and kicked Tory in the stomach to finish her combination and sent Tory crashing against the lockers again.



Sam put distance between them again and she took a breather to balance and steady her breathing. As the two of them both recovered from the toll the fight had taken on both of them, Sam began to focus her Ice Ki around her legs in a swirling misty wind. Sam finally managed to recover and she raised her hands to the ceiling and she began to slowly lower them while lowering her hands downwards with her fingers spread out and then she raised her arms back up again while raising her hands up and then repeating this behavior. Flapping her arms like the wings of a majestic bird. Flapping her arms like the wings of a Crane. Finally centered and focused Sam raised her arms and held them up straight while raising one leg and balancing on the other.



The Crane Kick is one of Miyagi-Do's well known techniques. To learn it, you must first find a stump to stand on. Said stump must be narrow in diameter so that you can only stand on it with one leg. You raise one leg up while raising your arms, imitating the form of a crane or a flamingo with spread wings. You flap your arms down and jump up raising your lowered leg into a front kick, while your raised leg falls and lands on the stump. If you can do this without falling, you have mastered the lesson.



Either due to being too injured or too angry or some combination of the two, Tory was too unfocused to see the trap waiting for her and she charged head-on one final time screaming in rage. Right into Sam's jumping Miyagi-Do Crane Kick. Tory got a face full of an Ice Cold Crane Kick and her head jerked back and she was thrown backwards off of her feet and back to the lockers. She hit them and dropped to the ground. The blast of arctic wind washed over and snuffed out her flames and chilled the air around the two of them complete with little bits of ice forming around Tory's clothes and chilling and damping them.

Sam landed back on her foot and clasped her hands in prayer while Tory sobbed in pain.



Sam walked over to her and waited for Tory to lower her hands from her face and look up at her. Shivering and shuddering helplessly. Sam knelt down, grabbed her cold shirt and pulled Tory up to her.



"Cobra Kai." Sam growled and began raising up her arm. "We do not train to be merciful here, right?! Mercy is for the weak, right?!"



"S-Sam..."



"Here, in the streets, in competition: A man confronts you, he is the enemy, isn't' that right?!"



"S-Sam....Sam wait!" Tory's lips trembled.



"An enemy deserves no mercy." Sam snarled in a low, dark, guttural, angry tone of voice and raised her fist up. "Live Or Die, Tory?!"



"S-Sam...p-please...I-I'm...I'm sorry...Sam...Sam wait!"



"HIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAAHHHH!"



"MERCY!" Tory screamed out and shut her eyes as Sam struck forward only to stop in front of her face and gently lowered Tory down to the floor.



Tory's eyes opened up to see Sam looking down on her with a wry smile on her face. "Couldn't agree more." She gently reached out and gently squeezed her nose. "HONK!" Sam let her go and Tory collapsed in tears. She had been completely defeated: Physically, Emotionally and Morally.



Sam rested against the locker covered in sweat and gasping for breath. (Just hold on Robby. Hold on Miguel. I'm coming. I just...I just need a break.)

Robby backed away from Miguel while defending against his attacks, iciing up his forearms to defend against Miguel's blazing kicks. Miguel attacked him with a series of revolving kicks that Robby defended and then he went for a front kick with his right leg that Robby shut down so Miguel went for a roundhouse kick with his left leg that Robby dodged. Miguel turned and went in for a side thrust kick that Robby dodged and he backed against a wall. Miguel kept coming at him though and attacked him with a few quick punches that Robby blocked and then he got out of the way of Miguel's punches and kicked his back which caused him to smack against the wall. Undeterred, Miguel went for a back kick that Robby dodged.



"What's wrong, Diaz? Not so easy without your canary around?" Robby taunted.



"His name is Hawk and I don't need his help to kick your pansy ass!" Miguel fired back and continued his assault. "Keep running, Reject, it's all you're good for anyway!" He stepped in with a series of quick left jabs that Robby deflected and then he added in a right punch that Robby deflected and then Miguel turned and kicked at him which Robby dodged only for Miguel to bring his leg back around and catch him in the chest! Robby recoiled from the kick and Miguel pressed the attack to nail Robby with a few quick hard kicks and punches and he crashed to the floor but he rolled with the fall and he quickly started getting up to his feet when he noticed Miguel rushing towards him and aiming a kick at his shoulder only for Robby's hand to snap up and grab his ankle. After a brief struggle between them Miguel brought his other leg around to kick Robby but he let go and fell back causing Miguel to miss Robby completely and leave his back wide open to a kick from Robby that sent him backwards and Miguel crashed to the floor. Robby got back up to his feet and put some distance between himself and Miguel while he was recovering. Once Miguel got his bearings and got back up to his feet he noticed Robby was standing by the stairs and motioning for him to come at him.



Shouting in rage, Miguel rushed him down and quickly closed the distance between the two of them and he attacked Miguel with a spinning jump kick that Robby ducked under and then Miguel brought his other leg around and kicked at him again and Robby dodged that and kicked him in the back and made him stumble away but Miguel recovered and attacked him again as Robby jumped over the railing onto the other side to dodge his attack and then he caught Miguel in the face with a quick punch. Miguel took the punch and turned his head but he recovered and he began running up the stairs neck-and-neck with Robby who was doing the same!



As they quickly climbed the stairs to a landing though Robby slowed himself down on purpose so Miguel could get ahead and then he jumped over the railing to attack him again while Miguel was landing on his feet and Miguel fell onto his back! He slammed down on the floor Robby jumped on him and grabbed Miguel's shirt and started punching him in the face!



"THIS IS FOR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SAM!" Robby shouted as he began laying into Miguel with his punches as the Cobra Kai Student did his best to defend himself against Robby's punches. He took several hard punches to the face before he was able to start fending them off with his forearm blocks and then he grabbed his wrist and Robby and pulled him down and headbutted him again, punched him and threw him aside against the wall next to him.



Miguel spat on the floor. "I WOULD NEVER DO THAT!" He shouted in rage.



Robby kicked him in response and Miguel fell back again and they both struggled to get back up to their feet. Robby got up first and tackled Miguel, grabbed him and threw him against the wall this time! "THEN WHY'D IT HAPPEN?!"



Miguel kicked him again and then he turned around and backhanded him across the face and Robby fell to the stairs. Miguel wiped his mouth. "She kissed me! I kissed her back! What do you expect, Reject?!" Miguel snapped at him. Robby groaned and grabbed onto the railing to pull himself back up. Miguel seized his chance and kicked him in the back and he crashed to the stairs again and then he rolled over on his back and kicked up his foot and caught Miguel in the stomach as he was leaping over to attack him and Miguel fell back. Robby got back up again and climbed the stairs and tried to catch his breath.



There was only a momentary pause in the action though before Miguel recovered and attacked him again. They exchanged blows and traded hits against each other while they continued to climb the stairs while in pitched combat. Ultimately though Miguel was able to get through Robby's guard and he began landing hits against him while Robby turtled up and backed away from Miguel and did his best to protect himself.



"She doesn't love you! She loves me!" Miguel snarled at him. At that moment though Robby lunged forward and grabbed him and swung him around and kicked him into the trophy case with a scream of rage! Miguel fell against the trophy case and broke through the safety glass and fell against the shelves causing a number of the trophies to fall to the floor with him.



Miguel groaned in pain and writhed on the ground while Robby yelled at him. "Come on! Come on! Get up! Get up Cheater! You're no Champion! Get up! Come on! Get up, Rhea! Get up, Snake! Come on! Come on get up! Come on, chicken! Get up! Lets go!"



Miguel gritted his teeth and got up to his feet while grabbing a trophy. Robby ran over to attack him only for Miguel to turn around and hit him across the face with the trophy and kick him in the stomach and lay into him with a combination that sent Robby sprawling backwards!