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ysabetwordsmithThis story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Hairpins," "Blended," "Am I Not," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys,""Saudades," "Querencia," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," "Hide and Seek," "Kernel Error," "Happy Hour," "Green Eggs and Hulk," and "kintsukuroi."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Nick Fury
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Minor character death. Bullying. Fighting. Suicide attempt (minor character).
Summary: This is the story of how a little boy named Flip grows up to save the world a lot.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. Accidents. Emotional whump. Disability. Sibling relationship. Nonsexual love. Parentification. Manipulation. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Protection. Caregiving. Competence. Toys and games. Comic books. Fixing things. Martial arts. Gentleness. Trust. Role models. Military. BAMF Phil Coulson.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16. Skip to Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22.
Note: This is the chapter where the name changes from Flip to Phil. There's a time jump, so don't get lost.
"Little and Broken, but Still Good" Part 17
When Phil is twelve, he earns his black belt in karate. He is still short and slight, but now he has wiry muscle over his bones. He can practice for hours without getting tired. He can do the blocks and the throws. He can break boards with his fists or his feet. The younger students look up to Phil, partly for his skill but also because he's always careful with them in sparring. Sensei Takenaka is first dan too, and that makes them equals in rank. Phil doesn't quite know how to feel about that.
"There is nothing more I can teach you," Sensei Takenaka says as he hands Phil the coveted belt. "I am quite adequate for a small-town dojo, but you have true talent."
"What good is that if I don't have a teacher?" Phil says sadly. He likes Sensei Takenaka and doesn't want to lose him. There aren't a lot of people whom Phil can look up to like that, at least not face to face. Captain America is a great role model but he isn't here.
"You deserve a chance to develop your skills to their full potential, whether you stay with karate or start exploring other martial arts," says Sensei Takenaka. "I am going to introduce you to my own Master. You will have to drive an hour for lessons, but I promise it will be worthwhile -- if he accepts you."
"Thank you, Sensei," says Phil. The opportunity makes him feel fizzy and strange inside. "I will need to ask my mother, but I'm definitely interested."
"I look forward to hearing more," says Sensei Takenaka.
That night when Mom picks up Phil from karate, he shows her his new black belt. "I earned this tonight. Sensei Takenaka says I need a new teacher, though, and he's recommending me to someone. Please can I go?"
"You may go," Mom says. "I'm really proud of you, Phil. You've worked so hard on learning karate. I'm glad that you've found something that you enjoy and do well."
The praise makes Phil glow inside. "Thanks, Mom."
A week later, Sensei Takenaka drives Phil to the meeting. They spend an hour in the car talking about martial arts and philosophy. Phil, who is currently reading Bruce Lee's Fighting Method Volume 4: Advanced Techniques, admits to being torn between the subtle moves like finger jabs or feints and the powerful spinning kicks. Sensei Takenaka hums quietly at that and recommends that Phil pay particular attention to the section on mechanical vs. intelligent fighters.
To Phil's surprise, Sensei White is not Japanese, but American by way of what looks like an ancestral tour of Europe. His short hair is mostly gray, his wrinkled skin a fascinating shade of olive. He is tiny and ancient and still throws people around like they're paper cups.
Phil is a brand-new Shodan. He knows his body and his art. He understands that he can't hope to win against a Jyudan, a master of the tenth degree, but that isn't the point of this exercise. The point is to let the master gauge his potential as a student. Phil feels confident that he can at least hold his own long enough to honor Sensei Takenaka's teaching.
Sensei White hands him his ass in under a minute.
* * *
Notes:
Karate advancement depends on student talent and dedication, and is marked with colored belts.
Sparring is important in martial arts and other combat sports. Gentleness is both a virtue and a mark of skill. Karate regulations reduce the potential for injury, but still rely on responsible combatants. Boxing gives examples of why to limit high-impact sparring. There are tips on how to be a good sparring partner. This is an early glimpse of the control that will make Phil such a BAMF later.
Talent is an issue in martial arts because people ask which matters more, innate talent or dedicated practice. The fact is, talent without dedication will get you one or two ranks before you give up and quit. Dedication without talent will get you a very respectable level of skill; Sensei Takenaka is just an ordinary guy with a great knack for teaching who happens to love karate. He's that good because he works hard at it. The people at the top of the field have both talent and dedication, like Phil. It's important to know how to discover and build talents.
Bruce Lee was a famous martial artist who founded the school of Jeet Kune Do. He wrote many books including Bruce Lee's Fighting Method Volume 4: Advanced Techniques.
[To be continued in Part 18 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Nick Fury
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Minor character death. Bullying. Fighting. Suicide attempt (minor character).
Summary: This is the story of how a little boy named Flip grows up to save the world a lot.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. Accidents. Emotional whump. Disability. Sibling relationship. Nonsexual love. Parentification. Manipulation. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Protection. Caregiving. Competence. Toys and games. Comic books. Fixing things. Martial arts. Gentleness. Trust. Role models. Military. BAMF Phil Coulson.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16. Skip to Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22.
Note: This is the chapter where the name changes from Flip to Phil. There's a time jump, so don't get lost.
"Little and Broken, but Still Good" Part 17
When Phil is twelve, he earns his black belt in karate. He is still short and slight, but now he has wiry muscle over his bones. He can practice for hours without getting tired. He can do the blocks and the throws. He can break boards with his fists or his feet. The younger students look up to Phil, partly for his skill but also because he's always careful with them in sparring. Sensei Takenaka is first dan too, and that makes them equals in rank. Phil doesn't quite know how to feel about that.
"There is nothing more I can teach you," Sensei Takenaka says as he hands Phil the coveted belt. "I am quite adequate for a small-town dojo, but you have true talent."
"What good is that if I don't have a teacher?" Phil says sadly. He likes Sensei Takenaka and doesn't want to lose him. There aren't a lot of people whom Phil can look up to like that, at least not face to face. Captain America is a great role model but he isn't here.
"You deserve a chance to develop your skills to their full potential, whether you stay with karate or start exploring other martial arts," says Sensei Takenaka. "I am going to introduce you to my own Master. You will have to drive an hour for lessons, but I promise it will be worthwhile -- if he accepts you."
"Thank you, Sensei," says Phil. The opportunity makes him feel fizzy and strange inside. "I will need to ask my mother, but I'm definitely interested."
"I look forward to hearing more," says Sensei Takenaka.
That night when Mom picks up Phil from karate, he shows her his new black belt. "I earned this tonight. Sensei Takenaka says I need a new teacher, though, and he's recommending me to someone. Please can I go?"
"You may go," Mom says. "I'm really proud of you, Phil. You've worked so hard on learning karate. I'm glad that you've found something that you enjoy and do well."
The praise makes Phil glow inside. "Thanks, Mom."
A week later, Sensei Takenaka drives Phil to the meeting. They spend an hour in the car talking about martial arts and philosophy. Phil, who is currently reading Bruce Lee's Fighting Method Volume 4: Advanced Techniques, admits to being torn between the subtle moves like finger jabs or feints and the powerful spinning kicks. Sensei Takenaka hums quietly at that and recommends that Phil pay particular attention to the section on mechanical vs. intelligent fighters.
To Phil's surprise, Sensei White is not Japanese, but American by way of what looks like an ancestral tour of Europe. His short hair is mostly gray, his wrinkled skin a fascinating shade of olive. He is tiny and ancient and still throws people around like they're paper cups.
Phil is a brand-new Shodan. He knows his body and his art. He understands that he can't hope to win against a Jyudan, a master of the tenth degree, but that isn't the point of this exercise. The point is to let the master gauge his potential as a student. Phil feels confident that he can at least hold his own long enough to honor Sensei Takenaka's teaching.
Sensei White hands him his ass in under a minute.
* * *
Notes:
Karate advancement depends on student talent and dedication, and is marked with colored belts.
Sparring is important in martial arts and other combat sports. Gentleness is both a virtue and a mark of skill. Karate regulations reduce the potential for injury, but still rely on responsible combatants. Boxing gives examples of why to limit high-impact sparring. There are tips on how to be a good sparring partner. This is an early glimpse of the control that will make Phil such a BAMF later.
Talent is an issue in martial arts because people ask which matters more, innate talent or dedicated practice. The fact is, talent without dedication will get you one or two ranks before you give up and quit. Dedication without talent will get you a very respectable level of skill; Sensei Takenaka is just an ordinary guy with a great knack for teaching who happens to love karate. He's that good because he works hard at it. The people at the top of the field have both talent and dedication, like Phil. It's important to know how to discover and build talents.
Bruce Lee was a famous martial artist who founded the school of Jeet Kune Do. He wrote many books including Bruce Lee's Fighting Method Volume 4: Advanced Techniques.
[To be continued in Part 18 ...]
From: The Tadpole
Date: 2014-07-07 06:42 am (UTC)Re: From: The Tadpole
Date: 2014-07-07 06:46 am (UTC)Re: From: The Tadpole
Date: 2014-07-07 06:56 am (UTC)Re: From: The Tadpole
Date: 2014-07-07 07:07 am (UTC)Re: From: The Tadpole
Date: 2014-07-07 08:23 am (UTC)Re: From: The Tadpole
Date: 2014-07-07 08:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-07 11:49 am (UTC)I'm so proud of Phil. I bet not many people make it this far by twelve.
Thoughts
Date: 2014-07-09 06:45 am (UTC)It's a nuisance, but it's not impossible. I did that for two years of high school and four years of college, every weekday. It sucked.
>> Or will Sensei Takenana take him every time? <<
I'm sure he would if it's necessary. You don't find a student that good very often. They're worth the extra effort.
>> I'm so proud of Phil. I bet not many people make it this far by twelve. <<
Sooth. I mapped his development along the lines of the fastest examples in the descriptive resources. There are people who do that well, but not a lot. Starting young isn't as rare, though. Many dojos have a tiny tots class.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2019-06-02 05:54 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2019-06-02 06:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-07 02:19 pm (UTC)Hooray for Phil being a young shodan who isn't totally full of himself.
*laugh*
Date: 2014-07-09 06:47 am (UTC)That helps a lot when Phil is dealing with the Avengers later. He could cope with getting emotionally flattened by meeting Steve, and pick himself back up again, because he's had practice.
Re: *laugh*
Date: 2014-07-09 06:58 pm (UTC)Hm, you write martial arts quite well. Do you practice, yourself?
Re: *laugh*
Date: 2014-07-10 08:55 am (UTC)Yes, he is.
*ponder* Some of the other Avengers are good at that too. Tony, Bruce, Clint, and Steve can all do it in some regards.
Thor on the other hand can barely manage to apply his main skills in their primary function but a different setting. He is so lost without Loki.
>> I wish more people in my life could do that so well. <<
Agreed.
>> Hm, you write martial arts quite well. Do you practice, yourself? <<
That depends on your perspective. I don't make a practice of it in this life. I do have some ulterior familiarity. I've had some workshops and such. I've done quite a bit of reading, and when I'm writing about something like this, I do the necessary research to get it as right as I can.
I definitely practice the art of "absorb what is useful."
Burst out laughing-
Date: 2014-07-08 12:18 am (UTC)Getting to the lessons and back may pose a deliberate challenge-- one way to see /how/ serious Phil is, now that's he is on the verge of the high school years and right about the age when kids in our neighborhood are still encouraged to go door-to-door looking for odd jobs as a step toward building a work ethic and earning pocket money.
Really, really great.
(And I burst out laughing /each/ time I read the last line. I can totally picture young-Coulson's expression!)
Thanks for continuing this!
Re: Burst out laughing-
Date: 2014-07-09 07:27 am (UTC)Yay! I'm glad you found this so moving.
>> It just /resonated/ in ways that surprised me, as I have little experience with martial arts and wasn't expecting the details to be so /engrossing/. <<
When I write, I try to do two contrary things: to give readers an experience of something new, and to connect it with things they already know so it will make sense to them. The little details of martial arts are new and interesting to most people. But the experience of not performing as well as you expected you could is pretty much universal.
>> Getting to the lessons and back may pose a deliberate challenge-- one way to see /how/ serious Phil is, <<
There's an element of truth in this. Most people wouldn't put forth that extra effort for a casual interest. Me, I spent six years driving an hour each way for high school and college. I hated that part. But it was the only way to get what I needed, so I did it.
When you're better than average, just any old class won't suffice. Sometimes you have to go the extra distance for a teacher who can handle your level.
>> now that's he is on the verge of the high school years and right about the age when kids in our neighborhood are still encouraged to go door-to-door looking for odd jobs as a step toward building a work ethic and earning pocket money. <<
That's actually something I want to pick up with Stan and Lawrence over in Polychrome Heroics.
>> Really, really great. <<
Thanks!
>> (And I burst out laughing /each/ time I read the last line. I can totally picture young-Coulson's expression!) <<
Hee! Yeah, he was stunned senseless. And just wait until you read the next episode.
>> Thanks for continuing this! <<
You're welcome.