Chapter Eleven
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Chapter Eleven: The Steps to the All Valley
…
Daniel respectfully protested against the rule change and the reinclusion of Cobra Kai into the All Valley as Lucas stood outside the council chamber.
Kreese walked outside, looking at Lucas up and down for a moment.
The teen ignored him and Kreese almost left before he said something.
"You have a moment?"
"I got nothin' to say to you." Lucas shrugged.
Kreese shook his head. "That wouldn't be true if you drove here to try to get the dojo reinstated."
"I did it so I could find a safer way to resolve all the nonsense with said dojo." Lucas waved a hand towards his bruised face.
Kreese chuckled, shaking his head. "You're so much like your mother. Ali was just the same way, prideful, stubborn, and never gave up."
"Don't talk about my mom."
Kreese sighed, looking aside. "This needs to be said, son. With the All Valley becoming bigger and better than ever for the upcoming fiftieth anniversary next May. I have to know. Is Miyagi-Do really your best choice?"
"Beyond any shadow of a doubt."
"Really?" said Kreese. "I get your family has rooted for Miyagi-Do all the back since the 80s."
Lucas frowned, meeting Kreese's aged, calm, and dark eyes. "But I know you Lucas. You're not a tranquil, meditative, defensive person. You're competitive, driven, strong, fierce."
Kreese squinted at Lucas slightly. "You're the kind of person who's held back by tradition and the kind of karate Miyagi wanted. Before this escalates to a point where the rest of your highschool life is altered forever. I need you to know, there will always be a place for you at Cobra Kai."
Lucas scoffed. "I'm pretty sure fighting over half a dozen people I know from West Valley High would've already changed that. Why would I ever join them?"
"We can go back to the way we started this." Kreese gestured towards posters of photographs taken of Daniel and Johnny's 1980s title bout. "That? Is history. You're the future kid. You and Diaz, Robby Keene, as well as any friends you have with genuine fighting skills."
"Miguel Diaz? You know he hates my guts right?"
Kreese shrugged. "You're boys now. But I can help turn you into men, in just a couple years. With Johnny onboard, you, his son, and Miguel Diaz could become the ultimate team. We could spend the next few years becoming the karate team we always needed, bringing home all sorts of awards. We don't need a full class, just the right students."
Lucas frowned. "Quantity, is always beaten by quality." said Kreese.
Kreese placed a hand on Lucas' shoulder. "I can kick everyone who attacked you at the arcade off the team. We can start over, and within a couple years. Your mentorship with LaRusso will be nothing but a bad memory, and you'll be a karate champion everyone knows everywhere."
"And that's something I know you want." said Kreese. "It's what you asked me for last summer. And I'm giving you a second chance, something we both know I almost never give."
There was silence for a moment, as if Lucas seemed to be genuinely considering the offer.
Lucas quietly pushed off Kreese's hand. "No."
"No?"
"Absolutely no way. You were so mad that I betrayed your trust, you enabled Miguel's pettiness by sending his friends after me."
Kreese shrugged. "I had nothing to do with that."
"Right." Lucas laughed a bit. "Any good Sensei- No. Any sane individual would instantly kick their students out of their dojo if they tried to use their karate to beat someone up. And where are Rickenberger and the others now?"
"You're not one to talk about starting fights. You've done it yourself." said Kreese.
"Beating up Kyler was messed up, I'm past all that now. I helped bring back your dojo to competition so we could fight properly with rules. Not in the streets. It's the deal you worked out before."
"So. Your drive to fight, to excel. You're going to let LaRusso hold you back?"
"I'd rather do nothing but kata for the rest of my life than spend one more second being your student, and letting your lies and your abuse threaten anyone ever again. After I beat Miguel at the All Valley, I want him to stop bothering me for good. Otherwise I'll talk to the board, and I'll try everything I can to make sure you never compete anywhere ever again."
Lucas crossed his arms. "Now get out of here."
Kreese smiled widely, chuckling, nodding and giving him a toothy grin. "For someone past all this pettiness. You really do want to go out of your way to show me just how little you care about me."
"When you have your chance, ask your grandfather how little he cares too. And his bailouts and deals. Then I'm sure you'll want to train with me again in no time."
Lucas ignored him as Kreese walked past, not even looking at him a little.
Then, he walked in the other direction as soon as Daniel exited a nearby corridor, having listened to most of the conversation.
…
Lucas was on his desktop in his bedroom, trying to find WKF and USA karate affiliated dojos in Southern California. There were so many to choose from he was having trouble picking one.
He found a webpage for a Goju-Ryu style dojo in Santa Clarita, called Garcia Karate Academy.
Lucas was genuinely interested for a moment, looking up videos of their students doing both forms and sparring before the doorbell rang.
Donnie Junior was barking loudly for a few moments before Lucas opened the sliding glass door to his backyard.
"Outside boy."
The golden retriever panted, smiling and sitting as his tail wagged looking through the glass panel.
Lucas answered the door and wasn't surprised to see Daniel there.
"Hey Mr. LaRusso."
"I saw you talk to Kreese."
Lucas nodded a little bit. "Yeah um. About the tournament." he cleared his throat. "You don't have to be my instructor for it."
Daniel was shocked. "What?"
"I can handle Kreese and his maniacs on my own. Dragging you and Sam into this, it, it isn't right. I started this Mr. LaRusso. It's only right that I be the one to finish it."
"Lucas." Daniel said exhaustively, and sighed. "You don't have to, you shouldn't-"
"No, I should." Lucas said. "Kreese might've even quit karate if I hadn't talked to him. This is all my fault, Aisha broke someone's nose. I had to fight a bunch of people from school at an arcade? This is getting crazy, I need to finish this myself."
"We need to talk about this, do you have a moment?"
Lucas nodded, accepting.
The two walked to the backyard together, and Frank Mills poked his head out of his study, silently judging both of them before closing the door to it again.
…
Donnie Junior was trained so well, all Lucas had to do was click his tongue in his mouth and the dog instantly stopped running around, and laid down next to his pool chair he sat upon opposite to Daniel.
"I get why you want to finish this on your own. But this isn't the right way, you need my help Lucas."
"What you don't think I can't learn enough to beat Miguel next year with another Sensei?"
"That's not what I said." Daniel sighed. "You made a promise to me."
"A promise to trust you. You need to trust me too otherwise this is never going to work."
"I do trust you. But this is about more than winning a trophy Lucas, about beating these kids at a tournament. This is about instilling the right kind of values in you for the rest of your life."
Lucas was going to protest again but Daniel respectfully interrupted. "I'm sure there are truly good Senseis here in the valley. But you don't have to do this alone, you will never be alone so long as you live here in LA."
Lucas stayed silent for a moment and Daniel smiled.
"How about this? The All Valley just instructed all previous dojos to affiliate with an official USA karate association in order to register. Ron told me told me today after your little um, performance."
The two smiled quietly.
"We can find one of these dojos to partner with or talk to in order to get ready. After a few months of both of us going to one of these dojos, you can choose to stay with Miyagi-Do or not."
"That sounds pretty good. How about we drive up to one right now?"
"Right now?"
"Yes, now."
…
After a decently long drive to Santa Clarita, Lucas and Daniel entered Garcia Karate Academy for the very first time.
It was located in a strip mall, but not one like John Kreese's Cobra Kai, in a very run down area.
This was across the street from a fencing academy and a science museum, the dojo wasn't in the richest part of town, but it was not run down at all.
The dojo itself was very large, the entrance was a simple door, and the mat was traditional tatami, white, red, and blue puzzle mats.
It was a very humble but professional dojo. There weren't too many trophies or medals near it, but it was clearly a karate dojo nonetheless.
There were two instructors, clearly partners of some sort, one was a Caucasian, rotund, calm, and serious looking bald man with a belt with a red, white, and black line around it as well as a neatly trimmed white beard, the other an elderly Filipino man with eyeglasses with completely circular lenses.
The mats were so large there were two separate full sized rings for sparring, as well as a long mirror with what appeared to be a wooden bar for stretching similar to those used for ballet on the other end of the wall.
After Lucas and Daniel bowed upon their entrance to the dojo, they sat down in the wooden benches next to a single parent to start watching the class.
Those on the mat paid them no attention, not that they wished for any.
The class was only forms, or kata.
The energy in the dojo was respectful, traditional, calm, but a bit friendly. The Filipino Sensei had all the brown and black belts to teach kata to, and the rotund Sensei had everyone else.
Above the mirrors, was a black and white picture of someone Lucas found online on his phone was named Kanryo Higaonna, as well as two white poster hanging on the wall.
One was labeled 'USANKF' with a large circular emblem of the American flag in a triangular shape. The other was of a black circle with a red outline a red triangle in the center, labeled IOGKA.
The class lasted about an hour, and then everyone knelt in order of rank.
The ranking for the belts went white, yellow, orange, blue, purple, green, and then brown. Each belt had three belts within it, being white, then full, then black of that color.
Lucas was seriously impressed with the dojo while Daniel merely nodded in acknowledgment at Lucas' smile.
After the class concluded and everyone bowed out, the Filipino Sensei walked up to Daniel and Lucas.
"Hello, can I help you?" he asked.
"Hi. My name is Daniel LaRusso, this is my student Lucas Schwarber."
"I'm Harry Garcia." he said shaking both of their hands. "What can I do for you two today?"
"Our karate tournament changed affiliations to your style." explained Daniel.
"Ah." Sensei Garcia smiled, nodding. "Well you need to register with USA karate I believe."
"We don't know these rules and, you know."
He kept smiling, completely understanding. "Well, what do you need exactly?"
Daniel sighed. "To affiliate with your style, at least learn, become registered for the tournament under the new guidelines and rules."
"Alright." he said. "Step into my office."
The entrance to the dojo, had two directions, left towards the bathrooms and changing rooms for males and females on either end, and the office.
…
Sensei Garcia sat down in a very simple office with just an island of Okinawa in it, a few newspaper clippings, and spoke. "So." he crossed his hands. "Who was your Sensei?"
"His name was Nariyoshi Keisuke Miyagi, he passed away a couple years ago."
"My condolensces." Garcia nodded.
Daniel nodded back. "Thank you. He came from a village called Tomi on Okinawa."
"I've never heard of that village." said Garcia. "But I have heard of the Miyagis."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. Very good karatekas, very honorable, respectful, excellent instructors. The Sensei of my Sensei learned under one of them."
Daniel was extremely intrigued. "But, are we talking about the same Miyagis?"
"Possibly." Garcia said calmly. "The best way for me to find out for sure is to see what your karate is like. Its forms, its basics, its sparring if possible. Are you genuinely interested in an evaluation? If you want, I can have you come down to the combine."
"Combine?"
"Oh yes. A few Goju-Ryu dojos from around the Valley will be there, it's a little seminar or dojo collaboration. Even a Shotokan dojo might show up, we don't know yet. Here."
Sensei Garcia passed Daniel a flyer for the combine and then spoke. "If you want, I have some time right now, I can watch you do some forms maybe. And I can tell you what I think."
"Sure."
…
Lucas and Daniel got into their GIs and got onto the mat.
They gave Garcia a slight bow who bowed back and then they presented their forms.
Both of them did the exact katas Mr. Miyagi taught to Daniel decades prior, just the spinning hands and the breathing and essentially meditation.
Lucas was expecting Sensei Garcia to laugh at them and kindly ask them to leave their dojo but instead he just nodded and spoke calmly.
"That is Goju-Ryu." he pointed to both Lucas and Daniel when they were done with their kata.
"Really?" Daniel asked. "Sorry, I don't mean to keep asking that."
"It's fine." Garcia crossed his hands and shrugged, his assistant Sensei and a few other students were done talking in the waiting area and were watching. "I'm sure you have different names for them. And a few of the steps in the forms were slightly different, but our kata is almost identical."
Lucas and Daniel were surprised, looking at each other.
"Thank you." Lucas bowed as did Daniel.
"What belt are you?" Garcia asked Lucas.
"Um. I technically don't have one. I'm technically a black belt but I literally bought it online to compete at the All Valley. I've been training with Sensei LaRusso for over a year now."
"Hm." Garcia nodded. "I see, and you? What dan are you?"
"What dan?" Daniel was confused.
"What degree black belt do you have?"
Daniel looked a little nervous. "Mr. Miyagi technically didn't even have a belt either." he nodded towards Lucas.
"So then." Garcia sighed. "In terms of actual evaluations, that means despite the years of experience you both have between you, you're both white belts. However, your forms clearly display the opposite."
"Right." Lucas nodded. Daniel did not disagree.
"To register for this new tournament of yours, which, I still haven't decided if I want to participate in yet." Garcia shrugged. "You need to be USA karate affiliated. Honestly from what I saw today I could do it right now."
"Oh my gosh." Lucas smiled. "Really?"
Garcia laughed. "Third time today." Daniel laughed as well. "Yes, really. You both don't have the very best kata I've ever seen in my life, but it is most definitely extremely refined Goju-Ryu which is my style."
"However." said Garcia. "I could print out the forms, have you two sign them in my office right now. Mail those forms over to our headquarters in Naha, and in about a week I can have you fully affiliated with my organization."
Lucas and Daniel looked like they were fully ready to agree on the spot.
"But."
Harry Garcia paced for a little bit. "Your style, is a little different still. It's not bad, but it's, intriguing to me. I want to see a bit more of it before I commit to anything. The combine is next Saturday, however I want you to swing by here again at least once more before then."
"When should we come here?" asked Daniel.
"Um, any Wednesday or Friday at 6 o'clock. We have forms for forty five minutes, and sparring practice for forty five minutes as well."
"Looking forward to it, can I have your phone number to keep in touch?"
Garcia nodded. "Absolutely."
…
Lucas and Daniel stayed around for a moment before they left.
Garcia had to leave, so after he shook hands with Daniel and Lucas again, the assistant sensei stayed.
He locked the door with his own key, his six year old daughter, one of the black belts and his younger sister stayed as well right outside the dojo to talk.
The assistant Sensei gave Daniel a very firm but not crushing handshake and introduced himself as Sensei Michael Rush. Both siblings next to him were black belts named Donovan and Cindy Voon.
After some light chatting about the class they were going to attend, and the combine, they all said farewell.
Lucas even managed to get Donovan's Instagram before they left and they followed each other.
Lucas sat in the passenger seat of Daniel's car as he drove them back to Encino, looking at his phone. "That kid had multiple gold medals in both forms and sparring from several tournaments. I think this dojo could be great for us."
"This karate, our karate." Daniel tutted. "Mr. Miyagi, wouldn't, I don't know if he'd completely approve."
"Well it seemed fine to me. And it's not like we're becoming Sensei Harry's students, he was cool with us more or less just dipping our toes for the All Valley a bit."
"I know but still."
Lucas smiled. "Look, was Mr. Miyagi ever ok with you making your own style?"
"He wasn't at first. But later on he was, but Lucas, I just started training you again. Are you sure jumping into a different dojo is a good idea?"
"I mean, we're not jumping into anything. I already won the All Valley using mostly your karate, we can still keep our style. Just, you know, modernize it a little."
Daniel shook his head. "I still don't know, the good news is. I didn't see a single thing wrong with their dojo."
"Me neither."
…
"USA karate affiliation for the new All Valley. What a joke."
Kreese drove Miguel personally to a nearby Shotokan karate dojo to put him to spar. There was no discussion, with any other students or even Miguel, that he was taking him to fight other dojos in order to register for the new tournament.
Kreese googled what karate gear to buy, found it affordable and locally sold online, received it within days, and then took Miguel to fight.
Kreese was driving a used and old Nissan Saturn pulling up to the run down strip mall similar to his own dojo location as they exited the car.
"Do you think we're moving a little too fast here? Shouldn't Mitch and the others know we're doing this?"
"Oh please. Schwarber took care of them all on his own all at once. You're the only one I think's worth training like this."
Miguel smiled in pride of himself as Kreese and Miguel walked into the dojo.
The introductions were respectful but quick. The man in charge of the dojo with a single mat, was a Cuban man from Florida who was a bit more relaxed but still clearly a karate Sensei.
It was a Friday afternoon, at five thirty PM, when the sparring class started.
Kreese told the man his style was Tang Soo Do, and while the Sensei of the dojo didn't remotely know Kim Sun-Yung's name, he knew Tang Soo Do was legitimate.
Everyone drilled, and Kreese noticed how informal the class was.
There was clear respect to the Sensei as the instructor, but everyone smiled and laughed a bit more frequently then Kreese thought they should've. Only one or two students were wearing a full karategi, Miguel included.
Miguel was wearing red SMAI gloves, and his white Cobra Kai karategi and white belt.
After stretching, warming up, practicing strikes and a few sweeps, actual sparring began.
Kreese beckoned Miguel over to his seat in the waiting area next to a couple parents. "Don't worry about their style being new to you or different than yours. Just use all your training, you'll be fine."
"Yes Sensei."
A few of the teen students there almost chuckled before sparring began. They did not look impressed at all by seeing Miguel line up to spar.
A bell rang and everyone began sparring.
It took a minute for Miguel to warm up, but even with only five months or so training under Kreese, he outfought every single person he sparred.
Miguel used the jab, the reverse punch, the round kick, the back kick, and the side kick, as well as combinations and the occasional hook kick.
Miguel hadn't learned the front sweep yet, but used elements off it by disrupting his opponents rhythm and stability by tapping ankles and shins lightly.
Miguel could fake and feint, control the distance to his opponents, the rhythm, he was dominant in the ring.
Kreese looked genuinely impressed from the waiting area after Miguel beat every single boy there and he barely got tired.
Kreese noticed how the Sensei of the dojo sparred with his students personally. He was controlled, and held back a decent bit, but made sure to give his students a decent fight.
The dojo was only big enough for one ring in a real sparring competition, but there were four different people sparring in pairs of two at any given time.
Eventually, the Sensei of the dojo sparred Miguel, and both Kreese and the Sensei himself were impressed.
Using the scoring system Kreese researched, he found that the Sensei would've easily scored five or six points on Miguel. However, Miguel was able to actually score three.
He landed a very clean reverse punch to the midsection when Miguel was able to time the Sensei's round kick. As well as hit the Sensei directly in the gut after checking a round kick with the Sensei's front leg off his right shin.
At that point, the Sensei began to take the fight much more seriously. Not enough to injure Miguel, but enough to make it clear he was the Sensei in the dojo, and he was the superior fighter which he genuinely was.
The Cuban man was into his thirties, well built, and with years of tournament experience. He had no desire to injure Miguel, but was impressed with the bravery and tenacity he had to show up to his dojo on his first day to fight.
And how genuinely well he fought.
The class bowed out, and the Sensei shook Kreese's hand.
"He's no white belt." he said, still sweaty from all the sparring.
Kreese chuckled. "We're a bit strict on grading policy at my dojo."
"I can tell." he said. "We're going to a combine next weekend. You said you were trying to get USA karate registered for your tournament? What was it called again?"
"The All Valley Under 18. I don't know if they'll change the name or something."
The Shotokan Sensei smiled. "Well, if you're this into sparring. I'll get you registered with my affiliation if you spar just like that at the upcoming combine."
"What's it called?"
"ISKA. The International Shotokan Karate Association. From what I can tell you don't do any kata, but that's fine, honestly, your kumite is good enough for me to get you an ISKA passport."
Kreese was impressed. "Um. Are you sure?"
The man chuckled. "Completely. I'll send you the information as soon as you give me your email, you fill out everything online. Pay a small fee, and you're ISKA affiliated."
"Just like that?"
"Yep. Just like that."
…
Kreese patted Miguel's shoulder walking away from the dojo.
"It's that easy?"
"It's that easy." said Kreese. "See, all you got to do is strike first Diaz. That's what we did today, we had a new challenge needing to get registered for the All Valley. The rules changed, so we found a place, fought clean and hard, and now we're ready to begin training. You ready?"
"Yes Sensei."
…
Kreese was in the dojo office during early class the next day, where he literally lived since he could not afford rent anywhere in Los Angeles.
He was on his computer getting his students signed up for the combine online when he saw a list of participants.
Curious, as well as a bit bored, Kreese scrolled through his cheap laptop reading the list.
He stopped when he saw Daniel's name listed, as well as Lucas'.
"Line up!"
Kreese exited his office and everyone instantly stopped practicing, listening in ready stance, Junbi.
Mitch and Rickenberger were already back after a doctor cleared them from their injuries fighting Lucas.
Aisha watched as Kreese paced in front of his students, all in full Cobra Kai karategis. "Never underestimate your opponents. Weakness does not exist in this dojo, but that does never mean you should assume your opponent is weaker than you."
"They might appear weaker. Their karate style wrong, but never assume they've just given up, or that they're done. I've just learned that this karate combine in Santa Clarita next Saturday isn't going to be cheap."
Miguel and Aisha exchanged looks, still in ready stance.
"Nor will it be easy. This dojo's main opponent, Miyagi-Do will be there, I believe all of you know them quite well already."
"They already beat several of you up." Mitch looked down shamefully. "Lucas Schwarber is there just like we are. Trying to get accustomed to these new rules, to get registered for the new All Valley."
Kreese paused, easily picking the best fighters in his dojo to take with him to the combine. "Robinson. Diaz. Rickenberger. You three will attend, will you train your hardest this next week to get ready?"
"Yes Sensei!" Aisha, Miguel, and Doug shouted.
He pushed Mitch onto his rear.
"And you. Do you want to redeem yourself? Stay on the team and give your best at this combine? Or leave this dojo for good?"
Mitch stood up, nodding. "Yes Sensei."
"I said do you want to redeem yourself?"
"Yes Sensei!" he roared.
"I can't hear you! All of you! Do you want to redeem yourself from the pathetic loss you suffered at the hands of a single person!?"
The entire dojo shouted as one, as if there was a giant person twenty feet tall in the Cobra Kai dojo's Reseda strip mall.
"Yes Sensei!"
Kreese looked around the mat.
He glanced at Bert and a few others. "Weak people, sometimes have weak voices. I have identified a few."
Kreese began pointing at his students. "All of you. Leave, you're off the team. For good."
They left the mat quickly, Bert the first among them.
Only Edwin, Dieter, Doug Rickenberger, Mikey, Mitch, Miguel, and Aisha remained.
"As soon as you show your skills." said Kreese quietly. "This class will grow with students who actually have merit, not the kind of fighters I have dismissed. For now, this is our team."
Kreese looked between Rickenberger, Miguel, and Aisha. "You three will be this entire dojo's sparring team for now. That I take to these competitions and other events. Try your very best, because otherwise, this dojo will never grow to its full potential. Class size wise, or otherwise." Kreese enunciated perfectly.
"Yes Sensei!" Aisha, Miguel, and Doug shouted.
"And you." Kreese looked over at Mitch. "Are very lucky to be here."
After a very rigorous sparring class where everyone at least wore gloves, Miguel was the only one using footguards and shin protectors, everyone was dismissed.
John Kreese was proud of how exhausted the class was after they were done.
From the look on his face, Miguel could tell he wanted to sharpen the class into an absolutely indestructible force for sparring specifically in the kumite competitions .
They had the tools, and they had the time.
All Kreese had to do now, was prepare.
…
…
Daniel respectfully protested against the rule change and the reinclusion of Cobra Kai into the All Valley as Lucas stood outside the council chamber.
Kreese walked outside, looking at Lucas up and down for a moment.
The teen ignored him and Kreese almost left before he said something.
"You have a moment?"
"I got nothin' to say to you." Lucas shrugged.
Kreese shook his head. "That wouldn't be true if you drove here to try to get the dojo reinstated."
"I did it so I could find a safer way to resolve all the nonsense with said dojo." Lucas waved a hand towards his bruised face.
Kreese chuckled, shaking his head. "You're so much like your mother. Ali was just the same way, prideful, stubborn, and never gave up."
"Don't talk about my mom."
Kreese sighed, looking aside. "This needs to be said, son. With the All Valley becoming bigger and better than ever for the upcoming fiftieth anniversary next May. I have to know. Is Miyagi-Do really your best choice?"
"Beyond any shadow of a doubt."
"Really?" said Kreese. "I get your family has rooted for Miyagi-Do all the back since the 80s."
Lucas frowned, meeting Kreese's aged, calm, and dark eyes. "But I know you Lucas. You're not a tranquil, meditative, defensive person. You're competitive, driven, strong, fierce."
Kreese squinted at Lucas slightly. "You're the kind of person who's held back by tradition and the kind of karate Miyagi wanted. Before this escalates to a point where the rest of your highschool life is altered forever. I need you to know, there will always be a place for you at Cobra Kai."
Lucas scoffed. "I'm pretty sure fighting over half a dozen people I know from West Valley High would've already changed that. Why would I ever join them?"
"We can go back to the way we started this." Kreese gestured towards posters of photographs taken of Daniel and Johnny's 1980s title bout. "That? Is history. You're the future kid. You and Diaz, Robby Keene, as well as any friends you have with genuine fighting skills."
"Miguel Diaz? You know he hates my guts right?"
Kreese shrugged. "You're boys now. But I can help turn you into men, in just a couple years. With Johnny onboard, you, his son, and Miguel Diaz could become the ultimate team. We could spend the next few years becoming the karate team we always needed, bringing home all sorts of awards. We don't need a full class, just the right students."
Lucas frowned. "Quantity, is always beaten by quality." said Kreese.
Kreese placed a hand on Lucas' shoulder. "I can kick everyone who attacked you at the arcade off the team. We can start over, and within a couple years. Your mentorship with LaRusso will be nothing but a bad memory, and you'll be a karate champion everyone knows everywhere."
"And that's something I know you want." said Kreese. "It's what you asked me for last summer. And I'm giving you a second chance, something we both know I almost never give."
There was silence for a moment, as if Lucas seemed to be genuinely considering the offer.
Lucas quietly pushed off Kreese's hand. "No."
"No?"
"Absolutely no way. You were so mad that I betrayed your trust, you enabled Miguel's pettiness by sending his friends after me."
Kreese shrugged. "I had nothing to do with that."
"Right." Lucas laughed a bit. "Any good Sensei- No. Any sane individual would instantly kick their students out of their dojo if they tried to use their karate to beat someone up. And where are Rickenberger and the others now?"
"You're not one to talk about starting fights. You've done it yourself." said Kreese.
"Beating up Kyler was messed up, I'm past all that now. I helped bring back your dojo to competition so we could fight properly with rules. Not in the streets. It's the deal you worked out before."
"So. Your drive to fight, to excel. You're going to let LaRusso hold you back?"
"I'd rather do nothing but kata for the rest of my life than spend one more second being your student, and letting your lies and your abuse threaten anyone ever again. After I beat Miguel at the All Valley, I want him to stop bothering me for good. Otherwise I'll talk to the board, and I'll try everything I can to make sure you never compete anywhere ever again."
Lucas crossed his arms. "Now get out of here."
Kreese smiled widely, chuckling, nodding and giving him a toothy grin. "For someone past all this pettiness. You really do want to go out of your way to show me just how little you care about me."
"When you have your chance, ask your grandfather how little he cares too. And his bailouts and deals. Then I'm sure you'll want to train with me again in no time."
Lucas ignored him as Kreese walked past, not even looking at him a little.
Then, he walked in the other direction as soon as Daniel exited a nearby corridor, having listened to most of the conversation.
…
Lucas was on his desktop in his bedroom, trying to find WKF and USA karate affiliated dojos in Southern California. There were so many to choose from he was having trouble picking one.
He found a webpage for a Goju-Ryu style dojo in Santa Clarita, called Garcia Karate Academy.
Lucas was genuinely interested for a moment, looking up videos of their students doing both forms and sparring before the doorbell rang.
Donnie Junior was barking loudly for a few moments before Lucas opened the sliding glass door to his backyard.
"Outside boy."
The golden retriever panted, smiling and sitting as his tail wagged looking through the glass panel.
Lucas answered the door and wasn't surprised to see Daniel there.
"Hey Mr. LaRusso."
"I saw you talk to Kreese."
Lucas nodded a little bit. "Yeah um. About the tournament." he cleared his throat. "You don't have to be my instructor for it."
Daniel was shocked. "What?"
"I can handle Kreese and his maniacs on my own. Dragging you and Sam into this, it, it isn't right. I started this Mr. LaRusso. It's only right that I be the one to finish it."
"Lucas." Daniel said exhaustively, and sighed. "You don't have to, you shouldn't-"
"No, I should." Lucas said. "Kreese might've even quit karate if I hadn't talked to him. This is all my fault, Aisha broke someone's nose. I had to fight a bunch of people from school at an arcade? This is getting crazy, I need to finish this myself."
"We need to talk about this, do you have a moment?"
Lucas nodded, accepting.
The two walked to the backyard together, and Frank Mills poked his head out of his study, silently judging both of them before closing the door to it again.
…
Donnie Junior was trained so well, all Lucas had to do was click his tongue in his mouth and the dog instantly stopped running around, and laid down next to his pool chair he sat upon opposite to Daniel.
"I get why you want to finish this on your own. But this isn't the right way, you need my help Lucas."
"What you don't think I can't learn enough to beat Miguel next year with another Sensei?"
"That's not what I said." Daniel sighed. "You made a promise to me."
"A promise to trust you. You need to trust me too otherwise this is never going to work."
"I do trust you. But this is about more than winning a trophy Lucas, about beating these kids at a tournament. This is about instilling the right kind of values in you for the rest of your life."
Lucas was going to protest again but Daniel respectfully interrupted. "I'm sure there are truly good Senseis here in the valley. But you don't have to do this alone, you will never be alone so long as you live here in LA."
Lucas stayed silent for a moment and Daniel smiled.
"How about this? The All Valley just instructed all previous dojos to affiliate with an official USA karate association in order to register. Ron told me told me today after your little um, performance."
The two smiled quietly.
"We can find one of these dojos to partner with or talk to in order to get ready. After a few months of both of us going to one of these dojos, you can choose to stay with Miyagi-Do or not."
"That sounds pretty good. How about we drive up to one right now?"
"Right now?"
"Yes, now."
…
After a decently long drive to Santa Clarita, Lucas and Daniel entered Garcia Karate Academy for the very first time.
It was located in a strip mall, but not one like John Kreese's Cobra Kai, in a very run down area.
This was across the street from a fencing academy and a science museum, the dojo wasn't in the richest part of town, but it was not run down at all.
The dojo itself was very large, the entrance was a simple door, and the mat was traditional tatami, white, red, and blue puzzle mats.
It was a very humble but professional dojo. There weren't too many trophies or medals near it, but it was clearly a karate dojo nonetheless.
There were two instructors, clearly partners of some sort, one was a Caucasian, rotund, calm, and serious looking bald man with a belt with a red, white, and black line around it as well as a neatly trimmed white beard, the other an elderly Filipino man with eyeglasses with completely circular lenses.
The mats were so large there were two separate full sized rings for sparring, as well as a long mirror with what appeared to be a wooden bar for stretching similar to those used for ballet on the other end of the wall.
After Lucas and Daniel bowed upon their entrance to the dojo, they sat down in the wooden benches next to a single parent to start watching the class.
Those on the mat paid them no attention, not that they wished for any.
The class was only forms, or kata.
The energy in the dojo was respectful, traditional, calm, but a bit friendly. The Filipino Sensei had all the brown and black belts to teach kata to, and the rotund Sensei had everyone else.
Above the mirrors, was a black and white picture of someone Lucas found online on his phone was named Kanryo Higaonna, as well as two white poster hanging on the wall.
One was labeled 'USANKF' with a large circular emblem of the American flag in a triangular shape. The other was of a black circle with a red outline a red triangle in the center, labeled IOGKA.
The class lasted about an hour, and then everyone knelt in order of rank.
The ranking for the belts went white, yellow, orange, blue, purple, green, and then brown. Each belt had three belts within it, being white, then full, then black of that color.
Lucas was seriously impressed with the dojo while Daniel merely nodded in acknowledgment at Lucas' smile.
After the class concluded and everyone bowed out, the Filipino Sensei walked up to Daniel and Lucas.
"Hello, can I help you?" he asked.
"Hi. My name is Daniel LaRusso, this is my student Lucas Schwarber."
"I'm Harry Garcia." he said shaking both of their hands. "What can I do for you two today?"
"Our karate tournament changed affiliations to your style." explained Daniel.
"Ah." Sensei Garcia smiled, nodding. "Well you need to register with USA karate I believe."
"We don't know these rules and, you know."
He kept smiling, completely understanding. "Well, what do you need exactly?"
Daniel sighed. "To affiliate with your style, at least learn, become registered for the tournament under the new guidelines and rules."
"Alright." he said. "Step into my office."
The entrance to the dojo, had two directions, left towards the bathrooms and changing rooms for males and females on either end, and the office.
…
Sensei Garcia sat down in a very simple office with just an island of Okinawa in it, a few newspaper clippings, and spoke. "So." he crossed his hands. "Who was your Sensei?"
"His name was Nariyoshi Keisuke Miyagi, he passed away a couple years ago."
"My condolensces." Garcia nodded.
Daniel nodded back. "Thank you. He came from a village called Tomi on Okinawa."
"I've never heard of that village." said Garcia. "But I have heard of the Miyagis."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. Very good karatekas, very honorable, respectful, excellent instructors. The Sensei of my Sensei learned under one of them."
Daniel was extremely intrigued. "But, are we talking about the same Miyagis?"
"Possibly." Garcia said calmly. "The best way for me to find out for sure is to see what your karate is like. Its forms, its basics, its sparring if possible. Are you genuinely interested in an evaluation? If you want, I can have you come down to the combine."
"Combine?"
"Oh yes. A few Goju-Ryu dojos from around the Valley will be there, it's a little seminar or dojo collaboration. Even a Shotokan dojo might show up, we don't know yet. Here."
Sensei Garcia passed Daniel a flyer for the combine and then spoke. "If you want, I have some time right now, I can watch you do some forms maybe. And I can tell you what I think."
"Sure."
…
Lucas and Daniel got into their GIs and got onto the mat.
They gave Garcia a slight bow who bowed back and then they presented their forms.
Both of them did the exact katas Mr. Miyagi taught to Daniel decades prior, just the spinning hands and the breathing and essentially meditation.
Lucas was expecting Sensei Garcia to laugh at them and kindly ask them to leave their dojo but instead he just nodded and spoke calmly.
"That is Goju-Ryu." he pointed to both Lucas and Daniel when they were done with their kata.
"Really?" Daniel asked. "Sorry, I don't mean to keep asking that."
"It's fine." Garcia crossed his hands and shrugged, his assistant Sensei and a few other students were done talking in the waiting area and were watching. "I'm sure you have different names for them. And a few of the steps in the forms were slightly different, but our kata is almost identical."
Lucas and Daniel were surprised, looking at each other.
"Thank you." Lucas bowed as did Daniel.
"What belt are you?" Garcia asked Lucas.
"Um. I technically don't have one. I'm technically a black belt but I literally bought it online to compete at the All Valley. I've been training with Sensei LaRusso for over a year now."
"Hm." Garcia nodded. "I see, and you? What dan are you?"
"What dan?" Daniel was confused.
"What degree black belt do you have?"
Daniel looked a little nervous. "Mr. Miyagi technically didn't even have a belt either." he nodded towards Lucas.
"So then." Garcia sighed. "In terms of actual evaluations, that means despite the years of experience you both have between you, you're both white belts. However, your forms clearly display the opposite."
"Right." Lucas nodded. Daniel did not disagree.
"To register for this new tournament of yours, which, I still haven't decided if I want to participate in yet." Garcia shrugged. "You need to be USA karate affiliated. Honestly from what I saw today I could do it right now."
"Oh my gosh." Lucas smiled. "Really?"
Garcia laughed. "Third time today." Daniel laughed as well. "Yes, really. You both don't have the very best kata I've ever seen in my life, but it is most definitely extremely refined Goju-Ryu which is my style."
"However." said Garcia. "I could print out the forms, have you two sign them in my office right now. Mail those forms over to our headquarters in Naha, and in about a week I can have you fully affiliated with my organization."
Lucas and Daniel looked like they were fully ready to agree on the spot.
"But."
Harry Garcia paced for a little bit. "Your style, is a little different still. It's not bad, but it's, intriguing to me. I want to see a bit more of it before I commit to anything. The combine is next Saturday, however I want you to swing by here again at least once more before then."
"When should we come here?" asked Daniel.
"Um, any Wednesday or Friday at 6 o'clock. We have forms for forty five minutes, and sparring practice for forty five minutes as well."
"Looking forward to it, can I have your phone number to keep in touch?"
Garcia nodded. "Absolutely."
…
Lucas and Daniel stayed around for a moment before they left.
Garcia had to leave, so after he shook hands with Daniel and Lucas again, the assistant sensei stayed.
He locked the door with his own key, his six year old daughter, one of the black belts and his younger sister stayed as well right outside the dojo to talk.
The assistant Sensei gave Daniel a very firm but not crushing handshake and introduced himself as Sensei Michael Rush. Both siblings next to him were black belts named Donovan and Cindy Voon.
After some light chatting about the class they were going to attend, and the combine, they all said farewell.
Lucas even managed to get Donovan's Instagram before they left and they followed each other.
Lucas sat in the passenger seat of Daniel's car as he drove them back to Encino, looking at his phone. "That kid had multiple gold medals in both forms and sparring from several tournaments. I think this dojo could be great for us."
"This karate, our karate." Daniel tutted. "Mr. Miyagi, wouldn't, I don't know if he'd completely approve."
"Well it seemed fine to me. And it's not like we're becoming Sensei Harry's students, he was cool with us more or less just dipping our toes for the All Valley a bit."
"I know but still."
Lucas smiled. "Look, was Mr. Miyagi ever ok with you making your own style?"
"He wasn't at first. But later on he was, but Lucas, I just started training you again. Are you sure jumping into a different dojo is a good idea?"
"I mean, we're not jumping into anything. I already won the All Valley using mostly your karate, we can still keep our style. Just, you know, modernize it a little."
Daniel shook his head. "I still don't know, the good news is. I didn't see a single thing wrong with their dojo."
"Me neither."
…
"USA karate affiliation for the new All Valley. What a joke."
Kreese drove Miguel personally to a nearby Shotokan karate dojo to put him to spar. There was no discussion, with any other students or even Miguel, that he was taking him to fight other dojos in order to register for the new tournament.
Kreese googled what karate gear to buy, found it affordable and locally sold online, received it within days, and then took Miguel to fight.
Kreese was driving a used and old Nissan Saturn pulling up to the run down strip mall similar to his own dojo location as they exited the car.
"Do you think we're moving a little too fast here? Shouldn't Mitch and the others know we're doing this?"
"Oh please. Schwarber took care of them all on his own all at once. You're the only one I think's worth training like this."
Miguel smiled in pride of himself as Kreese and Miguel walked into the dojo.
The introductions were respectful but quick. The man in charge of the dojo with a single mat, was a Cuban man from Florida who was a bit more relaxed but still clearly a karate Sensei.
It was a Friday afternoon, at five thirty PM, when the sparring class started.
Kreese told the man his style was Tang Soo Do, and while the Sensei of the dojo didn't remotely know Kim Sun-Yung's name, he knew Tang Soo Do was legitimate.
Everyone drilled, and Kreese noticed how informal the class was.
There was clear respect to the Sensei as the instructor, but everyone smiled and laughed a bit more frequently then Kreese thought they should've. Only one or two students were wearing a full karategi, Miguel included.
Miguel was wearing red SMAI gloves, and his white Cobra Kai karategi and white belt.
After stretching, warming up, practicing strikes and a few sweeps, actual sparring began.
Kreese beckoned Miguel over to his seat in the waiting area next to a couple parents. "Don't worry about their style being new to you or different than yours. Just use all your training, you'll be fine."
"Yes Sensei."
A few of the teen students there almost chuckled before sparring began. They did not look impressed at all by seeing Miguel line up to spar.
A bell rang and everyone began sparring.
It took a minute for Miguel to warm up, but even with only five months or so training under Kreese, he outfought every single person he sparred.
Miguel used the jab, the reverse punch, the round kick, the back kick, and the side kick, as well as combinations and the occasional hook kick.
Miguel hadn't learned the front sweep yet, but used elements off it by disrupting his opponents rhythm and stability by tapping ankles and shins lightly.
Miguel could fake and feint, control the distance to his opponents, the rhythm, he was dominant in the ring.
Kreese looked genuinely impressed from the waiting area after Miguel beat every single boy there and he barely got tired.
Kreese noticed how the Sensei of the dojo sparred with his students personally. He was controlled, and held back a decent bit, but made sure to give his students a decent fight.
The dojo was only big enough for one ring in a real sparring competition, but there were four different people sparring in pairs of two at any given time.
Eventually, the Sensei of the dojo sparred Miguel, and both Kreese and the Sensei himself were impressed.
Using the scoring system Kreese researched, he found that the Sensei would've easily scored five or six points on Miguel. However, Miguel was able to actually score three.
He landed a very clean reverse punch to the midsection when Miguel was able to time the Sensei's round kick. As well as hit the Sensei directly in the gut after checking a round kick with the Sensei's front leg off his right shin.
At that point, the Sensei began to take the fight much more seriously. Not enough to injure Miguel, but enough to make it clear he was the Sensei in the dojo, and he was the superior fighter which he genuinely was.
The Cuban man was into his thirties, well built, and with years of tournament experience. He had no desire to injure Miguel, but was impressed with the bravery and tenacity he had to show up to his dojo on his first day to fight.
And how genuinely well he fought.
The class bowed out, and the Sensei shook Kreese's hand.
"He's no white belt." he said, still sweaty from all the sparring.
Kreese chuckled. "We're a bit strict on grading policy at my dojo."
"I can tell." he said. "We're going to a combine next weekend. You said you were trying to get USA karate registered for your tournament? What was it called again?"
"The All Valley Under 18. I don't know if they'll change the name or something."
The Shotokan Sensei smiled. "Well, if you're this into sparring. I'll get you registered with my affiliation if you spar just like that at the upcoming combine."
"What's it called?"
"ISKA. The International Shotokan Karate Association. From what I can tell you don't do any kata, but that's fine, honestly, your kumite is good enough for me to get you an ISKA passport."
Kreese was impressed. "Um. Are you sure?"
The man chuckled. "Completely. I'll send you the information as soon as you give me your email, you fill out everything online. Pay a small fee, and you're ISKA affiliated."
"Just like that?"
"Yep. Just like that."
…
Kreese patted Miguel's shoulder walking away from the dojo.
"It's that easy?"
"It's that easy." said Kreese. "See, all you got to do is strike first Diaz. That's what we did today, we had a new challenge needing to get registered for the All Valley. The rules changed, so we found a place, fought clean and hard, and now we're ready to begin training. You ready?"
"Yes Sensei."
…
Kreese was in the dojo office during early class the next day, where he literally lived since he could not afford rent anywhere in Los Angeles.
He was on his computer getting his students signed up for the combine online when he saw a list of participants.
Curious, as well as a bit bored, Kreese scrolled through his cheap laptop reading the list.
He stopped when he saw Daniel's name listed, as well as Lucas'.
"Line up!"
Kreese exited his office and everyone instantly stopped practicing, listening in ready stance, Junbi.
Mitch and Rickenberger were already back after a doctor cleared them from their injuries fighting Lucas.
Aisha watched as Kreese paced in front of his students, all in full Cobra Kai karategis. "Never underestimate your opponents. Weakness does not exist in this dojo, but that does never mean you should assume your opponent is weaker than you."
"They might appear weaker. Their karate style wrong, but never assume they've just given up, or that they're done. I've just learned that this karate combine in Santa Clarita next Saturday isn't going to be cheap."
Miguel and Aisha exchanged looks, still in ready stance.
"Nor will it be easy. This dojo's main opponent, Miyagi-Do will be there, I believe all of you know them quite well already."
"They already beat several of you up." Mitch looked down shamefully. "Lucas Schwarber is there just like we are. Trying to get accustomed to these new rules, to get registered for the new All Valley."
Kreese paused, easily picking the best fighters in his dojo to take with him to the combine. "Robinson. Diaz. Rickenberger. You three will attend, will you train your hardest this next week to get ready?"
"Yes Sensei!" Aisha, Miguel, and Doug shouted.
He pushed Mitch onto his rear.
"And you. Do you want to redeem yourself? Stay on the team and give your best at this combine? Or leave this dojo for good?"
Mitch stood up, nodding. "Yes Sensei."
"I said do you want to redeem yourself?"
"Yes Sensei!" he roared.
"I can't hear you! All of you! Do you want to redeem yourself from the pathetic loss you suffered at the hands of a single person!?"
The entire dojo shouted as one, as if there was a giant person twenty feet tall in the Cobra Kai dojo's Reseda strip mall.
"Yes Sensei!"
Kreese looked around the mat.
He glanced at Bert and a few others. "Weak people, sometimes have weak voices. I have identified a few."
Kreese began pointing at his students. "All of you. Leave, you're off the team. For good."
They left the mat quickly, Bert the first among them.
Only Edwin, Dieter, Doug Rickenberger, Mikey, Mitch, Miguel, and Aisha remained.
"As soon as you show your skills." said Kreese quietly. "This class will grow with students who actually have merit, not the kind of fighters I have dismissed. For now, this is our team."
Kreese looked between Rickenberger, Miguel, and Aisha. "You three will be this entire dojo's sparring team for now. That I take to these competitions and other events. Try your very best, because otherwise, this dojo will never grow to its full potential. Class size wise, or otherwise." Kreese enunciated perfectly.
"Yes Sensei!" Aisha, Miguel, and Doug shouted.
"And you." Kreese looked over at Mitch. "Are very lucky to be here."
After a very rigorous sparring class where everyone at least wore gloves, Miguel was the only one using footguards and shin protectors, everyone was dismissed.
John Kreese was proud of how exhausted the class was after they were done.
From the look on his face, Miguel could tell he wanted to sharpen the class into an absolutely indestructible force for sparring specifically in the kumite competitions .
They had the tools, and they had the time.
All Kreese had to do now, was prepare.
…