Silence fell over the immediate area. Several other students turned to look. It was an unspoken rule that heavy, experienced men didn't challenge brand new, small women on their first day unless they were specifically assigned to mentor them. And Marcus was no mentor.
Sarah, Maya's drilling partner, put a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to," she whispered. "Tell him no. He goes too hard."
Before Maya could answer, Coach Silva's voice echoed across the mat. "Marcus. Find someone your own size. Go roll with Hector." Hector was a two-hundred-and-twenty-pound brown belt.
Marcus groaned, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Coach! I'm just trying to help the beginners. I’ll flow roll with her. Light and easy, I promise. She needs to learn."
Silva’s eyes narrowed. He was about to order Marcus away again, but he stopped. He looked at Maya.
Maya stood up. She barely reached Marcus's chest. She looked at Coach Silva, and gave a very small, almost imperceptible nod.
"I don't mind, Coach," Maya said softly, her voice calm and steady. "I’d appreciate the instruction."
Marcus grinned, revealing a mouthguard that made him look feral. "See, Coach? She wants to learn."
Silva hesitated for a moment. He knew Marcus’s ego. He knew the man couldn't "flow roll" to save his life. But he also remembered the perfect toreando pass. He remembered the invisible mechanics of her movement.
"Fine," Silva said, his voice hard. "Marcus, if you crank a submission, or if you drop your full weight on her, you and I are doing a fifty-minute death round after class. Understood?"
"Loud and clear, Coach," Marcus said, though his smirk didn't waver. He turned back to Maya and slapped his hands together. "Alright, little lady. Let's see what you've got."
The timer beeped. The round began.
Leo and Jax abandoned their own rolls to stand on the edge of the mat, eager to watch the massacre. "He's gonna fold her like a lawn chair," Jax whispered, laughing.
Maya and Marcus stepped toward the center of the open space. Marcus immediately dropped into a low, aggressive wrestling stance, his hands out, ready to snap her down by the neck. He outweighed her by at least eighty pounds. The physical disparity was comical, terrifyingly so.
Maya didn't drop into a wrestling stance. She didn't back away. She simply stood straight up, her feet shoulder-width apart, her hands relaxed at her sides. It was an archaic, almost bizarre way to start a grappling match.
"What is she doing?" Leo muttered. "She’s just giving him her legs."
Marcus scoffed. "If you're not going to defend yourself, I’m just gonna take you down."
He lunged.
Chapter 5: The Shift in Gravity
Marcus shot for a double-leg takedown, lowering his massive shoulders and driving forward with explosive speed. It was a move that usually bulldozed through lower belts. He expected to hit Maya’s waist, lift her into the air, and dump her unceremoniously onto the mat.