"That's better," Mia said, surprised. "Thanks."
Before Thelma could respond, Rick called the class to order. They lined up, bowed, and began the session with basic punching drills. Thelma moved slowly, but with more coordination than she had shown in the first class, though she still appeared to struggle with certain movements.
Halfway through the class, Rick paired students for light contact sparring.
Thelma found herself without a partner until Josh stepped forward, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
"I'll work with the new lady," he announced loudly.
Rick looked uncertain. "Be careful, Josh. Light contact only."
"Of course, Sensei." Josh's tone was innocent, but his eyes gleamed with mischief. Tyler, watching from nearby, gave Josh a thumbs up.
The pairs spread out across the floor. Josh squared off against Thelma, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. Thelma stood in a basic stance, her guard up, but her posture stiff and awkward.
"Ready, Grandma?" Josh asked, just loud enough for those nearby to hear.
Thelma nodded. "Ready."
Josh threw a light jab, clearly pulling his punch. Thelma attempted to step aside, but moved too slowly. The punch grazed her shoulder. She tried to counter with a basic block and punch combination, but her timing was off. Her movements clumsy.
"Come on," Josh taunted. "Even my little sister hits harder than that."
He threw another punch, this one a bit faster. Thelma shuffled awkwardly to the side, nearly losing her balance. Josh followed with a light kick that tapped her hip, causing her to stumble backward.
Several students had stopped their own sparring to watch, including Tyler, who was openly laughing now.
"Josh," Rick called from across the room, his tone carrying a warning. "Keep it appropriate."
"Just teaching the basics, Sensei," Josh replied innocently.
He continued to dance around Thelma, throwing controlled strikes that she either blocked poorly or failed to avoid entirely. Each time she stumbled or winced, Tyler and a few others would snicker.
Mia watched with a frown, her own sparring partner forgotten.
Rick finally approached and ended the session. "That's enough sparring for today," he announced. "Let's move on to kata practice."
As the class reformed into lines, Thelma caught her breath, her face flushed from exertion, but her eyes calm.
Josh returned to Tyler's side, both of them mimicking her movements and laughing.
"Dude, did you see her face when you got her with that roundhouse?" Tyler whispered a little too loudly.
Mia shot them a disapproving look, but said nothing.