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Tossed Away Kid - Chapter 10 This is a work of fiction. Any
similarity to anyone in real life is a coincidence. A special thanks to the Late Ed Wooten for his editorial help. ********
After breakfast we assembled outside with it still raining.
Sergeant Brooks was not with us. We
went to the barracks and changed into workout clothes.
This time we also put on raingear. We
marched over to a drill hall. The
female recruits joined us. Today
was our first training session for self-defense and hand-to- hand combat.
There was a heavy padded mat on the floor and Mark had us all assemble in
a circle around him. “We don’t have time in the next 7 weeks to make you experts in
self-defense. However we can teach
you to be able to defend yourselves. Hopefully
you will find someplace to continue your training.
When it comes to self-defense, size doesn’t matter.
Recruit Stevens, step up here. As
you can see, Stevens here is about 5’ 3” tall and 120 pounds.
Recruit Jones, step up here. You
can see that Jones is about 6’ 3” and 200 pounds. He has a foot and 80 pounds on Stevens. Recruit Jones, I want you to attack Recruit Stevens.
You can try to punch him, kick him, tackle him, however you want.” “I can’t do that, I might kill him.” “You can and you will.” Jones tried to tackle Mike. Mike
fell back on his back and planted his foot on Jones’ midsection and flipped
him over on his back. Mike stood
back up and then a surprised Jones got up too. “You can see how Stevens used Jones’ weight and height against him.
Why don’t you try to punch him?” Jones took a swing at Mike and he dodged it and punched Jones at the
bottom of the rib cage but not very hard. It
was hard enough to double Jones over. Jones quickly recovered. “If Stevens had punched Jones in the ribs as hard as he’s capable of,
he would have broken one of his ribs. This
would have totally disabled Jones from any further attacks.
First we will work on increasing your ability to react.
If you know what to expect from an attacker, you can anticipate their
moves. We will work to increase
your reflexes. Then we will show
you moves to counter your attacker’s moves and disable them.
Lastly we will learn to disarm someone attacking with a weapon such as a
knife or a baseball bat. Right now
we’re going to start by playing a game to increase your reflexes.
Everyone choose a partner, size will not matter for this exercise.
After you have paired off, one of you will hold out your hands in front
of you with your palms up. Your
partner will lay their hands on top of yours and you will try to slap their
hands. I’m sure most of you have
played this game before but it’s not a game this time.
I’m going to evaluate how well each of you do and we will determine who
needs to spend more time working on their reflexes.” I paired up with Mike and I was surprised that we were pretty evenly
matched. Next we practiced ducking
and dodging. Then Mark showed us
several ways to take someone off their feet and we practiced them for a while.
Finally we finished and Mark had us gather around him again. “Every training will be like this.
We will first work on your reflexes and then after we get you sharp,
teach you ways to defend and disable. I’ve
been training since I was a little kid in boxing and advanced martial arts.
Later on today you’re going to get to see what can be done when someone
is properly trained.” We hadn’t noticed but both Capt. Wright and Sergeant Brooks were in the
drill hall. Capt. Wright made his
way to where Mark was and addressed us. “Last week was mainly orientation.
This week things are going to get more intense.
Like I said before, if you follow instructions and do your best we have a
place for you. We estimate it’s
costing the City of Chicago $80,000 each to put you through this training.
As you found out, insubordination will not be tolerated.
Breaking any laws while you are here or on leave will result in you being
terminated from the program. Not
doing your best will also result in your termination.
You are learning skills that will help you for the rest of your life.
The key is teamwork. The
stronger recruits need to help the weaker recruits. I know none of you like to be humiliated like you were this
morning. Others of you will be put
in position of authority and leadership. You
need to follow your leaders. At
this time I’m promoting Recruit Jones to be assistant recruit commander.
If both Officer Adams and Sergeant Brooks are gone, Recruit Jones will be
in charge. If he asks you to jump
you WILL respond ‘how high’. No
one has ever gotten in trouble for doing what they are told.
If your commander gives you a questionable order, follow it and tell me
about it later. Your leaders are
responsible for the choices they make. You’re
only responsible to follow orders.” “As I explained last week, you will be issued smart weapons and either a
ring or bracelet will make it work. We
are going to issue you them right now. Your
activation device must be worn at all times, both while you are here and when
you go home for the weekends. Failure
to wear your activation device will result in your termination from this
program. You’re not allowed to
take off these devices until your training is complete except in case of an
emergency and we will expect a call or to be somehow notified before you take it
off. If you do take it off we will
know about it. So be careful what
you select. It needs to become a
part of you. The device is
waterproof, shock proof, and has to have the batteries replaced once a week.
That will be done here every Friday before you leave.
We are doing this just to see if you’ll follow orders even outside this
controlled environment.” “You will also be issued your weapons today and have a weapon safety
class today. Your side arms will
not have bullets. You will be
issued bullets only when you are at the range, using them. Your weapon will be stored in your locker when you go home on
the weekends. You will be required
to carry your weapon at all times while you are here except when you shower or
sleep. Uniformed police recruits
will carry their weapons in a holster on their side and undercover police
recruits will carry their weapons concealed.
This will get you comfortable wearing them even when running and other
physical activities like you’re doing now.” “As we have told you before, don’t interact with other recruits.
Capt. Shaft has assured me that no company commanders will speak to you
from now on. I’m of the opinion
that problem needs to be resolved. That’s
why I’m allowing Officer Adams to box this afternoon.
One of the reasons we are here is to prevent bullying in our schools and
I won’t allow it here. In this
case Officer Adams is more than capable of handling it.
There is a difference between getting in someone’s face for making a
mistake that causes the whole company to suffer and bullying.
If I find out that any of you bully another recruit you will have a
choice of going a few rounds with gloves on with Officer Adams or going out the
door. Another thing I will not
tolerate is any tattletale bullshit. For
example, if you are bullied, don’t come to one of your leaders and tell on
your fellow recruit. That’s
little kid stuff. Police officers
don’t tell on other officers in the field.
Internal affairs has other ways of finding out the truth and so do we.
We need you to stick together and not be pointing fingers at each other.
If you don’t learn this lesson you will be of no use to us once we get
you back to your school. You need
to be able to trust your fellow officer, and work together.
Tattletale bullshit destroys that trust. HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?” “YES, CAPTAIN WRIGHT.” “Good, now I’ll turn you over to Sergeant Brooks.” Sergeant Brooks had us form up in ranks and marched us out of the drill
hall. We went into a training
building nearby and were given a choice of bracelets and rings.
I chose a ring. Then we were issued pistols and holsters.
Because I’ll be working undercover I was issued a .25 caliber Beretta
automatic with an ankle holster. We
spent the next hour learning everything there is to know about our weapons.
How to take them apart, load, and clean them.
We then holstered them and marched off to chow.
It stopped raining and the sun had come out.
When
we got to the chow hall we were once again lined up nuts to butts as they say.
I was once again the last one in line from our company and a Navy recruit
was the guy behind me. Suddenly I
felt something poking me in the butt. The
expression ‘make the guy in front of you smile’ took on a whole new meaning.
Omigod, he’s got a boner and he’s poking me with it.
Now what do I do? Shit, now
I’m getting hard too – got to think of something to get my mind off this. I turned my head around and looked the guy in the eye and
he had this big silly grin on his face. Damn,
he’s cute too. Mike was in
front of me and I ended up poking him in the butt too with my hard on.
He turned around and looked at me and I pointed to the guy behind me.
When Mike saw his grin he grinned too and winked at the guy. The guy must have been really horny because he didn’t let
up or go down perhaps until I finally got up to where they were serving the food
and got his dick off my ass. By the
time I got my food I went down. I
told Mike I was sorry but I couldn’t help it.
He just laughed and said that he understood that the cause was behind me.
The
rest of the day went very slowly. We
had classed all afternoon and with only getting about 4 hours sleep it took all
I had not to fall sleep in class even though I was interested in the subjects.
In first aid we learned CPR. Criminal
law class, we learned all about probable cause, making an arrest, and what is
excessive force. In my special
undercover class we learned about entrapment and what we can and can’t say.
For example, what do you say if someone you’re investigating asks you
if you’re a police officer. Or
how you can’t break the law while working undercover, like doing drugs along
with the supplier while buying them.
At
4:30 we went to a drill hall for Mark’s boxing match.
There were about 150 Chicago police officers and as many company
commanders all crowded around a table, apparently making bets.
They set up a TV camera and we found out later that the fight was
broadcast on a closed circuit TV to all the Chicago police stations.
There were no Navy recruits there so we felt privileged to be able to be
there. The Chicago Police had
gotten Mark some boxing shorts and a robe that said Chicago’s Finest on it.
They also had found a professional referee.
Mark changed and put on his gloves.
The Mayer of Chicago, Richard Daley, showed up and sat with Captains
Wright and Shaft ringside. The
Police and our company gathered on one side of a makeshift roped off ring.
The floor was the same padding we used earlier in the morning.
The company commanders and Navy officers gathered on the other side.
Finally
everything was ready and the fighters were announced.
We went crazy cheering when they announced Mark and booed when the petty
officer was announced. The petty
officer was well built but a few inches shorter the Mark, with a shorter reach.
It was announced that the fight would consist of 3-minute rounds until
there was a winner. Three
knockdowns in one round would be considered a technical knock out. Someone had a stopwatch and a cowbell to start and end the
rounds. The bell sounded and the
fight began.
Mark
was on the balls of his feet, bouncing around with his hands hanging at his
side. The PO (Petty Officer) threw
a right hook at Mark’s chin and Mark just dodged it.
Then he tried a left to the body and Mark blocked it.
The PO tried a combination of 5 or 6 punches and Mark dodged every one.
This went on for the rest of the round.
The PO threw all the punches and didn’t land a single one.
Mark threw no punches at all! The
second round started and Mark changed his strategy.
He brought his guard up from his waist.
Went flat-footed and up against the ropes.
The PO punched him like crazy but only hit Mark’s gloves.
He got a few body shots in but that didn’t seem to affect Mark at all.
With two rounds finished Mark still had not thrown a single punch.
He didn’t even look like he’d worked up a sweat yet.
He looked at Mike and me and just smiled.
The
third round Mark went back on the balls of his feet and danced again, dropping
his guard back down to his waist. Then
the fourth round he went back to the ropes.
Four rounds and Mark still had not thrown a punch.
Mark looked no worse for the wear but the PO looked very tired and
sweaty. The 5th round
Mark returned to dancing and after a wild punch by the PO that missed Mark by
about a foot, Mark threw his first punch, a left hook to the body and then his
second punch, a right hook to the jaw. The
PO went down on his back. He got
right back up and looked surprised, wondering what the number of that bus was,
when Mark hit him with a combination. Now
the PO's guard was at his waist. The
PO tried to fight back but with Mark dancing he never came close and just opened
himself up to a total beating by Mark. Somehow
the PO made it through the round. Mark
was now a little sweaty but still smiling.
The PO was bleeding from his nose and a cut above his left eye.
His eyes were closed and he was breathing very hard.
The
6th round started and the PO’s guard was at his waist.
Mark shuffled his feet back and forth and landed a right hook on his jaw
with everything he had. The PO went
down like a sack of potatoes and didn’t get back up.
The police and all the recruits went crazy.
Mark was declared the winner. Mayor
Daley entered the ring.
“Officer
Adams, you have represented the City of Chicago extremely well.
I do have a question for you. I
have a pretty good idea where you learned to box like that because only one
other fighter fights like that but I have to ask.
Who trained you?”
“My
friend Ron who taught me martial arts and boxing had me also work with a friend
of his when I was training for Golden Gloves.
He always had me call him Mr. Clay. I
don’t think anyone else calls him that. He
lives on a farm not too far from where I live and we used to go there and train
on weekends. He’s the one who
taught me to dance, bob and weave, and what he called the ‘rope a dope’.
He’s also the reason why I gave up boxing.”
“I
can see you learned your lessons well. In
anticipation of your victory I made reservations at one of the finest
restaurants in Chicago. We have
buses outside to take the entire company there to have dinner and bring you back
later tonight. It’s the least we
can do for representing the City of Chicago’s police force.
The tab will be paid from proceeds donated by the Navy. Well, not really donated.
That’s not the right word. Let’s
just say risked. Congratulations,
Officer Adams.”
He
shook Mark’s hand and left. Then
the Base Commander, Captain Shaft, entered the ring.
“Officer
Adams, congratulations. I didn’t
want this fight to happen because I knew you’re just a teenager without the
experience of boxing an experienced boxer.
Captain Wright assured me that you were more than able to defend
yourself. Now that I’ve seen you
in action, I feel like I’ve been hustled.
You’re the finest boxer I’ve ever seen live.
I never saw your mentor box live but a front row seat watching you, I’m
sure everyone watching would agree, is well worth whatever came out of our
wallets here today. I want to
publicly apologize for the behavior of any members of my staff that harassed you
today. You deserve the respect of
every enlisted man and officer on this base.
I can assure you that no one else on my staff will cause you problems
again. I was going to punish the PO
harassing you this morning until Captain Wright talked me into letting you do
it. You have taken care of that
very well. My door is open if you
ever want or need to talk to me.”
Mark
shook his hand. By now the PO was back with the world and he shook Mark’s
hand too and apologized. I think
that meant more to Mark than anyone else congratulating him. The poor guy’s face really looked bad. We all then congratulated Mark and we went outside and got on
a bus. Our bus had a police escort
to the restaurant so despite rush hour traffic we made it there in less than an
hour. We all ate like kings and
really enjoyed our evening out. Then
we were bused back and by the time we got showered and to bed it was 10:00 PM.
After the short night’s sleep last night, everyone was tired and there
was not anyone talking. I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.
To
Be Continued… |