Cobra Kai - Okinawa's Honor

The 60 days of training in Okinawa pushed the young fighters to their limits. The battles to decide the female and male captains reached their climax. Sabrina had already earned her position as female captain after a narrow victory against Kim, winning 3-2. Now, it was Shisa and Jack's turn to face each other to determine the male captain.

The two stood on the mat, face to face, with Chozen in the center as the referee for that match. The score would be decided by clean and accurate blows to the chest, validating their mastery of Miyagi-Do Karate. Both their specialties, Shisa's Tang Soo Doo and Jack's Yaw-Yan, also promised to have their moments in the fight.

Shisa gave a slight smile and said:

"This fight is to determine the captain. Let's do our best, no hard feelings."

Jack replied confidently, running his hand through his hair:

"No hard feelings. Just try not to cry when I win."

They both laughed and touched hands before getting into position.

Chozen said to his hand and said:

"Hajime!"

The two got into a defensive stance typical of Miyagi-Do, examining the other's movements, waiting for the right moment to attack. Shisa took the initiative by throwing a quick sequence of punches, but Jack dodged them with his reflexes, spinning to the side and counterattacking with a spinning kick. Shisa blocked the blow with his forearm and stepped back, analyzing his next move.

Shisa restarted with an axe kick, which Jack dodged with a quick spin. He counterattacked with a low kick, trying to unbalance Shisa, but his opponent jumped back, narrowly escaping.

Jack advanced with a front kick, followed by a straight punch. Shisa dodged to the side, grabbed Jack's arm and attempted a takedown with a sweep. Jack jumped at the last moment, narrowly escaping, and delivered a downward kick that Shisa barely managed to block.

A continuous fight with intense exchanges. Jack tried to land low and side kicks, while Shisa mixed the fluidity of Miyagi-Do with explosive strikes. At one point, Jack surprised Shisa by catching him off guard with a leverage technique, knocking him to the ground and trying to punch him in the chest, he rolled to the side and got up again.

Jack continued advancing with a combination: straight punches, sweeps and knees. Shisa blocked the punch, jumped over the sweep and defended himself from the knee with his forearm, using the momentum to spin and deliver a direct blow to Jack's chest. The impact was certain.

Chozen:

"Point for Shisa!" (1x0)

Jack took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He knew he was in for a serious fight.

Jack adjusted his strategy, waited for Shisa to move. Noticing that Shisa tried to use a similar move, he used his opponent's own strength to reverse the position. In a quick sequence, Jack unleashed a high spinning kick, which Shisa blocked, but the impact knocked him off balance. Jack took advantage of the opening and connected a direct frontal blow to Shisa's chest, pushing him off the mat.

Chozen:

"Point for Jack!" (1x1)

Both returned to the center of the mat, beginning to show signs of fatigue, but they didn't give up, breathing heavily due to the intensity. The exchange of blows continued intensely. Shisa used a Tang Soo Do technique, feigning a punch to open space for a jumping spinning side kick to Jack's chest. The blow was right.

Chozen:

"Point for Shisa!" (2x1)

Knowing he was behind, Jack took advantage of the break to catch his breath. Returning, he began to use the elements of his secondary specialty to turn the game around. He simulated a low attack, but quickly turned with a high kick that caught Shisa by surprise, with the latter barely dodging it and starting to counterattack Jack with quick movements. Jack using the defensive technique of Miyagi-Do was blocking with precision and returning attacks only at the right moments. In a quick movement, Jack landed a sequence of blows, ending with a front kick that pushed Shisa out of the center.

Chozen:

"Point for Jack!" (2x2)

With the score tied, the tension increased, the two friends stared at each other, panting. They knew that the next point would define the winner. Jack lunged forward with a straight punch, but Shisa kept his cool. He counterattacked with a quick Miyagi-Do move, dodging the punches, using a blocking move combined with a side ramp that threw Jack off balance. Before he could recover, Shisa landed a controlled blow to the chest, ending the fight.

Chozen:

"Shisa's victory!" (3x2)

After several minutes of intense fighting, the two fighters knelt down, exhausted. Shisa extended his hand to Jack, who accepted it with a tired smile. They stood up, exchanged a hug, and were greeted with applause by their teammates.

Chozen handed Shisa the captain's belt of the Sekai Taikai.

"You have proven yourself worthy, Shisa. But remember, the strength of this dojo is in unity, not in leadership."

"Hai Sensei"

In a corner of the dojo, Mike Barnes and Kenny Payne attentively assisted in the fight. Barnes, with his arms crossed and an analytical expression, seemed satisfied. Kenny, in turn, kept his eyes fixed on the mat, visible.

Barnes breaking the silence:

"So, Kenny? What did you think?"

Kenny, still surprised, answered honestly:

"They are both incredible, sensei. They are fast, strong and precise. To be honest, it makes Miyagi-Do in the USA seem like a bunch of low-quality kids. Here they are more focused and objective. I learned a lot here from the regulars."

Barnes gave a short laugh and shook his head, as if he had been expecting this answer.

"Everyone has potential, kid. It's all about hard work. But let me tell you, it's a good thing you came here."

Kenny chuckled, but then he said seriously

"To be honest, sensei, I was surprised when I got your invitation to come learn here in Okinawa. I didn't think I had a chance of getting invited after our last appearance."

Barnes smirked, leaning in gently to look at Kenny.

"Oh, kid, let me tell you why I invited you. Remember that video that went viral? The one where you couldn't make it to the bathroom and... well, you relieved yourself on the way?"

Kenny immediately turned red with embarrassment and anger.

"That was LaRusso's fault!"

Barnes raised an eyebrow and laughed again.

"His fault, huh? I'll pretend to believe it. But you know, I liked your style. I figured if you were going to stay in Los Angeles wallowing in failure like a sissy, then I might as well bring you here and give you something useful to do."

Kenny's hands balled into fists, clearly frustrated.

"It was him! He set me up! He didn't want me to go to the championship!"

Barnes stopped laughing, fixing Kenny with a serious look.

"Do you have any proof of that? Or is it just childish hatred getting the better of you?"

Kenny opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He looked down at the ground, his fists still clenched, but he walked in silence.

Barnes sighed, patting Kenny on the back.

"That's what I thought. Listen, kid. If you want to get revenge on someone, you have to do it the right way. Focus and discipline. You're here to learn, so forget about those distractions. If you want to show what you're capable of, prove it on the mat."

Kenny nodded, still holding back his anger, but understanding Barnes' point. He knew he needed to focus on the present, leaving the past behind. He had taken this opportunity in Okinawa, it was his chance to redeem himself and grow as a fighter, and he couldn't waste it.

The next day in Los Angeles

Daniel LaRusso watched for a long time the intense fight between Samantha and Devon on the Miyagi-Do mat. He kept his hands clasped, following the movements of the two young women carefully.

"Devon, better balance on your feet! Sam, take advantage of the opening in her defense. Remember patience and precision!" he said, with that calm but firm tone that he always used to motivate his students.

Samantha absorbed every word, adjusting her posture and responding with a clean ramp that made Devon retreat. Devon, in turn, nodded, trying to put the sensei's advice into practice.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the dojo, Johnny Lawrence watched the fight between Miguel and Falcão. With his arms crossed and his typical expression of disapproval, he shook his head as he watched the two exchange blows on the mat.

"Seriously? This is the best you've got? It looks more like a pillow fight in Barbie's room!"

Miguel paused for a second, staring at Johnny with a confused look, while Falcão raised an eyebrow, not believing what he had just heard. Johnny continued

"Do you think you're going to bring the trophy to the old Miyagi shrine with those daycare moves? Oh, spare me! Fight with your heart, damn it! You're here to be champions, not to cosplay as Rocky when he was training that chicken!"

The two paused for a moment, exchanging incredulous looks, but soon returned to the fight, this time intensifying their attacks. Miguel landed a quick kick, while Falcao responded with a precise sequence of blows. Johnny left satisfied, and began walking to the other side of the dojo.

He got close to Robby and Dimitri, who weren't in the middle of a fight. Robby seemed a little hesitant, while Dimitri retreated more than he attacked. Johnny clapped his hands loudly, getting their attention.

"Robby, what are you waiting for? An invitation to attack? If you keep this up, I'm going to give the captain's armband to someone who isn't afraid to fight, like... I don't know, the grandma from the library!"

Dimitri, not missing the chance, muttered something under his breath, which made Johnny quickly turn to him.

"And you, lab nerd, shut up and fight! You look like a clumsy penguin trying to dance ballet! If you fought at least half as much as you talk, we would have already won the championship!"

Dimitri sighed, clearly irritated, but went back to focusing on the fight. Johnny continued to watch, now with a sarcastic smile.

"Do you think you're going to get anything in Sekai Taikai like this? You better start taking this seriously, or I'll ask them to change the name of Miyagi-Do to Scaredy Kids-Do."

Daniel intervened, leaving where he was to approach Johnny.

"Johnny, give it a rest, will you? They're training, the important thing is progress."

Johnny turned to Daniel, crossing his arms with a defiant look.

"Oh, sure, progress. Because that's what's going to win the tournament, right? Progress. It doesn't matter if they look more lost than Rocky training in Russia!"

Daniel sighed, trying to remain calm.

"Johnny, they're learning. You can't be so rough like that, it doesn't work for everyone."

Johnny laughed mockingly.

"It doesn't work? Oh, sure. Because petting them on the head and giving them Zen lessons works much better, right? Wake up, LaRusso! Life isn't a car commercial!"

Daniel crossed his arms, his tone becoming more serious.

"It's not just about fighting, Johnny. It's about teaching discipline, respect, and trust. That's Miyagi-Do!"

Johnny pointed at Dimitri, who stumbled as he tried to dodge Robby.

"And it's working well, apparently! Just look at him! He looks like he's dancing 'Dancing with the Stars' with a broom."

Daniel took a step forward, now facing Johnny.

"You don't understand, because you've never been a real sensei. You need patience. You can't just yell and order someone to attack."

Johnny shrugged, with a provocative smile.

"Patience? Patience is great for those who want to be monks. We need fighters here. If we keep this up, we're going to get our asses kicked in the tournament!"

The tension between the two grew, and some students looked out of the corner of their eyes, worried. Before the discussion could continue, Daniel's phone started ringing. He took the phone out of his pocket and saw who was calling.

"It's Chozen," Daniel said, holding up his hand to silence Johnny.

Johnny shook his head and muttered something like "big news" as Daniel answered.

"Chozen? Finally! We haven't heard from you in two months. What's going on? We need all the help we can get, and I can't get a hold of Barnes either."

On the other end of the line, Chozen's calm voice answered

"Sorry, Daniel-san. I'm taking care of important matters in Okinawa. But don't worry, I'll be at the tournament. I promise."

Daniel sighed in relief.

"Okay, I'm glad to hear that. I just hope everything's okay over there."

"Everything's fine," Chozen replied. "See you at the tournament. Bye, Daniel-san."

"Goodbye, Chozen."

When he hung up, Daniel turned to Johnny, who was wearing a wry smile.

"So, what did the Mysterious Asian Ninja say? Is he up to something?"

Daniel rolled his eyes.

"No, Johnny. He said he's sorting things out in Okinawa, but he'll be at the tournament."

Johnny snorted, pointing his finger at Daniel.

"I know that kind of talk. 'Getting things done.' You know what? He's up to something. Maybe even training a secret army of samurai fighters or something."

Daniel gave a short laugh, but then looked thoughtful.

"I don't think so, but... now that you mention it, could he be hiding something?"

Johnny smiled triumphantly.

"See? Even you're wondering. I'm telling you, Daniel, that guy isn't all bonsai and haiku. He's got a plan."

Daniel shook his head, not wanting to assume that Johnny could be right, but he couldn't completely dispel the doubt that had now been planted.