Training Begins

Yong Tae hit the hardwood floor of the Do Jang hard, and the wind was forced from his lungs in a rush. For a moment, he couldn't see through the cloud of popping stars that filled his vision.

Ji Ho stood over him, looking down. Sweat ran down his face and, his damp uniform clung to his thin arms, wet from hours of training.

"Get up, dumpling. I need to try that throw again. It still doesn't feel right."
Yong Tae tried to lift himself from the floor. He felt as though he had pulled himself off the smooth wood a hundred times already. His arms faltered, and he fell again. Tears burnt behind his eyes. He fought them back.

Ji Ho prodded Yong Tae's ribs with his toe. "It's not nap time, dumpling. I said 'Get up'".

Anger rose inside Yong Tae, and with it, he found the strength to pull himself off of the floor. He shook his head to clear the last of the stars from his vision, and he saw Ji Ho standing in a ready position, prepared to throw him to the floor once again. Yong Tae tightened his fist until he felt his nails bite into his palms. A surge of energy lifted up from his lower stomach and rose as a pulse rose to his chest. It filled Yong Tae with a power he hadn't felt before, cleared his mind, and relaxed his body. Yong Tae’s eyes widened in surprise.

"That's the spirit, dumpling." Ji Ho beckoned Yong Tae towards him, "Come get some."

The power inside Yong Tae's chest began to rush down his arm toward his clenched fist. He had never experienced this kind of power before, but it felt as natural as his breath. Yong Tae was certain, it would not be him on the hardwood this time.

"Wait," Yoo Sang stepped between the boys and patted Yong Tae's shoulder, instantly sapping the energy from his grandson. "Ji Ho, shift your weight more to your instep when you prepare. Your balance will improve and your stepping will be more stable as you catch Yong Tae's arm." He shifted the older boys foot with his own and looked at Yong Tae. "Ok, Yong Tae. Attack."

Yong Tae could only stare in disbelief. Drained of his power, he felt empty, hollow, like a fallen tree in the forest, rotten from the inside. He knew his grandfather had taken the power from him, but how? Why? How had he known that Yong Tae had felt the rush of energy? He looked at Ji Ho. His partner stood ready, an eager look in his eyes. Yong Tae was certain, he would on the hardwood again.

"Yong Tae," Yoo Sang repeated when he saw his grandson hesitate. "Don't be afraid."

Yong Tae took a deep breath and tried to recapture the feeling of power. But it was gone. Determined to show his grandfather he was not scared, he shouted and launched his best punch at Ji Ho. Ji Ho easily sidestepped the attack, caught Yong Tae's arm from the inside with one hand and swung his arm under Yong Tae's punch. He slid his hips into position, and Yong Tae felt the pull on his arm propel him helplessly over Ji Ho's shoulder. Despite his thin build, Ji Ho had more than enough power to toss Yong Tae like a paper dahk jee to the floor. The older boy did nothing to ease Yong Tae's fall, and he hit the floor with full force. The impact again left him dazed and breathless.

"Ok, Ji Ho." Yong Tae heard Yoo Sang's voice through the dull ringing that settled into his ears. "You have made good progress with this skill today. Still, you will need more practice to beat the others at the tournament."

"Yes, Sah Boo Nim. I am ready. I will practice as much as it takes. I want to win the tournament and bring glory to my family's name. I will skip meals, not sleep, anything necessary to make more time for practice under your teaching. Assuming my partner is up to it."

Yong Tae's heart sank, even as he lifted himself from the floor. He hoped there would be no more practice today. The last throw had hurt his hip, and he had to lean his weight to his right side to avoid collapsing to the floor.

"No, Ji Ho. You must keep up your strength. You are tall and move smoothly, but the others at the tournament will be heavier and stronger than you." Yoo Sang looked both boys over. "We are finished for today."

Yoo Sang ordered the boys to bow, showing respect to each other to finish their training. Despite his aching body, Yong Tae lowered himself into a deep bow. Ji Ho merely nodded at his partner, refusing to lower himself before Yong Tae. The two boys then both bowed deeply to Yoo Sang, and Ji Ho left the Do Jang, followed by one of his retainers.

Yong Tae heard them laugh as they left, and the retainer turned to look at Yong Tae. His face opened into a broad smile, and he turned back to Ji Ho, laughing even harder.

"Yong Tae," Yoo Sang called to his grandson. "You wear your anger to clearly. Do not let their opinion of you cause you such hurt. Return home to your mother. Take her this letter." He laid his hand on Yong Tae's shoulder, and Yong Tae looked up into his grandfather's eyes. He saw none of the sympathy he had hoped to find there. Instead, Yoo Sang's eyes were cold and steady. "You will need much rest tonight. Do not play with your friends. Go now."

The mention of Che Ju and Ah Won brought fresh tears to the back of Yong Tae's eyes. He wanted desperately to play with his friends and forget about Ji Ho and his training. Again, Yong Tae fought back his tears. As much as he would have hated for Ji Ho to see him cry, he wanted even less for his grandfather to see him weak.
"Yes, Sah Boo Nim." He managed, backing away and bowing as he took the letter from Yoo Sang.

As he left the Do Jang he peeked into the folded parchment of the letter. He saw it was written in the characters of the ancient kingdom. No one in the village except Yoo Sang and Shi Woo could read all of it, but Yong Tae recognized the character for Dragon. Everyone knew that character. It was painted in the Do Jang above the door, but what it had to do with Yong Tae, he couldn’t tell. The rest of the characters his grandfather had written looked like a birds nest of tangled strokes and dots.
When he arrived home, Shi Woo saw his limp, and her eyes wet with tears. “What happened to you?”
Yong Tae didn’t answer, instead, he gave her the letter. “Grandfather sent this letter for you, mom. What does it mean?”

The Hat Ceremony Begins

Yoo Sang held his response, looked at Master So, and when the stone mason gave a small nod, the Sah Boo gave his answer. "None of you will be cleaning the Do Jang. Not this time. I have special tasks in mind for you. When Ji Ho and his fellow travelers arrived this morning, they brought work orders from the Emperor. Master So and Master Jung have been commissioned to prepare special materials for the royal court."

The three friends brought there heads up and looked at the three masters. None of the children could hide their joy at learning they would not be cleaning the Do Jang, and the news of the village masters being commissioned by the Emperor filled them with excitement. What kind of special projects would they be doing?

"And you mean we get to work on these materials?" Ah Won asked.

Again, Yoo Sang held his response until Master Jung smiled and gave an easy laugh. He nodded at Yoo Sang too and then returned to drinking his tea.

"It would appear so, Ah Won. But don't forget, this is a punishment for you three. I expect you will be working quite hard.” He leveled a stern look at the three friends before he continued. "Che Ju, you will be sent to work in the quarry. Ah Won, you will assist Master Jung in his practice, and you, grandson, will remain here."

"But grandfather, you said we wouldn't be cleaning the Do Jang!" Yong Tae knew as soon as he had spoken that he should have kept quiet, but it wasn't fair! His friends would be helping on special projects for the Emperor and he would be scrubbing floors.

"And you won't Yong Tae, unless you continue to press me. Now, you three are dismissed, I have much to discuss with the masters. You will begin your work with them at dawn tomorrow." Yoo Sang said. Then he added with a smile. "Today, you have a celebration to attend."

For Yong Tae, the celebration could not come soon enough. He left Che Ju and Ah Won as soon as they had left the Do Jang and ran as fast as he could back to his mother’s house. Shi Woo waited for him there and met him at the front door.

“Here, Yong Tae.” She passed him a box, wrapped in neatly patterned paper. “This is the hat I prepared for you. I hope you will like it.”

“Thanks Mom! But shouldn’t I wait until the ceremony?”

“Of course, the ceremony…” Shi Woo pulled the box back quickly. “I suppose we should wait for that. I will take this over to the Do Jang. You wash up and change into your good clothes.”

Yong Tae ran inside and quickly prepared for the ceremony. He had been so busy all day, that the significance of the event had kind of slipped to the back of his mind. Now, it was happening and he would receive his first hat.

In Kachisan Village, boys were not allowed to wear hats until their 3000th day, and after that, they were no longer considered just children. Today, Yong Tae would take the first step in the eyes of his fellow villagers towards being a man.

Fully dressed and washed, Yong Tae stepped out of his house and gasped. The villagers, including his grandfather, who now held the package from Shi Woo, were all gathered outside of Yong Tae’s house!

Time and Punishment

Yong Tae's eyes remained fixed on the wall. He couldn't believe the Challenge Emblem was missing! The silver dragon's claw, a gift from Yong Tae's father to Yoo Sang, had hung in the same place above the tapestry for as long as Yong Tae could remember. But sure enough, it had been taken down, and the wall behind showed a silhouette where the hooked claw had remained unmoved for so many years.
"That's right kids." A strange voice said behind the three friends. “There’s going to be a fight. The greatest fight ever! And none of you little dumplings are going to be able to see it! "
The three turned quickly to see who had spoken. A very thin boy who they had never seen before stood in the door. His hat was as fine as any of the men in the village, and around his neck hung a thick braided cord held a talisman that showed over his silken robes. The talisman displayed a tiger leaping at the sun with its claws spread, the symbol of the royal house. Yong Tae and Che Ju stepped back from the older boy, their eyes wide in amazement.
Ah Won was not so impressed "Who are you calling a dumpling? You look like you could use a few more dumplings yourself anyway. Did your family lose its fortune buying your robes? You’re so thin I bet your mom has to keep you inside on windy days or those fancy clothes will carry you away like a kite!"
"Mind how you speak to your elders little girl. It is not looked lightly upon to insult the son the Court Minister." The boy threw up his nose and looked down at Ah Won. "I should have you punished, but I will spare you if you bow to me now and beg my forgiveness."
"There is no need for that." Yoo Sang appeared and placed his hand on Ah Won's shoulder. "Those who know Ah Won expect to hear her mind. She is still learning to tame her tongue, but I'm sure one as wise as you, Ji Ho, can tolerate the impetuousness of a young girl."
"Yes, Sah Boo Nim." Ji Ho agreed, quickly letting it go. "I am pleased to see the young ones here are so brave." A slick smile slid across his lips. "They will prove...entertaining...during my stay here."
"Very well, you are already showing your aptitude as a pupil, Ji Ho. You will do well in your training. For now, I must deal with these three. Retire to your quarters and practice your meditation, I will be with you shortly for our first session of the morning. "
"Yes, Sah Boo Nim." Ji Ho turned on his heel and lifted the low hem of his robes to keep them off the floor as he strode through the entry of the Do Jang. He quickly retrieved his sandals and was gone from sight.
"Now, you three, come with me. I have Masters So and Jung waiting for you."
As the three followed their Village Elder to his personal quarters at the rear of the Do Jang, Yong Tae's heart raced with fear. He didn't want his grandfather to be angry with him, but he knew that he had been wrong to fight with Grandpa Bing Bing. He drew a deep breath and kept his eyes on the floor. Whatever happened, at least he had his friends with him.
Yoo Sang lifted his hand, and an invisible force pushed open the heavy doors to his chambers. He stepped aside and let the children enter first.
Yong Tae recognized Master Jung and Master So who were both sitting at opposite ends of a low table enjoying tea. They rose to their feet, lowered their heads, and touched the front brim of their hats in a respectful bow when Yoo Sang entered the room. After the Elder had seated himself behind the table, the masters returned to their seat and finally, the children kneeled down in front of them.
The room was sparse. Other than his clothes, the Sah Boo only owned three possessions. His chopsticks lay crossed upon the table, his sleeping mat lay rolled tight in the corner, and his sword leaned in its stand next to his sleeping mat. Everything else he kept in a small room behind the Do Jang and shared with the village.
Silence settled over the room, and Master So reached for the kettle to pour some more tea. His bare hand grabbed the hot kettle and steam rose around his fingers as he poured Yoo Sang's tea first, then Master Jung's, and finally he poured the last of the hot drink into his own small cup. Small grains of white powder, pulverized stone from the quarry, fell like snow flurries across the table as he served the tea, but his hand never faltered on the scalding metal.
Yong Tae kept his head down but he watched as Master So poured the tea. He couldn't take his eyes off Master So until he looked again at the table, and the stone powder was gone. His eyes widened in surprise, and Master Jung caught his amazement and smiled. He chiropractor lowered one hand below the table, and opened his palm for Yong Tae to see. In the center of his hand, the stone powder lay in a small pile! Not a single grain remained on the table.
The masters sat quietly and sipped their tea. Each of them rested comfortable on the floor with their legs crossed and their feet resting on their thighs. The aroma of fresh cut flowers carried up from their cups and filled the room.
Yong Tae felt so tense that he jumped slightly when Che Ju broke the silence.
"I'm sorry, Sah Boo Nim," he kept his head down as he spoke, but his voice filled the small room. "Yong Tae and Ah Won were only following me to Dae NaMu Grove. It was my idea to gather the silver bamboo, and they never would have gone if it weren't for me. Please forgive them and allow me to clean the Do Jang for us all, sir.”