Free Hostage by Chris Bradford

threat is not to tackle it at all,’ Steve explained as he collected the
training weapon. ‘Avoidance and escapeshould always be your
first priority as a bodyguard. This is
not
cowardice. Remember, it’s far
better to make a good run than a bad stand.’
    He beckoned for Alpha and Delta teams to
gather round.
    ‘However, there will be times when
escape is impossible and you must take the threat head on to defend yourself and your
Principal. If you’re forced to fight, end it fast. It should be over within five
to ten seconds. A punch to the face. A knife-hand strike to the throat. A kick to the
groin. Whatever it takes.’
    Steve slammed a meaty fist into the palm of
his hand for emphasis. The class all nodded obediently. They’d spent the first
hour of the lesson doing pad work. Drilling jabs, crosses, front-kicks and roundhouses
over and over in order to commit them to muscle memory – so that the techniques became
instinctive rather than reactive. For Connor, this was already the case. So, while many
of the other recruits struggled to master the moves, he relished getting his teeth back
into his martial arts training.
    ‘But remember the whole purpose of any
defensive action is to escape with your Principal,’ continued their instructor.
‘You’re hitting to buy time. Even in the middle of a conflict you should be
looking for the way out.’
    He pointed to the green emergency exit sign
by way of example.
    ‘But you can’t go around
punching and kicking every potential threat. First, the person could be innocent with no
intention of harming your Principal. Second, you’ll end up in court for assault.
That’s why it’s useful to haveseveral non-lethal
techniques in your armoury. Ling and Connor, as you’re both black belts, I need
you to demonstrate.’
    They stepped forward. Steve instructed Ling
to hold out her arm straight. Then he positioned her middle finger on the bone of
Connor’s sternum just above his solar plexus.
    ‘Connor, walk towards Ling.’
    Since Ling was small and willowy, Connor saw
no problem in getting past her. But as soon as he stepped forward there was a sharp pain
in his chest.
    ‘Come on!’ chided Steve.
‘You’re a strong lad. It shouldn’t be too difficult.’
    Connor pushed harder, but the pain only
increased. And Ling wasn’t even straining as she held him back.
    His combat instructor seemed to enjoy the
astonished look on his face.
    ‘That’s how you keep someone at
bay with
just
a finger.’

‘The single-finger technique’s
effective only if the person is a mere annoyance to your Principal,’ explained
Steve. ‘But if they’re determined and becoming a serious threat you may need
to be more
insistent
and use a different PAL technique.’
    ‘PAL?’ queried Connor, having
never heard of such a martial art style.
    ‘Pain Assisted Learning,’
replied his instructor with a wicked grin.
    Asking Ling to step aside, he stood in front
of Connor. Holding out a muscular arm, he gently fended Connor off with his
fingertips.
    ‘Have you heard of Bruce Lee’s
“one-inch punch”?’
    Connor nodded.
    ‘Well, this is the one-inch
push.’
    With barely more than a flick of his wrist,
Steve palmed Connor in the chest. Taken completely by surprise, Connor staggered
backwards then collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. A concussive wave of pain
spread through his lungs and his chest felt as if it had imploded.
    ‘Effective, isn’t it?’
commented Steve, helping him back to his feet.
    Rubbing his chest, Connor managed a small
grunt of acknowledgement. These skills were on a totally different level from his
kickboxing and jujitsu training.
    While Connor recovered, Steve explained the
workings of the technique. ‘Like a coiled-up spring, you drive your body weight
through your arm and into the person’s chest. This move can be as powerful as a
punch, but you appear to be doing hardly anything. So, if your victim complains, what
are they going to say?’ Steve put on