Free On the Verge (A Charmed Life Book 1) by Joseph Bonis

power to protect the public, but that power can also be used to heal, if they give him the motivation or means to escape his hard life.”
    “Aikido is the same way,” Grandmaster Lee continued.  “It is a way of protecting yourself and the people you care about, but it is also a healing art.  By preventing injury, both to yourself and to your opponent, you help to show your respect for their life, and provide an opening to end not just a fight, but to heal whatever prompted the fight.  Of course, not all aggressors can or will respond to that, but it is the ideal we follow.”
    Tracy nodded, slowly.  “It makes … sense,” she replied, thoughtfully.  “I mean, I'm not just all of a sudden OK, but … it makes sense.” She gave a small smile, then, her voice taking on a little energy, as a small pride finally came through.  “You know, when I actually put him in that arm lock, I didn't even think about it, it just happened.”
    Grandmaster Lee chuckled.  “Of course it did, that's why we train by rote and mass repetition - so that when the time comes, you don't have to think about it.  That's how you get fast reflexes - your muscles know how to do the move, not just your head.”
    He stood up, and Tracy scrambled to do likewise.  “Come, Jukyu,” he said grandly.  “Let's get ready for class.”
    Tracy nodded and bowed politely at the waist, inclining forward with her hands at her side.  “Thank you so much, Shichidan, for your words and care.” She hesitated, then asked, “May I take the test for First Dan next week?”
    Grandmaster Lee grinned hugely, but responded with similar gravity.  “Of course.  Should I schedule the test for Second Dan for the week after?” Tracy gave a small squeak of doubt, and Grandmaster Lee lost his serious mien as he chuckled.  “No, I'm kidding.  You do need to learn some new techniques first - but your skill and control, and your philosophy, are certainly there, nonetheless.  You're far below your rank, Kyu.”
    “Thank you,” she murmured again, grateful for the words that soothed her worried mind like a balm.
    Power to heal, she thought.  He certainly has that.
    Tracy went into the changing room to change into her practice garb, feeling calmer and much more peaceful.  Mentally, she was running through the motions of a meditative state, repeating a silent chant to herself as she slowly approached a more proper frame of mind for practice.
    The changing room was nice, comfortable, and welcoming - not stale and professional like most changing rooms were.  This was a small, narrow room with a single tiny window high up on the rear wall and a larger frosted sunroof on the ceiling to let in the sun.  Tracy never turned on the light if she could help it, no matter how clouded or gloomy the day.  Worn wooden benches ran along either side of the room, save for where another door was against the right rear wall.  There were hooks and a shelf above the bench, for storing one's stuff.  In a way, it reminded Tracy of a kindergarten coat room.
    The similarity ended there.  Hanging over the storage shelf was a series of carved wooden clouds inspired by oriental paintings, and a friend of Grandmaster Lee's had made birds out of black scrap iron to hang from the ceiling.  At the far end of the room, under the one tiny window hung a mirror on the wall, right over a small cabinet.  On its surface was two unlit candles and an incense holder dusted in ashes.  Tracy could smell the sweet flowery remnants that told her it had been used recently.  Lavender, if she wasn't mistaken.
    Tracy pulled her keiko gi out of the gym bag and set it on the bench, then put the gym bag up on top of the shelf.  A few minutes later, she was out into the main room, running through her warm-up exercises, wearing the clean white wraparound jacket and the almost skirt-like pleated black hakama trousers, her feet bare.  An old and stained but clean white belt was wrapped around her waist