Beyond Gods 71 Jabber

"I figured that at the tournament," said Johan weakly, "I would get the most exposure and be able to warn more people. Plus, my source said that it will be a week before they attack."

Johan sat with the others in Lanna Muay Boran's kitchen around a dinner table. They casually nibbled on the food Kru Bu had set out for them. Johan was thinking of how to convince his dear friends that the danger he was warning them about was true. His attempts so far seemed to have little impact. A flat screen HD TV was hanging from the kitchen wall blazing and showing the fights while an announcer screamed out comments in the background. Kru Bu ma.s.saged liniment oil into Johan's body while they watched the fight.

The matches started and ended rather quickly. Most of the fights ended within three minutes.

Because of the low requirements for entry, many unfit candidates who had never fought before entered the tournament. Many were in poor shape, and over estimated their abilities. In order to quickly eliminate them, it seemed as if the fight planners intentionally mismatched them with higher level opponents.

Before long ten fights had ended.

"NEXT UP! ONE OF THE TOP 10 CONTENDERS FOR WINNING THE TOURNAMENT THIS YEAR! THE MATCH OF THE DAY THAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR!," yelled the announcer, "JABBER! AND AS A SPECIAL EVENT, HE WILL BE FIGHTING FIVE NEW AND PROMISING CONTENDERS IN A ROW, IF THEY MANAGE TO BEAT JABBER, THREE MAJOR SECTS HAVE GUARANTEED THEIR ACCEPTANCE! THE FIGHT WILL START AFTER A SHORT INTERMISSION."

Tommy, Pedro and Gracie took in sharp breaths and sat tense in their chairs. Even Kru Bu paused stopped ma.s.saging Johan and took a seat.

"What's up guys?," said Johan. "Who is this Jabber?"

"You haven't heard about Jabber?," said Tommy looking at Johan in disbelief. "Where have you been living? Under a rock?"

"He's a boxer that has managed to dominate many of the fights he has taken in the city," said Gracie. "His specialty is the jab, although on occasion does use kicks, knees, elbows and other punches. But, he usually only needs his jab and its variations in order to win a fight. He is a legend. Watch. His fights area always entertaining."

"The man is a legend," said Pedro, "they say his jab is as sharp as a bullet and feels like a freight train. His flicker jab feels like a sword cutting into you and if you manage to avoid his jab, his right uppercut and slaps feel like a hammer."

"His legendary b.i.t.c.h slap," laughed Tommy.

"Since the moves he predominantly relies on are so basic," said Gracie, "they are very quick and hard to read. Think about it like the difference between a child learning to walk, verses a child that knows how to walk. If you have practiced a particular move millions of times, you're clearly going to be much more efficient and quicker when performing that move. The jab is a fundamental punch and often the first one a boxer ever learns. Consequently, not only is it fast, but it uses the least amount of energy."

"So with just boxing he wins his fights?," said Johan.

"Usually," said Gracie, "he is a good overall fighter, but his jab is what has made him stand out. It is unusually quick and powerful enough to stop a opponent. He doesn't throw many kicks because he says it leaves you open to grappler take downs."

"It is a rarity," said Pedro, "boxing is usually enough to take down unskilled fighters. But when dealing with more skilled fighters, grappling and kicks tends to be the game changer. Yet, with just his fists he managed to dominate fighters from other arts."

"Furthermore," said Kru Bu, "his raw power alone is usually enough to stop most opponents. Much like you, but to a greater scale because of his size. Furthermore, the angle his strikes come from tends to be extremely varied and nontraditional. This often takes his opponents by surprise. Watch carefully. If any of you go far in this tournament, like I think you will, you will eventually face him. This tournament has no weight cla.s.ses."

"I'll have to fight Jabber?," whispered Johan as his stomach squirmed uneasily.

"He is like a mix between Thomas the Hitman Hernes, Joe Louis, and Muhammed Ali," said Pedro. "But he adds his own twist. Plus, the man is huge, almost 300 pounds. He has the build of Fedor Emelianenko and furthermore, doesn't move like a big guy. His footwork is fast."

"Three hundred pounds and still fast?," muttered Johan. "He is almost double my weight!"

"From what I have heard from my students who have sparred with him, he likes to varies his speed, power, rhythm and angle of throwing punches," said Kru Bu, "thus, you never know what is coming. Sometimes the punches will be sharp and stun you, other times, they'll pop, sometimes they'll rock your entire body and you'll feel it in your bones. These differences come down to small technique differences, as well as anatomical differences in the bone structure of a person's fist. What he uses depends on how he is countering your unique style. He likes to move in and out, throwing feints and quick combos that can be short or long depending on the style he is countering. But usually, his jab is enough."

"It is incredible to see how a fighter can get so far against other styles with predominantly his hands," said Pedro. "He is an inspiration for us boxers. Furthermore, he has mastered both infighting styles and outfighting of boxing, although he usually fights as an out fighter to conserve his stamina because it is less draining. He is a legend and has been extended offers by many sects except the one he has been targeting. They said that they would only accept him if he wins the tournament ... so here he is. Kinda unfair in fact. Ten percent of the fighters in this tournament are overqualified like Jabber. If a promising fighter goes up against them, it is almost guaranteed they'll loose and have to wait a year before they can prove themselves."

"What sect has he been targeting?," asked Johan.

"The sect of the Heavenly Dao," said Pedro, "Elite, luxurious, well connected, influential, rich, deep heritages, respected, unique and cutting edge training programs. They only take in people that they deem the best of the best. Furthermore, most members quickly reach the G.o.dly Monarch realm. This cannot be said of any other sect that I am aware of. If new members do not quickly develop, they get kicked out. They aren't tolerant of fakes that join solely for the prestige or perks, you have to prove yourself worthy continuously of that status. They are a powerhouse and the most powerful sect that attends this tournament."

There was a flash on the television and Johan saw a large muscular Samoan man beamed out of a camera ball.

"WE BRING YOU JABBER!," screamed the announcer.

Jabber.

He wore nothing but a pair of black shorts.

His huge soft muscles were visible but not clearly defined. The man raised his arms into the air and the crowd cheered, he was clearly well known.

"AND HIS OPPONENT!," yelled the announcer, "BILLY BOB! THE FARMER FROM THE LOOKING GLa.s.s KINGDOM STABLES!"

A huge chubby man with overgrown brown facial hair wearing a pair of blue overalls and a cowboy hat was beamed into the arena. He was even bigger than Jabber.

"HEEEE HAAAAA!!!!," laughed Billy Bob, "MY FARMING MUSCLE HAS MADE ME A St.u.r.dY BOY! I AM 500 POUNDS OF STRENGTH! I REGULARLY STOP BULLS CHARGIN' ME WITH MY BARE HANDS AND SOMETIMES MY HEAD! THIS JABBER FELLOW IS NOTHIN COMPARED TO THEM!"

What kind of person was able to stop bulls with their head!? This man was clearly a freak of nature!

Billy Bob did a sumo squat and jumped into the air landing with a thud. The sand from the ground caved in when he landed. The fat on his belly and chest wobbled excessively from the landing. Steam shot out of Billy Bob's ears and nose.

Billy Bob raised his fists into the air and yelled, "IMMA GONNA BEAT THIS FELLOW AND GET ME A SECT TO SUPPORT MY FARM! WHOOOOOOO HAAAAA!!!!!!"

The crowd cheered excitedly.

Jabber stared down Billy Bob unimpressed as he stretched.

"Jesus!," said Tommy, "That guy is huge! He looks more like a sumo than a farmer!"

"He is probably gonna gas," said Pedro, "Fighters that are power based don't usually do well in the later rounds, but you have to watch them carefully in the earlier rounds because one strike from them has the potential to end you."

"But farmers tend to be naturally strong," said Johan, "due to the repet.i.tious farm work they do daily, they have a lot of functional muscle that translates well into strength based activities outside the farm."

"Well," said Pedro, "with Jabber they probably want to keep the fight interesting, so they wouldn't put him up against just any old opponent. Lots of sects are watching him here and outside the city through pay per view. The tournament is a big money grab for the city. Brings in tons of cash and this is the highlighted fight for today."

"ALRIGHT!," yelled the announcer on television. "LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!"