Fletcher’s.
I take the steps up to Pierce’s gym two at a time – it’s on the second floor – and push open the heavy, wooden double-doors.
There I see a group of young boys huddled in a semi-circle on the floor. In front of them is a large flat-screen television. They’re watching an MMA match, and Pierce is standing next to the television, explaining the moves.
He catches my eye for a moment, ignores me, and keeps instructing. As I get closer, I realize that he’s playing one of my matches.
I’m not doing too well in this one. I remember the fight, it was tough, and I almost got pinned when I let my opponent get on my back and get a hold of my leg.
“You roll your body,” Pierce says, pausing the video. “Like Creature does here. Use your forearm for leverage, twist, then pull.”
He’s teaching them how to get out of a leg lock. You have to get your opponent off-balance, so that they can’t exert force in the proper direction. It’s all about angles and leverage. Get the right angle, get leverage, and you can outmaneuver a man twice your strength.
“Watch how he uses the movement as momentum, to spin himself up to his feet.”
One of the boys says, “It’s like a kung-fu movie.”
Pierce waits until the sparse laughs die down. “This move requires a lot of core strength. That’s why I’m always telling you boys, work your core.” He slaps a flat palm against his stomach. “Here. Where else?”
“Back,” one of the boys says.
“Correct. Where else?”
“Obliques.”
“Good,” he says, pointing at the boy who answered. “Now, where else? You’re all missing a big one.”
The boys don’t answer. They look at each other, confused. And then one of them spies me, does a double-take, and I hear him whisper to the closest next to him, “Holy shit, it’s Creature.”
All the boys start murmuring, and as they turn on me, I see familiar looks in their eyes. These are at-risk kids.
Some will live in group homes, others in foster care, and most are likely latchkey kids at low income households.
Some are older, already out of the system, already young men, looking for something to work toward in their lives, something to help them build self-confidence.
“Hey!” Pierce cries, clapping his hands together, snapping their attention all back to him. He’s got a natural authority over these kids, and they listen to him. He’s doing good for these kids. They all don’t look at me even once more. They’re well disciplined.
“Where else constitutes your core?” he asks. “Which major muscle group?”
“Your butt!” one of the kids shouts. Everybody snickers.
I see a smile on Pierce’s face. “Correct. Your glutes are very important for stabilizing your body. They are one of the most important muscle groups in your body. Stretch them for twice as long as any other muscle, got it? Ever wonder why so many people have back pain? It’s because they have tight asses.”
Again, everybody snickers.
“I’m telling you the truth,” Pierce says. “Ask any physiotherapist. If everybody just stretched their ass a bit more, they wouldn’t get so much back pain. You see, the tight glute muscles will pull against your lower back.” He turns around and rubs a hand just above his tailbone. “This worsens your posture, and you are forced to use other muscles to compensate. Remember, every muscle in the body affects every other. That is why we emphasize core strength, and conditioning of the major muscle groups. Having big guns…” He lifts up his arm, flexes his strong bicep. “Is useless. You need strength here.” He motions at the trunk of his body. “Got it?”
Some of the boys nod.
“Got it?” Pierce says, raising his voice.
“Yes,” all the boys say together.
“Now go on, split off into pairs. Get into this leg lock,” he says, tapping the screen. “No strength, this is just practice. Work the angles, see how you can slip it. I’ll come by in a bit to check on you.”
He jerks his head, and the boys immediately get up, pair off, and then he walks toward me, his brow creased.
“Everything alright? I didn’t hear from you for a while.”
I nod at him. “Yeah, things got a bit crazy. Just been cooling down.”
He sticks two fists out, and I tap them. Fighter’s tradition.
“This fight got pretty hairy, eh?” he asks, looking back at the television.
“You know, I honestly thought I might lose that fight. I was a little off that night. When he got on my back… Where’d you get that video, anyway?”
“MMA-Underground dot com,” he says.
I grin. “Dan Peterson’s website.”
“Yeah, you know him?”
“Nah,” I say, shaking my head.
“Bullshit. I read the interview.”
“What did it say?”
“Usual fluff piece. Oversold you.”
I laugh, look around the gym, see brand new punching bags. “Doing well?”
“We just got a donation, actually.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Anonymous, but it was enough to buy some new equipment for the boys.”
“It really helps them?” I look at the boys now all lying on mats, practicing – and mostly failing – to properly get out of a leg-lock. It’s a technique that takes weeks of practice to even perform semi-competently. Pierce is setting up long-term goals for these boys.
“They have a ways to come,” Pierce says, noticing their form with me. “But yes, it really does. Most of these boys came in scared, bullied at school. They didn’t know how to stand up for themselves. They didn’t believe that they had inherent worth. This helps them to build their confidence, and teach them the value of hard work. I’m sure your training helped you. It did me.”
I nod. “Yeah, of course.”
“So,” Pierce says. He looks me up and down. “Damn, you got pretty beat up. What’s that?” He points at my jaw.
“Got sliced by a knife. Stitches just came out a few days ago.”
“Fucking hell.”
“At least I wasn’t shot.”
He laughs. “I got a tattoo around that scar on my foot.”
“Yeah?”
“Only time I’ve ever had something go right through my body.”
I push my lips together. That’s definitely one way of looking at it.
“Scratch that off the bucket list, I guess,” I say.
“What is it, Duncan?” he asks after a moment. “Just tell me.”
“I came to say thanks, for helping out.”
“Didn’t do much.”
“Thanks, anyway. I appreciate it.”
I hear the sound of drilling, frown, look around.
“We’re expanding,” he says. “Onto the floor above.” He looks up. “Penny wants to get some girls in the gym, you know, girls like these boys.”
“Yeah?”
“Teach them fitness, good health, get them exercising, maybe even have me do some light fighting training with them. It’s going to be really cheap, she’s managed to get some sponsors, women’s organizations who will help out. We’ve got physical trainers who have volunteered to work with the girls for free, all women of course.”
“That sounds… really fucking good, Pierce.”
“We’re starting to make waves, man. People are donating in small amounts regularly. We’re doing a little light merchandising, selling sports drinks that aren’t all loaded with sugary crap, or stimulants like caffeine or yohimbine.”
“Fletcherade, huh?”
“That’s right.”
“Seems like you’re doing well. I’m glad.”
“You know, with the extra space upstairs, I’d love to take on more boys.”
“Yeah?”
I see the look in his eye, the smirk at his lips, return it.
“Guy like Duncan ‘Creature’ Malone would be a real attraction.”
“You think so?”
“Can’t pay you much, but I’m pretty sure you’ve got a lot tucked away from that thirty-three-to-nil streak you went on.”
“Good guess.”
“Interested?”
I look around. I could work with these boys. Help them, guide them. Give them something I never had enough of in my youth.
“It’s not just the fighting or the training,” Pierce says. “It’s more…. What’s the word Penny used? Wholesome?”
“Holistic.”
“That’s the one. Damn, Creature, so you’re not just a dumb fighter after all?”
“Wouldn’t go that far. It was a buzz word for a while for the social workers at my group home.”
“Anyway, we tell these kids straight up that most of them aren’t ever going to make a living fighting. We discourage underground stuff. This is just so they can be good at something, take that mental discipline to whatever else they choose to do. We do picnics, outings, activities, things to build their sense of self-worth, to improve their social skills, allow them to see a little more of the world. We take them to fancy restaurants, teach them how to use the cutlery properly, how to order, how to address service staff. All kinds of things. You know, social worker stuff, but unburdened by bureaucracy.
“We’re not trying to help everybody, just everybody we possibly can, so we’re not stretched too thin. I even have a university professor on the payroll as a consultant. She’s all clued up on the social work research, helps design programs for these boys.”
“Yeah, that sounds good,” I say. “Real good. Your speech was good, too.”
“Hey, fuck, I got to be a salesman half the time now. We don’t charge these kids anything. So, you interested? I could use another partner. Penny and I are starting to get overloaded, and her tattoo shop is getting big, you know. She’s picking up a new client every day almost.”
I think about it, even though I don’t really need to. “Count me in,” I say.
A broad smile erupts on his face. “Great. How about all that stuff with your girl’s old man?”
“That’s all done,” I say. “He’s back in the States, awaiting trial, no bail. Police received a tip on financial records kept at his house in a hidden safe. His crew is getting picked up one by one.”
“Bet they’re all flipping upward, now, aren’t they?”
“Of course they fucking are,” I growl. “Bunch of spineless fucks, all of them. When the dust settles, I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes away for consecutive life sentences. He has a lot of fucking skeletons buried and they are going to get dug up.”
“Nothing will follow you back here?”
I shake my head. “Shouldn’t, but if it ever does, I’ll be out of here.” I pause. “You know, for the boys.”
“Okay, good. Hate to make a point of it, but they’re my priority.”
“It’s fine,” I tell him, waving a hand.
“Hey, I got to get back to it. You come by Monday morning, half-seven, I’ll show you where everything is. Going to need all your tax info and that stuff as well if you have it. Say ‘hi’ to your girl for me.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Pierce mimes a pregnant belly. “Everything going well?”
I grin. “So far so good. We’re going for an ultrasound next week.”
“That’s fantastic. It’s a boy, right?”
I laugh, can’t keep myself from beaming. “That’s right.”
“Got a name?”
“We’re naming him Thom. With an ‘h’.”
“It’s a good name, man. I’m happy for you.” He leans into me, and is now wearing a smile that’s more pride and joy than anything else. “We just found out. Penny’s pregnant, too.”
“No shit,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder. “That’s fantastic. Were you trying?”
He shakes his head. “But we’re going to roll with it.”
“Get a chance to fall in love all over again,” I murmur.
“I don’t know why they call you Creature,” Pierce says. “You’re all sentiment.”
We shake hands, I leave.
I went to Pierce’s gym to ask for a job to work with the kids, figured he’d do a fighter a favor. Just as well he was looking to hire, anyway.
Dee will be pleased.
I climb into my car, receive a text, and pull out my phone. The bank transfer went through. The several million I had earned with literal blood and sweat are now in Australia. Going to have to find someone to help me invest that, look into getting a bigger place.
The clock in the dash reads half-past three, which means I’ve got thirty minutes to get across town.
Plenty of time for just one more thing.