First Stance

I lay flat against the coarse carpet weave. A dull weight held my joints rigid. I pressed my right heel down, testing resistance. The fiber yielded. I bent my knees, rolled my weight forward, and pushed up from the floor. Next to my arm lay a thick black cord stretching across the textured gray surface. I reached out and tapped the dense rubber casing with my knuckle. It was solid, cool, and firmly grounded. I pulled back, balanced my feet squarely under my hips, and held my position.