Fighter's Brew Transcript: Episode 9 (Patreon)

• Fighter's Brew

All-Rounder Meguru was created by Hiroki Endo. Fighter's Brew is written, produced, and narrated by Sam.

[Note: Manga is read right to left.]

The organizers of the amateur shooto event called all the teams to gather around for an announcement.

"Ahem. We saw several fouls here today. We ask that each gym please be diligent in their coaching. The Shooto Foundation will not tolerate anyone who cannot abide by the rules."

As everyone is heading out, Maki runs into Kaoru again. She notices a bag of ice wrapped around her arm. For a moment, Maki feels bad for injuring her but is also impressed she fought through it.

"See ya," Maki says.

"Um, Kamiya-san," Kaoru says. "I'm going to enter the All-Japan competition. What about you?"

"I guess?"

"Great! See you then."

"Nobeoka-san, was it? What made you get into shooto?"

"Well, my brother and sister do judo, too, but they're way better than me. Still, I wanted to make use of what I've learned. So here I am. What about you?

Maki is like a deer in headlights.

"Why do you do shooto?" Kaoru continues.

"Well? My siblings are all a bunch of delinquents. So, I wanted to use what I learned from them? I guess?"

"You guess?"

Meguru is sitting outside of Purebred gym, tying his shoes. He looks up to see someone standing in front of him with a clenched fist.

"Whoa!" Meguru jumps back, startled.

Takashi relaxes his hand and softens his face.

"Umm. Well, you finally won one. So. You trying for the All-Japan comp?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah."

"After I take the competition and go pro, I'm gonna go up to welterweight," Takashi tells Meguru. Meguru is confused.

"See ya," Takashi says as he walks away.

Maria, Maki, Meguru, and Yudai are riding the subway together.

Meguru is deep in thought. "If Takashi is going up a weight class, then my only chance to fight him again is while we're amateurs. But how exactly will I beat him? Maybe if I take him to the ground? But I have to do something about that left kick first. And then there's his clinch and weird uppercut to worry about."

"Hey, Maki-chan," Meguru says. "Can you coach me on the left middle and the clinch sometime?"

"Sure," she says, "but I won't hold back."

"Are you really gonna continue MMA, Kamiya?" asks Yudai. "You'll have to learn throws, defense, and grappling then."

"You all have areas you're good at," Maria interjects, "so you'll just have to work together to improve."

"Yeah!" Meguru says. "Because my specialty is..."

"Is?" Maki asks.

Meguru turns around and walks away.

"Why is he so weird?" Maki says, "I should smack him."

As Maria holds her back, "Now, now, Maki-chan."

At Meguru's house.

Meguru is creeping his family out by giggling and whispering to himself, "I won. Me. I won."

At Takashi's studio.

Takashi is at his sink, burning the picture of Toshio Yamaguchi. It's a new beginning.

At Kogure Gym.

"So," Tsukisada-sensei says, "You're telling me you didn't have faith in your own left mid?"

Tsukisada-sensei has pulled Takashi aside. "Isn't your style centered around KOs with high kicks? But you can only throw front kicks from sanchin stance. You won this time, but you could have just as easily lost, especially if you were up against a strong grappler."

"I know," Takashi says.

Takashi changes his clothes and leaves the gym with his head down.

"Tsukisada-kun," says a man in a suit. He's older than Tsukisada-sensei. It's the gym owner.

"Sir?"

"Doesn't he seem down to you recently?"

"Well, he's young, so I'm sure he has a lot on his mind. He dropped out of school, too. He's a talented boy, but as long as he's not my private pupil, I can't meddle in his personal life."

Outside the gym, a car is waiting for Takashi. It's Miyuki.

In the car.

"Where are we going?" Takashi asks.

"Hospital," Miyuki says.

"Miyuki-san, I have work today."

Miyuki grabs Takashi by the chin and kisses him.

"Which club?" she asks.

"Avalon on Third..."

"Give them my name and say you'll be late."

Inside a hospital room.

A badly beaten woman lies unconscious on the bed.

"Her name is Mei. She's worked for me for a long time, but fell for the wrong guy and started working at his club. He got her hooked on pills, then did this to her."

Miyuki hands Takashi a picture of him.

"This is the guy. Ryo Kojima. A real sadist. Obviously, this pissed me off and I wanted to have him abducted and tortured. But this guy's gang is one of Tetsuo's affiliates. Looks like Tetsuo can't handle this directly. So..."

"No. I won't be an errand boy for the yakuza."

That night, at Avalon.

Takashi is working as a server. He sees a customer berating one of his coworkers.

In the breakroom. Takashi sees his coworker storm in.

"Yuji-san," Takashi says, "What'd the manager say?"

"Who cares. I told him I'm quitting."

"Got a plan B?"

"Pretty much. Just between you and me, I got a big job from the gang that runs this neighborhood. Me and two of my buds."

Takashi's ears perk up.

Yuji continues, "If we pull it off, they'll let us join. That's all I can say."

After work.

Takashi and Yuji are sitting on a park bench. It's late.

"How old are you again, Takashi?"

"18."

"Shit, you're the same age as my sister."

Yuji is drinking a beer.

"You dropped outta high school, right? What a waste. You wanna make your folks cry?"

"My parents are dead," Takashi reveals.

"Yeah? You, too, huh?"

Takashi isn't the only one hurting in this world.

Yuji continues, "My parents died in a car crash when I was in junior high. I'm fine, but my sister has it rough living with our relatives. She's a smart kid, so I wanna put her through college at least. But who knows, maybe she'll get a scholarship."

Yuji offers Takashi a beer.

"I don't drink," Takashi says.

"Just take it home, ya? Take care of yourself, Takashi. See ya."

Takashi holds the beer as he watches Yuji walk away.

Outside of Tetsuo's office building.

Sang-myeon is by Tetsuo's black sedan, leaning against the back of a bench.

Takashi walks up to Sang-myeon. Sang-myeon doesn't know what to think. Takashi leans against the bench.

"If you're here to pick a fight," Sang-myeon warns, "save it for later. We're working."

"I want you to teach me to box," Takashi says.

"I thought karate was superior."

"I can't see hooks. Especially ones like that left body blow you threw."

"Go to a boxing gym then," Sang-myeon says, "There are plenty of guys stronger than me out there."

"I don't have the cash to go to two gyms. And besides, I want you to teach me."

"And the boss?"

"I haven't told my uncle."

"Charity work, huh?"

Takashi and Sang-myeon are at a university gym.

"Don't block the left body shot with your elbow. You leave your head open," Sang-myeon coaches. "The idea is to step back to dodge. And if you're pushed into a corner, keep your guard up and your feet moving. Throw a hook and swap positions. Or you can go for a clinch. If you can close the distance, you'll manage somehow."

After training.

"Cho-san, do you know a man named Ryo Kojima?" Takashi asks.

"You know him?" Sang-myeon asks.

"No."

"He's a dangerous bastard who rolled into town with pills and escorts. He's violent and is the black sheep of his own gang."

Sang-myeon tries to read Takashi's intentions.

"Takashi, don't get involved with him. I might be yakuza, but even we think he's scum."

Back at Takashi's studio

The boxes have been opened. Things have been unpacked. There's now a table. On it is Yuji's beer. Takashi stares at it, then makes a call.

Inside an office, Miyuki is at her laptop. She has her hair up and has on a light top. Her office is brightly lit and has big windows. It's a double life.

She picks up the phone.

"Miyuki-san," Takashi says.

"Yes?"

"About the job I turned down. Who took it?"

"You know, it's against the rules to ask that."

"Let's say I owe you one."

"Takashi, you'll regret owing me favors, you know."

Later.

A car pulls up to a warehouse.

Miyuki has her hair down and is wearing a black top. She's in the backseat with Takashi.

"That's the place," she says.

Inside the building, Ryo is on the phone.

"What do you mean you're cutting us off? Do you even realize how much we've paid you guys? Well?! And another thing. Mind explaining who these punks are?"

Yuji and two other men are tied up on the floor, badly beaten. Ryo kicks Yuji in the stomach. Yuji falls over onto his face and passes out in his own vomit.

"I found 'em staking the place out so they could kidnap me! Ain't that hilarious? They said Keiyukai sent 'em! That's one of your gangs, ain't it? How are you gonna make up for this?!"

Back outside. Takashi is standing next to the car.

"Miyuki-san, I'll need some cash," Takashi says.

Miyuki hands him an envelope of cash. "Make sure you return it."

Takashi puts it into his pocket.

"You're going through the front door?" she asks.

"I'm a karateka," Takashi answers.

Miyuki tries not to show concern.

Takashi walks up to the gate and knocks.

A man yells from the window, "Shut the hell up!"

"I'm here to see Ryo Kojima. Keiyukai's Tetsuo Yamabuki is my uncle."

"Wait right there," the man says.

The gate opens, and two other men lead Takashi into the building.

Inside.

"Hey there," Ryo says, "Nice to meetcha. So what brings the boss's nephew out here?"

"I want you to let Yuji Oki go."

Takashi throws the envelope of cash onto the table.

They walk into the backroom.

"Takashi!" Yuji shouts. "What are you doing here?"

"You're a lucky guy, Yuji-kun," Ryo says. "You're getting out of here."

"I'm taking the other two with me also," Takashi says.

"Then bring back triple the payment."

"That's for all of them."

Ryo pulls out a large knife and points it at Takashi's face. "Run back to your uncle and ask for more cash."

Takashi parries the knife, then smashes Ryo's nose with his palm. Ryo falls over. Takashi gets into sanchin stance. Ryo's men attack.

"Grandpa told me traditional karate is for self-defense," Takashi recollects. "This hand position might look funny, but it's spear hands—to attack the eyes, throat, and under the ribs. Roundhouse kicks didn't exist in the traditional forms. It was something the Koreans brought to karate, and everyone adopted it. But for self-defense, you only really need the front kick. Karate is about counters. Since counters are opportunistic, you must be willing to break your opponents when you attack."

Takashi strikes one man in the throat with the spear hand. Another man reaches into a drawer for a gun. Takashi kicks the drawer shut with the man's hand still inside, then kicks him in the groin and knees him in the face. Another man charges him with a knife. Takashi spears him in the eyes, kicks him to the groin, then finishes with a kick to the face.

Ryo gets up and lunges at Takashi with the knife again. Takashi evades and, with his newfound boxing, hits him with a left hook to the liver. He then grabs the arm holding the knife, and applies a grappling armlock.

No tapping allowed. Takashi breaks it.

He then grabs Ryo by the hair and smashes his face with a muay Thai knee.

Takashi thinks about what Sang-myeon told him, "Whether you call it karate or self-defense, you'll get charged with excessive force if you really injure your opponent."

Takashi then thinks about one of his grandfather's last lessons to him: "Martial art techniques at their maximum are gruesome. That is why those who fail to learn how not to use these techniques will only destroy themselves. That is tragic."

The backroom floor is littered with bodies destroyed by Takashi.