Disclaimer: All characters mentioned herein are the property of
Takahashi Rumiko and are used without permission on a solely
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At The Movies
I love Bruce Lee movies. I can sit and watch em all day. And
with the house empty this weekend, no family, no fiancees, and
no one busting through the walls to challenge me that's what
I'm doing. Yup it's just me, the chips and the Bruce Lee marathon
on Channel 41.
Since as far back as I can remember, I wanted to be Bruce Lee.
Big surprise, right? I know, me, Saotome Ranma, Heir to the Saotome
School of Anything-Goes wanting to be a great fighter. Wanting to be
a hero. Thing of it is, it's funny, My life's like something out of the
movies most of the time.
Hell, the stories of some of the things that have happened to me
would make great stuff. Kirin, Toma, Herb and the Musk Kingdom.
Man, Lee-san never had it as bad as I do. Fists of Fury is nothing
compared them. I can just see it now, even something like that movie,
The Lost World, about those dinosaurs that come back to life. Now
imagine something about Ryugenzawa, got a bunch of animals
already there, HUGE. Perfect for an action movie. Any other animals
they needed, just give em a drink of the Water of Life and there they
are! Would be great too, scary as hell.
For everyone else, of course. Not me, nope. Nothing scares me
you know.
Except cats, and that isn't even my fault! Stupid Pop's fault, not
mine... tying fish sausage to your kid and throwing him into an alley
filled with cats. Over and over and over...NO! Damn it! Not gonna think
about that! Forget it! Where was I? Oh yeah. Like I was sayin', about
the movie. You could even put Ryouga in it and call it 'The Real Lost
World', heh!
I heard Lee-san did his own stunts too and that some of the stuff
on the screen was real. People actually went after him with chairs and
broken beer bottles and stuff. Him being attacked and all just because
people always wanted to prove they were better than him. They'd be
tough because they beat up the 'Great' Bruce Lee. What a joke.
He probably hated it as much as I do.
They just didn't get it. Lee-san wasn't great, wasn't a great martial
artist because he threw the hardest punch or had the fastest kick. He
was a great martial artist because he understood the art, he respected
it. He learned and then he tried to teach other people about it.
How it isn't just about learning how to fight, anyone can do that. It's
a lot more than just a bunch of ways to hurt people. The art taught me
how to protect yourself sure, and that's important. But it's not all it
taught
me.
A lot of the different forms and techniques I learned came from people
looking at animals. Watching how they moved. Studying how they did
things. The way different parts of their bodies worked with each other to
come together in a strong, smooth, graceful way. That is the Martial Arts,
right there. It's a way of looking at things, almost a way of thinking.
I can almost hear Nabiki laughing at that now. Probably get a big kick
out of it. 'Yeah right, Saotome Ranma, great philosopher!', she'd say. She
does that a lot, makes fun of things, of me, of all of us really. Always got
a joke or a put-down ready. The way she goes on you'd think she only
cared about money.
Doesn't fool me though. Not anymore.
I see the way Nabiki looks at her family and the way she looks at Her
when she's sure no one else is looking. She's good though. It's not Nabiki's
posture and her voice never gives anything away when she's talking. The
only place I can see it is in her eyes. The eyes never lie.
Most of the time Nabiki squints, and looks like she's sizing everyone up.
Like I do when I'm trying to scout my opponent and figure out how to beat
them. Even does it when she laughs, which I've never seen anyone do.
That's how she looks at people, except those few times I've ever seen her
surprised. Then her eyes widen, just like anyone else. Even then, it's less
than most other people.
Except around them.
When she's with them, Nabiki's eyes open just a little wider and her
face softens just a little bit. Easy to miss, I sure did for a long time. And
I've been trained to notice these things. It's like she's always carrying
something heavy on her back and when she sees them it's taken away.
At least for a minute anyway.
Nabiki'd probably just deny it, call me crazy and say I was imagining
it or something. But she doesn't get it, she isn't a martial artist. Never
even seen her in the dojo or nothin'. Only exercise she gets that I can tell
is from those stupid workout tapes she uses.
Shame, she'd probably be great at it if she really tried. Wonder if she
ever took any lessons from Mr. Tendo? I could ask her. No, she'd just
laugh and ask why I was interested. Or worse, she'd try and charge me
for the answer.
Couldn't ask Akane either, that tomboy would think I was interested in
her sister and call me a pervert. Probably hit me with that stupid mallet of
hers too.
Kasumi'd know, maybe I'll ask her sometime. But not right now.
I'm busy watching my movie. I love Bruce Lee movies.