The Reinvention Of Rudd Carter. A Western Action Adventure Novel by R.L. Davis Page A

simply dragged out of the arena. The man left standing was declared the victor, and the next bout began. Amazed, Rudd thought,
No Marquis of Queensbury rules found here.
    In the middle of the second bout, Sui Yen tapped Rudd’s arm and said, “I’m in the next bout. Wish me luck.” He jumped up and disappeared.
    The present match lasted another five minutes with the loser being carried off the floor bleeding and unconscious. The spectators screamed and applauded the winner. When the fighters in the next match were introduced, Sui Yen appeared on the other side of the fighting area stripped to the waist, barefoot, and wearing white linen pants. At five feet ten and quite muscular, he had the look of someone who could handle himself. Rudd was surprised to see him this way, because Sui Yen always seemed so sophisticated in his English business suits. Before today, Rudd could never have imagined him in a bare-knuckles martial arts fight in the slums of Hong Kong. Across from Sui Yen stood a similarly dressed man a few years older but of about the same build. He looked equally confident and tough.
    A gong sounded, barely heard above the din of the crowd. The two combatants approached each other and began circling around and around, looking for an opening. Sui Yen’s opponent kicked him in the side with his right foot, and in return, Sui Yen lashed out with his fist and gave the man a nasty gash on the left side of his face. Each punishing kick or punch was greeted with a cheer from the crowd. The two combatants prodded, feigned, punched, and kicked at each other for a few minutes. Sui Yen held his own, but as the match wore on, he seemed to get the worst of it. Finally, he caught a blow over the left eye that began to bleed so badly that he couldn’t see. Unable to continue, he conceded the fight, bowed, and left the floor amidst a background of jeers and whistles.
    Twenty minutes later, in the middle of another bout, Sui Yen rejoined Rudd with a bandage over his eye. Rudd looked him over carefully. “Are you all right? I have to say, you don’t look as I thought you would after the beating you took.”
    “The trick is to get out while you’re still able to walk.” Sui Yen laughed. “I knew I couldn’t win against him today. I needed the experience to see what he’s got, and he wanted to test me in a real situation. That fellow I fought and lost to is my teacher. Most of the winners here today are his students. Would you like to meet the Master?”
    “Yes, I would,” Rudd answered. “What’s his name?”
    “Master Chui. Come. Let’s see if we can find him. I’m sure he would like to meet you.”
    They found Master Chui in a room in the back of the building, speaking to some of his students. Sui Yen interpreted what the Master said. It was at this moment that Rudd made up his mind to study Chinese, and more specifically, the Cantonese dialect. Master Chui concluded the conversation with his students and turned his attention toward Sui Yen and Rudd.
    The Master was in his late twenties and appeared to have great self-confidence and inner strength. Alert and intelligent, his eyes gave the impression that he was aware of everything in his immediate environment.
    “Master Chui,” said Sui Yen, “my friend has expressed a desire to meet you. May I present Rudd Carter?”
    The Master bowed courteously. “What can I do for you, Mr. Carter?” he asked in English.
    “I’m deeply honored to meet you, sir. In England, I began boxing at age ten. By the time I was sixteen, I was winning every tournament I entered, but I must say I have never witnessed anything like the style of fighting I saw here today. What do you call it, and how does one learn it?”
    Master Chui smiled politely. “It is called T’ai Chi Ch’uan. In English it translates to Supreme, Ultimate Fist. You learn it very slowly and precisely. What you saw here today was a combination of many Asian martial art styles that developed over the centuries