Jack blocked it with a solid age-uke, rising block, but he knew his time was short if he didn’t free himself quickly.

Jack dropped to his knees and, with all his weight, struck the inside of Raiden’s thigh, aiming directly at the nerve point Sensei Kyuzo had shown them during training. Raiden howled in pain, releasing Jack’s foot, but as he staggered backwards, he managed to catch Jack with a messy but brutal backhanded slap across the cheek.

Jack went flying for a second time.

‘YAME!’ called the official. ‘Koka to Raiden!’

‘Come on, Jack. You can beat him,’ encouraged Akiko, but the groans from the rest of Niten Ichi Ryū were a far more honest reflection of his chances.

On the third attack Jack lasted a fraction longer, before being struck by Raiden’s forearm across the neck.

Jack crumpled to the floor.

‘YAME!’ called the official. ‘Koka to Raiden!’

This time Jack stayed down and the official’s count began.

‘One… two…’

Raiden’s ‘clothesline’ strike had knocked him senseless and Jack lay there wishing it was all over. His head rung with pain, the cheering was a wash of sound in his ears and the idea of giving up now was more inviting than ever. He had no chance in this contest. His only hope was to finish the bout alive and in one piece.

‘three…’

Then he heard a voice above the murmur of the crowd.

‘Seven times down, eight times up!’

Jack shook his head, trying to clear it. The hall came back into focus and the voice gained clarity.

‘four…’

‘Seven times down, eight times up!’

It was Yori. He was shouting at Jack. ‘Seven times down, eight times up!’

‘five…’

Yori was telling him not to give up. All Jack’s lessons suddenly came together as one. He could not accept defeat.

‘six…’

He had to conquer his own doubt and fear. Sensei Yamada’s words rang in his head. ‘In order to be walked upon, you have to be lying down.’

‘seven…’

‘Seven times down, eight times up!’

He could now hear Saburo and Akiko joining in Yori’s chant, along with several of the other students.

‘eight…’

He would not be defeated without a fight.

‘nine…’

Jack forced himself to his feet. The crowd roared, eager to see the gaijin fly again. The count stopped and Jack staggered into line.

‘Hajime!’ said the official without giving Jack any further chance to recover.

Raiden thundered forward.

Jack blocked his first attack.

Raiden lumbered past, turned and charged again. Jack managed to get a strike into Raiden’s side, but Raiden hammer-fisted Jack in the chest and he was projected backwards, landing heavily near Akiko.

‘YAME!’ called the official. ‘Koka to Raiden!’

Akiko looked distraught, but Jack got up and tried again.

‘YAME!’ called the official, as once again Jack was driven to the ground like a rag doll. ‘Koka to Raiden!’