He turned.
She took the back again.
The sequence lasted twenty seconds.
Eric escaped by exploding forward.
Nia let him.
He stood breathing harder.
“So how long you been white?”
Nia looked at Daniel.
Daniel looked at her, not rescuing her from the question.
She realized she was tired of letting fabric answer for her.
“About three months this time.”
Eric frowned.
“This time?”
Nia sat back on her heels.
“I was promoted to black belt four years ago.”
The nearby visitors went quiet.
Eric stared at her belt.
Then at her face.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you wearing white?”
Nia considered the question.
“Because I needed to.”
Eric looked around, perhaps expecting laughter at his expense.
Nobody laughed.
Madison knew too well what that would do.
Brooke offered him a hand.
“Welcome to Iron Harbor,” she said.
Eric looked at her suspiciously.
“Is everybody here weird?”
Tessa answered, “Yes.”
The tension broke.
Eric laughed.
They finished the round.
He did not go easy.
Neither did Nia.
At the buzzer, they slapped hands.
“Good round,” he said.
“You too.”
He hesitated.
“Sorry about the white belt comment.”
Nia shrugged.
“You asked. You didn’t insult me.”
“That feels like a low bar.”
“It can still be useful.”
After the open mat, Nia sat alone near the wall, untying the white belt.
Madison dropped beside her.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“That looked different.”
“What did?”
“You told him.”
Nia folded the belt once.
“I did.”
“Why?”
Nia looked at her.
“Because I realized I wasn’t protecting myself anymore. I was hiding from having to decide.”
Madison nodded slowly.
“Decide what?”
“What the belt means now.”
Brooke and Tessa joined them.
Brooke sat cross-legged.
“Are we allowed to be curious?”
“Yes.”
“Are you putting the black belt back on?”
Nia looked down at the white fabric in her hands.
“I don’t know.”
Tessa said, “That answer is becoming a brand.”
Nia smiled.
Madison nudged her shoulder.
“For what it’s worth, I think you should wear whatever makes you train.”
Brooke nodded.
“Same.”
Tessa hesitated, then said, “I used to think the white belt was dishonest.”
Nia looked at her.
Tessa continued, “Now I think maybe I was mad because I rely on categories too much. If I know someone’s belt, I know what I’m supposed to expect. You took that away.”
“That wasn’t why I did it.”
“I know.”
Tessa picked at a loose thread on her sleeve.
“I’m trying to say I learned something.”
Brooke smiled.
“We’re proud of you.”
Tessa glared at her.
Madison looked at Nia.
“If you ever do put it back on, don’t make it a ceremony.”
Nia laughed.
“Absolutely not.”
“I’m serious. Daniel will make it emotional.”
From across the room Daniel called, “I can hear you.”
Madison shouted back, “Then hear the warning.”
Two weeks later, Sofia visited Iron Harbor.
She came on a Tuesday evening carrying a gym bag and wearing a brown belt.
The room’s curiosity was immediate.
Nia had warned Daniel.
She had not warned anyone else.
Madison recognized Sofia first.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh.”
Brooke followed her gaze.
“Oh.”
Tessa whispered, “Do not make this weird.”
Brooke whispered back, “You saying that makes it weird.”
Nia walked over before any of them could fail socially.
“Sofia.”
“Hi.”
They hugged.
Not tentatively this time.
Daniel introduced himself.
Sofia shook his hand.
“Thanks for letting me drop in.”
“Any friend of Nia’s who signs the waiver is welcome.”
Sofia smiled.
“That sounds legally careful.”
“I own a gym.”
She laughed.
Class began.
For the first half, Nia and Sofia did not partner.
That was intentional.
They had discussed it beforehand.
Neither wanted their first shared mat in four years to become a performance.
During positional rounds, Sofia worked with Madison.
Madison was careful without being timid.
Sofia noticed.
“You can pressure more.”
Madison nodded.
“Tell me if the knee angle feels wrong.”
Sofia glanced toward Nia.
Then back at Madison.
“She told you the whole story?”
“Some.”
Sofia smiled faintly.
“Good. Pressure.”
They trained.
Later, Brooke rolled with Sofia and discovered the injured knee was not fragile.
Tessa asked three technical questions and apologized after the third.
Sofia laughed.
“I coach teenagers. Three questions is a vacation.”
At the end of class, Daniel announced one final light round.
Nia and Sofia looked at each other.
The room noticed and tried not to notice.
Sofia smiled.
“Want to?”
Nia’s pulse jumped.
She looked around the room.
Then at Sofia’s knee.
Then at her face.
“Technical.”