Today is different.
Things have changed.
An old training partner
Shot-up a shopping center in town
With an assault rifle
And a shotgun
He was 20 years old
Two people died
He left a journal behind
And his months leading up to the shooting
Are well documented
His descent into complete madness
Is right there
For anyone to read
Reading suicidal-madness
From someone I briefly knew
Turns the stomach
And sinks the heart
He was just a kid
That I kicked in the face a few times
He loved fighting
But I was levels above him
And I would do whatever I wanted to when we spared
I remember landing a spinning back kick to his face
And blood started to gush-out of his nose…
The guy must’ve been having flashbacks to all the times he was bullied in school…
I skipped training today
Being violent
Even if it’s controlled
Even if it's consensual
Even if it's part of training
Doesn’t sound like something I want to do
Thinking about it
Makes my stomach turn again
Hopefully
Some day
I'll find the fire again
To fight
I know
I can't let him
Take it away from me
If I do
Then in the end
He will have taken another soul.
-C.H.