Another time, when she threw a powerful punch, he locked her arm mid-motion and redirected her momentum. His movements were sharp, efficient, and deceptive.
After several exchanges, Samantha stopped striking altogether and began practicing counter-holds instead.
Ash, though exhausted, slipped out of most of them with skill and precision—except the few that required brute strength to escape.
He soon realized she had exceptional body control and knew exactly when to stop her strength. She was a master at restraint—making the spar an exchange of combat style rather than destruction.
"Is it necessary to bend it at a ninety-degree angle?" Samantha asked curiously.
"Not really," Ash replied between breaths. "But when you force a joint against its natural direction, there are only two outcomes—it either won't budge or it'll break completely. That's not the goal of this technique. The goal is submission, not killing or destruction.
