Eka Guramishvili vs Harumi Hazama: A fight with Pride?

The hard as rock eyes did not change through out Eka’s speech. They glowed underneath the overhead lights, a dull fire burning underneath a stoic face. She was a bit surprised at Eka’s tone. Harumi’s offer of help was genuine, but it seemed that it had offended her opponent. While it was not intentional, and Harumi could see why it would, there was really no need to act the way she did. Either way, the Judo warrior got what she wanted. Eka was serious now…maybe.

“Teach me fear, hmm?” the tone was not quite cold, but it was clear she was not scared of Eka, “Isn’t that something a Heel would say?”

Despite how intimidating Harumi herself could come off, she had a very strong sense of right and wrong. She hated cheaters, liars, but most of all bullies. Those that picked on others weaker than themselves, that would spout out threats just to get what they wanted or to scare others. Perhaps Eka was showing her true colors? When the heat was on, she turned bad?

Another disappointed “Tsk” was uttered from Harumi. Such low tactics would never scare her, not so long as she could stand. If Eka was going to take her down, it would be with done with action, not low words. The judo star unfolded her arms, and stretched them to her side, beckoning Eka to make a move.

“Perhaps I did misjudge you…but know this, I won’t cow down to any fiend or their threats. I’m not scared of you or any villain…nor will I ever be! So if you face me, do so with your body, not your cowardly words!”

By then, the Georgian surged forward, faster than before. Whatever had gotten into her head, it was working for her. Too bad her eyes were giving her away. Harumi noticed that her eyes were squarely on the teal woman’s boots. It seemed she would go for a tackle, and Harumi quickly got into position, ready to counter the larger woman. As soon as she got close, the Judo girl would smash her knee right into the charging woman’s chin.

But much to her surprise, it was all a feint! Eka moved in close, but shot back up, grabbing onto Harumi’s arm and tossing her onto the ground, her lower back taking the brunt of the blow as she smashed onto the floor. Gritting her teeth, Harumi would hold onto Eka’s arm, shooting a quick kick towards the side of Eka’s face, trying to make her pay for the feint.

As Eka rushed forward, a parasite crawled into her ear and lodged itself firmly in her brain. Her legs pushed her forward, but her mind stayed in one spot, churning over itself again and again. Heel. That word stuck out more than most. Maybe if she were willing to bend the rules, she would have beaten Bunny Bomber, using the same tactics that the bunny girl used. Maybe she would have stood a fighting chance against Cecilia. Hell, she resorted to using scummy tactics in a spar against Alicia. Maybe that was a turn that she could take.

As her body graced Harumi's most of those thoughts were brushed aside. She did not have time to think such things. The more instinctual side of her took over, and that side just wanted to execute the throw. As she was throwing her opponent, she felt a strange sensation. For a brief second, she allowed herself to look down to find Harumi's hand latched on to her arm. Eka did not know what Harumi was planning, but that hold had her on high alert. Her blue eyes were wide open as she followed through on the move.

The Georgian girl had her head on a swivel, but it would have taken a true dullard not to notice the kick coming in to the side of her face. Eka was fast, but she was not fast enough. She tried to pull her head back, but the speed of the blow and her awkward position meant that she could not get far enough back quickly enough. Harumi's boot crashed into her face, causing the ravenhaired girl to let go of her opponent quickly and stumble back, away from the Judoka.

Eka quickly assessed the situation. The pain in her face was immense, probably. The adrenaline rush of her impromptu speech and the semi successful throw meant that she was ignoring it now, knowing full well that it was going to hurt later. She immediately rushed forward, trying to leap on top Harumi, to try and get her in an ankle lock. That would surely slow down the multitude of kicks that seems to be without mercy and without end.

The impact of the judoka’s foot slamming flush against her opponent’s face was not a new sensation, rather, it was actually fairly common for Harumi do successfully land kick to her opponent’s head. Normally, it knocked them clean out, the kick often catching them by complete surprise and therefore hade little defense to stop its powerful momentum. This kick was a bit different then her normal kick. She was still on the ground for one thing, which limited the power she could actually deliver, relying mostly on her leg muscles to deliver any real force, and she was minorly disoriented by the sudden shift in positions. One moment she was standing, the next she was on the floor, having fallen for a feint she thought her foe incapable of.

That disorientation would not last long. The blow to the face had done its job perfectly, the raven-haired woman releasing her grasp and stumbling a few feet away from the fallen martial artist. Rather than just wait on the floor, Harumi kipped back up to her feet, casting a cold glare towards Eka’s crystal blue eyes.

The Georgian seemed to take the kick well, her determination pushing her, driving the pain away to bearable levels. Within seconds the woman came rushing at Harumi, who’s frown only grew larger, her glare more pointed. In a display that was intentionally meant to annoy her foe, Harumi moved in for yet another hip toss, looking to use Eka’s newfound momentum against her.

If she succeeded, she would simply stare down at her foe, her stance wide open with one hand on her hip. Was she bullying this woman now? It was possible some might see it that way, but it was Eka that had threatened her with the experience of fear. If she intended on following through with her promise, Harumi had no intention of making it easy for her.

By the time Eka had arrived at her destination, it was too late. The Georgian girl had fully committed at this point. Her dark hair flowing behind her and her pumping legs testified to the engine that was Eka, and fate dictated that she continue on her quixotic charge. She could see what was about to play out, as clear as day. It was not going to end well for her, and she knew that. But she propelled herself forward, undaunted.

With a few quick motions, Eka was on the ground. Looking back, she could see what had happened. Harumi had gotten in beside her, and had leveraged her position to toss. But while the move was still going on, it was nothing but a whirlwind of hair and limbs and bodies. When Eka crashed down to the mat, she was in pain. That much was obvious from the look on her face and the cry of anguish that rose to the rafters high above her. She soon skidded to a halt, before she rolled on her back and faced her opponent.

She could not believe it. There Harumi was, standing again, hands on her hips. Looking down on her. This woman really thought that she was better than Eka, surely. The look in her eye was nothing less than contempt. Who was she to look at the Georgian girl so? She had pulled off a string of moves. So what? Does that make her the champion? The ravenhaired girl was simmering with quiet rage as her blue eyes looked her opponent up and down. She balled her fists. It was show time.

Eka got up and crouch ran at her opponent. She did not want to get more than halfway up. Going into this move, she knew that she was going to want to keep her center of gravity as low as possible. But more importantly, she wanted to bring her opponent low, literally and spritually. At the last second, Eka whipped both of her legs around to try and sweep Harumi off of her feet. Let's see how many haughty looks she gives when she hits the mat, she thought.

Harumi was frustrated about a lot of things in this match. Her opponent Eka, for losing her temper and saying such stupid things that only Heels would say, the skill that she clearly had yet wasted for seemingly little reason leading her to be countered easily, but most of all, herself. Harumi had meant it when she said that she was willing to help work out the Georgian’s combat kinks, trying to extend something of an olive branch, but Eka seemed to take it as an insult. Was it because she was new? A rookie offering to teach a vet may come off as insulting, but Harumi didn’t see it that way. Experience was experience, no matter the age, and if someone was willing to teach, then why not accept?

Or maybe it was her tone? Harumi hated that part about herself. She always found it hard to open up to others, even slightly. Her father’s student always looked up to her, the top of the class and Judo prodigy. When ever they came to speak with her, she had to play that role, the strong, smart, hard nosed girl. She was the instructor’s daughter after all.

But she had grown up the instructor’s daughter, and to this day she struggled with getting rid of her sharp attitude and how cold her tone could be. She wanted to be nicer, more approachable, but she simply couldn’t. If she had any doubts about that, Eka would put them to rest, the raven haired beauty’s anger was clear as day on her face.

Harumi was frustrated, Eka was mad. Whatever bridge they could build was likely burned already, and that frustrated the Judoka even more. All that was left was to try and entertain the crowd and give them a good show.

Eka began to run at her, keeping low to the ground, her center of gravity too low to pull off another hip toss. Harumi got down into her own grappling stance, moving forward to meet Eka in a clash of strength. However, just as they were about to meet, Eka pulled of another feint, tripping the Judo girl up and toppling her to the ground. Harumi’s face bounced of the floor, a pained grunt the only audible discomfort coming from her. She smacked the floor quickly, but only once. She had been tricked again, and there was no excuse for that in her mind.

Emotions were getting quite high in the match. The quiet fury was plain on Eka's face, and a brief glance up revealed that the Judoka was getting irritated. So be it. They were young, and often the greatest matches were borne out when someone seized their emotions and put it to good use. As the Georgian girl carried out the move, she prayed that it would be her. Both of her legs darted forwards. If there ever were a point of no return, Eka had far surpassed it with the kick and with the match. There was no going back, and Eka was not sure that she wanted to.

Leg met leg. The move had come off. Eka's low hustle had put her at an advantage, but it had yet to win her the day. The kick was a good one, but she knew that it was not going to keep her opponent down for long. Harumi possessed the ability to bounce back after a harsh blow rather quickly, and Eka was best on the ground. She knew that her best chance of winning this involved getting Harumi in a position where she was being stretched. And with her resilience, it had to be fast.

Eka scrambled on top of her opponent, clambering for any outstretched limb that begged for squeezing. She wanted to go for something intricate, something that would really get Harumi in a bind, but she lacked the time for it. Eka was in go-mode as she looked for any opening, and chink in the armor.

Opting to keep it simple, Eka moved up, and went for a guillotine choke. She carefully positioned herself, and then went all in on it. Surely she would stop hearing so many lectures if Harumi couldn't even talk.

A slight, dull pain resided in Harumi’s leg, where Eka’s kick had hit and knocked the Judoka off balance, bringing her to the floor, but that was the least of her concerns. Harumi had noticed Eka trying bring this match down to the ground several times in this match, and there had to be a reason. No that she was on the ground, she couldn’t help but feel vulnerable, like prey walking through a predator’s territory.

Within seconds of falling to the ground, Harumi was already on her knees and getting ready to stand right back up until Eka tackled her right back down to the ground. A slight jolt of panic shivered through Harumi, having been caught by a larger foe, and brought down to a terribly disadvantageous position. Quickly, she began to use her breathing exercises, shaking away the fear and concentrating on the woman on top of her. The Georgian seemed desperate to lock her in with any type of hold she could, Harumi’s keen eyes watching as her foe seemed to try and decide which limb to go for.

No way would the teal attired woman make it easy for her. She began to thrash about, making sure every limb the raven-haired woman eyed was moving, either as a quick jab to her body, pushing away at her, or swinging away from her. In a way, it must have worked, because instead of going for any of the limbs, Eka instead went for the head.

An arm with strong biceps corded around Harumi’s head before squeezing her throat, locking her in and suffocating her near instantly. It was difficult to focus, the brains primal urge to breath made it pump adrenaline, exciting Harumi even more as she struggled against the grip.

“Gurrgh!”

Her spine was being dragged across the mat, one of the Judo girl’s arms pushing off on it to relieve some of the pain from the friction and topple the larger woman slightly to the side. The new position would do nothing to ease the hold, except make it so Harumi could pull on Eka’s powerful arms with one of her hands, trying to create even the smallest give in the hold so she could breathe again. The other was pulling back, muscles cording tightly, preparing for a palm strike that would attempt to drive itself like a pike through the Georgian’s abs.

Thrashing. That is what Eka disliked most of all when she was when she was trying to get a submission in was the thrashing. When someone moved with some coordination, usually she had a way to counter it, a rabbit that she could pull out of her hat that would let just the right submission through. But there was no response to random movements. Eka felt a little bit daunted by the response as she continued moving to try and stop the thrashing, her blue eyes looking down on her opponent with frustration.

But despite how irked she was, she got the hold in. Instantly, Eka felt a sense of relief. Not really joy, not really anger. But relief. For the first time in this entire match, Eka felt like she was playing her game. She wasn't getting thrown around, and her move actually worked. Eka let out a sigh of comfort the same way that her opponent could not. She pulled just that little bit tighter to really put the screws into her opponent.

Then she felt it. The resistance. The Georgian girl was honestly ready to kick herself for not seeing it coming, that the Judoka was too upright to take the move lying down as it were. A strong hand latched onto her arm, and began pulling, pulling, pulling. Eka felt her own arm shake slightly as she put more and more effort into it, her face screwed up with concentration. She was sweating profusely now, her face turning red with effort.

"Errrr...." Her growl was a low one, called up from the deep recesses of her throat that was usually reserved for particularly difficult bits of homework or for sparring partners who hit a little too hard. Eka brought her other hand down to the mat, to try and give herself even more leverage. But she found the grip loosening, even if it was only by a little bit...

Harumi continued to struggle, even in the larger woman’s guillotine choke hold. To simply lay there and let Eka choke her out so quickly was not an option Harumi would let come to fruition. So, Harumi did what she could with what she had at her disposal, which was not much, but better than nothing. The Judoka’s right hand continued to pull at the strong forearm that strangled her while her left kept her grounded enough to make her strength effective.

Even with all her focus on pulling Eka’s arm away from her throat, it was an immense struggle. She pulled and tugged, getting precious little results each tug. Her arms began to get tired as she held up not only her own body weight but a portion of Eka’s as well, and they started to strain with their intense use. Still, Harumi pulled even harder, desperate to get out of her terrible position.

The constant pulling must have been getting to Eka as well, because Harumi’s constant struggles were making progress. The arm that had been choking her felt less intense. More blood was able to flow through her veins and getting oxygen was becoming easier, if only by just a little bit. It was beginning to look as though she might just be able to force her way out of the hold. A couple more hard tugs, and Harumi thought she may have finally created enough space to pull her head out of the painful hold.

Another struggle would begin, one where Harumi was now focused on maintaining what little room she had to force her head through Eka’s hold. Wrenching her head back and forth, twisting and turning her body in order to help nudge her way out of the hold. If she was lucky enough to be successful, she would pull her head free, careful of the vertigo she would no doubt experience, and bring up her guard to defend against whatever Eka might throw at her next.

Eka should not have let herself get rolled over. That was one of the basics of wrestling, and she totally blew it. Eka had lost all of the leverage before she even had a chance, and that was none more obvious now that Harumi was gaining ground in the hold. Her face blushed crimson with both exertion and embarrassment. A low grumble emanated up from within her throat, belying her frustration both in the strength of her arm and the weakness of her decision making.

And then came the thrashing. The movement up and down surely meant that Harumi was depriving herself of oxygen. Which surely meant that she had enough confidence in the strength of her body that she knew that she could get away with it. For a woman who was as saddled with doubt as Eka was, she could hardly believe it. There was a great inner fire within her opponent, and the Georgian girl felt that she had left herself out in the cold.

Realizing that this particular battle was not going to end well for her, Eka opted to change strategies. With Harumi bucking with all of the strength of a crocodile, anything that she did was going to have to be strong. But more importantly, fast. Eka's blue eyes rapidly scanned her opponent's body looking for any slight opening that she could exploit for her own benefit. Finally, seeing what she thought was daylight, she struck.

Or more appropriately, relented. She completely let go of the choke and scrambled as quickly as she could and go for a kimura. It was an especially brutal hold, and one that could cause a lot of damage. But Eka wanted to show just how much was burning inside of her...