A Doctor by War

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Chapter One

Cora Allen yelled, "Stay down, Ted!"

However, Ted Sharron rolled over on his stomach as the crowd around him yelled. He made it to his hands and knees and Fred Hicks kicked him in the ribs, hard. All the air left Ted's lungs and he went down onto his stomach again. He tried to get up, but his body just would not do what his head was telling it.

Usually, these fights occurred once a week, always with the same three boys who seemed to alternate fighting him. Fred Hicks was the biggest. He out weighed Ted by twenty-five pounds and was at least six inches taller than Ted's five feet two, one hundred and five pound body.

As the crowd dispersed Cora helped Ted to his knees and then pulled him up. His face was bloody, but he said, "I cut him a couple of times, Cora. I know I busted his lip good. I guess that's why he kicked me. His old man will ask him who kicked his butt, so he'll get it from his old man, too. That gives me a little satisfaction."

Cora said, "I can't stand to see you beaten so badly. Why must you try?"

"I can't let them ridicule me constantly without doing something about it. I just hope I will start growing. If I could just gain about twenty pounds I know I could take them. When I do, this will stop."

"What they say is true, Ted. You are as pretty as a girl and they're jealous of how smart you are, too."

I wish Fred hadn't marked my face. Dad will be livid again. It's all I can do to keep him from going over to their houses when I come in marked-up. Thank goodness he has respected my wishes thus far. I swear Dad hurts more over these fights than I do. He loves me so much that he can't stand to see them whip me. It's not that bad though, I get my licks in and that's enough until I can get bigger."

Just as Ted had predicted, when Ralph Sharron saw his son all the color left his face and he went white hot. Laura, Ted's Mother, kept her own counsel, but it hurt her dearly to see Ted beat-up again.

Ralph said, "I swear I'm going to do something about this. I won't interfere in your affairs out of respect for you, Ted, but I'm going to come up with something by God."

Laura said, "Please Ralph, don't blaspheme the Lord's name. I have prayed constantly about this. The Lord will give us direction. I know He will."

"You're right Laura, cursing will not help the situation, I'm sorry. What happened this time, Ted?"

"Just the same old thing, Pete started saying how cute I was to Fred and I said that they must be homosexuals to always notice. Fred then shoved me and I landed one right on his mouth and cut his lip pretty badly. He went crazy then and we slugged it out as long as I could stand."

The next day at his machine shop Ralph was telling his foreman, Bob Swanson, about the fight and how he wished he could give his son an even chance.

Bob put his hand to his chin as if in thought then said, "You know, Ralph, when I was in the navy I was stationed in China during the Boxer Rebellion. The Orientals had a method of fighting where size didn't seem to make much difference. I once saw a Jap take on two Marines. He nearly beat them to death and he was only half their size. I would have helped, but I didn't think one more man would have done any good, so I just watched. You know I kind of enjoyed watching that little guy beat the crap out of those Marines."

"What kind of fighting was he doing, Bob?"

"I asked him what it was called and I believe he said it was called Jujitsu."

Ralph left the shop and went straight to the county library. He asked Linda Albright, the librarian, to help him. He told her it was of the greatest importance. She did not understand Ralph's urgency, but did help him. He read all he could find on Jujitsu, which was not much. He sat there thinking how he could get Ted that training.

He asked, "Linda, do you know where the greatest population of Japanese are located in America?"

She thought for a minute then answered, "I believer it would be either San Francisco or Los Angeles."

Ralph thanked Linda for her help and went back to his shop. At his desk he wrote a letter to the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce asking if there were someone in San Francisco who taught Jujitsu. Three weeks and two fights later a letter came from a Mr. Kohora. The letter was on stationary bearing the title, "The Academy of Martial Arts." Mr. Kohora's reply said that he taught a school where martial arts were included in the curriculum for a fee of twenty-five dollars a month. There was a telephone number on the stationary so Ralph called Mr. Kohora.

"Mr. Kohora, my name is Ralph Sharron. I have a fifteen year old boy who I would like to enroll in your Academy. Would you take him as a student?"

"Do you live here in San Francisco, Mr. Sharron?"

"No, we live in Tyler, Texas so you would have to board him also. Could we make some arrangements?"

"I'm not sure. I would have to interview you and your son. Will you be in the Bay Area sometime this year?"

"Let's see, it's May now and my son's school is out the eighteenth. We could be in San Francisco the first of June. Would you see us then?"

"Yes, could you be here at nine o'clock in the morning?"

"That will be fine. I have your address, so we will see you then. Thank you, Mr. Kohora."

Ralph was ecstatic, but knew he must sell both Laura and Ted on this. That night at supper Ralph said, "Laura how would you and Ted like to go to San Francisco on a vacation this summer?"

"Can we afford it, Ralph? You know we are saving for Ted's college and we still have that mortgage payment on you mother's farm."

"Don't worry about the money, Laura, we can afford it. We will just be there a week. We haven't been on a vacation in thirteen years except to New York to see your folks. We need to treat ourselves to a little fun."

"Ralph, this isn't like you, there is something else isn't there?"

Ralph did not speak for a moment, then described in detail about Mr. Kohora's Academy. He quickly added that if it didn't work out they would still have a great vacation.

Laura was enthusiastic about the vacation, but apprehensive about Ted going off to school.

Ted had not said anything so Ralph said, "What do you think, Son, would you like to learn this? Mr. Kohora said that martial arts are only part of the curriculum, and I know you like learning new things."

"Dad, I'll do it more for you than me. I know it kills you when I come home beat-up, but really it isn't that bad. However, we can look at it and if it fits me then I'll do it."

* * *

When they arrived at the address given on the stationary Ted spotted the name, "The Academy of Martial Arts."

Mr. Kohora explained, "Jujitsu is taught, but it is only the physical education part of the school. Our curriculum is directed to a perception of life that honors all men through service to others and to find peace with one's inner being. To do this I feel one must acquire the knowledge of ones own body. I require each student to commit to memory every bone and muscle of the body. We also study each organ and how it serves the whole of the body. We teach how the blood serves the heart and lungs and how the nervous system reacts to put all the other body members into motion. If one has the knowledge of his own body he can then...