He got the derogatory nickname “Pooh Bear,” mainly meant to be an insult because of his soft spoken tone and quiet demeanor. Also, Phillip was the “new kid” in a fairly snobby and very cliquish high school where most of the students were spoiled rich kids who in their parents eyes could do no wrong.
However, Phillip had his own secret that not too many people knew seeing it was his first semester there. Phillip was skilled at the Martial Arts, mainly Muay Thai and Thai Chi and was a seventh-degree black belt and had won numerous awards in sparring competitions. If he wanted to, he could easily kick ass and take name, but that wasn’t his style.
He fully embraced the discipline which consisted of the body, mind and heart all being in sync and harmony. He also acted with self-respect and respect for others. He never fought out of anger because that clouded judgment and could cause him to lose concentration, leaving him open to counter attacks.
Phillip never went looking for a fight, but when he did fight, it was done with focus, and control. He also meditated to keep himself centered and to clear his mind so as not to lose focus or self-control.
Even with all this, the students who wanted to see him suffer, taunted him even more, calling him a “wussy” and even went so far as to suggest he pay his own mother to have sex with him because it was the only way he was going to get laid.
Phillip, however was not without friends. The wrestling team members liked him because he wasn’t an asshole and befriended him because they saw in him a sense of control and finesse that could be useful in wrestling. They encouraged him to join the team and were surprised at his moves and the ability he had to gauge and out think and out maneuver his opponents.
Over the next 21 months, Phillip endured the taunting, but it wasn’t that bad, seeing that a lot of the students saw his tormentors as dumb asses. Finally just before his 18 birthday it all came to a head, but Phillip kept his self-control when one of his tormentors finally crossed the line.
It was in the locker room after PE and there were three guys, the lead tormentor named Brad or the “Bradster” as he liked to refer to himself as, and two of his new “flunkies.” Phillip turned and looked in Brad’s direction but calmly kept doing what he was doing and ignored him. Phillip knew Brad was looking for a fight, but he wasn’t going to stoop to Brad’s level or let the boys get the best of him.
Finally, Brad had had enough of being ignored by Phillip and figured he was going to show Phillip just how much of a man he was and physically fight him. As Brad swung at Phillip, Phillip moved with incredible speed and grabbed Brad’s arm, twisting it back in on itself and pinned Brad against the lockers in a move which forced Brad to drop to one knee and cry out in pain.
Brad was sweating profusely, and his eyes teared up as a searing throbbing pain shot though has arm. When the two flunkies saw what happened, they wasted no time sticking around and decided to cut and run leaving the leave Brad to fend for himself. Phillip turned to them and calmly said in a classic Clint Eastwood “Dirty Harry” steely tone, “Wise move gentlemen!”