I finished analyzing Tsebo's dribbling movements. Every step, every flick, every feint — it all made sense now. At least, I thought it did.
This… this is Proactive Dribbling, I told myself. But can I really do this?
I paused, eyes narrowing. Is this what Tsebo wanted me to do?
A blur of flame lit my vision.
NO!
My body froze mid-thought. I held my chin, mind spinning. This isn't it. It's not my style.
I needed to think. What have I been doing?
Every match flashed before me.
Every moment I waited for my opponent to act first, every instinct I let decide the play — it was all passive.
I had been letting the game control me instead of controlling it.
But… what does it truly mean to be proactive?
Does it mean performing feints and tricks?
Does it mean ignoring the opponent's moves?
No. All of those were superficial answers.
Being proactive meant making the first blow.
My mind sharpened. I had to dissect myself. Strip everything down. Start from scratch.
I imagined my body fading, starting at my head.
Every part of me disintegrated, every habit, every old reflex, every instinct — turning into streams of numbers, data points, pure code.
The old Bapala was gone.
Now I have disected my style.
I could see every movement, what I had slowly unconsciously programmed my body to do while dribbling.
I needed to rebuild, rewrite my code entirely, from the ground up.
If being proactive meant making the first move, then I would make it.
From now on, I wouldn't just react. I would strike, observe, adapt, and react again.
Slowly, my body began to reform.
This was no longer the old Reactive Dribbling.
This was my new dribbling style. Reactive Dribbling, but an updated version.
I would initiate the first move and respond to the opponent's reaction — a perfect synthesis of strategy and instinct.
When I finally solidified, I felt it. Every nerve, every fiber, every thought aligned. I was ready.
I had dissected myself. I had rewritten my code. I had updated.
This is my style. My first blows. My reactive movements.
I flexed my fingers, felt the pitch under my feet, and smiled. The game would never be the same.
I was no longer just reacting. I was proactively reacting.