The sound of fighting could be heard from above ground — the dull echoes of boxing gloves as they make contact with skin, the thunder clap of shins as they struck Thai pads, and the cries of intensity as bodies collided during sparring sessions. Their passion was palpable, raising the temperature within the old half-basement in Athens. The smell of sweat wafted off visible stains on every t-shirt in the room. It was almost the end of the session.
Amidst the crowd of students was a middle-aged man wearing mitts and nudging a teenager forward with practiced drills.