#teachbalance

[valleyschamp]

#VALLEYSCHAMP. ⸻ INDEPENDENT,   MUTUAL   EXCLUSIVE   AND   SELECTIVE   BLOG   FOR   DANIEL   L.ARUSSO   FROM   NETFLIX’S   COBRA KAI   AND   THE   KARATE   KID   FRANCHISE.   CST -3.   SHE/HER.   WRITTEN   BY   CALI. (#)

beware   mentions   of   topics   like:   bullying,   non-sexual   grooming,   manipulation   of   a   minor,   gaslighting,   broken   home,   generational   trauma,   mentions   of   anti-italian   sentiments   while   daniel   was   growing   up.

SENSEI   OF   MIYAGI-DO   KARATE. ALL   VALLEY   CHAMPION   OF   1984/1985.

a   study   of:   the   underdog,   the   unlike   80s   hero,   the   deconstruction   of   toxic   masculinity,   let   your   voice   be   heard,   kindness   is   not   weakness,   what   it   means   to   be   a   father,   grief,   the   pain   of   burden   everyone's   pain,   overcoming   old   rivalries   and   dealing   with   your   trauma.

EST. NOVEMBER 2021. teachbalance & senseibalance.

OTHER BLOGS: robby keene | multi ck. jeanny brown. | sam larusso. | axel kovacevic.

CARRD. PROMO. HEADCANONS. ARTWORK. MEMES.

[strkefrst]

@teachbalance​      /      𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱  𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿  ;  𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱  𝗯𝘆  𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀.

     𝗛𝗘  𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗡'𝗧  𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡  𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪  𝗪𝗛𝗬  𝗛𝗘  𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘,     it  wasn’t  like  he  was  really  in  contact  with  anyone  from  high  school  outside  of  the  gang  and  he  didn’t  need  some  shitty  high  school  reunion  to  see  any  of  them.     his  life  wasn’t  exactly  anything  to  boast  about,  he  was  just  trying  to  get  back  and  as  much  as  he  didn’t  want  to  be  here,  it  was  a  good  distraction  and  better  than  sitting  in  his  apartment  drinking  alone.     johnny  knew  he  should’ve  convinced  bobby  or  jimmy  to  come  with  him,  least  he  wouldn’t  be  standing  by  himself  trying  to  act  like  he  didn’t  feel  the  most  out  of  place.     he  never  felt  like  that  in  high  school,  he  had  the  others  and  it  never  really  exposed  that  out  of  place  feeling  because  he  hadn’t  given  a  shit  what  anyone  else  thought  about  him.     fuck  it,  he  didn’t  know  why  he  was  here  and  he  had  no  reason  to  stick  around.     downing  the  drink  in  his  hand,  johnny  moved  to  leave  before  stopping  in  his  tracks,  coming  face  to  face  with  the  one  person  he  didn’t  expect  to  see,      “     larusso?      ”     he  wasn’t  even  sure  it  was  him  at  first.     little  daniel  larusso  was  all  grown  up  and  he  was     .     .     .     hot.     a  small  smirk  pulled  at  his  lips,  blue  eyes  darting  over  him,      “     didn’t  expect  to  run  into  you  here,      ”

[teachesmercy]

@teachbalance​      /      𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗟𝗬  𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗗  𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥.

     𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦  𝗪𝗔𝗦𝗡'𝗧  𝗛𝗢𝗪  𝗛𝗘  𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧  𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦  𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧  𝗪𝗔𝗦  𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚  𝗧𝗢  𝗚𝗢,     he  wasn’t  even  sure  how  he  expected  the  night  to  go  when  ali  had  asked  him  to  come  with  her  to  the  party  at  the  country  club.     a  place  he  hadn’t  been  to  since  he  had  left  his  mom’s  place  and  yet  it  was  strange  how  familiar  it  all  was,  how  easy  it  was  to  feel  like  he  belonged  even  if  he  never  really  did.     but  in  a  way  it  had  been  exactly  what  he  needed,  spending  the  day  with  ali  had  opened  his  eyes  in  a  way  that  he  hadn’t  expected.     she  always  had  known  him  better  than  he  knew  himself,  it  shouldn’t  have  been  such  a  surprise  that  she  had  been  able  to  call  him out  like  she  had.     of  course  she  had  seen  what  he  thought  he  had  been  good  at  hiding     -     his  feelings  for  daniel  larusso,  who  turned  out  wasn’t  married  anymore  and  totally  fair  game  if  he  was  to  go  for  it.     he  had  been  on  his  way  to  go  and  tell  him  how  he  was  done  fighting  him,  how  he  had  been  clearly  quite  crazy  about  him  since  high  school  and  fuck  it,  if  he  wanted  to,  maybe  they  could  try  this.     then  carmen  had  called  him  over  and  showed  him  the  state  of  miguel  and  he  quickly  explained  what  had  happened  at  the  larusso’s,  the  fight  with  cobra  kai  and  instead,  he  knew  there  was  only  thing  he  could  now     -     get  rid  of  john  kreese  for  good.

     𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗕𝗘  𝗜𝗙  𝗛𝗘  𝗛𝗔𝗗  𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧  𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦  𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛  𝗔  𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘  𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘,     maybe  if  he  hadn’t  been  so  caught  off  guard  to  see  robby  there,  things  wouldn’t  have  ended  up  in  a  way  that  was  scary  familiar.     except  this  time,  there  was  no  escape,  despite  the  fact  that  he  had  taught  his  students  how  to  escape  the  chokehold  that  had  him  frozen  in  ‘84,  this  was  different  and  he  couldn’t  escape.     there  was  no  miyagi  to  help  him.     there  was  no  one  to  stop  him  and  johnny  felt  like  this  was  it,  he  was  going  to  die  on  the  floor  of  the  dojo  he  had  built.     he  was  so  full  of  regret.     regret  that  he  hadn’t  been  a  better  father  to  robby.     regret  that  he  hadn’t  been  a  better  son  to  his  mom  when  she  was  alive.     regret  that  he  hadn’t  been  a  better  sensei  to  his  students.     regret  that  he  had  never  told  daniel  that  he  was  in  love  with  him.     just  when  he  felt  like  he  was  starting  to  lose  consciousness,  knowing  soon  it  would  be  all  over,  murdered  by  the  man  who  he  had  once  considered  a  father  to  him.     then  finally  came  the  relief  of  pressure  and  air  finally  was  able  to  get  back  into  his  lungs,  rolling  onto  the  ground  and  staring  up  at  the  ceiling,  trying  to  regain  some  strength  because  he  could  hear  daniel’s  voice  but  he  hadn’t  been  able  to  see  him  yet.     by  the  time  he  could  get  up  again,  daniel  had  kreese  on  his  knees  and  he  knew  they  had  shared  the  same  thought,  if  kreese  was  gone,  cobra  kai  could  finally  die.     but  then  miguel  and  sam  showed  up,  the  bright  lights  in  the  darkness  they  had  found  themselves  in.     the  deal  was  struck,  so  similar  to  the  one  that  kreese  had  made  with  miyagi  back  in  1984  to  get  the  cobras  off  daniel’s  case.

     𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥  𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚  𝗠𝗜𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗟  𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘,     making  sure  he  actually  stayed  there  this  time  and  promising  he  wasn’t  going  to  do  anything  else  stupid,  johnny  knew  he  couldn’t  just  go  sit  in  his  empty  apartment  alone.     instead  he  found  himself  getting  back  in  the  car  and  driving  over  to  the  miyagi - do  dojo,  a  place  he  had  never  been  to  because  he  hadn’t  wanted  to  disrespect  what  was  daniel’s  safe  place.     he  just  wanted  to  see  him,  to  say  thank  you  for  saving  his  life,  he  just  knew  that  right  now,  he  didn’t  want  to  be  alone,  he  wanted  to  be  with  daniel  larusso.     pulling  his  car  over,  he  stepped  out,  still  dressed  in  what  he  had  been  wearing  earlier  and  he  couldn’t  help  but  notice  how  hard  his  heart  was  beating  in  his  chest  as  he  looked  at  him,      “     hi,      ”     he  hated  how  hoarse  and  rough  his  throat  sounded,  rolling  his  neck  slightly  as  he  tried  to  shake  off  the  ghost  of  that  choking  feeling.     it  was  worse  than  it  had  been  the  first  time,  maybe  because  he  had  already  dealt  with  this  once  before.     but  something  told  him  that  being  here  with  daniel  was  much  better  than  sitting  in  his  apartment  drinking  away  the  feeling,      “     i  didn’t  want  to  be  alone     .     .     .     so  i  thought  i  could  come  and  see  you.     you  okay?     how  is  sam?      ”

[taughtbalance]

SAMANTHA LARUSSO EDITS (2/?) featuring @teachbalance (& johnny lawrence & miguel diaz) PERSONALS DO NOT INTERACT / MUTUALS MAY REBLOG

[karatetaughtarchived]

@teachbalance​  /  cobra  kai ; always  accepting.

     "      𝗔𝗡𝗗  𝗬𝗢𝗨  𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗗  𝗜𝗧,     you  can  keep  lying  to  yourself,  danny  boy,  but  you  know  you  did,      ”     silver  smirked,  the  memory  of  daniel’s  proud  smile  as  he  finally  managed  to  break  all  those  2x4′s  that  he  had  him  trying  to  break  till  his  body  was  bruised  and  knuckles  were  bloody.     he  had  been  so  pleased  with  himself.     silver  could  tell  that  he  liked  the  power,  that  was  the  whole  point,  he  wanted  to  build  him  up  to  knock  him  down  again.     he  also  couldn’t  ignore  the  way  that  daniel  had  so  readily  punched  the  man  he  had  paid  to  provoke  him,  it  had  been  like  a  reflect,  he  didn’t  think,  he  just  acted  and  it  was  that  killer  instinct  that  he  had  known  was  hiding  in  there  all  along.     taking  another  step  towards  him,  eyes  looking  him  up  and  down,      “     you  liked  that     POWER     you  felt  when  you  were  training  with  me.     you  miss  it,  don’t  you?     now  you’re  just  helpless  and  scared  all  the  time,      ”

[kaiwrath]

a great wrath lives deep within this girl , it lives within her soul , pounds against her ribcage . it's been two days since her new fathers had brought her home , and she had barely left her room . the silence in the room is weighted as spindly arms peppered in freckles wrap around lanky legs , sorrowful blue hues glancing out the window . perhaps she was just waiting for the other shoe to drop ? after all , it would only be a matter of time before they would want to take her back to the children's home , just like the rest . this is what she thought anyhow . creak of opening door , brief turn of fiery head before chin rests upon her knees . " . . . hey , " @teachbalance

[undressmd]

There are lessons to be learned in every failure.

❤️☮️🦋🌈😎

[vypcr]

          HE DESERVES BETTER THAN A LIE. Better than the hiding. The avoidance. Tory’s never been good at dealing with the consequences of her own actions. Her little  crime spree  with Hawk last week was bound to have fallout, and she was an idiot for pretending like she could escape it. It was easy when she thought she was the only one that would get hurt. That she would just have to deal with more shit from Cobra Kai, like always.  But then they threatened her fucking brother.  It’s a reality check. She’s not the only one who gets hurt when this shit happens; she never has been. How could she be so selfishly self-destructive over and over again? Everything feels like a mess, and outside of making sure her brother is safe, all she can think about is another way to escape. To find some way to curl up and hide and pretend like none of this ever happened. She could spiral again, she feels it, but a talk with Robby puts a stop to that.  (  ❛ Well, what I know is that Tory Nichols isn’t a coward who just hides and pretends shit is okay. ❜  )  And fuck, he’s right. What is she doing? Since when did she let herself turn into a coward? She’s been struggling a lot lately with that question. Who is she? She barely has a grip on herself anymore. But the last thing she ever wants to be is a goddamn coward.

          Time to rip the band-aid off. She waits a day, only to make sure Brandon’s settled down before she has to deal with . . . whatever is going to come from this. Daniel has every right to be upset with her, she knows this. It’s what she’s dreaded every day for the past week. This could be the point where he finally decides he’s done. That she’s hopeless, or that he can’t help her.  Who could blame him?  He trusted Tory. He gave her the keys to the dojo; hell, he’s helping her build a new addition onto the guest house so she and her brother can live there in a couple of months. How did she repay that? She went and violated everything that Miyagi-do stands for. She gave into that part of herself again, the thing that made her shine in Cobra Kai. A lot of Cobra Kai is still ingrained in her, blended with her own instinct to the point where she has trouble separating what parts are all her and what parts exist because of her time as a snake. But how much longer can she go on sabotaging herself because of uncertainty? She has to stop that. She has to be better; to learn how to apologize, and how to ask for help. The latter part is the hardest. She finds Daniel at the dojo, though she’s mildly surprised. Wasn’t he supposed to be going somewhere? Their eyes meet across the garden, and she questions if he already knows.  ❝ Mr. Larusso, I need to talk to you. ❞  Slow steps bring her closer to him.  ❝ I did something bad, and I need to tell you about it. Because you deserve to hear it from me. ❞

wire based starter for @teachbalance​​ because we like hurting each other

[teachdance]

           HE’S BEEN GONE FOR TOO LONG.  No answer from his phone; the lack of a ring makes her think maybe it’s dead. With everything happening recently with Cobra Kai’s resurrection and  that awful snake man  coming around, she cannot help but worry, if only a little. Daniel is the strongest man she knows. He can take care of himself, but his enemies have no honor. They play dirty. But rather than assume the worst, she listens to what her instinct tells her. The graveyard. And sure enough, there he is. Somehow she knew she would find him here, kneeling at Miyagi-sama’s headstone.

           ❝ Anata ? ❞  Tender palm presses to Daniel’s shoulder as she kneels beside him.  ❝ Did you lose track of time? ❞  Brown eyes flicker to the sunset, but quickly return to him. Tips of her fingers reach, brushing against the side of his jaw.  ❝ Are you alright, Daniel? ❞

starter for @teachbalance​

[nxtheromoved]

- - —★ ❰❰  @teachbalance​​  |  continued  ❱❱

SMILE ONLY GROWS WIDER, gentle blush upon his cheeks at the kiss on them and he looks back at the cupcake, laughing at the gesture. But he does as told, all the mimic, as he closes his eyes and thinks of anything he can wish for. And blows up the candle on the first try, smiling. “Thanks, Kumiko.” But his wish had been something so small that he doesn’t fear saying it out loud. “Will you dance for me?  I know it’s not the O-Bon dance but. . .I miss seeing you dance.”

           ❝ FOR YOU? ANYTIME. ❞  Kumiko nods with a smile. It warms her heart, knowing that he loves how she dances enough to  wish for it .  A simple thing, based upon a children’s tradition, yet it brings her so much joy.  ❝ I have learned much and have not had a chance to show you any of it. That should change. But Daniel-san, I do have one selfish request to make. ❞  She takes his hands into her own, one lacing through his fingers while the other rests beneath the hand that holds the cupcake.  ❝ I will dance for you, yes, but I want you to  dance with me , too. There’s nothing I have missed more in the whole world. ❞

[meanscmething]

”    i owe you an apology.    ”      //    @teachbalance​

[karatepajamas]

@teachbalance​ gets a surprise :)

a  grimace  tugged  on  robby’s  lips  as  he  walked  up  to  casa  larusso.  what  once  felt  like  a  home  to  him  now  felt  like  a  haunted  house,  but  ghosts  were  his  own.  this  was  a  terrible  idea,  and  he  considered  turning  around  and  walking  right  back  through  the  front  gate  but  something  kept  him  tethered  there,  unable  to  move.  he  rubbed  a  hand  over  his  jaw,  then  lifted  it  to  knock  on  the  front  door  once,  twice,  three  times.  he  took  a  step  back  and  shoved  his  hands  into  the  pocket  of  his  plain  hoodie.  ( he  opted  not  to  wear  anything  cobra  kai  out  of  respect  for  his  former  sensei. )  a  part  of  him  hoped  sam  would  answer  just  so  he  could  see  her—  but  he  wasn’t  there  for  her.  he  needed  to  speak  with  sensei  ( no,  he  wasn’t  his  sensei  anymore. )  mr.*  larusso.

[teachesmercy]

     "      𝘆𝗼𝘂  𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸  𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿  𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁  𝗶𝘁  𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆,  𝘀𝗼  𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀  𝘁𝗵𝗲  𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵?      "     johnny  asked  with  a  smirk,  not  moving  from  where  he  was  still  laying  in  his  bed,  watching  as  a  half  dressed  daniel  tried  to  find  the  rest  of  his  clothes.     he  didn’t  want  him  to  leave,  but  he  still  struggled  in  asking  him  to  stick  around,  even  though  they  were  pretty  together  now.     most  nights  he  found  himself  either  at  daniel’s  place  or  the  two  of  them  would  meet  up,  last  night  was  the  first  time  he  had  brought  daniel  back  to  his  bare  and  tiny  apartment  which  barely  looked  lived  in.     but  despite  the  fact  that  he  felt  like  it  should  be  strange  to  have  daniel  larusso  in  his  home,  he  liked  having  him  here,  it  felt  almost  normal  to  him.     moving  to  the  edge  of  the  bed,  he  reaches  out  and  pulls  daniel  back  to  sit  on  the  bed,  wrapping  his  arms  around  him  as  he  sat  behind  him,  pressing  a  gentle  kiss  to  his  neck,      “     take  it  as  a  sign  to  stay  in  bed  with  me,      ”     johnny  teases,  nipping  playfully  at  his  ear  as  hands  tease  at  the  waistband  of  his  underwear,  not  quite  touching  him,  but  enough  lingering  touches  that  he  hoped  to  convince  daniel  to  stay  home  and  stay  in  bed  with  him  all  day.     he  could  blow  off  practice  for  one  day,  he  was  doing  well  enough  that  he  didn’t  have  to  keep  going  every  day  anymore.     plus  daniel  was  the  best  excuse  to  stay  home  and  not  have  to  think  about  the  work  he  was  doing.     nose  brushes  against  the  curve  of  his  neck,  hands  still  moving  slowly  over  him  and  teasing  daniel  gently,      “     you  know  a  day  in  bed  with  me  is  much  better  than  whatever  you  have  to  do,      ”

@teachbalance​  /  morning  after ; accepting.

[moonesqa]

@teachbalance  |   sc

        she  doesn’t  usually  do  this  -----  talking  to  a  friend’s  parent  about  her  friend  is  kind  of  a  no-no.  an  unspoken  rule  for  any  friendship.  but  sometimes,  an  exception  must  be  made.  besides,  it’s  mister  laursso.  he’s  thankfully  one  of  the  few  parents  you  shouldn’t  be  afraid  to  approach.  “  hi...  i’m  sorry,  i  thought  this  would  be  better  if  i  came  by  &  done  this  in  person.  ”  he  must  be  worried  sick.  “  sam  is  at  my  house.  she  shut  off  her  phone,  she  doesn’t  want  to  talk  to  anyone,  i  just  --  i  wanted  to  make  sure  you  know  she’s  okay.  ”  she’s  not  okay,  not  in  the  slightest.  “  she’s  just  processing  what  happened  at  the  tournament.  i  promise  she’s  in  good  hands.  ”

[taughtbalance]

FAMILY DINNER WITH @teachbalance and @flipsscript​ [OH NO tiktok sound intensifies]

toro  wasn’t  a  regular  dish  on  the  larusso  menu.  it  was  saved  for  special  occasions  like  milestone  birthdays,  wedding  anniversaries  et  cetera.  when  eli  mentioned  daniel  offering  to  make  it  for  him,  sirens  went  off  inside  samantha’s  head.  she  didn’t  think  it  was  his  birthday,  and  it  was  too  late  to  offer  the  dish  as  a  celebratory  meal  for  him  winning  the  male  all  valley  tournament.  plus,  it  would  have  been  rude  to  have  the  special  meal  for  hawk  and  not  extend  the  same  invitation  to  tory.  this  was  different.  but  sam  was  too  far  in  denial  to  admit  that  her  parents  had  figured  them  out.  she  was  holding  onto  the  notion  that  daniel  invited  eli  over  for  toro  before  they  made  their  relationship  official.  actually,  that  had  been  the  catalyst  that  lead  to  them  putting  a  label  on  it.

HE  KNEW.  that  was  the  only  explanation.  she  didn’t  know  how  he  knew,  especially  not  before  they  knew,  but  he  knew.  which  meant  mammina  knew  too.  the  whole  family  was  there.  daniel,  samantha,  amanda,  antonio,  even  cousin  louie.  the  only  person  missing  was—  the  doorbell  rang  and  sam’s  heart  stopped  beating.  when  amanda  started  to  move  to  answer  it,  sam  jumped  off  the  bar  stool  and  hurried  past  her.  “i’ll  get  it,”  she  threw  over  her  shoulder  in  passing,  scrubbing  a  hand  down  her  face.  she  stopped  at  the  door,  hesitating  too  long  before  opening  the  door.  eyes  widened  as  if  to  ask  ‘what  the  hell  did  you  do’  before  she  offered  a  quick,  “hey.”  she  pressed  her  cheek  against  the  cold  door’s  edge  and  gestured  with  her  hand  for  him  to  come  in  . . .  right  into  the  lion’s  den.

[karatetaughtarchived]

@teachbalance​      /      𝗝𝗔𝗞𝗘  𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡  𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥  𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟  ;  𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚.

     "      𝗙𝗢𝗥  𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧  𝗜𝗧'𝗦  𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛,     i  really  enjoyed  learning  karate  from  you,  mr  larusso,      ”     jake  admitted  with  a  small  smile,  not  sure  why  he  showed  up  at  the  miyagi - do  dojo  especially  since,  for  now,  they  weren’t  supposed  to  be  meeting  for  lessons  or  anything.     the  dojo  was  closed,  but  jake  couldn’t  help  to  feel  drawn  back  to  this  place,  it  was  one  of  the  first  places  he  really  felt  like  he  belonged,  that  he  didn’t  stand  out  and  that  he  knew  there  was  lessons  he  would  take  with  forever,      “     i  guess  i  just  don’t  know  what  to  do  with  myself  now,  without  miyagi - do.     like  i  still  practice  my  kata  and  it’s  been  super  helpful.     i  just  miss  being  here  with  everyone  i  guess,      ”