She was anxious. Asami didn't really like the feeling, and she knew that it was unfair. Karouda wasn't late, she was simply ready to go earlier than expected. Despite her father being the one to originally request they take place, she genuinely enjoyed these lessons. She wasn't one to ever feel particularly powerless, but Asami did like to know that she could take care of herself. It was more than that, as well. Being mundane simply didn't appeal to her. Simply existing and going through the day with little ambition was dull and undesirable. She was always eager to better herself in any way possible. Every day, she studied longer, drove faster, kicked higher; whatever it took to become a greater person than she had been the day before. Asami never wanted anyone to be able to say that her only claim to excellence was being Hiroshi Sato's daughter. She loved her father, but there was nothing to be proud of there. Pride was something that only came with an accomplishment that she had reached herself.

The sound of the gym door opening was audible even over the music, which Asami quickly turned down so that conversation might take less effort. As per usual, Karouda was straight to the point. She liked that. There were plenty of times when she was happy to chat for a while; at the time being, however, she wanted to get down to business. This was her moment to do one of the things she enjoyed most. "Good morning, Karouda," she replied, a bright smile on her face as her fist met gently with the heel of her opposing palm, and she bent at the waist in a polite bow. Karouda may not be her usual teacher, but he was still an instructor and deserved the respect that such a title demanded. He was a good teacher, too, which made Asami hold him in an even higher esteem. The fact that he was a pro-bender and she an unapologetic fangirl didn't hurt, either.

Two options were presented to her, and the industrialist's daughter took only a moment to reflect upon each. "I could use some practice with defense," Asami suggested, her hands resting casually on her hips after her brief consideration. "Do you mind if we start with that?" She was generally aware of where her weaknesses are and preferred to focus primarily on those. She enjoyed exercising her strengths, of course, but that was usually only when her ego needed a bit of inflating. Typically she was humble enough to understand where she fell short, and while her hand-to-hand defense was strong, and her offense against benders was impressive, her defense could use some work. It was, generally, the most difficult aspect of all of this. It was hard to defend herself against a crashing wave or a roaring flame when all she had were her hands and feet. But then, Asami was never one to back down from a challenge.

While Karouda went to the canteens provided for him, Asami took several steps backward to take her place on the mat. She felt ready for this. Waterbending was a tricky skill to defend against. Both firebending and earthbending could be evaded with great speed, as once they were released they were generally difficult to control, but water was so malleable that it could be quickly altered mid-attack. In the hands of a skilled bender, it could be the most versatile of the elements. That was one of the reasons she enjoyed sparring with Karouda so greatly; it was never easy, and therefore never boring. Asami loved to push her own limits; this was a good way to do just that. The key, she had found, was to stay light on her feet. There was generally no point in trying to actually block an attack from a bender, as she had no bending of her own to fend off whatever element was being thrown at her, so constantly being on the move was generally her preferred method of defense. Fortunately, her naturally light build and years of training usually meant that she was able to dodge effectively. No matter how swift a bender was, they still had one extra step to attack: they had to strike and then release their element. For Asami and other non-bending fighters, they only had to strike. It was that split second difference that she fought to expose.

Following their mirrored bows, Asami stood with her knees bent and though her bare feet were flat against the mat, her weight rested primarily on the balls of her feet. Her own arms were raised, strategically placed to provide her upper body and face the most protection possible should she be unable to move out of the way in time. Never once did her green eyes, now alit with anticipation and focus, move from Karouda as he prepared his attack. The girl's usually pleasant demeanor had dissipated and was instead replaced in its entirety by a determined, fearless warrior. This was no longer a time for smiles and manners. As much as Asami loved these sessions, she could never forget the reason why her father had decided she ought to be trained to defend herself to begin with. Never would she allow her mother's death to overwhelm her with fear, nor anger, nor uncertainty of the world around her. Instead, it provided her with motivation. It forced her to acknowledge that this was not simply part of a routine. It gave her a reason to excel at this, beyond mere ego: she would never find herself helpless, not against a bender or anyone else.

The attack came swiftly, and Asami's weight shifted as she rotated her lower body to sidestep the sphere of water. Her back foot moved behind her so that she now stood with her side facing Karouda rather than her front, her stance strong but still balanced primarily on the balls of her feet so that she could once again move quickly when necessary. For now, she would keep her distance from Karouda. Defense was always easiest when she separated herself from her opponent, as it widened that gap in time between when an attack was created and when it reached her. Only when she was ready to go on the offense herself would Asami close the distance between herself and Karouda; for now, however, defense was her sole focus.