Word: Grok

grok

[grok] Slang.

verb (used with object)

1. to understand thoroughly and intuitively.

verb (used without object)

2. to communicate sympathetically.

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    A small crowd was already gathering with the promise of a match.  Video game matches rarely 
happened in such small stores, after all.  Sure, people would play and compete, but those were all 
friendly competitions.  This was something else. This was a game with stakes. Nobody but the 
players knew what the stakes were, but they were there.

One of the players, a pale teenager who looked like he never left his room, smirked as he took
up a controller.  The other, a guy in his early 20’s who looked like he worked out a lot, but ate 
even more took up the other with a calm, emotionless expression.

“You know, this game is already over.” The teen said.  “I already know that I’ll win, 100%.”

His fingers worked the controls, navigating through the menus and selecting the appropriate 
options.  

“You want to know why I’ll win?” The boy asked.  “Because I know this game. I know it back to
front, in and out, forward and backward.  I know every move and combo of every character. I 
know every secret, trick and special.  I know every single thing about this game. You should 
just give up now, ‘cause you’ve got no chance of beating me.”

The young man gave no indication he even heard the taunts of his opponent.  He simply 
selected his character and waited for the younger player to do the same.

“That’s who you’re going with?” The boy scoffed.  “Man you don’t know anything. He’s the 
worst character.  Seriously, nobody plays him. He’s got lousy combos, no ranged moves, and 
no power.  Sure he’s quick, but there’s so many better speed guys out there. As in, all of them.
  All of them are better. Here, I’ll show you.” The boy confidently chose his character.  “There,
 see? This guy’s way better. Everyone knows it. Much better combos and a lot more power 
than yours does.  Yeah, you should just give up now.”

The only response he got was an eye roll.  The teen hit the start button, and the match was on.
The boy started off with utmost confidence. His fingers flew over the controller, hitting the 
combos he knew by heart.  His smirk quickly faded as his opponent gained the upper hand 
almost immediately. It was a lead that only grew as the seconds ticked by, until finally the 
round ended.

“That’s bull!” The teen yelled.  “There’s no way you could’ve won.  You must be cheating. Or 
this controller is busted.  That’s how you did it, isn’t it? You must’ve slipped me a bad controller.
Let’s switch controllers before the next match.” The boy demanded.

The young man had no problems with that, and so the switch was made.  The second round 
started, and ended the same way. The match now over, the young man placed his controller 
down and faced his stunned opponent.

“No.  No way.  That’s impossible.  There’s no way you could’ve beat me.  I know everything 
about this game.”

“How much did you play?” The victor asked.

“What?”
    “How much did you play?”

“I don’t know, a few hours?  I don’t need to play with everything I’ve watched and studied though.
  Now spill, how’d you win? Did you do the same thing as me?”

“No.  I only play this one character.”

“Then how’d you win?  Did you cheat? You must’ve cheated.  I mean, I know everything about 
every character.  How could I lose to someone who only uses one?”

“I play.  I practice.  I’ve logged over a hundred hours on this one character.  That’s how I won.”

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"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

--Bruce Lee