When it comes to football, it's usually the wide receivers who worry about their hands. But good hands are also handy things to have for a defensive lineman, as Bryan Save has discovered. Save (pronounced Saa-vay) is a defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League and he's having the best season of his career, despite missing three games with a biceps injury. Save credits his success to a martial arts instructor in Delaware, a man who taught him the value of being a hands-on player. Save -- who was born in Hawaii, grew up in California and went to college in Colorado -- started every game for the Soul last season and finished with four sacks while making the AFL all-rookie team. In 11 games this season, Save has 51¼2 sacks, eighth in the league. The Soul (11-3) have two regular-season games left, following a 71-64 victory over the Dallas Desperado on Saturday night. Save lived for a year in a Greenville townhouse while he took martial arts classes from Master Erwin Waters of the Korean Martial Arts Institute in Wilmington. "I knew I had to do something different than the usual offseason conditioning stuff, because I was looking for ways to improve my game,'' Save said. "And for somebody who plays my position in this [passing-oriented] league, that means getting after the quarterback. "I had heard from different people that martial arts can help, that it shows you how little things can make a big difference. So, I started to shop around, and that's when I found out about [Waters].'' The 37-year-old Waters, a native of Hockessin, has been involved with martial arts for more than 20 years. He played high school football at Hodgson, so he understood what Save was trying to do and why. "At first, we just started him with the same instruction we give all of our students, to give him a feel for martial arts and our methods of teaching and to get his body used to it,'' Waters said. "Then we tailored it to his specific needs, which mostly had to do with hand speed and body leverage, things he needed to do to beat blocks and get to the quarterback. "And he was gung-ho right from the start, which is something you love as an instructor. He listened and soaked up everything and he was also patient, which is something a lot of students have trouble with." Save -- who had cups of coffee with the Colts, 49ers, Ravens and Bucs -- said he noticed the difference after a few training camp sessions with the Soul. "It took me a little while to be able to do it without having to think about it,'' he said. "Once I was able to just play with my instincts, instead of having to think my way through everything, my game improved dramatically.' ' At least until he partially tore a biceps a month ago. His coach, Bret Munsey, said it wasn't a coincidence the Soul lost two of those three games. "With him in the game, we definitely get more pressure on the quarterback,'' Munsey told reporters after the Soul lost to Kansas City last week. As far as Save is concerned, the timing of his return is perfect. Before Saturday night, Dallas led the division by a game over the Soul. The Soul's victory pulls the rival teams -- both of whom have clinched playoff spots -- into a tie at 11-3. "I hate Dallas,'' he said. "They just have a cocky attitude about them and I love beating them. And I know our fans hate Dallas, too. I'm sure a lot of that is a carry-over from the Eagles and Cowboys. "I didn't know anything about that rivalry before I got here,'' he added. "But it didn't take long for me to pick up on it. I guess it doesn't matter what league it is, Philadelphia just doesn't like Dallas.'' | 
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