It's been seven months since the narrator came to the island, and he's still not satisfied with his education. He wants to go back to school, but he can't because the learning environment is so different from his native language. He's worried that he'll get sick in two years if he doesn't improve his physical skills. Luckily, he has a physical skills instructor who can help him. The instructor explains that there are three different types of physical skills: offensive series, balanced series, and defensive series. The offensive series teaches the basic skills of building a strong offensive character; the balanced series teaches foundational skills for a strong defensive character. The balanced series seems to suit the narrator the best.