Atlas of Heaven and Man

When Cheng Zitong saw the student in front of him, dressed in a practice suit and performing the old-fashioned etiquette, he was filled with emotion and satisfaction.

How should he put it? This was the feeling!

Moreover, this student had a good appearance, maximizing the experience. It seemed he had made the right choice in accepting this student.

He quickly said, "Hey, hey, sit down. You, as a student, are too polite and courteous."

Chen Chuan said, "Thank you, teacher." He bowed again before sitting down.

Cheng Zitong's face was full of smiles as he said, "Good, before learning劲力 (jingli), you must understand a principle: a fighter's combat system must be built by themselves, both in the present and in the future. This is something that accompanies a fighter throughout their life."

Chen Chuan said, "People from the Mutual Aid Society came to recruit students before and said the same thing. I can roughly guess what it means, but I'm not clear on the specifics."

Cheng Zitong said, "Although I've always disliked the Mutual Aid Society, they have people backing them, so they do have some substance. In Wuyi, besides the fencing department, we usually start teaching with unarmed combat, then weapons, and then搭配 (dapei) other advantageous equipment, ultimately forming a fighter with independent combat capabilities who can handle various situations.

"But the key is that this must be coordinated with the growth of the异化组织 (yihua zuzhi - mutated/alienated tissue)."

"For example, most members of the wrestling department now prioritize '裹衣劲 (Guoyi Jin - Wrapped Clothing Strength),' because its characteristic is that while grappling and wrestling, it allows劲力 (jingli) to spread throughout the body in an instant with the cooperation of the异化组织 (yihua zuzhi), serving as both offense and defense."

"This is necessary because in close-quarters combat, your body's vital points are basically close to the enemy. This isn't擂台 (leitai - arena) combat, and no one will follow the rules. Whether it's the head, facial features, or the back of the head and spine, being grabbed or hit is very dangerous. For example, there's a move in散手 (Sanshou - Chinese kickboxing).."

As he said this, he made a fist with his five fingers, kept his upper arm still, and only lifted his forearm slightly before gently dropping it down. With a "啪 (pa)" sound, the small sandalwood table beside him shattered into flying pieces of wood.

He said, "This move is called '震空槌 (Zhen Kong Chui - Shocking Air Hammer).' When executed, the force travels through the梢节 (shaojie - tip joints), and its characteristic is fast power generation and small movement, specifically used to counter diving tackles."

Chen Chuan looked at the shattered pieces of the small table on the ground and the wooden fragments that had rolled in front of him. He could imagine that if the back of his head were to receive such a blow during combat, it would definitely be shattered.

Cheng Zitong said, "But if someone who has practiced '裹衣劲 (Guoyi Jin)' activates劲力 (jingli) throughout their body, they might be able to defend against this attack, and then it would be their winning round.

"From a practical perspective, because劲力 (jingli) needs breathing to mobilize, it often only takes a blink of an eye to unleash, and it's not visible on the surface, so combat is very dependent on experience and judgment. Life and death can often be decided in an instant. It's not always the person with the higher level of劲力 (jingli) who is guaranteed to win. It also depends on the application and the opportunity to seize. But that's not the focus today, so let's skip it for now.

"Going back to劲力 (jingli), the direction of growth of the异化组织 (yihua zuzhi) will also be different depending on the劲法 (jingfa - strength method) practiced. Taking '裹衣劲 (Guoyi Jin)' as an example again, through repeated practice, '裹衣劲 (Guoyi Jin)' stimulates the growth of the异化组织 (yihua zuzhi), which gradually forms a strong and resilient异化皮膜 (yihua pimo - mutated skin membrane) under the skin.

"Each time a practitioner exerts force, the skin membrane tenses and stretches with their breath, naturally forming a protective layer on their body, like wrapping themselves in a layer of tough and thick leather armor. This is the origin of the name '裹衣劲 (Guoyi Jin).'"

"And with this layer of皮膜 (pimo - skin membrane), even when not using劲力 (jingli), it can provide the fighter with good protection, while also providing more power. Therefore, most members of the wrestling department have good resistance to strikes.

"Ancient books have commented, '裹衣上劲，能御铁石弹丸 (Guoyi shang jin, neng yu tieshi danwan - With 裹衣劲 (Guoyi Jin), one can defend against iron and stone bullets).' In the era of cold weapons, if such a person were equipped with a full set of armor, they would be a fierce general charging into battle. If you were the enemy, what would it feel like to have dozens or hundreds of such people charging at you?"

Chen Chuan imagined the scene, and his heart was filled with awe.

Cheng Zitong said, "I've seen the injury report for Zhong Wu, whom you defeated in the复试 (fushi - retest). The most crucial strike was on the chin, followed by the ear. If your strength hadn't been great enough and you hadn't seized the opportunity well, it would have been almost impossible to defeat him."

Chen Chuan admitted this point. The key was the first and second kicks. The first kick was unexpected, and the second kick relied on speed to hit the gap in his breathing. These two kicks determined everything that followed. On the fighting arena, life and death are indeed decided in an instant.

Cheng Zitong added, "Now that I've talked about the wrestling department, let's talk about the grappling department. The劲法 (jingfa) practiced here mostly allows the异化组织 (yihua zuzhi) to penetrate into the muscles and包裹 (baoguo - wrap) the bones, making them strong and resilient, with greater toughness and ductility, which also facilitates better power generation.

"Note that the wrestling department doesn't completely prevent the异化组织 (yihua zuzhi) from penetrating the bones either, but in order to form combat power, there must be a focus. However, with stimulation and subsequent training methods, the异化组织 (yihua zuzhi) will also grow and gradually become different, becoming increasingly suitable for their chosen combat style and path."

Chen Chuan thought for a moment and nodded to show his understanding.

Cheng Zitong continued, "The above examples are just to tell you that the劲法 (jingfa) you choose must match your own fighting style and personality preferences. Don't choose a劲力 (jingli) that violates your own will or is awkward, just to貪圖 (tantu - covet) power or blindly follow others. What suits you best is the best."

Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "Does teacher mean to give the students the right to choose which劲力 (jingli) to practice?"

Cheng Zitong said, "That's what I think. Although other instructors believe that they have rich experience and can make better and more far-sighted judgments than the students themselves, you must know that this starting point will determine a student's entire life, so shouldn't we be cautious?

"In the previous teaching process, I felt that you are a student with your own ideas. I, as your teacher, will provide references, and you can choose for yourself. Of course, if you think you can't make a good choice and trust me, I can also make the decision for you."

Chen Chuan considered it and said, "Then I would like to first understand the劲力 (jingli) methods currently available in the academy."

Cheng Zitong pointed to the bookshelf next to him and said, "Most of the劲法 (jingfa) that the academy can teach are there. You can browse them yourself."

Chen Chuan glanced at it, then stood up and walked to the bookshelf. He first randomly took a bundle of bamboo slips, on which was written "磨蹄劲 (Mo Ti Jin - Grinding Hoof Strength)" in ancient characters.

Cheng Zitong said, "This is a劲力 (jingli) specifically used to assist in training strength. Anyone who trains great劲 (jin - strength) can choose it. There is also a '吞泉劲 (Tun Quan Jin - Swallowing Spring Strength),' which has a similar effect. These small劲 (jin) are either used to配和 (peihe - coordinate) with great劲 (jin) to 운시 (yunshi - use/operate) auxiliary劲力 (jingli), or they are缩减版 (suojian ban - reduced version) of great劲 (jin). Just flip through them casually for now."

Chen Chuan looked at it for a couple of seconds and put it back. He looked up, then took another bundle of bamboo slips, on which was written "蟒身劲 (Mang Shen Jin - Python Body Strength)." He then heard Cheng Zitong's voice, "This is a劲力 (jingli) that the grappling department must learn. It can make the缠绞 (chanjiao - entangling/twisting) force贯通 (guantong - penetrate) the root, middle, and tip sections, and has both剛 (gang - hard/firm) and柔 (rou - soft/flexible) variations. Taking the柔 (rou)勁 (jin) as an example, if you practice it well, you can grab a point on your opponent and散 (san - scatter/disperse) their sinews and bones..."

Chen Chuan casually unfolded it and saw that there were many hand-drawn human figures in various poses.

Cheng Zitong added, "Every kind of劲力 (jingli) must be practiced with桩功 (zhuang gong - stance training). 桩功 (zhuang gong) is divided into定桩 (ding zhuang - fixed stance) and流桩 (liu zhuang - flowing stance). In the old days, it was all定桩 (ding zhuang), but now, after improvements,流桩 (liu zhuang) is more common.

"定桩 (ding zhuang) is boring and difficult to master, and there is no effect after the daily exercise exceeds the time limit. Those without specific talents basically cannot practice it. 流桩 (liu zhuang) is convenient for all kinds of people to practice, and can also be assisted by various tools. For example... this is the ancient method of '裹衣劲桩 (Guoyi Jin Zhuang - Wrapped Clothing Strength Stance)."

As he said this, he stood up, clenched his fists, held them close to his chest and abdomen, curled up his head and body, and tucked his toes inward. He looked like a child in the womb, but he supported his entire body with only the back of his toes touching the ground, yet he stood firmly.

After Chen Chuan waited for him to finish the demonstration and stand up straight, he asked, "Teacher, I heard that Wuyi has a 混元劲 (Hun Yuan Jin - Primordial Strength)?"

Cheng Zitong nodded and said, "Yes! That is the劲力 (jingli) commonly used by the散手 (Sanshou) department. After practicing it, the body's coordination, flexibility, and even strength will be greatly increased. For example, the '震空槌 (Zhen Kong Chui)' I just used was 混元劲 (Hun Yuan Jin)."

As he said this, he reached out and pressed on his lower abdomen below the navel, and said seriously, "And once you practice it deeply, a团 (tuan - mass/lump) of异化组织 (yihua zuzhi) will first form in the丹田 (dantian - elixir field) area."

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