Short Boxing (Mian Zhang Quan)

Zhang Yong just told Yang Yi to attack him in whatever way he could, so Yang Yi went ahead and did the move he does most confidently – a sneaky sweeping kick towards Zhang Yong's crotch. However, this same technique Yang Yi used on the Boxing King wasn't quite as effective when it was used against Zhang Yong. And just after Zhang Yong effortlessly dodged the attack, he was already moving so close to Yang Yi that there was almost no distance between them.

Before Yang Yi knew it, Zhang Yong quickly executed three light punches to his chest and then stepped back again. Right, left, right. There was certainly a rhythm within Zhang Yong's movements, but it was far too fast for Yang Yi to react to.

"Stop!" Zhang Yong suddenly shouted, but Yang Yi wasn't going to do much in retaliation anyway. Instead of feeling defeated by the fact that he couldn't do anything, Yang Yi was actually thrilled by the fact that he was going to be taught by someone so much stronger than him.

"You would be dead already if this was a real fight," Zhang Yong said in a rather cold-blooded tone, "Listen, Wing Chun practitioners don't usually aim for the head, but those three punches I landed on your chest would've killed you instantly. And before you start thinking about copying me, let me just remind you that your body is still far too weak to utilize martial arts effectively."

"How do I train myself then?"

"It's not that easy. Every style has its own advantages and weaknesses. Wing Chun has the advantage of being extremely fast. It's versatile in one-on-one situations and in closed spaces, but it's not as useful as Shape and Intention Boxing (Xing Yi Quan)1 or Ba Ji Quan if you're out in the open and facing off against multiple opponents. And from this logic, we can say that what matters isn't about which style is superior, but more about how well you utilize it."

Yang Yi kept on nodding and listening as Zhang Yong kept lecturing him, "I don't think you are fit for Wing Chun. You can definitely get something out of Wing Chun if you do enough training, but you are probably better off doing something else since your limbs spread out so much. Here, throw another punch at me."

Yang Yi quickly took a step back and resumed the practice. As Yang Yi threw a straight punch, Zhang Yong parried the attack with his left and punched Yang Yi's armpit with his right. Again, it was over too quickly.

"That won't do," Zhang Yong said in disappointment, "How about we swap roles and I attack you? I'll slow down a bit, so just try to find a counter attack whenever you can. Forget what Ah Jiang has taught you and go with your instincts. Do whatever feels natural."

"You got it!" Yang Yi replied energetically as he readied himself for Zhang Yong's offense.

Yang Yi didn't want to take any damage. So before Zhang Yong even made his move, Yang Yi went for a kick straight away. Yang Yi didn't care if the kick landed or not. Rather, he just continued on and lashed out as many unmethodical punches as he could.

Yeah, there was no skill or flow in Yang Yi's moves this time. Rather, Yang Yi was doing exactly what Zhang Yong told him to. He did whatever his instincts told him to and swung his arms around like an angry teenager.

"Stop!" Zhang Yong halted Yang Yi's moves with one word, then smiled, "You're from the North, aren't you?"2

"Uh, yeah. How's that relevant?"

"Well, Northerners are usually better at doing styles that originated in the north, and vice versa for Southerners. There are of course exceptions, but this rule of thumb applies in most cases."

"Okay."

"I'm from the South. Since I am shorter than you in height, my upper movement range is shorter than yours. But when our distance is shortened, I have the advantage."

"Oh, okay. Understood."

"I think you'll be better of doing Bajiquan3."

"Bajiquan? Sure, I'll do Bajiquan then."

"Alright, I can't teach you Bajiquan though. I haven't learned it before."

"Oh…" Yang Yi said in disappointment as he realized that Zhang Yong just played a joke on him.

"But I do know Shape and Intention Boxing, which is equally suitable for you," Zhang Yong laughed.

"You should have just said that!"

"Hey, do you know what's the best thing about learning Martial Arts?" Zhang Yong suddenly asked in a serious tone.

"What?"

"Let's put it in the context of video games nowadays: when you need a warrior, Martial Arts can make you a good warrior. And when you need an assassin, Wushu can also make you a good assassin. Think about, what if I did my Wing Chun moves with a knife in my hand?"

"That would be quite deadly, wouldn't it?"

"Like I said earlier, the fists are the most reliable weapon, because your fists are always there for you to use. However, a knife can make you a hundred times more dangerous and even much more efficient."

Yang Yi just nodded since he wasn't sure what Zhang Yong was trying to say, "One weakness of Wushu is that it takes way too long to practice. For the sake of improving your combat skills as quickly as possible, you are probably better off learning Short Boxing (Mian Zhang Quan)4."

"Short Boxing?"

"No, it's Short Boxing, an unpopular northern style which not many people know nowadays. It's one of the few styles which retained techniques meant purely for killing. Short Boxing practitioners used to learn about medicine and spear-wielding as well, but you won't be able to learn that here. I only got to learn about the barehanded techniques of Short Boxing, and as for treating wounds and learning about human anatomy – that was something which was lost in history."

Yang Yi was nodding even more now since he was becoming more uncertain of what Zhang Yong was talking about.

"There are thirty-six grappling techniques and thirty-six striking techniques in Short Boxing. Within this style, you can find some of the most deadly strikes and joint-lock moves there are. As you should know, a real martial artist doesn't limit himself by using one style but trains in multiple styles so that he can handle himself in different situations. My idea is that you can use Short Boxing as your main style and Shape and Intention Boxing as your supporting style. I'm not even bullshitting – once you have fully trained yourself, you won't need more than a finger to end the life of someone like the Boxing King."

"I'm so ready," Yang Yi rubbed his hands together excitedly as he implied that they should get to practicing.

Zhang Yong nodded, "Let's get started then. I want to see how much strength you have first. Do a plank for me."

Planking? Yang Yi thought to himself in surprise. After all, he had just listened to Zhang Yong ramble on about Martial Arts for a long time. But without any complaints, Yang Yi got into a position to do a plank and started immediately.

Before long, Yang Yi's body was laying weak and flat on the ground. Or more precisely, he only lasted a mere three and half minutes.

"That's it?" Zhang Yong asked in shock as Yang Yi was still too exhausted to get up from the ground.

"Yeah, I guess there isn't much core strength in me," Yang Yi said meekly.

"Not much? Damn! Your stamina is ridiculously awful! We'll have to delay the Martial Arts lesson for later and focus on building up your strength. Listen, if you can't hold a plank for at least an hour, this is going to be all that we're doing for now."