Chapter 17 Sanda Basics, Strength Breakthrough

The bright and spacious training hall.

Fang Cheng, holding a cardboard box, passed by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Outside, the view was bustling with traffic and towering skyscrapers.

Looking back inside, the room was filled with energetic and passionate figures.

Some were lifting barbell plates for strength training, others were vigorously punching training posts and sandbags.

Continuous shouts of "Hey ha" and "Hu ha" filled the air.

Mixed with the pervasive scent of sweat in the air, it stirred a sense of blood-boiling excitement.

However, it was work hours now.

Fang Cheng suppressed his eagerness and quickly walked towards an area covered with soft mats.

A dozen new students in blue training suits were doing stretching exercises such as bending over and leg pressing.

"Warm-up is over, let's start the formal instruction."

The distinct booming voice of Coach Xu resonated as he stood at the front, clapping his hands.

His gaze swept over the hurriedly arranged row of students, among them were delicate and breathless female faces.

His originally stern square face softened slightly.

"Sanda is a comprehensive form of hand-to-hand combat."

The lesson began, as usual, with the most basic martial arts theory that needed to be explained first.

"It originates from traditional martial arts' freehand techniques while also incorporating advantages from boxing, Muay Thai, and other combat disciplines, making the techniques more comprehensive and the concepts more open."

"In actual combat and competitions, Sanda is known for its versatile approaches, like fast against slow, long-range kicks and close-range punches, and bodily throws, demanding high physical fitness..."

Xu Maochai spoke eloquently as Fang Cheng busied himself with work.

He moved the cardboard box in his hands to the side of the wall, stacking it on top of another pile.

Although the contents of the boxes were not particularly heavy, running back and forth from the warehouse to the training hall a dozen times was quite exhausting.

Fang Cheng exhaled lightly; fortunately, he didn't break into a sweat on his forehead.

Compared to carrying gas cylinders upstairs at home, where he needed to rest after every floor, this was undoubtedly a significant improvement.

After his constitution improved to 12 points, such amount of exercise was indeed a piece of cake.

"Once my strength also breaks through to 10 points, perhaps I can lift a gas cylinder with one hand, matching those physically strong movers, right?"

Recalling the past 'adversary' that shamed his manliness, Fang Cheng's gaze flickered slightly as he looked at the panel.

[You have moved heavy objects for 6 minutes, strength increased by 0.001]

[You have moved heavy objects for 6 minutes, strength increased by 0.001]

.........

Several notification messages floated one after another before his eyes.

Looking at the attribute bar's progress, his strength had reached a critical point of 99%.

Fang Cheng felt somewhat exhilarated.

Once all four-dimensional attributes surpass 10 points, with this physique, he should be more than capable as a sparring partner.

"But, there's no rush for now..."

Closing the panel, Fang Cheng shifted his focus back to Xu Maochai, who was still lecturing.

As an employee of the logistics department and effectively an assistant to the coach, he had many and varied tasks.

If not for other ambitions in mind.

The work in the marketing department would be relatively easier and have more prospects for advancement.

However, that was not what Fang Cheng truly desired...

Xu Maochai continued to discuss the key points of the course.

"Basic techniques of Sanda include boxing, leg techniques, throwing, and grappling."

"Apart from learning related techniques, we will perform physical training for the first half-hour of every class."

"These exercises are quite tiring, but they are beneficial for developing coordination and flexibility in your body, and they also meet your needs for weight loss and fat burning," he encouraged a few female students with weaker physical conditions.

After a brief pause, he continued solemnly:

"Next, I will demonstrate the basic boxing and leg techniques, watch carefully."

Just then, Fang Cheng had finished organizing the boxes.

Seeing this, he stood by the side of the field, closely watching Xu Maochai demonstrating the basic Sanda techniques.

Even though it was just a simple demonstration, it was apparent that his punches and kicks were powerful, and his movements were sharp and decisive without any hesitation.

Charging Fist, slamming punch, copying punch, whip punch...

Kicking, Kicking, sweeping kick, Whip Kick...

Each punch thrown or each kick delivered momentarily drove his clothes, making a crisp and robust swishing sound.

Especially the most powerful Whip Kick, which exploded like a firecracker when swung out.

This instantly captivated the entire audience.

Those young men who initially had a lax attitude and focused their attention on the female students were instantly invigorated.

As if envisioning themselves mastering the same skills in the future, using them to show off and charm women.

Fang Cheng's gaze shifted, also feeling a hint of excitement.

He had heard rumors that Zheng Haokang's first Sanda coach at the club was Xu Maochai.

It seems the rumor was well-founded.

This was indeed a hidden expert in combat.

Fang Cheng felt fortunate for his choice.

The day before yesterday afternoon, after he requested to intern in the Sanda department from Xu Maochai, he also mentioned the obstacles from Manager Li.

Compared to the highest-ranking manager, the main coach was just a front-line manager and teacher.

But in actuality, he held more sway.

Because they were not only club employees but also collaborators with certain equity incentives.

Nowadays, there is fierce competition among the departments of boxing, Sanda, Jujitsu, and Karate.

Fang Cheng's addition was akin to a capable general defecting from the enemy camp to their own, significantly altering the situation.

Coach Xu naturally went all out, quickly helped sort out HR issues, and smoothly resolved all problems.

As for how Manager Li would view it?

He could only betray his painstaking efforts in cultivating him...

After the demonstration, the session moved on to dissecting the movements.

Xu Maochai's teaching style was very practical.

He first picked Whip Kick, the most popular and spectacular move, allowing the students to try and imitate it from memory.

Then he pointed out issues in each individual's execution and corrected them.

Finally, he demonstrated it again in slow motion.

Through this method, he explained in great detail how to coordinate the basic stance, body movement, and find the point of force in an attack.

Fang Cheng attentively watched the scene unfolding on the field, continuously simulating the practice in his mind.

He memorized every word and every move of the coach to perfection.

"Sanshou techniques are not difficult; what's important is the physical strength and the ability to feel the moment."

Having broken down the Basic Boxing and leg techniques, Xu Maochai looked at the still awkwardly moving group of students, unphased:

"You all should review today's material several times after returning home. Next class, we will continue to focus on basic skills and consolidate our practice."

The class lasted about one and a half hours and ended before they knew it.

Xu Maochai turned around and nodded to Fang Cheng, who was waiting behind.

Fang Cheng had just snapped out of his concentrated state and promptly understood what was expected, walking towards a pile of cardboard boxes that had been placed by the side of the training area.

Upon breaking the seals, inside were brand-new packaged boxing gloves, headgear, mouthguards, chest protectors, and leg protectors.

Fang Cheng distributed them to each student according to the sizes noted on the list.

These were all included in the hefty tuition fee.

Because of long-term use and sweat absorption, they are prone to breeding bacteria and transmitting diseases.

Hence, students need to bring their own protective gear, replace them regularly, and maintain cleanliness.

Distribution and registration complete.

Watching several female students greet him enthusiastically and then leave,

Fang Cheng glanced back down at his pocket to see a new note once again stuffed inside.

He revealed a hint of helplessness.

Most of these students were those he had recruited while distributing flyers, so his client relations were quite harmonious.

Since starting to work out, Fang Cheng found himself increasingly popular with the opposite sex.

Every time he looked in the mirror, he got a similar feeling.

Although his facial features had not changed noticeably, his aura was utterly different.

If previously he was a delicate-looking beautiful boy with an aesthetic leaning towards a pale and slender look,

Now, he could definitely be described with phrases like "Radiating vitality" or "Elegant as a jade tree in the wind."

The "beauty" talent, coupled with the unique temperament from fitness, had significantly increased his charm.

If he were to develop a six-pack, his lethal attractiveness might be even harder to contain.

"Being too handsome can also bring many troubles..."

Fang Cheng shook his head and sighed lightly, cleaning up the area.

Yet, he was in a very good mood.

This day was busy and fulfilling.

The skills gained from the morning training aside,

During work hours, he also enjoyed a free valuable Sanshou class.

Every day brought new achievements, naturally filling life with the motivation to progress.

..................

As night fell, the lamps lit up in the rain.

After work hours, the hustle and bustle gradually faded, and the sweat evaporated completely.

In the now quiet gym, the central air conditioning had already been turned off.

Two or three spotlights cast onto a figure exercising alone.

The night outside grew darker and colder.

Fang Cheng stood on the ice-cold plastic floor, his body upright.

Suddenly shifting his weight backwards, he pushed off the ground with his right foot and lifted his knee.

Whoosh!

His toes hooked up, and his muscles taut, his entire leg swung out straight in a swift kick.

The whole side-kicking motion was crisp and clean, without any pause or distortion.

Even after kicking out, he was still able to maintain perfect balance.

It looked as if a bowl of water could be balanced on his toe, and not a drop would spill.

"I guess my side-kick is at the beginner level now."

Fang Cheng drew back his leg and stood still, muttering to himself:

"Next, it's time for the whip kick..."

Then, he shifted his feet and resumed a fighting stance.

He specifically stayed behind alone to recapture the feeling from class and practically rehearse what he had learned.

The Basic Boxing in Sanshou was quite similar to Boxing; only the names differed.

After a brief practice of the punches, Fang Cheng mainly focused on basic leg techniques.

Now his gaze was calm, with visions of Coach Xu demonstrating Sanshou techniques during class floating before his eyes.

Simultaneously, his brain functioned like a highly efficient machine, commanding his body to exactly mimic movements from memory.

Turning his upper body to the left, he pushed off the ground with his right foot, shifting his weight to the left foot.

Then, the quadriceps of his right leg drove his knee upwards.

At the same time, rotating his waist as an axis, he executed a second rotation of power, with knee tucks and leg whips.

Initially when twisting his waist, Fang Cheng felt a bit awkward, and his balance was slightly off.

Thanks to the deep squat's effect on strengthening his waist, abdomen, and thighs, he quickly adjusted and adapted.

He repeatedly practiced the motion of un-kicking, drawing closer to perfection in his memory.

Step forward, lift knee, rotate, whip leg, retract.

Step forward, lift knee, rotate, whip leg, retract.

.........

His movements became increasingly proficient, his posture more coordinated, and the speed of his kicks faster.

Snap!

The whip kick suddenly cracked through the air with a sharp sound.

At the same time, a notification popped up before his eyes.

"[Congratulations, through relentless effort, your strength has improved]

Fang Cheng's eyes sparkled with a hint of delight.

His strength had finally broken through to 10 points.

This also significantly enhanced the power of his leg techniques.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng's gaze turned to the black leather sandbag that the students regularly trained on.

His eyes burned with passion, as if gazing at a long-coveted lover.

Whoosh!

His right leg kicked out again, his lower leg swinging like a heavy whip, bringing a strong gust of wind.

"Bang!" The sole of his foot struck the sandbag hard!

This kick was extremely powerful.

The 90kg sandbag hanging in the air swayed violently several times.

The sound of the impact echoed around the gym, lingering for a long time.