“Still the same routines—flips, kicks, and flashy martial arts moves. Plus, a set of Tai Chi and Long Fist techniques,” Josh shook his head. “I occasionally join the lessons, but the other trainees are far more enthusiastic. Let’s go! I’ve participated in plenty of sparring matches at school recently and gained some real combat experience. Enough talk, let’s start training.”
“I’ve improved too. Today, I’ve decided not to wear any protective gear,” Su Jie said. Under Coach Odell’s training, he had become fearless in sparring with weapons, making bare-handed combat seem trivial.
He wanted to truly understand the gap between his fighting techniques and Josh’s skills.
Over the past month, though he and Josh had sparred frequently, Su Jie had mostly been evading attacks without truly engaging. Even when he tried to counter, he couldn’t land a hit on Josh.
“No protective gear? Are you sure?” Josh looked skeptical but nodded when he saw Su Jie’s resolute expression. “There comes a point when we must take off the gear for real combat. It seems you’re confident. Let’s do this.”
The two stood on the platform.
Suddenly, Su Jie felt immense pressure.
Josh was taller, more robust, and had a longer reach—clear advantages.
Su Jie took a deep breath to steady himself, focusing intently on Josh’s every move. In his eyes, the world faded away, leaving only his opponent. He concentrated fully, like an eagle circling high in the sky, fixated on its prey. This was a combat technique taught by Coach Odell.
Swish! Swish!
Josh assumed a classic fighting stance, his hands guarding his head. His footwork shifted unpredictably—forward, backward, and side to side—making it impossible to discern where his attack might come from. His constant movement also made it hard for Su Jie to take the initiative.
Su Jie wanted to attack but couldn’t find a good opening.
His approach to offense was straightforward: one technique—”Hoe Strike.” Beyond that, he didn’t rely on any other methods.
He believed in the saying, “Don’t fear a thousand techniques; fear the one mastered technique.” Having too many moves was often futile.
Moreover, the “Hoe Strike” could evolve into various other forms. Almost all martial arts and weapon techniques originated from this one move.
Suddenly, Josh attacked! His speed was far greater than during their usual training sessions—he was taking this sparring match seriously, treating it like a real fight.
He weaved like a venomous cobra, swaying left and right before finding an angle to launch his ferocious assault.
His moves were straightforward: rapid straight punches followed by hook punches.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Josh’s punches were sharp, cutting through the air with audible force.
Su Jie dodged repeatedly. Though he wanted to counterattack, he couldn’t find any flaws in Josh’s defense—his opponent was too fast.
However, Su Jie remained calm, growing even more composed under pressure.
“In a standoff with the enemy, if you’re unsure of landing a hit, never attack recklessly. Be patient, dodge, and wait for the best opportunity. When you’re not eager to attack, it becomes equally hard for the enemy to land a hit on you.” This was one of Coach Odell’s key combat principles.
It was a universal truth.
Su Jie thought of tigers in the wild. They lay still, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce and deliver a fatal strike.
In combat, patience was paramount.
Patience came naturally to Su Jie, and Coach Odell had trained him extensively in this regard. During their last few sessions, they focused on knife and sword duels, where patience was critical.
In bare-handed combat, a landed punch might not be fatal, but in weapon-based fighting, even a minor hit could mean losing a limb or worse.
Through weapon sparring, Su Jie had honed both his patience and his agility.
Josh kept attacking, while Su Jie kept dodging. He focused entirely on spotting an opening, refusing to retaliate prematurely. Unsurprisingly, Josh struggled to land a decisive hit.
In a formal match, Su Jie’s approach would likely be criticized as overly passive, potentially leading to disqualification for lack of action.
Professional matches required spectacle; prolonged evasion without counterattacks wouldn’t fly.
But Su Jie wasn’t in a match. For him, it was about survival—he disregarded notions of victory or defeat.
Occasionally, Josh’s sweeping kicks struck Su Jie’s thighs, calves, or arms, leaving bruises. Su Jie didn’t mind.
In a formal match, those strikes would earn Josh points. Most matches were won by points, with knockouts being rare.
As things stood, Su Jie hadn’t scored a single point, while Josh had racked up dozens.
But Su Jie knew he hadn’t truly lost. In real combat, points didn’t matter—only survival did. As long as one side wasn’t incapacitated, the fight wasn’t over.
Coach Odell’s mantra echoed in his mind: “Seize the opportunity and fight until the end—never retreat until the enemy bleeds.”
In the heat of battle, psychological resilience was most critical.
“These two are hilarious—just circling each other like roosters in a ring. Is this what passes for traditional martial arts training?”
Josh and Su Jie had been sparring for a long time, with Josh attacking and Su Jie evading. Su Jie wasn’t unwilling to strike back; he simply hadn’t found the right opportunity. Josh’s defense was impeccable—a testament to his experience as a seasoned fighter.
Still, their back-and-forth lacked excitement, looking unimpressive to onlookers.
By now, a small crowd had gathered around the platform.
The training hall spanned the size of five or six basketball courts. It housed over a dozen platforms, punching bags, tires, and various workout equipment, resembling a large gym.
Trainees needed memberships and fees to use the facilities and protective gear.
Though the hall was mostly empty during summer break, students were starting to return as the holiday season ended. This led to a scattering of trainees, each focusing on their routines without interfering with others.
There were also members of short-term training programs.
Hearing the taunts, Josh and Su Jie paused to look at the five or six shirtless trainees below. Each wore fingerless gloves, displaying well-defined muscles.
“They’re MMA fighters,” Josh muttered, frowning.
Su Jie was familiar with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), a combat sport that closely mimicked real-world fighting scenarios. It allowed ground combat, submissions, and locks to immobilize opponents.
Mixed martial arts also have rules. For example, kicking is not allowed after the opponent falls; only punches can be used. Additionally, certain areas of the body are off-limits for striking.
In the martial arts community, many believe that mixed martial arts are the most practical for real combat. Other combat sports are often deemed inferior when faced with mixed martial arts.
Although mixed martial artists have strong combat abilities, their salaries and influence are far below those of boxers. Currently, boxing remains the most popular combat sport globally. Great boxers can earn tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars from a single match. In contrast, even the most popular mixed martial artists earn at most a few million dollars.
However, with the sport’s development and promotion, the value of the athletes has gradually increased.
“What’s wrong? Think we’re not good enough? Come on, let’s have some fun!” Josh was extremely combative.
Whenever there was a chance to fight, he would never miss it.
“Oh? Foreigner, you want to fight us? Under what rules? Perhaps the rules of Tai Chi pushing hands?” One of the trainees below, who was at least 185 cm tall, weighed at least 90 kilograms, and had muscles like slabs of stone, laughed. “We can fight, but shouldn’t we place a bet on it?”
“A bet? I like that,” Josh grinned, clearly accustomed to these types of wagered fights. He held up one finger. “How about this amount?”
“One hundred bucks?” The tall young man frowned.
Josh shook his head.
“One thousand bucks?”
Josh still shook his head.
“Don’t tell me it’s ten thousand?” The tall trainee’s expression changed slightly.
“Exactly! That kind of amount makes it exciting and ensures everyone takes it seriously.” Josh’s tone was fiery. “Are you in? If not, stop yapping and get out of here.”
“What an arrogant foreigner,” the trainees muttered, their faces darkening. However, judging by Josh’s physique and his fierce demeanor, they knew he wouldn’t be easy to deal with.
“Alright!” The tall trainee refused to back down and pointed at Su Jie. “But we’ll have two rounds. First, I’ll fight you. Then we’ll have another member fight him, with each match carrying a ten-thousand-yuan wager! Your group practices traditional martial arts, and we practice mixed martial arts. Our two classes are scheduled to have a sparring session soon, so why not warm up in advance?”
“Su Jie, what do you think?” Josh turned to ask.
Su Jie didn’t immediately agree but instead contemplated for a moment.
“The mixed martial artists are tough and resilient; they’re not easy to deal with. But you can give it a try. To become a true expert, you need to engage in real combat. If you don’t have the money, I’ll cover it for you,” Josh encouraged Su Jie to join the fight.
“Alright, I’ll do it! But if I lose, I’ll pay for it myself,” Su Jie nodded.
“Then it’s settled.” The tall young man clapped his hands. “Song Li, you’ll fight him. I’ll handle this foreigner!”
“No problem.” Another sturdy young man stepped forward. He was about 178 cm tall and built like a tank.
Su Jie immediately recognized him as someone with a solid foundation, capable of withstanding blows and delivering heavy punches and kicks. Fighters like this were often considered tanks in boxing matches.
“Brother Li Hu, that foreigner is tough. Be careful; he’s brimming with killing intent,” Song Li warned Li Hu after a brief exchange.
“I’ll be cautious,” Li Hu, evidently the leader of the group, replied. “You shouldn’t have any issues handling that kid. Just win the first round.”
As they argued, the surrounding trainees were drawn to the scene.
All of them were young martial artists, naturally competitive and eager to fight. Hearing about a match, they quickly gathered to watch.
“I’ll be the referee,” a passing woman stepped forward at that moment.
She was dressed in sportswear and appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. On her sportswear was a small image of Confucius, signifying her role as a coach rather than a trainee.
Minglun Martial Arts Academy, while focused on martial arts, also taught cultural and traditional studies, including Confucianism and rituals honoring Confucius.
The name “Minglun” embodied the core values of Confucianism.
In ancient times, the main halls of Confucian temples, academies, and imperial schools were often called “Minglun Halls.” Similarly, the central structure of any Buddhist temple is known as the “Mahavira Hall,” dedicated to the Buddha Shakyamuni.
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