Yang Yi made great progress over the past month.
He had now been doing push-ups for quite some time. Yang Yi already had a strong body since he was still young and didn't lack any vital nutrients. Thus, his body would naturally improve after only a few days. After some time passed, he started to grit his teeth and he was sweating profusely.
Zhang Yong no longer gave him any pointers to now that he could train independently. Not only that, he also didn't supervise Yang Yi's training. Yang Yi was very self-disciplined in his training. He would push himself to the limit even without supervision. As a result, Zhang Yong's role wasn't to urge him to train but to tell him when to stop.
With a deck of playing cards in his hands, Zhang Yong was mumbling quietly to himself before he opened his eyes and started flipping over the cards in the deck. He then excitedly announced, "Haha! I'm basically right this time around too. That's four hands now."
Yang Yi let out a grunt in acknowledgment, "Uh-huh."
Zhang Yong's mood changed when he heard Yang Yi's response. He then picked up an electronic watch next to his foot and proclaimed in surprise, "Fuck! One hour and ten minutes. Ok, you pass."
Yang Yi immediately relaxed his hands and stretched out on the ground. Zhang Yong placed the deck of cards he was holding on the bed before he leaped off the bed. Yang Yi was gasping for breath as he got up off the floor.
Zhang Yong immediately said, "I've been teaching you the foundation of Shape and Intention Boxing footwork. Start practicing it now."
Yang Yi cried out in acknowledgment and took a deep breath before he started practicing Shape and Intention Boxing footwork.
Zhang Yong hurriedly said, "Micro-step! Pierce through and dash! Horse stance, attack! Leap!
Zhang Yong rapidly issued out a set of instructions and Yang Yi obediently executed the moves as he was told. The faster Zhang Yong spoke, the faster Yang Yi moved. Yang Yi kept moving without any delay and without stopping.
"Stop!" Yang Yi immediately stopped moving.
Zhang Yong just shook his head as he said, "Your footwork is incorrect. The steps are too heavy?"
"Too heavy?"
"Do you know why I taught you Shape and Intention Boxing footwork first? That's because it has broad applications. It's a very important foundation. You used too much strength so it was too taut. Your steps need to be lighter and faster. You should only exert strength when you're moving but keep your leg relaxed otherwise. Have you seen lions, tigers or cats when they move? They moved quickly yet lightly. When they pounce, they spontaneously exert a lot of strength. Try to imagine that."
Yang Yi stopped moving as he recalled Zhang Yong's instructions. The execution was actually more difficult than it sounded.
"I'm just too tired. That's why my footsteps are bit heavy."
Zhang Yong shook his head again and said, "Being tired is not a valid reason or an excuse. The training will definitely be more effective when you're tired. Continue your training!"
There was an advantage to teaching a genius. It was very relaxing. In a way, it was sort of relaxing when Yang Yi practiced his footwork. As the training progressed, his reaction speed increased and his movements became more flexible and faster.
"Stop!"
Zhang Yong sighed and started rubbing his head as he ruefully said, "I thought it would take three months before we arrived at this point in the training. Surprisingly, it only took you a month. I think you can start practicing martial arts now."
Yang Yi was pleasantly surprised, "Is it really possible? That's great!"
"You shouldn't get happy so quickly. You just completed basic training. Before this moment, you weren't even qualified to practice martial arts. It's only now that you've met the minimum requirements of doing so."
After Zhang Yong crushed Yang Yi's confidence, he contemplated for a moment before he finally nodded and said, "Have you heard of the saying, it takes ten years to achieve mastery in Tai Chi but one can kill within a year with Xing Yi."
"I have heard of it."
"Shape and Intention Boxing can be considered one of the boxing styles. It has three branches. There's the direct branch, covert branch, and versatile branch. Although I managed to comprehend Shape and Intention Boxing footwork, I wasn't able to master the martial art as a whole. However, I think Shape and Intention Boxing is very suitable for you. That's why I'm teaching you this martial art first. Although you won't fully comprehend the essence of Shape and Intention Boxing after a year, you'll still be able to stand your ground against anyone out there."
Yang Yi excitedly asked, "So, I should focus my attention on Shape and Intention Boxing and just practice Short Boxing periodically?"
"No, you shouldn't think of your priorities in practicing Shape and Intention Boxing and Short Boxing that way. Both martial arts should form the core of your fighting prowess."
After noticing that Yang Yi looked rather confused, Zhang Yong explained to him. "Shape and Intention Boxing has a very broad following. Because of that, it has a matured system beginners can use to start training. In comparison, Short Boxing requires a lot of proficiency. The strikes are either lethal or aimed at the opponent's joints. That's to say, you will only be able to execute this style after a lot of practice. There's no way a beginner can use Short Boxing.
"I understand now. I will first start with practicing Shape and Intention Boxing. I will only start practicing Short Boxing after I've managed to establish a solid foundation in Shape and Intention Boxing."
Zhang Yong nodded as he said, "That's the right approach. Let me give you an analogy. If we consider both martial arts mastery to be at 100 points, you will be able to reach 60 points in a year when you train in Shape and Intention Boxing. Short Boxing, on the other hand, you won't even hit 30 points after training for more than three years. In a different scenario, if you manage to train Shape and Intention Boxing up to 60 points before you start practicing Short Boxing, you'll be able to reach 100 points in Short Boxing within three years."
With this explanation, Zhang Yong made it very simple to understand. He then seriously said, "Short Boxing can be divided into two components. Jabs and Grappling. Grappling is mostly aimed at the human joints while jabs are intended to be lethal. So, Shape and Intention Boxing should form the core of your fighting prowess while Short Boxing will supplement it. If you combine both of these martial arts, you'll be able to achieve a result comparable to practicing a single martial art to 100 points. Do you understand now? However, this is just a makeshift solution. You're still nowhere near to being a true expert. So, make sure you never stop practicing until you achieve mastery and become a true expert.
Yang Yi immediately asked, "How long do I need to practice before I can start fighting you on equal ground?"
Zhang Yong just laughed as he answered, "You just need to practice wholeheartedly. In a month, you'll be able to start bullying the inmates here. In a year, you can go around picking fights with others. As for a fight against me, you shouldn't even think about it before you've practiced for more than ten years. After you've mastered both Shape and Intention Boxing and Short Boxing, the only people that will be able to fight equally with you are martial arts expert and I am one of those experts."
Yang Yi solemnly asked, "So, after practicing for more than a year, will I be able to defeat a very skilled woman? I'm talking about very skilled here."
"How skilled?"
"She has been practicing since she was a kid. She practices boxing, freestyle combat, Brazilian Jujitsu and Krav Maga. She's a practitioner with more than ten years of experience."
Zhang Yong was smirking as he looked at Yang Yi in disdain, "What you're learning from me is an authentic version of martial arts meant for killing your opponents. It's not martial arts meant for self-defense, public performance or health improvement. Do you understand that? If you can't beat a woman who's just practicing standard boxing after a year with me, don't even mention you knew me ok? Wait, I think I should just kill you instead so that you don't embarrass me if you ever get defeated."