The knight in the big world of American TV series

Chapter 2315

However, before Thor could react, Ger turned around and kicked Thor away with a side kick!

In terms of martial arts, a hundred Gers wouldn't be a match for Thor. The problem is that Gers's body is simply defying biological structure. No creature that can stand and walk under normal gravity can replicate Gers's movements. He's clearly going for a side kick, but the problem is that his upper body doesn't move at all. His supporting leg is also firmly planted on the ground. It's just that his other leg seems to have a mind of its own, completely ignoring the constraints of bones and muscles, and attacking from an impossible angle.

This is why Thor couldn't do anything about him.

There's a reason for this: although Thor may seem simple-minded, he has indeed received the most elite education, and so has his fighting skills!
Whether it's the combat skills of Asgard or the fighting techniques and martial arts on Earth, from the initial hunting and fighting on the battlefield to the later street performers, knights-errant, and bodyguards, martial arts, from its establishment to its inheritance, must have been born for actual combat in the first place. Kung Fu is a killing technique.

These techniques are the most suitable fighting methods summarized and compiled by our predecessors.

Some are effortless, some are tricky, and some are ruthless.

But no matter how things change, they all follow a set pattern.

Take traditional martial arts as an example. Martial arts are a treasure of the Chinese nation, profound and extensive, with a cultural heritage of five thousand years. It is a set of fighting techniques summarized by the ancestors of the Chinese nation through thousands of years of warfare, combat, and actual battles. It integrates ancient philosophy, health preservation, military strategy, Taoist thought, Buddhist thought, Confucian culture, and medical theory; it can be said to be a condensed history of Chinese culture. Due to the advent of the era of firearms and the end of the era of cold weapons, and the clash between Chinese and Western cultures, contemporary martial arts have lost their former glory. Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) has too many Westernized elements, traditional martial arts lack combat effectiveness, and competitive martial arts routines have become more like dance. The "high," "floating," "difficult," "beautiful," and "new" aspects of martial arts performances create a stark contrast with the current level of combat effectiveness…

Far away.

Martial arts emphasizes routines!
Why practice routines in martial arts? Practicing individual routines cultivates flexibility, quick reflexes, coordinated strength, and a balance of softness and hardness. Martial arts routines are combinations of basic movements, organically linking seemingly disparate techniques step-by-step, allowing for systematic training and proving to be an effective method. Each move in a routine carries both offensive and defensive implications. For example, in the "Grasping Hand Bow Stance Punch," the left leg steps to the left into a left bow stance, while the left hand simultaneously sweeps horizontally to the left rear as the body turns to the left. The right fist then punches forward. The purpose of the sweeping hand is to deflect the opponent's punch or kick, while the right fist strikes the opponent. This is a combined offensive and defensive movement. Another example is the "False Step Upper Guard," where, when the opponent's right fist strikes (chops) towards the face or head, the left foot immediately steps back into a right false step, and the right hand, palm facing outward, bends at the elbow and parries the opponent's punch upward, while the left hand protects the chest. This is a purely defensive move. When practicing routines, one should practice as if there were someone in front of them, even if there were no one there. Practicing routines alone should be like engaging in real combat, with an awareness of the enemy's presence, practicing diligently, meticulously, and carefully studying the movements to improve one's awareness and ability in offensive and defensive combat. Practicing martial arts routines alone can strengthen and improve basic movements, such as "bow stance punch," "horse stance parry," "supporting palm side kick," and "double kick," as well as the standardization and regularity of the five main stances (bow stance, horse stance, empty stance, crouching stance, and resting stance), laying a solid foundation for actual combat. Martial arts routines include movements such as inward extension and shifting, falling and rolling, stretching and undulating, and leaping. Regularly engaging in these activities can lengthen the muscles and ligaments of the shoulders, waist, and legs, and extend the joints, allowing for swiftness, agility, and freedom of movement when engaging an opponent. Form training can improve a person's reaction speed. Those who haven't undergone this training will react slowly, rigidly, and helplessly when an opponent throws a punch, or they may instinctively try to block or dodge. However, such instinctive and subconscious defense or dodge cannot stop a powerful, well-trained attack. Those who regularly practice forms naturally develop a habit of quick reactions. When an opponent throws a punch, they can quickly react by blocking, parrying, striking, or dodging. Form training can also improve the body's power coordination. As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect." Only through frequent practice can one achieve coordinated power and natural movement. Once power coordination is achieved, the force exerted is firm yet not stiff, soft yet not loose, combining strength and gentleness. This allows one to "generate power from the waist, transmit it to the shoulder, propel it through the elbow, and deliver it to the hand."

Many people neglect the practice of forms in martial arts training, believing that forms are merely for show and of little use. They rush to advance to higher levels after only a short period of training. I've encountered many friends who, after only a few days of learning forms, immediately move on to sparring and free sparring. Some teenagers even come to me wanting to learn weapons. I advise them: "Learning martial arts is like a toddler learning to walk; trying to run before you can stand is unrealistic. Without a solid foundation, even if you learn a few free sparring moves or weapon sets, what use is it if your foundation is weak? It's like building castles in the air. You must never be overly ambitious."

Practicing routines is essential; it's a crucial first step in learning martial arts. The essence of martial arts is a skill and technique for combat, whether unarmed or with weapons. For example, the defensive movements in a routine aim to prevent the opponent's punches and kicks from landing, thus ensuring one's invincibility. If you can't defend in actual combat, it means your skill is insufficient and you need more practice. The same applies to offensive techniques. In movement, one should strive for "hands like shooting stars, eyes like lightning," and "the hand is invisible, the punch strikes unnoticed," the goal being to overwhelm the opponent, leaving them unable to parry or defend, and ultimately defeating them. If the opponent can defend, it indicates your skill is also inadequate, and you too must diligently practice.

Those who practice martial arts all aspire to achieve mastery in the art. However, how to avoid straying from the right path and easily enter the realm of martial arts can leave them bewildered and at a loss. In fact, "when you think you've reached a dead end, a new path opens up," meaning that with careful contemplation, it's not difficult to find the shortcut. The key to this lies in three points: understanding the principles, mastering the methods, and diligent practice. The crucial elements are understanding the principles and mastering the methods. What does this mean? First, one must understand the technical characteristics of various martial arts styles and techniques. Second, one must fully grasp the different training methods and specific requirements among them. Finally, the practitioner must engage in persistent and tireless practice based on the specific technical characteristics, training methods, and requirements of each style.

Within the realm of internal martial arts, styles such as Tai Chi Chuan and Bagua Zhang are both martial arts schools that emulate the principles of nature and incorporate the secrets of Yin and Yang. Therefore, they share the common characteristics of internal martial arts techniques: "using stillness to control movement, using softness to overcome hardness; using slowness to defeat speed, using shortness to overcome length; emphasizing the fullness of internal essence, energy, and spirit rather than the superficial form of muscles, bones, and skin." Consequently, in practicing these forms, they adhere to the training principles of "a calm and focused mind, a relaxed and agile body; orderly and natural breathing; guiding Qi with intention, and moving the body with Qi; achieving harmony between spirit and form, and unity of internal and external." However, their specific requirements during practice differ slightly. For example, Tai Chi Chuan requires "upright and centered posture," while Bagua Zhang requires "upward movement against the current and downward movement with the current." Tai Chi Chuan follows an "S"-shaped footwork, while Bagua Zhang moves in a "circular" pattern. Tai Chi Chuan strives for "gentle, soft, and slow" speed during practice, while Bagua Zhang emphasizes "swiftness and agility." Clearly, understanding the principles and mastering the methods are extremely important for beginners! This is what martial arts refers to as "rules."

The "rules" mentioned here are not "movement norms" in a narrow sense, but rather "principles and methods" in a broad sense. That is, the narrow sense of movement norms falls under the broader category of principles and methods. In other words, when practicing any style of martial arts, merely achieving the standardization of the movements themselves is only one element in achieving the standardization of its principles and methods. Only by achieving conformity with the principles and methods can one find a shortcut to entering the inner sanctum of martial arts and gaining profound understanding.

How can we ensure that reason and law conform to their norms?
To be precise, firstly, one must not violate the principles of boxing; secondly, the methods of practice must be appropriate; and thirdly, movements should strive for standardization. More specifically, the principles of boxing require the movements to be "continuous and unbroken," which naturally cannot become "rhythmic and distinct"; the methods of practice require "the body to move with the waist," which similarly cannot become "the body to move with the feet"; the movements require "arc-shaped movements," which cannot become "the fist moving in a straight line"... If one goes against these principles, one will ultimately be going in the opposite direction, straying further and further from the right path, and what use will all the hard work be? Clearly, while "following the rules" is important, "conforming to the rules" is even more important. Therefore, the first and foremost principle in martial arts training is: following the rules requires first conforming to the rules; without understanding this, it is difficult to approach the "Tao"!

Thor, on the other hand, is the kind of person who follows the rules.

Following the rules here doesn't mean rigidly adhering to so-called routines, but rather following certain patterns.

For example, when someone attacks you, their posture, footsteps, and even their eyes can be discerned. After all, the logic behind exerting force is the same.

The most typical example is a boxer throwing a punch.

First, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, then slide back half a step and rotate. Keep your front foot at a 15-degree angle and your back foot at a 45-degree angle. Simultaneously, tighten your core, slightly arch your back, clench your fist with your back hand close to your ribs, and slightly raise your shoulder to protect your lower back. Raise your front hand slightly forward. As you raise your fist, take a small step forward with your left foot while simultaneously rotating your right foot outward to prepare for the next movement. Swing your left hand downward in front of your chest as a balancing hand, and swing your right fist upward from below. When your fist is raised and ready to attack, clench your fist tightly and propel your forearm forward as quickly as possible while maintaining balance. During this propulsion, your fist should be level with your shoulder to facilitate the subsequent punch. Simultaneously, your feet should move forward in coordination with your body to provide more power for the punch. During the propulsion, your fist needs to be angled slightly to maximize the striking force. Keep the rest of your body stable during the punch to avoid affecting its power. The right arm and fist are swung outwards in a straight line at approximately a 45-degree angle, while the left arm swings backwards to maintain balance. A correct punch involves pushing off the ground with the lower leg, simultaneously rotating the hips and shoulders. Keeping the arm and wrist taut ensures maximum power is delivered and protects the hand from injury during the punch. A powerful punch requires the coordinated effort of multiple body parts: pushing off the ground with the feet, generating power from the lower legs, rotating the waist and hips, rotating the shoulders, and finally rotating the fist. The final movement is retracting the fist to return to the starting position, preventing the opponent from capitalizing on any openings. When retracting the fist, the right arm and fist are pulled back sequentially to the starting position.

Mastering the correct punching posture and power generation method seems simple, but it actually requires a period of practice. You need to practice extensively to develop muscle memory, until you can punch without thinking. Additionally, you can increase punching speed and power through back training and weighted explosive training.

These things may seem ordinary, but they are actually all traceable.

When Thor faces other enemies, he judges the strength, angle, and even the next move of the opponent's attack based on these subconscious actions.

In this way, he can effectively defend or counterattack, or even strike first.

But none of this works on Thor!

It's like a novice punching a master!
Often, the more skilled a master is, the shorter the time it takes to win in a real fight—the so-called "one-hit kill." The higher their skill level, the shorter the time it takes to defeat you. If movies and TV shows portrayed this way, no one would watch them. Real combat is completely different from our understanding of combat in movies and TV shows. The same applies when we encounter harm on the street; ensuring our safety as quickly as possible is crucial. The "random punches" in the saying "a random punch can kill a master" refers to haphazard, uncontrolled punches and kicks, charging in recklessly without regard for consequences. Such punches would likely be ineffective against a seasoned martial arts master. This is because martial arts training emphasizes resistance to blows, reaction time, and speed in punching and kicking. A haphazard charge like that would likely be easily countered with a side kick. Therefore, for someone practicing modern combat sports, unless they have significant physical limitations, a typical street thug cannot defeat a master with random punches. For example, Tyson, Fang Bian, Yi Long, and Zhang Weili are all highly skilled fighters who frequently fight in the ring. It would be almost impossible for three or five small-time thugs to take them down.

Danger is a super rogue.

Thor's once-proud experience was completely useless on Ger.

Geer's strength and speed are very high, but that's not the key point.

The key point is that Ger's body has surpassed everyone's understanding. He looks like a humanoid creature, but in reality, he can exert force from all sorts of incredible angles at will, as if his body has no bones or muscles at all, but is just an amorphous object!