Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 94 Unique Martial Arts
Zhang Wenliang led everyone in practicing boxing, so naturally he didn't have time to teach Chen Fan.

First, warm-up exercises.

A dozen or so people lined up in two rows, first rubbing their hands together to warm them, then covering their faces and gently rubbing them from their necks to their foreheads to their ears, then to the top of their heads, chests, abdomens, and even their lower backs, thighs, knees, calves, and ankles.

Then move to the front and massage upwards from the bottom, all the way back to the face.

Chen Fan stood to the side, dumbfounded. Was this a warm-up?

Not a body scrub?

Seeing that he didn't move, Xiao Liewen walked over and said, "You haven't learned this set of movements yet, have you? I'll teach you."

Then he gently tapped the bamboo whip on his arm, "Raise your hand, stretch it forward, bring your palms together, and then slowly pull it back and place it on your neck."

Chen Fan imitated Zhang Wenliang's movements and did as he was told, but his eyes looked a little strange. "Captain Xiao, what kind of unique martial art is this?"

Xiao Liewen was surprised to hear this, "Oh, how did you know this was a unique martial art?"

Chen Fan was stunned.

Huh? It really is?
Seeing his expression, Xiao Liewen knew exactly what he was thinking and immediately said irritably, "You're just talking nonsense, aren't you? But you're right, this really is a unique skill; no one else besides those from our company knows it."

Don't underestimate these few movements. Martial arts training involves dynamic exercises. If you don't loosen up your muscles and bones before starting to practice, you can easily strain your body.

Especially for beginners like you, whose muscles and joints aren't even open yet, suddenly exerting too much force can strain your fascia and take at least half a month to heal. Only when you've developed a solid foundation and can generate power anytime, anywhere will you no longer need this warm-up exercise.”

Chen Fan, still holding his neck, asked curiously, "I know the principle, but what's the origin of this kung fu?"

Xiao Liewen scoffed, "They've got quite the background. Ever heard of Tai Chi? Ever heard of Baguazhang?"

Seeing Chen Fan nod like a chicken pecking at rice, he continued, "Whether it's practicing Tai Chi, Bagua, or Bajiquan, Xingyiquan, Tongbeiquan, or Fanziquan, beginners will do a set of warm-up exercises like this before they start practicing."

The movements may vary, but the key points are similar. If you don't practice warm-up exercises properly and start with horse stance and strength training right away, you will likely suffer hidden injuries and never achieve great success in your life.

Most importantly, when you get old and are plagued by injuries and illnesses, you'll know what true suffering is.

Chen Fan nodded in sudden realization, "Oh, a tall building starts from the ground up, so the foundation must be solid?!"

Xiao Liewen shook his head. "This is hardly laying a foundation. At most, it's laying adobe bricks. But adobe bricks are related to how many years a house can be lived in. Can you say it's not important?"

After hearing his explanation, Chen Fan finally understood.

Using the three methods of "nurturing, training, and fighting" in traditional Chinese martial arts, this warm-up exercise is the "nurturing method," used to maintain the body.

He nodded immediately, "Okay, I'll practice!"

Xiao Liewen nodded approvingly, "Hey, if you don't understand, ask. Only after you understand it can you learn to apply what you've learned to other situations. You'll definitely learn better than those guys who just follow orders."

Zhang Wenliang and the others standing nearby remained expressionless. "Could you speak any louder, sir?!"

Chen Fan followed Xiao Liewen's movements one by one. This warm-up exercise was quite simple, consisting of only a few movements: rubbing hands to support the body, pushing the abdomen and rubbing the legs, supporting the knees to stand up, shaking the head and wagging the tail, rotating the hips and circling the knees, rotating the ankles and wrists, and finally, the move "Dragon Coiling Strike".

As Xiao Liewen watched him follow his movements, he said, "This move, Wulong Pan Da, was originally a special technique of Tongbei and Pigua Men. Back when I was in the army, there were a few comrades in my company who were proficient in martial arts. They exchanged ideas and integrated them into this warm-up exercise, and then everyone in the company learned it."

Don't underestimate these skills just because we live in an age of guns and cannons, or think that learning these things is useless.

The main reason we were able to win the Northern War was, of course, our skillful command and the bravery of our soldiers.

But if our soldiers don't have any real skills, how can we use rifles to fight against American tanks and planes?
Our army has countless extraordinary individuals, each capable of doing the work of ten or even a hundred. They charge ahead, and our brothers follow behind, roaring with excitement, which is how we achieved victory after victory.

If you don't have the skills to protect yourself, even if I gave you a tank and a cannon, you'd only be a prisoner!

Chen Fan's attitude was very serious. "You're right, sir. I will definitely hone my skills and fight the Japanese devils on the battlefield!"

Xiao Liewen stretched his muscles and nodded in satisfaction, "Ah, that's right."

He then said, “After you finish practicing the movements, don’t rush to stop. You should also practice the breathing method. This breathing method can regulate your body and mind. Do it once before practicing to adjust your state, and do it again after practicing to calm your qi and blood. It has many benefits. Come on, take a deep breath first, inhale…”

Chen Fan learned the breathing technique from him, then repeatedly performed the entire set of movements, silently counting in his mind: +1, +1, +1...

Just now, after he finished his first round of warm-up exercises, his skill panel reacted.

"You have completed the warm-up exercises and are building your martial arts foundation. You are now unlocking a new skill: Martial Arts: LV1 (1/10)"

When Chen Fan saw that martial arts skills had been unlocked, he thought, "Why don't I train like crazy?"
He immediately did it four more times in a row, raising his experience points to (5/10).

When Captain Xiao saw how hard he was working, he quickly stopped him, saying, "That's enough, that's enough. Just do it once or twice each time, there's no need to do it more."

Chen Fan: Absolutely necessary!
But when he heard Captain Xiao's next words, he swallowed them back.

Xiao Liewen said, "Next, I will teach you the basics of martial arts. One is the horse stance, and the other is the Five Elements Fist, the introductory fist technique of Xingyi Quan. The horse stance goes without saying; it is the foundation of almost all fist techniques. It is what you just mentioned as the foundation. If the foundation is not solid, you can't build a tall building."

Let's practice the horse stance first. There's a proper way to do it. It's not just about sitting down and squatting. First, you need to understand that there are two types of horse stances: the "reverse horse stance" and the "riding horse stance." The reverse horse stance should be "steady and stable." When you step forward with your legs, squat down with your thighs, and maintain a stable and balanced posture.

Why is it called the "Horse-Crossing Stance"? In ancient times, this was a skill used by infantry to fight against cavalry. With your legs firmly planted in a horse stance and your hands holding a long spear, if a cavalryman charged from the opposite side, you not only had to avoid being knocked down, but you also had to thrust your spear straight at him and knock him off his horse. If you couldn't hold this horse stance firmly, how could you use your spear to stab people or horses?

However, if you become too stable, you'll become stiff and inflexible. That's when you need to use the horse stance. The anti-horse stance is for resisting a horse, while the horse stance is for subduing a horse.

In ancient times, there were no stirrups or saddles. To ride a horse steadily, one had to grip the horse's back tightly with both legs and move their body in sync with the horse's galloping motion. This ensured they wouldn't fall off, maintained perfect harmony with the horse, and were agile enough to free their hands for fighting.

At this point, he glanced at Chen Fan, who was staring wide-eyed, and waved his hand gently. "Alright, you won't remember anything if I explain too much. Let's just practice this horse stance first. Come on, keep your left foot still, and move your right foot outwards three times. Oh, right, it has to be three foot lengths apart. Your feet must be straight, your knees bent, but not past your toes, your thighs parallel to the ground, and don't stick your butt out..."

Following Xiao Liewen's instructions, Chen Fan performed the movements meticulously.

Once corrected, he wouldn't make the same mistake again. In less than a minute, he would be in the perfect horse stance, just like in a textbook.

Chen Fan gritted his teeth, trying hard to keep his thighs from shaking, and silently shouted in his heart, "I want to become a martial arts master, give me some points!"

(End of this chapter)