Chapter 29: Steps As The Mother Of Fists
In the following days, Chen Wujun no longer went to the martial arts school. Instead, he practiced sword and shield with Senior Brother Li in the warehouse every day.
Master Zhou Qing visited once. Seeing them practicing sword and shield, he didn’t teach them anything else, only offered a few pointers on the tricks of sword and shield, and then sauntered away.
Bang! Bang!
Inside the warehouse, Senior Brother Li’s White Wax Rod moved like a poisonous snake emerging from its hole, either tapping on Chen Wujun’s shield or being deflected by it.
Sometimes, when Chen Wujun was not careful and was tapped, the spot would immediately swell up, turning blue and purple.
Chen Wujun was also tough and didn’t cry out in pain, focusing all his attention on Senior Brother Li.
“Don’t look at the White Wax Rod, look at my shoulder, look at my hand!” Senior Brother Li’s White Wax Rod suddenly thrust out. Chen Wujun’s vision blurred for a moment, and he immediately turned his body halfway. His shield promptly deflected it from the side, and the White Wax Rod grazed the edge of the shield and shot past.
“Alright, that’s enough for now!” Senior Brother Li threw the White Wax Rod aside.
“I was originally going to teach you footwork and Four Gates Eight Locks first, but since you are practicing sword and shield now, Four Gates Eight Locks can be learned later.”
“Next, we will add footwork training.”
Chen Wujun immediately became focused. He could finally practice footwork.
Four Gates Eight Locks includes techniques such as grasping, entangling, locking, fastening, twisting, breaking, embracing, and pressing, specifically for close-quarters grappling and wrestling.
However, since Chen Wujun had gotten into trouble, Senior Brother Li prioritized sword and shield and footwork.
“Footwork is the mother of boxing; if the footwork is unstable, the boxing will be chaotic; if the footwork is not fast, the boxing will be slow.”
“Wolf Fist is for close-range combat. You need to close the distance at the fastest speed with the least cost, but this doesn’t mean charging in recklessly. Instead, you need to be cunning and unpredictable, making your opponent unable to gauge your direction and quickly cutting to their side.”
“Therefore, the footwork should be serpentine, with roots like an old python and movement like a venomous snake.”
As Senior Brother Li spoke, he moved his feet, and his body’s direction shifted unpredictably. He was in front of Chen Wujun, moved to the left, and then appeared on the right.
Then his footsteps became elusive as he circled Chen Wujun.
“You must make your opponent unable to gauge your direction.”
“When your foot arrives, your fist arrives; strike at close range. When your footwork deceives the opponent’s eyes, you can take their life!”
“Do you understand?”
“I understand a little!” Chen Wujun nodded, finding it marvelous. Just now, his vision had blurred, and he thought Senior Brother Li was going to attack his left side, but he had ended up in a different direction.
If he were fighting someone, he could directly exploit their opening and then launch a fierce attack.
Indeed, boxing methods must be complemented by footwork.
He had beaten up a few punks before, but they were ordinary people, and he just needed to hit hard.
But against a skilled opponent, that wouldn’t work.
Learning footwork now was not only necessary for unarmed combat but also for using weapons.
“Learning serpentine steps mainly involves the Shock Step, Triangle Step, and Kneeling Step.”
“The Shock Step is for sudden forward momentum, the Triangle Step is for lateral movement, and the Kneeling Step is for maximally lowering your center of gravity. These are the foundations of serpentine footwork.”
Senior Brother Li explained while demonstrating the three types of steps.
Chen Wujun became familiar with these three footwork techniques after only a little practice.
After all, the key points of these three footwork techniques were not complicated, and with Chen Wujun’s comprehension, he could learn them easily.
Afterwards, Senior Brother Li drew an equilateral triangle on the ground.
“First, you Shock Step forward, then use the Triangle Step to move among these three vertices, and then use the Kneeling Step!”
After practicing for an entire afternoon, Chen Wujun had mastered the small combinations of these three footwork techniques.
Chen Wujun nodded. After leaving the warehouse, he first bought two pairs of pants. As he carried his things back to the walled city, he saw several burly men standing below the plaque of the Lian’anji dim sum and grocery store at the alley entrance, smoking and scanning the crowd with their eyes as if searching for someone.
“Looking for me?”
Chen Wujun had been extremely vigilant and attentive these past few days and spotted these men from a distance.
After a moment of thought, he took a detour, entered a familiar small eatery, went out through the back door, and then ascended to the third floor. After several turns, he went upstairs and returned to his residence.
The roads inside the walled city were like a maze. They were only guarding the main entrances, making it easy to bypass them.
Sha Jiu had already warned him, but he didn’t want to run into those people too soon.
He wasn’t worried about the first group, but after taking a loss the first time, the second encounter would not be so easy to deal with.
At that time, if he was caught in a difficult situation and his strength was insufficient, it was not impossible for him to be cornered in an alley and killed.
After putting down his things, he went home to eat first.
The house was still filled with a warm, homely atmosphere—Chen Wujun always believed that a homely atmosphere was the aroma of food cooking at home.
Eldest Brother had a splint on his leg and was listlessly watching television with his father.
This was the scene Chen Wujun saw when he returned.
He felt that this was quite good.
Eldest Brother was always recuperating at home and not gambling outside, and his parents had company.
It was very warm.
Eldest Brother Chen Wuhong saw Chen Wujun return and his face immediately broke into a fawning smile: “A Jun is back!”
Chen Wujun nodded.
“How have things been at the martial arts school recently?” his father Chen Hanliang asked.
“Quite good, they all say I’m making rapid progress!” Chen Wujun replied.
“We’re almost done paying off the money for the house. After that, I can pay the tuition for the martial arts school,” Chen Hanliang mused. “Then you can study with peace of mind and won’t have to work while learning martial arts.”
Chen Wujun looked at Eldest Brother with some surprise. This guy had his leg broken, had been staying home, and had finally been willing to take out his money.
After thinking for a moment, he said:
“I can also learn martial arts while working at the martial arts school. I’m just cleaning, and the rest of the time is for training.”
“Your Senior Brother is taking care of you; it’s not good to trouble him constantly,” Chen Hanliang said. The family had owed a large debt before, and it was out of necessity that they made Second Brother work.
He had been paying off the debt these past few months, and with the money Eldest Brother contributed, they had now paid off more than half.
The remaining amount, including interest, was not much, so Second Brother no longer needed to work at the martial arts school.
Because of this, although he didn’t say it aloud, he always felt somewhat indebted to Second Brother.
“Senior Brother also needs someone to clean the martial arts school, so let’s leave it as it is for now!” Chen Wujun said.
After all, he had used the excuse of cleaning the martial arts school and practicing punching to rent a place outside.
Eldest Brother Chen Wuhong listened to their conversation, holding back many words.
He still didn’t know what Second Brother was actually doing. He only knew that he was well-acquainted with people from the dance hall and even held some status there, and that the dance hall was backed by He Tu.
Coupled with the ferocity he displayed when Second Brother fought before, he suspected Second Brother was involved with a gang.
But he didn’t dare to say it out loud.
“Come help bring out the dishes!” Huang Meizhen called from the kitchen.
“Coming!” Chen Wujun went to the kitchen to help with the dishes.
During dinner, his father Chen Hanliang said, “It will be time to send winter clothes in a few days. Your aunt and uncle will also be going. Eldest Brother’s leg is broken and he can’t do any work, so you come back early in the afternoon, and we’ll go together.”
The first day of the tenth lunar month, sending winter clothes.
They would have to visit the graves and buy some winter clothes to burn for the ancestors; this was an important matter.
“Okay!” Chen Wujun nodded.
After dinner, Chen Wujun didn’t go to Sha Jiu’s place or the dance hall.
Instead, he went to the rooftop, drew an equilateral triangle, and continuously practiced his footwork.
…
The next morning, when Chen Wujun arrived at the warehouse again, Senior Brother Li was already waiting for him.
Seeing him arrive, Senior Brother Li said, “What I taught you yesterday was too simple, wasn’t it?”
“But you only have the form, not the substance. You will practice here starting today!” Senior Brother Li pointed to a pool next to them, filled with thick, dry fine sand.
“Flat ground was just to familiarize you; Mud Treading Footwork is the real training.”
“Mud Treading Footwork?” Chen Wujun had seen this pool before and had even tested it with a wooden stick. The pool was about 60 centimeters deep.
Only now did he realize it was for practicing footwork.
Chen Wujun took off his shoes and stepped into the sand, sinking up to his knees.
Here, to take a single step, his feet had to contend with the resistance of countless grains of sand, and it took considerable effort just to pull his feet out, let alone tread.
‘What excellent Mud Treading Footwork! This is like knee-deep mud; every step requires immense effort, and every step is a struggle against resistance.’ Chen Wujun thought to himself.
“Once you master it here, you will be swift and agile on flat ground!”
Chen Wujun’s feet were submerged in the sand, and he instinctively tried to pull his leg out.
“Don’t pull, but tread. Remember, when practicing this Mud Treading Footwork, your roots should be like an old python, and your movement like a venomous snake, not like an ox plowing through mud!”
“If you feel your foot is stuck in the sand, don’t strain. Use your waist and hips to drive your legs, like wringing a towel, to ‘pull’ your foot out. It’s your hip bone that is guiding your leg through the sand; your soles should always stay on the ground, feeling the flow of the sand!”
“When you can move here as easily as you do on flat ground, then your footwork will have truly succeeded.”
Senior Brother Li imparted all the key points to Chen Wujun and then pulled up a chair to drink tea on the side.
He left Chen Wujun to ponder it alone.
Teaching Chen Wujun was not interesting.
Occasionally, when something came to mind, he would suddenly turn back and say, “Wolf Fist cultivates whole-body strength. When you pull your leg out, it’s just your leg exerting force. Using your waist and hips to drive your legs is true unity of waist and stance.”
Chen Wujun was in the sand pit, the sand enveloping his ankles and calves, reaching below his knees.
Chen Wujun first tensed his leg, but his body’s forward movement was different from usual; the force was absorbed by the sand, and he only managed to advance half a step with difficulty.
Chen Wujun did not become impatient. He calmed himself and gradually twisted his hips, feeling them drive his legs in a slight rotation. He immediately felt the flow of the sand. It took considerable effort, but he took a step forward with a “treading” motion.
However, after only taking seven or eight steps, his legs began to feel a bit sore.
‘Treading in mud is indeed incredibly difficult. And this is just walking forward; walking sideways would be even harder,’ Chen Wujun thought to himself.
After resting for a moment, he refocused his mind on his waist and hips, trying to feel the rotational force.
This sand pit was like an alchemical furnace, melting together all the strength within Chen Wujun.
How to use force to drive the legs, how to minimize resistance when moving…
It was not until evening that Senior Brother Li left. Chen Wujun ordered two portions of Four Treasure Rice from outside. After eating, he plunged back into the warehouse. He first stood in the Old Bear Hugs Tree posture, and then, wearing shorts, stepped into the sand pit.
As he stepped forward, gradually, Chen Wujun found a peculiar feeling of “smooth strength.”
He was seen in the sand pit, each step driven by a subtle rotation of his hips and waist. Although it still required considerable effort, each step he took was not as exhausting.
“I understand!” Chen Wujun’s bare upper body showed distinct muscle lines, all of which were now covered in constantly dripping sweat.
However, his face was filled with joy at this moment.
The next day, Senior Brother Li arrived at the warehouse at six o’clock and found Chen Wujun had not yet arrived.
“He’s probably exhausted! He stayed later than me yesterday.”
Senior Brother Li had a hint of schadenfreude on his face. It had taken him a long time to master this treading step.
Even with Chen Wujun’s talent, it would take at least a few days for him to tread smoothly.
It wasn’t until eight o’clock in the morning that Chen Wujun arrived, albeit late.
Senior Brother Li said nothing more, watching as Chen Wujun took off his outer clothes and stepped into the sand pit wearing shorts.
The next second, Senior Brother Li’s eyes widened and froze.
Only one thought ran through his mind.
“What the hell!”
