The quiet evening rain descended.
As if shrouding the entire city in a mysterious veil.
Global Elite Fighting Club.
After 8 o’clock when work ended, the venue became spacious and silent.
Under a few dim spotlights, a figure continuously shuffled his shoulders and stepped, punching and kicking.
His body moving up and down in leaps and bounds, there was an indescribable rhythm.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Accompanied by dense, muffled hitting sounds.
The punching bag hanging from the frame trembled incessantly as if struck by lightning.
Suddenly, the noise ceased.
The figure took a few steps back, then fiercely pushed off with his right leg, turned his hips, and flew up with a kick.
The spinning kick, with a swooshing sound, kicked the center of the black leather punching bag with a "bang."
The iron chains and the frame screeched noisily as they rubbed against each other.
A ninety-kilogram-level punching bag, heavier than an average adult, swung out instantly.
Only after reaching a 70-degree arc did it swing back with great momentum, whooshing as it returned.
Such weight and acceleration were truly like a giant black battering hammer.
At this moment, the figure suddenly dashed forward, stepping up to meet the "hammer."
Both arms reached out, firmly grasped it, and held it aloft.
At the same time, his whole body shuddered, his feet took a half-step back, and his fingertips sank into the leather, creaking.
The fingers loosened, and the punching bag returned to its original position.
[Sanda experience +5]
[Boxing experience +2]
[Concentration Experience +3]
Three system notifications sequentially appeared before his eyes.
Fang Cheng took a breath, his eyes sparkling.
He then looked at the following glittering new notifications that popped up.
[You have diligently practiced Sanda, mastering the techniques, and have reached Expert Level]
[Congratulations, you have received an Enhancement reward, 5 Free Attributes]
Fang Cheng, while calming his breath, looked at the panel with a bit of surprise.
Finally, Sanda had also leveled up!
In the afternoon, a training session with Shijima Gorou gave him 50 points of Sanda experience.
Skill progression shot up from 45 to 95 in an instant.
Fang Cheng felt that with a bit more effort today, he could push his Sanda level to lv1.
Therefore, he simply stayed in the gym after work, focusing on practicing various striking, throwing, and grappling techniques.
Eventually, before the doors of the shopping center closed, he managed to level up his skill as he wished.
"If it weren’t for the fact I could see the experience progress bar, I definitely wouldn’t have worked so hard..."
Fang Cheng chuckled to himself, wiping the sweat from his face.
Within a single day, his skill experience had increased nearly by 60 points.
Such a rate of increase was unimaginable before.
Upon closer analysis, it was to be expected.
Fang Cheng’s boxing and leg techniques had already stepped into the lv1 category.
His wrestling technique was also just one step away from entering the expert realm.
The only weak point was his Grapple Skill.
Sanda’s "Grapple" and karate’s "Locking Technique" are not exactly the same, but they share similarities.
Both utilize counter-joint techniques to control the opponent’s joints, rendering them unable to resist.
Grapple focuses on intercepting the opponent’s attack and often follows up with throws, then a punch or a kick.
Locking Techniques are seldom used in this way, focusing more on "locking the joint," tenaciously clinging without relent.
Hence, many ruthless moves have been developed.
However, from a practical standpoint, both Sanda and karate teaching generally do not place much emphasis on such techniques.
Aside from being banned in competitions, it is largely because it is hard for practitioners to apply them in real combat.
When facing an enemy, whether you can accurately anticipate which hand or leg they attack with first is crucial.
If you misjudge and use the right hand instead of the left, or the left rather than the right.
Or, realizing you’ve made the wrong move halfway, retract and try with the other hand.
Then the subsequent moves get completely thrown off.
The snatch and grab need to be fast, not slow; victory or defeat is determined in a flash.
In the blink-and-you-miss-it offense and defense, isn’t such an approach a waste of an opportunity?
This isn’t about feeding techniques, practicing routines.
Nor is it like boxing or leg techniques, which value crisp and clean action, quickly withdrawing if a strike fails.
In close-quarter grappling, if you lack strength, you can’t twist; if you lack flexibility, you can be counter-controlled; if you’re not aware, you’re serving yourself on a platter.
In hand-to-hand combat, any deficit is magnified.
Many traditional martial artists have similar weaknesses.
Offstage, practicing with disciples, one move easily subdues the opponent.
But once they step into the ring or a street brawl, their moves become ineffective.
In the end, it all comes down to a lack of actual combat experience and slightly delayed reactions.
Yet Grapple Skill is precisely the fighting technique that emphasizes the union of body and awareness.
It values preempting the opponent, being a step ahead, moving only if the opponent moves, and moving first at the slightest provocation.
That is to say, striking first is essential to truly unleashing its potential.
After Fang Cheng’s Spirit Attribute surpassed 20 points,
His senses, nervous system reactions, and observation skills all underwent unprecedented enhancement.
Facing an opponent like Shijima Gorou, he could easily predict each attack and quickly counter.
After successfully grasping the concept of "Interception," in close combat with him, he could even gain a slight upper hand.
Grapple Skill’s first use in actual combat brought significant results.
With weaknesses thus compensated,
Sanda experience surged, and a breakthrough in skill level was only natural.
Fang Cheng regulated his breathing and heartbeat, patting the slightly swaying punching bag.
Air Attack is a great way to simulate real combat.
However, hitting a punching bag is a different experience altogether.
It allows one to feel the satisfaction of landing blows, while gauging one’s physical prowess.
With his current boxing skills, he could easily overpower Coach Hu, and hang him out to dry.
Even when crossing fists with that black Boxing King, he was only slightly inferior.
The main gap was in assessing physical Attributes in hypothetical combat situations.
Fang Cheng habitually regarded his opponents as stronger and more enduring.
However, if he were to enter an unrestricted real fight,
He could employ leg techniques, throws, Grapples, and various other moves.
Just like with Shijima Gorou,
He could take advantage of his preemptive responsiveness to disrupt the opponent’s rhythm and temporarily dominate.
Eventually overcoming enemies with far greater Strength than his own.
Since Fang Cheng became a sparring partner, he could now openly continue learning other combat techniques, possessing "utility players" to help himself gain experience.
His progress was unquestionable.
Given time, he would completely dominate all the current rivals.
Thinking of this, his eyes focused, and he looked to the rewards for this level up.
Though seemingly modest compared with previous level-up rewards, it sparked more excitement in Fang Cheng.
Because his Constitution had already reached 16 points.
Just four more points would take him to 20.
After achieving a breakthrough in Spirit during rain-soaked pull-ups, another Attribute was on the cusp of breaking through.
"Perhaps... I can experience that wonderful sensation again?"
Fang Cheng’s eyes twinkled as he murmured to himself.
After pondering for a moment, he decided to wait.
"Let’s get ready for it tomorrow..."
With another plan in mind, Fang Cheng quickly turned and headed for the bathroom.
Outside the window, the pitch-black rainy night reminded him it was time to leave.