Dawn is just breaking, and the dark shapes in the distance are still indistinct.
At the riverside park’s fitness area.
A shirtless figure hangs beneath a horizontal bar set 2.5 meters high.
He does pull-ups continuously with a wooshing sound.
His movements are fluid and free, perfectly executed, easily earning full marks.
As he pulls himself up and over the bar, the muscles in his shoulders and back move like flowing water, rippling together.
As his body lowers, the taut lines slowly relax and become well-defined once again.
Each motion reveals the pleasant strain of muscles and the sensation of growing strength.
Gradually, the sweat on his body steams up into visible white vapor.
Fang Cheng exhales deeply, lets go with both hands, and jumps down from the bar.
At this moment, his body is steaming, his face as red as though he’s just stepped out of a sauna.
Without his clothes, his physique no longer appears gentle and refined, but instead is notably robust and muscular.
Especially the musculature of his back, sculpted like a work of art, showcases a distinct masculine beauty.
Pull-ups primarily train the inverted triangular area of the back.
Besides strengthening core power, they also stretch the spine, lending a taller and more statuesque posture.
In the dim light, several messages appear one after another in the air, as dazzling as the first rays of dawn piercing the darkness.
[Congratulations, through tireless effort, your Skill has reached Expert Level]
[Pull-ups lv1 (0/250)]
[Skill Enhancement Reward: 6 Free Attributes]
"Another skill has achieved a breakthrough..."
Fang Cheng looks at the brilliant display before him, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
Every notification of a skill upgrade in his panel, no matter how small, is the best reward for his perseverance.
Contemplating the additional 6 Free Attributes on his character panel, Fang Cheng considers two strategies for allocation.
Either continue to primarily increase Constitution, with secondary focus on Strength and agility.
Or invest all 6 attributes points at once into Strength or agility.
To quickly reach a significant threshold of 20 points in the third attribute and achieve qualitative change.
After weighing his options, Fang Cheng makes his decision.
With a mere thought, the numbers in the Strength category swiftly roll upwards.
In a moment, the attributes on his character panel are updated.
Feeling the power coursing through his body as if it rushes with his blood, Fang Cheng exhales a warm breath.
Then he cracks his neck with a "clack" and slowly stretches out the muscles and sinews in his back, arms, and legs.
Next up is the basic training for Jujitsu.
The east brightens, heralding the dawn as crimson streaks the sky.
Mist shrouds the surroundings as if covered by a light veil.
Occasionally, the sound of a car or boat horn drifts over.
At this point, a few early runners have started to appear in the park.
Fang Cheng walks to a flat, open grassy area near the river embankment.
He takes off his shoes, sits cross-legged on the ground, with the soles of his feet touching and both hands grasping his feet.
In this position, he keeps his legs horizontal and pressed to the ground.
After about a minute, he switches to a kneeling posture with one leg bent and the other straight, raising both hands overhead.
This stretches the ligaments in the legs, arms, and waist.
The basics of Jujitsu training mainly comprise four aspects.
Footwork training, strength training, flexibility training, as well as jumping and rolling exercises.
Fang Cheng already had a solid foundation in footwork and strength, and persisted in daily practice, so there was no need for special training in those areas.
The main issue was still improving body flexibility, as well as mastering various jumping and falling techniques.
First, Fang Cheng practiced various yoga-like stretching exercises.
Once he felt fully stretched out, his limbs elastic like beef tendons,
he started training in jujitsu falling techniques, also known as "body receiving."
The basic techniques included front rolls, back rolls, side rolls, and front hand flips.
Increasing the difficulty led to moves such as somersaults and handstands.
The primary purpose of training these falling techniques was to reduce the impact sustained when attacked by an enemy and provide self-protection.
The principle is to adjust your posture during the fall by using inertia and to perform an arc-shaped motion with your body to dissipate and transfer the external force of the impact.
If placed in a fighting game, it’s akin to allowing a character to instantly regain control during the rigid state caused by an enemy’s attack, to quickly move out of the attack range and avoid continuous combos.
This isn’t merely a technique for self-protection but can also turn a passive situation into an active one, allowing for regaining a favorable position.
In competitions, many jujitsu practitioners even choose to intentionally fall to the ground, dragging their opponent with them.
Then, they use their expertise in suffocating or joint-dislocating techniques to subdue the opponent.
This is what’s known as "victory through grappling."
It is also the biggest feature that distinguishes jujitsu from other martial arts disciplines.
After practicing the falling techniques, Fang Cheng moved on to training special skills for moving around on the ground,
such as shrimp crawling, reverse shrimp crawling, crab walking, etc.
These are not only practical moves in real combat but also specialized training that involves flexibility.
After almost a week of sparring work,
Fang Cheng had accumulated a lot of practical experience and learned many unique training techniques from various martial arts disciplines.
And with the knowledge gained from watching instructional DVDs,
he could now be considered a junior martial arts theorist.
A round of red sun pierced through the gaps between the tall buildings, quickly dissipating the morning fog.
The river shimmered and surged.
A few white-feathered water birds gracefully spread their wings, stepping lightly on the water, snatching little silver fish.
Having completed a set of exercises, Fang Cheng sat on the grass, gazing contemplatively.
He vaguely realized something.
The core concept of jujitsu is not to abandon all and fight for survival after facing death.
But to go with the flow, to face death with a carefree and composed attitude.
Besides having the necessary physical fitness, one must also overcome a formidable enemy mentally.
Only then can one handle moves with composure.
And truly achieve the miraculous effect of overcoming rigidity with softness, strength with weakness, and instantly countering the opponent...
As he pondered, the sound of footsteps gradually arose around him.
A middle-aged man wearing a tracksuit, panting, ran past the lawn.
More and more people came to the park for morning exercise.
Not far away, in the viewing pavilion by the water, a few elderly men gathered, practicing a slow set of Tai Chi Boxing.
The distractions grew, and Fang Cheng didn’t continue his exercise.
Time was getting late, and although it was Saturday, it was still a workday for him.
"I believe... It shouldn’t be long before the jujitsu skill is unlocked."
Fang Cheng gathered his thoughts and stood up to leave.
He ran all the way home, where he bought a big bag of buns and soy milk from a breakfast stall downstairs and then cooked ten eggs himself.
After a simple breakfast, he ended his morning study and hurriedly got on the Number 13 bus on time.
Twenty minutes later, he arrived at the club.
Fang Cheng clocked in, but before he could enter the locker room, he was greeted.
"Ah Cheng, why are you coming to work today? Didn’t Shen Haoming inform you about the Shijima Gorou matter?"
The speaker was Chen Xiaohai, his face full of surprise.
Fang Cheng looked back at him, equally surprised and clueless.