The chains and brackets made a piercing friction noise.
The 400-kilogram sandbag hanging in mid-air swung back and forth like a pendulum.
Fang Cheng extended his fists forward, assuming the classic Tiger-Stride stance of Muay Thai.
With a shout, he thrust his hips, flung his arms, twisted his body, and took a diagonal step to unleash a powerful kick.
Then he quickly retracted it.
What he was practicing at the moment was the iconic leg technique of Muay Thai, the Sweep Kick.
This stance is characterized by a higher center of gravity, with a slight tilt towards the rear leg.
It is conducive to enhancing the power of kicks and using the front knee to block attacks, and the separate hand positions also help maintain balance during a Sweep Kick.
The sandbag in front of him is the largest in the entire gym, specially used to practice heavy leg kicking techniques.
Currently, it looks of very good quality, and thanks to the properties of the filling material inside, it is not afraid of being kicked to break.
Although Muay Thai gives an impression of being "barbaric," many of its combat techniques truly have their unique aspects.
Like the Sweep Kick, whose power is immense, often used in the ring for KO-ing opponents.
Even if blocked by the opponent, it can still inflict damage.
This is similar to the Whip Kick in Sanshou (Chinese kickboxing), but with differences.
Sanshou Whip Kicks emphasize "Waist and Horse Integration," with the movement performed in one smooth flow.
The power is released in a short burst, explosive like a crackling "soft whip."
Muay Thai Sweep Kicks, on the other hand, put more emphasis on rotating the body’s core to drive leg power.
The release of force takes longer, relying on the inertia of the heavy leg, sweeping out like a "stick."
Therefore, Whip Kicks are relatively agile, more suitable for quick engagements at close range.
As in the situation when Fang Cheng fought the man in black.
Whereas Sweep Kicks are more about charging attacks from a larger distance, seeking maximum lethality.
Like now, kicking the sandbag with full force.
After practicing Sweep Kicks for a while, Fang Cheng’s understanding of this fighting skill became increasingly profound.
The leg techniques in Muay Thai mainly involve striking the opponent with the shin.
The human shinbone is extremely hard and relatively long, making it suitable as a "weapon."
But just as the saying goes: "A stiff knife easily breaks," if you encounter an opponent with a stronger defense, or kick the wrong area, fractures can easily occur.
Such incidents are common in the ring.
Muay Thai fighters often chase greater lethality at the expense of ignoring their own injuries, hinting at the concept of the Seven Injuries Fist.
However, it is precisely because of this characteristic of Muay Thai that it can be so fierce and unstoppable in the combat arena.
It is even dubbed "the strongest stand-up fighting skill on earth."
While there is some exaggeration in this claim, it also indirectly highlights Muay Thai’s offensive dominance.
Fang Cheng continuously kicked the sandbag, applying all kinds of leg techniques he had learned during the day’s sparring session.
In his view, there is never such thing as the strongest martial arts technique; only the most suitable technique used in the right situation.
Moves are rigid, but the fighter is alive.
Only by integrating all techniques can one become a stronger Martial Artist!
After the leg technique practice was done.
Fang Cheng then began to practice two especially important techniques in Muay Thai.
Elbow Technique and Knee Technique.
The punching and kicking techniques in Muay Thai, like Boxing and Sanshou, vary but not significantly.
So, to unlock this skill, the emphasis should be on Elbow and Knee Techniques.
And these two techniques, incidentally, also possess extreme lethality.
The saying goes, "The elbow slices like a knife; the knee hammers like a maul," their power in actual combat always exceeds the opponent’s expectations.
Through several sparring sessions with Muay Thai fighters, Fang Cheng has basically mastered various Elbow Strikes and Knee Strikes techniques.
He just needs to improve his proficiency and flexibly use Combination Skills.
After work, in the training hall.
The silence was such that only one’s own breathing and the sharp noises of exerted punches and kicks could be heard.
Fang Cheng’s gaze was Concentrated, his moves practiced and decisive,
Horizontal Elbow, Elbow Strike, Down Elbow Strike, Turn Elbow, Charging Knee, Direct Knee, Flying Knee, smash knee...
The combination of Elbow and Knee Techniques made his practice increasingly sharp and fierce.
He even vaguely grasped a momentum of becoming more valiant as the battle progressed.
If he could master this momentum, it wouldn’t just be about entry-level skills; ascending to mastery would just be a matter of time.
After Muay Thai practice and a shower.
With a loud "bang," Fang Cheng closed the gym’s main door, the last to leave the club.
Inside the shoulder bag on his back were two DVDs, one day overdue, that needed to be returned promptly.
It’s eight o’clock in the evening.
Inside the Wuyou Audio and Video Store, Wu Datong is holding a thermos bottle, pouring hot water into a large bowl of instant noodles.
In addition to the noodle cake and seasoning, the toppings include sausage, shredded zha cai (pickled mustard plant stem), and he’s even added a marinated egg.
It’s incredibly lavish, the aroma alone is mouthwatering.
Just then, a tall, lean young man pushed open the glass door and walked in.
He placed two DVDs on the counter and said,
"Boss, sorry for the delay, how much do I owe for one extra day?"
Wu Datong looked up and saw it was Fang Cheng, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.
His eyes sparkled and his face squeezed out a smile.
"Let’s not fret over such small things for regular customers like you..."
He waved his hand generously, and then, as if it was an afterthought, asked,
"By the way, Ah Cheng, have you given any thought to what I mentioned last time?"
Fang Cheng was momentarily taken aback,
and then he remembered what Wu Datong was referring to, and considered his response,
"What kind of sparring partners are we talking about? If it’s..."
His gaze unintentionally swept over Wu Datong’s injured left foot.
Although he was eager to find opponents to hone his skills, he certainly couldn’t go around fighting with the old, weak, sick, and disabled, right?
"What kind of look is that? I was young once too, and even won a combat sports championship!"
Wu Datong grumbled discontentedly, then said decisively,
"Alright, there’s a gathering next Thursday, I’ll take you to meet them in person, how about that?"
Fang Cheng pondered for a moment and nodded.
He hadn’t paid much attention to Wu Datong’s words before, because after becoming a sparring partner at the gym, there were so many opportunities to gain experience.
Not only could he practice his skills, but he could also earn money. There was no need for unnecessary complications.
Now, as his power increased and his skills improved, the pace of gaining experience was slowing down.
He did need some stronger opponents to aim for.
Thinking this, Fang Cheng made his request for renting DVDs for this visit:
"Uncle Wu, I’d like to watch some documentaries about Muay Thai."
"Also, do you have any language teaching videos here, like Japan Language, Latin..."
"We have ’em, got ’em all!"
Seeing Fang Cheng agree, Wu Datong immediately became enthusiastic.
He quickly shuffled his limping leg, going out of his way to bring a stack of DVDs from the back room.
"These are my treasured foreign language materials, I’ll lend them to you to study for a few days for free."
Fang Cheng looked closely and saw the covers all featured scantily clad pin-up girls.
He was slightly agape, astonished.
"This... doesn’t seem quite appropriate..."
"Just tell me if you want to learn or not."
Fang Cheng’s head started shaking like a rattle-drum.
Wu Datong was somewhat frustrated,
"Do you know the best Cultivation Technique for a Martial Artist to sharpen their willpower? It’s studying while resisting temptation."
"If you weren’t somewhat talented in Martial Arts, I wouldn’t even bother telling an ordinary person..."
Listening to his senior’s heartfelt teachings, Fang Cheng nodded, albeit reluctantly.
He wasn’t curious about what the teachers in this world looked like or whether they were both talented and virtuous.
He simply wanted to challenge his own weaknesses.
"Besides these, I’ll also need some more serious ones."
Fang Cheng put away the "materials" and continued with his request.
"Sss, aren’t these enough for you? Young people are indeed formidable!"
Wu Datong gasped in response.