142: Chapter 139 Every Turning Point Leads to Sinking

When it came to force generation and fighting techniques, Li Changsheng's expression became much more solemn.

The book he was reading focused on the past experiences of some veteran Traditional Martial Arts masters. As for the fighting techniques and force generation involving various schools, one had to see it to believe it.

He watched as the man's movements rose and fell lightly, tapping and dropping with a consistent speed. Even though he was practicing his force against the wooden dummy, his footwork was perfectly coordinated. It was clear that this middle-aged man had reached the stage of fist-foot coordination.

Many of his movements had become instinctive. If this man were to get into a street fight, it would be difficult for twenty or thirty people to take him down without the use of firearms.

However, his shortcomings were also quite obvious. He had trained his speed and agility, so his reaction time would not be bad either.

But because of this, his power was clearly insufficient. Although he had mastered Visible Power, it was only at the level of intent moving and force being released, and the power of his Integrated Force was less than half of what Li Changsheng had possessed back then.

Seeing this, Li Changsheng shook his head inwardly.

He roughly understood why the man maintained such a lean physique.

It was said that some people preferred to maintain a normal to lean physique because it allowed them to better perceive the changes in their force.

After all, the constant increase in strength would bring significant changes to the force, and in some more refined styles of martial arts, this introduced many variables.

Taiji was a good example. In the hands of some old masters who had reached a deep level of Taiji, what they pursued was no longer mere explosive power.

It was said that a strength test was once conducted in the country between an old Taiji master and some young fighters.

The result showed that the old Taiji master's punching power was very low, far inferior to that of the young fighters.

Yet, when a young fighter wanted to spar with the old master, the master just casually punched him. It didn't look heavy, but the young man ended up grimacing in pain on the ground.

During that strength test, the old master had actually performed another test, this time against a steel plate.

His fist didn't leave much of a dent on the steel plate, but the entire plate exhibited long-lasting, rippling vibrations.

So now, in the Traditional Martial Arts circle, especially in the Taiji circle, one could notice that very few people who practiced Taiji were big and bulky.

They often had lean physiques, which allowed them to master force, Visible Power, and even Dark Power more quickly.

Like that old master, he had trained his fist force down to his bone marrow, making his force incredibly thorough and continuous.

A single punch wasn't heavy, but the aftershocks lingered for a long time.

Li Changsheng naturally did not deny this line of thinking, but he himself wasn't particularly keen on it.

There was a reason for the saying that one shouldn't leave the gate for ten years after learning Taiji; this might be one of the reasons.

Li Changsheng estimated that this middle-aged man had at least seven or eight years of practice under his belt.

Fighting ordinary people would certainly be a sure win, and he could handle a group fight, but it would be tough. If he ran into a few professionals, he would be done for. Even at the level of Dark Power, one's stamina had to be honed, otherwise, it would still be difficult.

Therefore, Li Changsheng had always advocated for physical strengthening training as well.

It wasn't that this man couldn't fight, but rather that he preferred a path that allowed for faster realization of force, much like taking an unorthodox approach.

"Moving like a cat, moving like pulling silk; the core of Yang Style Tai Chi should focus on flowing like clouds and water with uniform speed, and the footwork seems to emphasize having one leg empty and one leg full."

Li Changsheng stroked his chin as he spoke eloquently. His eyes flickered as he watched the man's consistent, arc-like, semi-circular fist technique, and he continued, "The movements shouldn't be sluggish; they must be extremely flexible. The upper and lower body should follow each other, the steps should change with the body, the hands move, the waist moves, the feet move, and the eyes move along with them. When one part moves, everything moves; when one part is still, everything is still."

"Old Master, you asked me to analyze the force generation of Yang Style Tai Chi. This Junior can only say that you are misleading me!"

"Oh, how so?" Upon hearing this, Zhang Youdao's face remained impassive, but a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

Li Changsheng pointed to the man below and smiled calmly, "Yang Style Tai Chi is quite similar to the approach of Wudang Taiji. I once exchanged moves with Daoist Priest Chen of Wudang regarding Wudang Taiji."

"It emphasizes the mutual ebb and flow of the Yin and Yang fish in the Taiji diagram, with a clear distinction between empty and full in the stance. The transitions between movements are very tight, without any obvious gaps, like flowing clouds and water, or the continuous waves of the rolling Yangtze River!"

"So Yang Style Tai Chi is the same; it is fundamentally a whole. The force is perfectly integrated. Although there are various techniques for generating force, they all emphasize the word 'integrated'!"

"As for the fighting techniques, they are much the same—continuous, emphasizing the lower stance, hidden and not revealed. One should not reveal the form when striking, using softness to overcome hardness, and striking only after the opponent has initiated the move."

"It's just like a ball; you can't touch it. Once you touch it, you are dragged in, hand and body, sinking deep into a quagmire!"

Li Changsheng shook his head and sighed softly.

It must be said that the postures of the grandpas and grandmas in the park indeed give people the impression that Taiji lacks practical combat ability. In fact, if you master it, Taiji is like a piece of taffy; you can't strike into it, and striking the practitioner is like striking oneself.

There is a needle hidden within the cotton, containing hidden force, concealed and not revealed, striking without exposing the form.

Hearing this, Zhang Youdao couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile faintly. He nodded with satisfaction and laughed, "It seems you've made great progress, kid. In the past, you would always ask this old man when you saw these things, but now you can speak about them quite logically yourself."

This kid was truly astonishing!

To be able to glean so much just by watching this Zhang Ahai's practice routine—if he were to use it, he would probably take the other person down in two or three moves.

What level has this kid reached now?

Zhang Youdao was even more shocked in his heart at this moment, because Li Changsheng hadn't said much about how his martial arts had been recently, nor had he shown his skills since coming here. Now, he really didn't know what level Li Changsheng had reached.

"Of course. Old Master, since you came here, and I'm back in the country, I shouldn't always trouble you. So, I had to figure things out for myself. I've read quite a few books and gained some knowledge," Li Changsheng said modestly.

"Hehe, not bad. You started in this field quite late, so knowing how to self-study is a good habit. Read more books and discuss with fellow practitioners; this is very beneficial for us martial artists. Closing the door to build a cart won't work."

Zhang Youdao nodded.

"What you just said was correct; it perfectly interpreted some of the key points of Yang Style Tai Chi. However, you might not fully understand the force aspect, but you've hit the nail on the head."

The old master pointed to Zhang Ahai and said, "Look, Yang Style Tai Chi indeed emphasizes the lower stance. He currently has the posture of hollowing the chest and raising the back, sinking the shoulders and dropping the elbows."

"If you had to use one phrase to describe the characteristics of Yang Style Tai Chi, it would be 'Sink at Every Turn'!"

"Sink at Every Turn?"

"Yes!" Zhang Youdao continued, "Some old masters of Yang Style Tai Chi have pointed out that Yang Style Tai Chi excels in relaxation and softness, highlighting the characteristic of sinking force."

"Their 'Retreat and Repulse Monkey' move possesses this characteristic. Besides that, Single Whip, Cloud Hands, Parry and Punch, Parting the Wild Horses Mane, Brush Knee and Step Forward, etc.—whenever there is a turning movement, there is almost always a sinking body posture."

"The practice of sinking force is precisely what generates 'spring force' during pushing hands. Therefore, Yang Style Tai Chi often requires sinking at every turn. If you observe carefully, you will be able to discover it."

Hearing this, Li Changsheng couldn't help but observe carefully. After watching the man practice a few more times, it was indeed the case. Whenever there was a turning movement, there was a posture of sinking the body, which was very regular.