6: Chapter 6 The Secrets of Aerial Combat

Chapter 6 The Profound Truth of Shadow Boxing (Seeking follow-up reads)

The Physique attribute broke through the 99% limit and finally reached 9 points!

This was not a simple stat boost through point allocation.

Rather, it was a solid result reaped through daily life exercises and accumulation over time.

"9 points in Physique is pretty much the healthy standard an adult male should have..."

Fang Cheng felt his body vaguely becoming sturdier and more resilient.

His gaze swept over the upgrade progress of his other attributes.

Strength 86%, Agility 73%, Spirit 42%.

His originally somewhat fatigued body was instantly filled with drive again.

Looking again at the skill experience points on the panel, his heart felt even more burning hot.

Most of the time, what people fear is not the hardship of persistence, but the inability to see a clear goal.

Some things might be very far away.

But as long as you do it, it will eventually get closer and closer to you!

After taking a deep breath, Fang Cheng bent his elbows and leaned down close to the ground.

Striking while the iron is hot, he continued to execute the unfinished task of 100 standard Push-ups.

...

There were three Boxing classes in the afternoon.

Two of them still belonged to the large classes for ordinary trainees.

The last session was a small class set up for elite trainees preparing to fight in professional matches.

It could also be said to be a true professional combat class.

A little past five o'clock.

The setting sun slowly sank, blocked by the towering skyscrapers outside the window.

The indoor light became soft and profound.

Many trainees left class one after another, and the venue gradually returned to its empty original state.

The colleagues yawned one by one, guarding the wall clock and waiting for off-work time to arrive.

Instead, Fang Cheng perked up even more, staring fixedly at the figures throwing punches on the Boxing ring.

Two robust young fellows wearing combat training shorts struck a classic guard, probing and attacking each other with their fists.

Standing nearby was another older veteran coach, occasionally shouting to stop and pointing out guidance with his hands.

He was imparting match experience and some high-level tactical applications to these two elite trainees.

Such as pendulum slips, gazelle leaps, followed by various combination punches, and a double liver blow.

"To be honest, although these moves have the miraculous effect of defeating the enemy with a single strike, I advise you not to use them lightly."

"Because pulling off a big move at close range also means your flaws are completely exposed within the range of the opponent's fist tips. This tests a boxer's reaction ability too much; the ending is either you KO the opponent, or you get KO'd by the opponent."

"If you want to unleash your trained techniques and tactics in a match, the primary thing is to master a sense of distance, a sense of timing, and a sense of rhythm."

"These cannot be taught; they can only be formed into your own physical instinct through years of actual combat."

One boxer nodded after listening, and then asked:

"Coach, besides hitting the punching bag during our usual training, it's hard to find a suitable opponent. What should we do?"

"Go back and watch more recordings of top boxers, imagine them becoming your enemies, how they throw punches, how they dodge, and how they feint."

"Every time you simulate actual combat, your brain and body will have neural pathways record it. The more you practice, the handier your application in matches will be later on..."

The coach's deep voice echoed in the venue, causing the two elite trainees to nod repeatedly and take the lesson to heart.

It was also like a bolt of lightning flashing across Fang Cheng's mind.

Shadow Boxing!

Also known as "shadow hitting".

It originated from ancient Martial Artists seeing their own reflections cast by sunlight on the wall and treating them as imaginary enemies.

Simply put, it was fighting with shadow enemies imagined by one's own brain, simulating actual combat by striking the air.

This was a very important training method in standing combat.

Regardless of proficiency level, as long as one could master the basics, they could temper their techniques, build combat awareness, cultivate a sense of rhythm, and thus enhance actual combat capabilities through Shadow Boxing.

Many top boxers would even use Shadow Boxing to warm up and relax before matches, making psychological and tactical preparations.

At this time, the coach continued speaking, pointing out the problems existing in the trainees' usual training.

"The reason why you feel the effect of practicing Shadow Boxing is poor is, on the one hand, your basic skills are not yet proficient enough, and on the other hand, you pursue fluency too much and lack a sense of rhythm."

"Doing Shadow Boxing is not just about throwing a few rapid combos and shaking your body a few times; actual combat doesn't have that many opportunities for consecutive combination punches."

"If you insist on understanding the sense of rhythm, treat the coordination of your Punching techniques and footwork as dancing."

"The sense of rhythm in dancing comes from the background music, so the sense of rhythm in Shadow Boxing comes from your imagined opponent."

"Like this, when you throw a lead jab, the opponent can choose to engage in close combat with you, or side-step and counter with a rear hand. This is his accompaniment; you tilt your head to open up the distance and make targeted defensive moves, this is your rhythm."

"The stronger the accompaniment provided by your opponent, the stronger the sense of rhythm you grasp yourself, allowing you to be poised and unhurried when reaching actual combat. The moment the opponent throws a punch, you can think of various different counter-tactics in an instant and make the most appropriate choice..."

The coach used vivid and lively metaphors to explain the essentials of Shadow Boxing practice.

Every single one was vividly displayed!

Finally, he pointed to his head:

"So, the key here is to be flexible. If you box without using your brain, you can only be a sparring partner for the rest of your life!"

Hearing this, Fang Cheng's emotions surged, and he benefited immensely.

This was truly useful, solid advice.

Previously when he practiced Boxing, he purely imitated and repeatedly rehearsed routines.

He had never set up a clear imaginary enemy to actively try and cope with offensive and defensive changes outside of routines.

Therefore, the speed of unlocking skills and increasing experience had always been relatively slow.

It wasn't until he personally experienced a street brawl that he deeply experienced the benefits brought by actual combat.

However, opportunities for actual combat were hard to come by.

Shadow Boxing was obviously an effective alternative to accelerate skill enhancement and make up for experience deficiencies.

"What's more... I still have the panel, the efficiency of practicing Shadow Boxing is definitely higher than that of ordinary boxers!"

Fang Cheng's eyes shone brightly, and he couldn't help feeling the urge to rub his hands and be eager to try.

He decided that after getting off work, he would immediately go to the audiovisual store to rent some combat star match discs and go home to watch and appreciate them.

However, world-class Boxing champions were ultimately quite far away from him.

And the boxer he was most familiar with right now...

Was none other than Coach Hu, who used to fight in kickboxing and won the championship of the Nanjiang Province competition!

Inside the coach's lounge.

Coach Hu held a thermos cup in his hand, drinking wolfberry tea.

Suddenly, he gave a start.

He raised his head to glance at the temperature displayed on the air conditioner; it wasn't low either, so why did he feel a chill?

In winter, it got dark very quickly.

Soon it was time to get off work again, and the beep-beep sounds of time-card clocking rang out one after another.

In the training hall smelling of detergent and disinfectant water, the lights went out one by one, plunging back into silence.

After taking a hot shower and carrying a messenger bag containing his clothes, Fang Cheng was the last to walk out of the employee passageway.

A few matte paper posters were pasted on the background wall at the entrance, reflecting a dim, eerie light.

On them were special discount enrollment ads, combat match previews, and photo portraits of some star athletes.

Fang Cheng's gaze swept past and landed on the headshot of a famous Boxing champion with a muscular build and dark skin.

Is there really a power in this world that exceeds the physical limits of a Mortal?

He wasn't sure.

But...

Continuously climbing up the mountain, you would always see a different scenery, right?