Chapter 113: A Natural Talent
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 113: A Natural Talent
Afterward, Li Meiling explained the Fierce Tiger Piercing Spear she had used in more detail.
"Basically, you could say that all Baji Quan begins and ends with the Jingak. That's why those who begin learning Baji Quan focus on mastering the Jingak by practicing the basic Vajra Eight Forms, specifically a thrust called 'Chungchu.' They say it generally takes three years to perfectly master the Chungchu. After building a solid foundation, you go through three more stages of training. Only after completing this entire process can you be taught the secret techniques known as the Eight Great Forms. The Fierce Tiger Piercing Spear I used is originally one of those eight secret techniques, called 'Fierce Tiger Shaking Mountain.'"
It was a rather difficult explanation, and I didn't understand everything she said, but I got the gist of it.
"Does that mean it will take an incredibly long time for me to learn the Fierce Tiger Piercing Spear?"
"Maybe, maybe not. No one knows how long it will take you to learn the Jingak."
Li Meiling shrugged as she spoke.
Feeling a strange sense of hopelessness, I massaged my temples.
According to her explanation just now, it takes an average person three years to learn the most basic technique, the Jingak.
And no matter how much of a natural talent this body was, I didn't think I could perfectly imitate a martial art I was learning for the first time right from the start.
Besides, didn't she say there were three more stages of training even after perfectly mastering the basics?
It didn't seem like something I could learn in just a few days.
But seeing my expression, Li Meiling offered a sliver of hope.
"Even so, I'm not asking you to become a Baji Quan master right this instant. However, it's also true that the Jingak is the minimum requirement for learning the Fierce Tiger Piercing Spear. Without the weight transfer of the Jingak, you can't draw out that instantaneous destructive power."
I understood what she was trying to say.
"So, for now, I just need to perfectly master that technique, the Jingak, right?"
"That's right. If you want to learn the Fierce Tiger Piercing Spear from me."
It would be great if I learned it, a shame if I couldn't.
Knowing I had nothing to lose, I decided to give this time attack a shot.
"What the hell, let's do it."
If a man draws his sword, he has to cut something with it, right?
*
Hearing my answer, Li Meiling nodded with a satisfied expression before demonstrating the Jingak herself.
"The Jingak is fundamentally a technique that uses weight transfer to create explosive physical force at the point of impact. It's a method commonly used not only in Baji Quan but in many Northern Style Fist Laws."
As she spoke, Meiling placed her lightly clenched fists above her navel and lifted her right foot.
The moment her steady breathing—inhaling and exhaling at a constant rhythm—stopped...
BAM!!
She stomped hard on the ground, thrusting her right fist forward at the same time.
It happened in a split second, but I could feel in my bones just how incredible the technique she demonstrated was.
To describe it as a simple thrust would be an understatement; the force contained within that fist was anything but ordinary.
"This is the Chungchu."
Generally, the Jingak depicted in popular media was just a forceful stomp on the ground.
But the Jingak she showed me right before my eyes was quieter than I'd expected, and the follow-up motion was incredibly fluid.
As if they were a single, connected motion from the start, the link between the Jingak and the Chungchu was seamless.
And I realized that this technique, the Chungchu, wasn't all that different from the preparatory stance for the Fierce Tiger Piercing Spear she had shown me during our spar yesterday.
"So this is why the Jingak is essential."
As I muttered with a look of understanding, Li Meiling let out a small laugh and said, "Even a secret technique is ultimately created based on existing skills. That's why every martial arts school emphasizes that the basics are the most important."
I nodded, recalling the demonstration she had just performed.
Gather both hands above the navel, and slightly lift the leg on the same side as the fist you're about to punch with.
Then, as you step forward, slightly twist your leg to transfer the weight from your lower body to your upper body.
Thud!
But I must have put too much force into my leg, because my foot striking the ground only kicked up a cloud of dust.
Watching it and doing it yourself were definitely two different things.
Seeing my attempt, Li Meiling spoke in a comforting tone.
"You can't expect to be good from the start. Just practice whenever you have free time from now on. If there's anything you don't know, just ask."
"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."
Still, I had a rough idea of what the Chungchu was.
In short, it was about channeling the weight of your upper and lower body into your fist in a single instant.
I already knew a similar technique.
A boxer's straight punch.
The movements and stance were different, but the basic principle was quite similar.
The slight twist of the leg when throwing a straight punch was, after all, for the purpose of putting your body weight into the fist.
But what I needed to master right now wasn't the Chungchu, but the Jingak.
She had said that by repeating the basic Chungchu, I would naturally master the Jingak as well, but maybe because I have a STEM background, I found myself approaching it more theoretically.
Losing all track of time, I repeated the Chungchu in the park, recalling the countless martial arts I had seen before.
The traditional martial art of the Russian imperial family that Ivan used, Boris's Combat Sambo, Sasha's Systema, the jujutsu I saw at Yaguchi's dojo yesterday, and even the delinquent's boxing.
Each had a different form and method, but they all included at least one motion for channeling body weight into a fist to maximize the destructive power of a strike.
And I focused, trying to pour all of these experiences into my fist.
"Hooo..."
I exhaled, then inhaled again.
And in a fleeting moment, I held my breath and moved forward.
BAM!!
With a sound that seemed like it could shatter the pavement, I shot my right fist straight out.
"..."
It definitely felt better than the first time, but something still seemed to be lacking.
I figured it was due to a lack of harmony.
My mind understood it, but my body couldn't follow.
This was the first time I'd had such an experience since possessing this body.
Which was why...
"This is fun."
I found myself lost in a pleasure I had never felt before.
*
Kim Yoo-Sung's training, which began before the crack of dawn, continued even after the sun had reached its zenith.
At first, Meiling had planned to let him practice for a reasonable amount of time before suggesting they go home, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him to stop, captivated by the fearsome concentration he displayed while practicing the Jingak.
And he was, in fact, growing at a rapid pace.
At first, his Jingak was just a clumsy imitation that looked like it would shatter his knee cartilage, but as he repeated the motion, the sound it made gradually began to change.
And his Chungchu, which had felt awkward because he hadn't mastered the unique breathing method of Baji Quan, was at some point starting to resemble the proper form.
It was truly a monstrous talent.
To think he could bring a technique he'd seen only once to this level in just half a day, all through self-study.
Even to her, who had been called a prodigy since childhood, the man named Kim Yoo-Sung was a massive bundle of talent.
It was more baffling that a person of this caliber had remained completely unknown until he defeated Ivan single-handedly.
Finally,
"Ah."
He, who had been silently repeating the same motion under the scorching midsummer sun, wore an expression of someone who had just had an epiphany.
He then spoke to Meiling, who was resting in the shade.
"I think I've got the hang of using the Jingak. Could you take a look?"
Meiling readily accepted his request.
After all, she had been watching him train this whole time. It would just be one more tally on the failure count.
But—
This time was different.
Placing both fists over his danjeon, he steadied his ragged breath, then lightly lifted his right foot.
From practicing the Jingak countless times for half a day, the ground around him was covered in footprints.
Upon those countless accumulated footprints, his leg stomped down hard once more.
BAM!!
"Huh?"
For the first time, a crisp sound, like the air itself bursting, rang out.
With perfect timing, a perfect stride, and a perfect punch, he looked at Meiling with a joyful expression.
"I did it, right?"
Impossible.
No matter how you look at it, how could he master the Jingak, a technique that takes an ordinary person three years to learn, in just half a day?
Li Meiling could only stare, dumbfounded, at his delighted face.
*
After all that hellish training, it turned out the trick to using the Jingak was incredibly simple.
Who would've thought the timing for applying force was so similar to a deadlift?
This must be why guys need to hit the gym.