Double Leg Takedown

Having suffered enough embarrassment, I decided that was more than enough of showing off my room.

Now it was time to film my training sessions and other parts of my daily routine.

Perhaps reading my discomfort, Na Jia readily agreed to move on to the next location.

Keep a good eye on my room, Rody. I'll be back soon.

"Is that where it usually sits?"

"P-Please stop teasing me..."

"Pfft, okay, okay. Let's go."

...Fortunately, today's timing was quite perfect.

Our team's next scheduled activity was martial arts training.

It was the perfect way to take my mind off my embarrassing memories and focus.

In Infinity Realm, learning actual martial arts was incredibly helpful.

In one-on-one situations, grappling was considered a staple, and humanity already possessed a vast history of weapon techniques refined through centuries of trial and error.

No matter how superhuman a character's physical stats were, the structure of the human body and the mechanics of movement remained the same.

Naturally, martial arts theory was necessary in many areas of the game.

Because of this, it wasn't uncommon for Infinity Realm pro gamers to have backgrounds as athletes.

Many of them were former athletes who could no longer compete in the real world due to injuries or other circumstances.

Every now and then, a player would emerge who leveraged their athletic background to carve out a unique niche for themselves.

Conversely, there were also cases of players transitioning from Infinity Realm to real-world sports.

It seemed some players who mained martial artist classes developed an interest in combat sports and went on to learn boxing or MMA.

While it was hard to say if it would ever happen again, the greatest swordsman pro gamer in history was currently making waves in the professional kendo scene.

Thanks to that, research topics like "Can virtual reality games train real-world athletes?" were quite popular for a time.

In the end, it was concluded that the game's effects didn't go beyond basic simulation.

Still, it was a fairly well-known incident, as a game and a single player had managed to stir up the academic community.

At any rate, Infinity Realm pro gamers shared an inseparable relationship with martial arts.

This was also why aspiring pros needed to start their careers in teams with ample capital and infrastructure.

SnowWitch even employed dedicated martial arts coaches.

"Alright, today we'll pick up where we left off and go over the double leg takedown. Since this is a basic technique, we'll just review it briefly..."

The training session began as scheduled.

The coach called it a basic technique, but my time training as a pro gamer was still short.

Knowing I still lacked experience in these technical areas, I focused with extra intensity.

The double leg takedown was a technique where you grabbed both of your opponent's legs to bring them down.

You lowered your stance, lunged at the opponent, and disrupted their balance using your body weight and the strength of your limbs.

From there, you transitioned into a side mount to secure your advantage.

Despite being a simple movement, there were many details to keep in mind.

You had to be careful about how you lowered your body to anticipate the opponent's counter, and you had to drive off your back leg properly to generate power.

Ultimately, grappling wasn't something you could learn just by talking about it.

I immediately began practicing on a wooden training dummy.

Brimming with confidence, I made my first charge... only to run into an unexpected obstacle.

Huh? I can't get inside.

In the coach's demonstration, the shoulder was supposed to dig deep into the opponent's pelvis or waist.

That was the only way to properly control their legs and push forward with maximum force.

The problem was my build. Or more accurately, my body shape.

Whenever I tried to dig inside, my massive chest would get caught against the dummy's thighs.

Because of that, my posture became awkward, making it incredibly difficult to bring the dummy down.

I struggled and grunted like that for a few minutes.

The coach's jaw dropped slightly, looking as if he had never witnessed such a sight in his life.

Barely regaining his composure, he squeezed out some advice.

"U-Um, Player Nabi, let's try entering slightly from the side. Aim to place your shoulder against the ribs instead... Yes, just like that. Good job."

It was an ordeal for both of us.

The regular Korean league of Infinity Realm esports.

The IKL didn't have much difference in system design between the 1st Division and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the 2nd Division.

The structure of a season—meaning, transitioning into the playoffs once the regular season concluded—was identical.

However, that didn't mean the schedules of the two leagues were completely aligned.

While the 1st Division transitioned into international tournaments once a champion was crowned, the 2nd Division did not yet have an official international stage.

Still, a league designed to nurture prospects couldn't just sit idle.

Unless something unexpected happened, the tournament ran longer than the 1st Division, allowing players to gain more real-match experience.

But even the longest journeys eventually come to an end.

As Yu Nabi continued her winning streak, the regular season finally drew to a close.

"There is absolutely no way to resist this alone!"

"The match is practically over. They're trying their best to hold on, but... it's just too difficult. Some things are simply impossible."

"And there it is! Nabi lands Oak Splitter to finish it off!"

"The last line of defense falls, and the match is over!"

"With a set score of 2-0, SnowWitch takes the victory, marking the end of this IKL Next Spring regular season!"

And the end of the regular season meant the real stage was about to begin.

The playoffs. A period commonly referred to as the post-season.

During the regular season, all teams continued to play regardless of their wins or losses.

But from here on out, it was a guillotine match where defeat meant instant elimination!

Transitioning from a league format to a tournament bracket, the final standings of the season would now be decided.

While finishing first in the regular season was no small feat, it was the playoffs that ultimately crowned the champion.

"IKL Next is always a league full of surprises, but this Spring season had so many remarkable highlights."

"Indeed. Especially with the emergence of so many outstanding rookies."

"We have Drizzle from Blue Serpent, currently sitting in first place. And Nabi, who spearheaded SnowWitch's incredible late-season surge."

"Although these two haven't faced each other in the regular season, there's a high chance they'll clash in the playoffs."

"For them to meet, it would have to be in the finals, right? I heard they're actually quite close, and this kind of dramatic irony is exactly what makes esports so exciting."

Currently, the undisputed number one was Blue Serpent, led by Lee Seul-bi.

Team Aegis held strong in second place, while SnowWitch, who had plummeted to fifth, turned their fortunes around after subbing in Yu Nabi and Endure.

By reclaiming third place at the very end, they managed to salvage the pride of a top-tier team.

In the IKL playoffs, teams received advantages based on their regular-season standings.

The top two teams secured an automatic bye to the next round.

In SnowWitch's case, they ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had to start from the bottom, but they were given the right to choose their opponent between the fifth and sixth-place teams.

Of course, once they won and advanced, it would be Blue Serpent's turn to choose their opponent.

However, SnowWitch's momentum was soaring.

From the perspective of the first-place team, there was no reason to pick a strong opponent early on.

It was far more rational to force them to reveal their hidden strategies against other teams, allowing Blue Serpent to thoroughly prepare and face them on a higher stage.

Thus, if SnowWitch and Blue Serpent were to meet, it would likely be in the finals.

Well, that was assuming they won all their matches to get there in the first place.

With a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mountain of opponents ahead of them, thinking about the finals was premature.

"Alright, we have today's MVP, Player Yu Nabi, here for the winner's interview. Could you share your thoughts heading into the upcoming playoffs?"

"I-I will... w-win..."

The playoffs had only just begun.