booktalesy Chapter 50: Years of Time, Reverse Deciphering Ancient Martial Arts
Chapter 50: Years of Time, Reverse Deciphering Ancient Martial Arts
"Look," Ma Cong explained as he demonstrated, "To outsiders, my 'Cloud Hands' just looks like my hands are drawing circles. But actually, my power rises from the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of my foot, spirals through my ankle, knee, and hip bones, ascends to my lumbar spine, and then, driven by my lumbar spine, travels down my spine to my shoulders, elbows, and finally to my palms."
"During this process, my whole body was like a tightly twisted steel whip. My hands were just the tip of the whip. I looked 'relaxed,' but inside I was more 'tight' than anyone else. I looked 'slow,' but my strength never stopped from beginning to end."
"This is the 'wholeness' of Tai Chi, also called 'Hun Yuan Jin'. When this 'wholeness' is practiced to its extreme, every movement carries the weight and power of the whole body. At that time, the so-called 'overcoming hardness with softness' is no longer some kind of metaphysics."
Ma Cong stopped what he was doing, looked at Shi Lei, and said, "Shi Lei, come here and push me with all your might."
"Yes, Master!"
Shi Lei walked up to Ma Cong, took a deep breath, and firmly planted his feet. He then pushed the "whole force" he had learned from stance training and spear practice to its limit and thrust both palms forward.
This push was the pinnacle of his current strength; even a tank would be sent flying by it.
However, the moment his palm touched Ma Cong's chest, it felt like he had pushed against a swirling ball of cotton.
No, it's not cotton.
It looks more like a giant tire spinning at high speed!
His powerful force, strong enough to topple a wall, was deflected and neutralized by a spiraling upward force as soon as it touched Ma Cong's body, and then disappeared without a trace.
Shi Lei's expression changed drastically. He tried to pull back his strength, but found that his body was being carried away by the spiraling force involuntarily. His feet left the ground, and he lost his balance.
Ma Cong simply flicked his wrist slightly.
"Bang!"
Shi Lei was like a sandbag, bounced away by a gentle but irresistible force, and landed on a soft mat seven or eight meters away, but without getting hurt at all.
The entire room fell into a deathly silence.
All the disciples stared in disbelief at the scene, their minds blank.
What did they see?
Team leader Shi Lei, the strongest and most skilled among them, used all his strength, but he was easily sent flying without even moving his master's clothes.
This... this is the Tai Chi principle of "using the opponent's force against them"?
This is simply magic!
"Did you understand?" Ma Cong clapped his hands, as if he had only done a trivial thing.
The so-called "using someone else's strength against them" requires that your "integration" be more "integrated" than the opponent's. Your "relaxation" must be more able to accommodate and guide force than the opponent's "rigidity".
"When your body is a perfect whole, any point on your body that your opponent hits is equivalent to resisting your entire weight and full force. And you can easily neutralize this force and return it to them by rotating your body and shifting your center of gravity."
"Therefore, Tai Chi is not weakness, but a more sophisticated way of using power. It is not about not exerting force, but about releasing the most lethal force at the most appropriate time and with the least cost."
Ma T Cong's words were like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the fog in the minds of all the disciples.
They finally understood.
It turns out that the stance training and spear practice they did every day, those most basic "whole-body strength" techniques, are not only the foundation of Xingyi and Bajiquan, but also the foundation of Taiji!
Traditional Chinese martial arts are truly interconnected!
"Master...then your contest with the Wudang Taoist priest..." Shi Lei got up from the ground, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Ma Cong had changed from worry to fervent worship.
Ma Cong smiled but did not answer.
But his nonchalant attitude said it all.
The disciples were completely relieved.
What they're worried about now is no longer whether their master will lose.
They began to feel a little sorry for the soon-to-be-arrogant Qingfeng Daoist.
Three days later, in the western suburbs of Beijing, at the special operations team's training base.
Today, the atmosphere at the entire base is different from usual.
The training ground was deserted, but brand-new high-definition cameras and various live-streaming equipment were set up everywhere, along the track and in the equipment area. Staff members in military uniforms and civilian clothes moved back and forth, nervously conducting final adjustments.
At the main gate of the base, conspicuous police tape was put up, and squads of heavily armed guards stood ramrod straight with serious expressions.
General Zhou, Qin Zhenshan, and Chen Beixuan, the three bigwigs, had all arrived early and were seated in the temporary observation seats. In addition to them, there were several other generals who had come from various military regions. They had all heard about the upcoming showdown and came specifically to witness this historic confrontation.
"Old Zhou, you've made quite a show of things, haven't you?" Qin Zhenshan clicked his tongue at the sight around him. "Anyone who didn't know better would think a head of state from some country was visiting."
"If we're going to do it, let's do it big!" General Zhou, beaming with pride and high spirits, declared. "Teacher Ma said he wants to give the entire nation a public lesson in traditional Chinese martial arts! Our military must set up this 'classroom' properly!"
Chen Beixuan sat to the side, closing his eyes to rest, but a faint smile played on his lips.
He never expected things to develop this way.
What started as a young man's petty squabble has unexpectedly escalated into a martial arts extravaganza hosted by the military and broadcast live online.
This is absolutely unprecedented in the history of Chinese martial arts.
"They're here!"
Someone shouted, and everyone's eyes turned to the direction of the base gate.
Several black cars with special license plates slowly drove in and stopped at the edge of the training field.
The car door opened, and several security personnel dressed in black suits with sharp expressions got out. They quickly dispersed and vigilantly observed their surroundings.
Then, a young Taoist priest wearing a blue robe and holding an antique wooden box stepped down from the middle carriage.
With his handsome face, sharp eyebrows, and bright eyes, he exuded an otherworldly aura, attracting everyone's attention the moment he appeared.
He is Master Qingfeng.
Behind him were two slightly older middle-aged Taoist priests, presumably his fellow disciples.
After getting out of the car, Master Qingfeng glanced around. When he saw the heavily armed soldiers and the cold cameras, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
In his view, "discussing the Tao" is an elegant affair that should take place in a place with beautiful scenery and ancient charm.
Making such a big fuss, with the military and live broadcasts involved, is utterly vulgar and completely tarnishes the meaning of "discussing the Tao".
His contempt for him deepened even further.