Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 156: Waltz in the Sky

"What is this?" Chen Fang asked curiously as he saw the floor covered with high jump mats that almost took up half of the court.

"Because today I'm going to tell you how to fall." Wick said.

"Come on, today's class is very important." He waved his hand and asked Chen Fang to come to the edge of the mat.

"We will fall down all the time on the court. When we run at high speed, once we are hit by external forces from the side or back, our bodies will become unbalanced. At this time, how to properly release the force and fall down is the key."

Chen Fang understood. He had fallen several times before, and once he had to recover for two whole months. His opponent had only paid the price for a physical violation.

"You throw one first." Wick said.

"Why did he fall?" Chen Fang was confused.

"Like this!" Wick said as he came to Chen Fang. He suddenly pushed with both hands. The huge force caught Chen Fang off guard and he fell to the ground. If it weren't for the cushion, he would have been bruised.

"Don't get up, stay like this." Wick shouted.

Chen Fang obeyed obediently, and then he heard Wick say, "Now look at your body with your eyes."

After scanning it, Wick continued in his ear: "You put your hands on the mat. This is an instinctive reaction, but it's wrong. Don't use your hands to support yourself after falling."

"How do we do that?"

"Watch me." Wick fell straight onto the mat. Chen Fang saw it clearly from a close distance. The moment he made contact with the mat, Wick touched the ground with his palm, then his entire arm, and then his torso. During this process, his body was still rolling, and he rolled twice before sitting up.

"When you lose balance and fall, don't tense up your whole body. Instead, relax and roll with inertia, allowing more of your torso to touch the ground and spread the force of inertia."

"Come on, let's start practicing by falling from the most common side direction."

Once, twice, Chen Fang found the feeling. When he thought it was that easy, Wick increased the difficulty.

"Start running forward now, and I will give you a push from the side," said Wick.

Chen Fang swallowed his saliva, feeling nervous, but he still did it.

Sure enough, when Chen Fang started running, Wick was almost chasing him shoulder to shoulder. Suddenly, he pushed Chen Fang's waist with both arms, and a huge force made Chen Fang fly out at an angle in an instant.

Although he was on guard, he still fell and became dizzy.

If it weren’t for the cushion, Chen Fang felt that he would have been seriously injured.

Before he could even get up, he heard Wick yelling, "Where's the stuff you just practiced? Have you forgotten it? Get up and continue!"

Not daring to get angry, Chen Fang got up and continued to repeat.

With each fall, Chen Fang slowly mastered how to protect himself when he was unbalanced, but new challenges arose.

Watching Wick walk himself to the other half of the court, he pointed to the floor: “Come on.”

"No cushion?" Chen Fang's hair stood on end.

"Yes, don't worry, my power will be very small at the beginning." Wick's expression was completely unbelievable.

Was it impossible to refuse? Chen Fang plucked up his courage and started. From stillness to movement, from tiny force to normal, Chen Fang kept falling and rolling. His arms turned red and blue, until finally, he had no strength to crawl anymore and lay on the ground like a dead dog.

"Rest, there will be worse things tomorrow." Wick was merciless.

The next day, Chen Fang, with his health fully restored, faced Wick again.

"Today I'm going to learn how to protect myself by curling up after being attacked from behind."

Wick did a somersault. It was hard to imagine that such a big body could roll on the ground for two and a half circles. Chen Fang was stunned.

"Remember, when you fall forward, don't use your arms to support yourself, but lower your head and put your hands in front of your face. When your palms touch the floor, quickly hold your head to protect it, and then roll forward."

"The force from behind is not very strong, it's usually from the side, so you just need to remember to protect your head from hitting the floor and causing a concussion."

"I see." Chen Fang felt that this was like the Invincible Fire Wheel in Stephen Chow's movies. It was indescribable and incredible, but it seemed to be quite useful.

Now on the mat, after getting familiar with it, I came to the floor.

It was terrible the first few times, but after getting used to it, it was much better than yesterday.

But when it came to actual combat and running, Chen Fang found it was very difficult.

Almost every time, he had to support himself with his hands and could not turn over.

"The center of gravity is on the head. Use the head as a trigger to guide inertia forward." Wick taught patiently.

“You don’t have to do a few turns. When you flip over, you can stretch your body and let your limbs offset the situation.”

Following this line of thought, Chen Fang began to get familiar with it. When he withstood the heavy push from Wick behind him and fell to the ground with a roll, Wick praised him: "Beautiful, it's no exaggeration, you are better than most people, and your coordination is unparalleled."

Wick was sincere. Chen Fang's understanding and mastery were so fast that it felt like he could master a course in just a few days.

"Very good. If you have the conditions at home, you should prepare more mats and practice every day. You need to let your body develop instinctive memory. This way you will be able to protect yourself to the greatest extent during the competition."

Chen Fang immediately thought of his backyard. He had been wondering what to do with it, but now he had an idea.

"You are making rapid progress, so I have to show you my best skills." Wick had also made up his mind. He admired this Chinese man very much for his diligence, hard work, humility and practicality.

He has trained many talented geniuses and prodigies who have strong ambitions but do not have high enough personalities to match them.

He would question some of his training, be dissatisfied with the harm caused by some training, and even get him into trouble. Otherwise, he would not have been recruited by a little-known person like Drew to become a member of the team.

Of course, the hardship is over, and everyone is doing well now, but Wick hasn't shown his true feelings or shared his knowledge with others for many years.

Chen Fang had no idea of Wick's inner thoughts, but he valued this knowledge very much. As a man who had been devastated by injuries, he knew too well that sometimes skills were not as important as the body, and that one should never sacrifice his entire life for a moment of freedom.

If Chen were put on the battlefield and asked to choose between a gun and a bulletproof vest, his first reaction would be to take the bulletproof vest.

Only with a healthy body can you be qualified to pursue a better career.

Chen Fang was very clear about this point.

"What is it?" Chen Fang asked.

The two returned to the matted half of the court, and Wick said, "Actually, compared to basketball players, the physical fitness requirements for football running backs are more perfect. They need strength, speed, intensity, and agility. You can imagine how the body can be used. The standards for this position are the highest on the planet."

"The most stringent standard for a running back is that he is not only required to be able to change direction frequently and sprint explosively on the ground, slow down, accelerate, and dodge, but also to be able to do one more thing."

Wick paused here, and after completely attracting Chen Fang's attention, he said, "Dodge in the air."

"Sometimes, a running back has to face an overwhelming siege. At that time, the sky is the only way to survive."

Wick was very excited, this was his dream, but unfortunately he has now been banned by the league from participating in any football-related work.

"Jump up, fly over the enemy, dodge in the air, use your core strength to avoid all aerial interceptions, and finally fall flat to release the force, get up, and score a touchdown." Wick's eyes were full of light. In his mind, the running back is the fighting spirit of football.

After all, Chen Fang had never encountered such a thing, so he didn't have that many feelings, but he also felt his blood boiling after hearing it, and automatically imagined the scene in his mind.

Wick pulled Chen Fang to the basket and said to him, "Jump up."

Chen Fang did as he was told, and he indeed jumped very high, almost touching the backboard when he jumped on the spot.

"Perfect!" Wick knew Chen Fang's speed, but he didn't expect Chen Fang to jump so quickly. He suppressed his inner surprise and continued, "You have to remember one thing."

"If you want to spin in the air and do the movements freely, don't use a vertical force to score when you take off. This is like an arrow shot from a bow, without any change. What you need to do is to twist your waist and abdomen, generate a rotational force, and drive your body to spin."

Chen Fang thought for a moment, then did some physical exercises and jumped up again. He used his waist and abdomen to twist, but unfortunately, he didn't control the timing of the force, and he landed after only turning half a circle. Moreover, he focused too much on his waist and abdomen, which made him lose the sense of staying in the air.

Wick noticed this phenomenon and said, "Chen, jump up and feel when you are almost reaching the top, then exert force, just like you are doing a jump shot. The sequence must be seamless." Chen Fang continued to try, and he gradually gained experience. He could make a complete circle in the air.

"Beautiful. Remember, don't pursue a few turns, but the natural completion of a single circle, and the range of motion of your hands and feet that you have control over the jumping limbs."

"With a running start, come on, kid, you will open the door to a new world." Wick encouraged.

So Chen Fang threw himself into it. He jumped again and again, turned in the air, and stretched his limbs, especially his legs.

He found that swinging the thighs can enhance the stability of the core after exerting force, while the arms also balance the torso in the air.

"Can you give me the ball?" Chen Fang asked excitedly.

"That's what we wanted." Wick passed the ball.

Arriving near the free throw line, Chen Fang slapped the ball and then jumped up. He tried to avoid the imaginary opponent's rim block with a half turn. When he confidently flicked the ball out of his palm, the basketball hit the basket and rebounded to hit his head.

After landing, Chen Fang laughed out loud. He indeed saw the door to the new world. This feeling made him feel very powerful, as if he was looking down on all living beings.

Wick continued to give suggestions for improvement through observations from the sidelines, and for an entire afternoon, Chen Fang was immersed in this show of walking in the air.

"It's almost time." Wick looked at his watch.

Chen Fang sat on the ground, his legs trembling. It was fun, but he had exhausted all his strength and now found it difficult to walk.

Overplayed!

"Come on." Wick helped Chen Fang up: "Let's go to the rehabilitation center."

As they walked, Wick kept reminding them: "Kid, you have to remember that these are all to allow your body to react without support. All the training is to ensure that you can make more protective movements in the air. Of course, you can turn this into a wonderful goal."

"Yes, I won't use it all the time. This is a forced killing move." Chen Fang also agreed.

Wick nodded, feeling relieved. He didn't want to see Chen Fang performing magic tricks in the air every day to show off.

"You have to be like a cat, falling from a high altitude without getting hurt."

"This metaphor is very vivid." Chen Fang smiled.

Let’s make the training more concrete.

Because it was strength training, the rest time was very long. After completing the rehabilitation, it was only five o'clock. At this time, Lu Yun and Wu Zhen should still be training.

After saying goodbye to Wick, Chen Fang came to the next stadium.

The first thing I saw when I entered was Wu Zhen practicing a jump shot after taking a step, and Lu Yun practicing accelerating to get away after taking his footsteps.

Chen Fang didn't disturb him and just sat quietly in the corner watching.

For Chen Fang, their practice is actually the same as his, but they are still in the process of mastering it, while Chen Fang requires improvement.

There are higher requirements for speed, shooting accuracy and all aspects.

For example, when Chen Fang practices a jump shot after one dribble, there will be a sparring partner who can block the shot with a high shot to interfere, and there will also be a resistance rope being pulled by someone around his waist and abdomen, which is from a practical perspective.

Specialized training for offense has always been broken down into pieces, accumulated bit by bit, from easy to difficult, and gradually improved to actual combat.

This process is very long. Domestic professional players who set high standards for themselves come to the United States for special training. They often just practice a few moves and spend a month polishing them.

From the technical details, strength, confrontation intensity, and physical fitness, we can comprehensively improve the high degree of completion of these special movements.

For many trainings, you won’t understand them just by watching them once. Without a trainer or a sparring partner, you are like a blind man groping in the dark. You may think you understand them, but when it comes to actual combat, you cannot use them well.

Half an hour later, the two finally found Chen Fang.

It was already the end of the training and the two waved to him.

Chen Fang walked over and greeted the trainer politely before asking, "Is it fun?"

"It feels great, but how come you are free today? You don't look tired." Lu Yun was a little surprised.

"Training doesn't have to be high-intensity all the time. There is also a buffer period." Chen Fang couldn't say much about the content of his training and simply evaded the question.

"Go take a shower, I'll wait for you here." Chen Fang said because he saw Drew coming.

He should have come from another stadium, that is, the Rex Rabbit stadium. After seeing Chen Fang, he came straight over.

Lu Yun and Wu Zhen left tactfully, which made it easier for them to talk.

"How does it feel?" Drew asked with a smile.

"Very good, there is improvement." Chen Fang replied.

"It's my turn to take over in the last five days. I'm still analyzing your offensive videos and will have a conclusion soon."

"Really?" Chen Fang frowned and nodded: "I'm looking forward to it."

"Keep going, you're making rapid progress. Compared to Jason, you have some qualities that will allow you to profit in the next challenge."

"Coordination, speed, wingspan, and most importantly, your soft shooting touch."

"Thank you." Chen Fang knew very well that these were things that Rex Rabbit did not have.

"I am looking forward to the Red Devils' combined power. I am sure that no team in the United States can withstand the offensive of your two kings."

"Two kings?" Chen Fang was surprised.

Drew smiled and said, "It seems that you rarely pay attention to the news, which is an advantage."

He took out his cell phone, found a piece of news and handed it to Chen Fang to read.

The Red Devils Kings!

This was the title. Chen Fang took a look at the content and it roughly meant to brag about the Chaminade Red Devils' outside line.

The most interesting thing is that Tatum and Chen Fang are compared to the red and black kings in playing cards, Tatum is the king and Chen Fang is the king.

Chen Fang laughed: "I'm a little flattered."

Drew has been observing Chen Fang's expression and could not sense any emotional fluctuations in Chen Fang, which made him feel relieved. As Tatum's personal trainer and life mentor, he was happy to see Chen Fang's growth, but he was also worried about how the two of them positioned their relationship.

It seems that I am worrying too much.

Drew encouraged, "The state league will start in mid-January, but I'm not worried at all. No team in Missouri can stop you."

“The real test will be in February, at the US T25 ranking tournament in New Jersey.”

"I know. I'm looking forward to it too." Chen Fang took a deep breath.

For him, this will be the end of his waltz fighting side by side with Tatum.

After that, no matter what the result is, he will embark on the EYBL All-American journey and start the climb to D1.

Chen Fang knew that there was only one way to truly grow, and that was to become the boss.

What king, big king or small king? I also want to be the Jade Emperor!

They are all Yizhan, Dongsheng, Shanti, Guoqing, Chaminade, EYBL, Future, and D1. His final destination is the top of basketball, NBA.

I'm on the road and I'm not afraid.

(End of this chapter)