From Beggar to Emperor: My Profession Has Its Own Characteristics

Chapter 67 Basic Knife Techniques

Zhou Ping led Zhu Yuan away from the small training ground where they usually practiced, through a moon gate, and into another training ground that was relatively larger and had more complete facilities.

Several weapon racks stand on one side of this training ground, neatly displaying basic training equipment such as knives, swords, and long staffs.

In the corner, there were several wooden dummy stunts whose surfaces had been subjected to numerous blows, clearly used specifically for practicing moves and sparring.

Zhou Ping pulled a knife from the weapon rack and handed it to Zhu Yuan.

Zhu Yuan took the knife without hesitation.

This knife is quite heavy, with a handle wrapped in hemp rope, a slightly curved blade, and a white gleam in the morning light.

The moment Zhu Yuan gripped the hilt of the knife, a very familiar feeling washed over him.

This is an advantage brought about by the characteristics of a professional butcher, because he often uses it when slaughtering pigs, so he has become quite proficient in mastering this power.

"This isn't a knife for killing people," Zhou Ping said. "It's a training knife, thirty percent heavier than a real one, and the blade isn't sharpened."

"Once you've mastered the skill, you'll be able to handle a real knife with composure."

"However, you can only get a real sword after you become a martial artist. Applying for one now would be troublesome."

Zhu Yuan nodded, indicating that he understood.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, warriors naturally held a higher status than ordinary people.

There are restrictions on ordinary people's use of weapons, but of course they can use them without applying for permission, as long as they don't get caught or investigated.

Zhou Ping walked to the wooden dummy, turned sideways to face Zhu Yuan, and focused intently.

"Watch closely."

He lowered his waist and hips, his breath sinking, and then slowly raised the knife in his hand, the tip pointing upwards and the back of the blade against his forearm, his posture standard and steady.

Then, his eyes narrowed, and with a swift turn of his waist, he cleanly and decisively cleaved down with the knife.

The blade traced a straight and swift arc from above, striking the wooden dummy precisely on the shoulder with a crisp snap. Wood chips flew everywhere, leaving a clear white mark on the solid wood.

"This move is called a chop." Zhou Ping sheathed his sword, stood up straight, pointed to the marks on the wooden dummy, and said to Zhu Yuan, "Sword techniques are ever-changing, but at their core they are all about chopping, slashing, thrusting, and stabbing."

"Chopping is from top to bottom, slashing is from left to right or right to left, sweeping is from bottom to top, and thrusting is stabbing forward."

"Today, you'll practice chopping first."

After saying that, he handed the knife back to Zhu Yuan, gesturing for him to stand in front of the wooden dummy.

Zhu Yuan took the knife, walked to the wooden dummy as instructed, assumed the basic stance, and then, imitating Zhou Ping's earlier actions, took a deep breath, gripped the knife handle with both hands, raised the knife above his head, and then forcefully chopped it down.

As the knife fell, his body involuntarily leaned forward, and his center of gravity became slightly unsteady.

The blade struck the wooden dummy with a dull thud, leaving only a shallow mark.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Ping immediately walked over and stood beside Zhu Yuan, pointing out the problem very directly: "You used all the strength of your arm to deliver that stab."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuan paused for a moment, gripping the knife, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"A chop isn't about slamming your arm down," Zhou Ping corrected, gesturing with his hand to his waist and hips. "It's about sinking your waist down, generating power from the ground, flowing through your back, and then sending it to your arm."

"When you're practicing standing meditation, how do you use your waist? When you inhale, push your waist upwards; when you exhale, sit your waist down."

"The same applies to chopping. When you raise the knife, inhale and push your waist upward. When you chop down, exhale and sink your waist downward."

"The knife isn't chopped with the arm, it's chopped with the waist, it's the force of the whole body that's delivered."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuan nodded earnestly.

Only now did he truly understand why, before learning actual combat techniques, one must master the basic stance training, horse stance, and walking techniques to a high level.

So that's the secret.

Without a stable lower body, precise control of waist and hip strength, and coordinated footwork, it is impossible to generate effective whole-body power.

Zhu Yuan always thought that being good with a knife meant having a strong hand, which is why he chose to learn basic knife skills first because of the nature of the butcher's profession.

The fatal stab used when slaughtering a pig does indeed rely heavily on the explosive power and precision of the hand.

Therefore, when practicing basic sword techniques, the second characteristic of the porter profession, which enhances waist strength, may be more crucial.

"Senior Brother Zhou." After thinking for a moment, Zhu Yuan finally asked the question that had been bothering him.

"What do you want to ask? Tell me," Zhou Ping said, looking at him.

"Um—how much of an advantage does having strong hands have when using a knife?" Zhu Yuan finally asked, wanting to know the specific advantages of his butcher profession.

Give me the knife.

Zhu Yuan handed over the knife as instructed.

Zhou Ping took the knife, but without using his waist strength, he simply stood still and used the strength of his wrist and forearm to casually chop at the wooden dummy.

With a soft snap, only a very shallow mark was left on the wooden dummy.

"Compared to the strike I just did with my waist strength, isn't there a big difference?" Zhou Ping asked, pointing to the two marks of different depths.

"Hmm." Zhu Yuan nodded as he looked at the two marks; the difference was indeed very obvious.

"See, no matter how hard you try with your wrist, it's not as effective as a gentle sinking of your waist. The force you deliver is much more solid." Zhou Ping handed the knife back to Zhu Yuan and continued to explain, "However, you've been helping Tie Zhu's father slaughter pigs lately, and you feel your hand strength has increased. That's definitely an advantage."

"I see." Zhou Ping understood why Zhu Yuan asked that question. "That's why you wanted to learn basic swordsmanship first."

"Yes, Senior Brother Zhou," Zhu Yuan replied frankly.

"Having a strong grip has many advantages," Zhou Ping affirmed, a hint of approval on his face. "With a strong grip, you can hold the knife steadily, as if it were rooted to the ground."

"When practicing continuous slashing, you can last longer than a normal person and are less likely to lose strength, which will make your swordsmanship practice more efficient and faster."

"When facing an enemy, if a person has too little strength, the knife is easily knocked out of their hand when weapons collide, while a person with great strength can hold the knife firmly and even use the opponent's force to strike again and regain the initiative."

After listening, Zhu Yuan, drawing on his own experience of gripping the knife and exerting force when slaughtering pigs, gained a more concrete understanding of the application of hand strength in knife techniques, and nodded as if he understood.

"Alright, that's roughly the idea. Now you can start practicing." Zhou Ping patted his shoulder.

"Okay, Senior Brother Zhou." Zhu Yuan perked up and took the knife back.

He stood firmly in his stance again, adjusted his breathing, and recalled Zhou Ping's teachings in his mind.

Then, he slowly raised the knife above his head, feeling his lower back rise slightly as he inhaled, and his waist and hips sink down steadily as he exhaled, while his arm slashed down with the knife.

Snapped!

The sound was much crisper than before, and the mark on the wooden dummy was also deeper.

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