Chinese martial arts: From being shot and killed by the armed police during a mountain search to bec

Without hesitation, Chen Hongwu simply said two words: "I'll fight."

Huang Feihong was stunned for a moment. He originally thought that even if Chen Hongwu agreed, he would hesitate for a moment, after all, this was to stand on the stage for someone else.

His opponent was Gichin Funakoshi, a karate master who was almost at the pinnacle of his skill.

In the world of martial arts, victory or defeat hinges on the slightest difference. If you lose, not only will your reputation be ruined, but you might also lose your life.

But Chen Hongwu didn't even blink.

"Master Chen..." Huang Feihong's voice trembled slightly as he clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

Chen Hongwu stood up, stepped forward, and reached out to support his forearm, preventing him from bowing.

"Master Huang, there's no need for that." Chen Hongwu's voice was calm. "This isn't about helping you. As a Chinese, it's my duty to fight against the Japanese invaders."

Huang Feihong stared at Chen Hongwu for a moment, then turned around, walked to the square table, and pushed the yellowed boxing manuals on the table aside.

"Master Chen, you fought to the death in the ring for me, so I, Huang Feihong, can no longer keep secrets from you."

Last time you taught me the Bajiquan standing hammer stance, which healed my back injury. I have always remembered this kindness, but I have never had the chance to repay it.

Today, I will impart all the essence of my knowledge to you, as a token of my sincerity, and I hope Master Chen will not find it offensive.

Chen Hongwu clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Please enlighten me, Master Huang."

Huang Feihong walked to the open space in the center of the room, stood still, and turned around.

"Everyone knows that I, Wong Fei-hung, am famous for my Tiger Crane Double Form Fist, Hung Gar, Iron Wire Fist, Tiger-Taming Fist, and Five-Element Eight Trigram Staff. I have practiced and taught these skills all my life." He paused, "But my real killing moves are not these."

Chen Hongwu remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"The Tiger and Crane Dual Form combines the strength of the tiger with the gentleness of the crane. It achieves a balance of strength and gentleness, and complements each other's strengths and weaknesses. However, whether it is the tiger splitting the mountain or the crane skimming the water, these are all obvious moves."

He raised his right foot, toes touching the ground, heel suspended in the air, knee slightly bent. This leg-raising posture was very low, with the toes only three to five inches off the ground, almost touching the ground.

"I have a deadly move called the Shadowless Kick."

"Shadowless Kick?" Chen Hongwu's brows twitched slightly.

He was familiar with the name; the three characters had been used so much in movies and TV series in his previous life that they were practically ubiquitous.

Almost subconsciously, the image flashed through my mind: Wong Fei-hung leaping into the air, kicking repeatedly with both feet, unleashing more than a dozen kicks in one go, sending the villain flying backward, spitting blood.

The scene was indeed beautiful, but it was all show and no substance.

"This kick isn't the kind of flying kick you do when you somersault on stage," Wong Fei-hung said.

"The boxing manual says, 'When you lift your leg, half your body is off the ground.' Once your feet are off the ground, you lose your center of gravity and your movements become sluggish. In a real life-or-death situation, who dares to easily lift their leg high?"

He raised his right leg, his instep pointed, his toes barely a foot off the ground, and explained in detail: "The Shadowless Kick is a close-range, low-position stealth kick. The upper body uses tiger claws and punches to feint and distract the opponent's vision; the lower body quietly raises the leg to kick vital points such as the knee, shin, and groin."

The kick is as fast as lightning, with short, powerful strikes. The angle of the footwork is tricky and concealed, completely hidden by the upper body's punches. The opponent can't see how your leg kicks out at all, hence the name "Shadowless."

He lowered his leg, stood with his hands behind his back, and a complex look flashed in his eyes: "This move is too vicious. It can break bones and cripple a person's life force. When martial arts masters spar, they should stop when they have made a move and make friends through martial arts. No boxer can withstand such a killing move, so I have rarely used it in my life. I only use it to deal with those vicious bandits and assassins."

Now, it's the perfect tool for dealing with the Japanese.

Huang Feihong walked to the middle of the room, stood still, slightly bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and gripped the ground with his toes, standing in a wide stance typical of Hung Kuen.

He took a deep breath, spread his arms, left hand in a tiger claw in front, right hand in a punch behind, feinted at the upper body, and then extended his left claw forward, his five fingers like hooks, aiming straight for the face of the imaginary enemy.

The claw reached halfway, then suddenly flipped its wrist, turning the claw into a palm, and its entire upper body turned slightly to the side, drawing the imagined enemy's gaze completely upwards.

At the same time, his right foot silently left the ground, his instep straight, his toes slightly turned inward, and his whole leg shot out like an iron rod hidden in the dark.

The kick reached just above the knee, its speed and angle perfectly coordinated with his previous claw strike. It emerged from the blind spot of the upper body, making it impossible to defend against.

"See clearly." Wong Fei-hung stopped his stance, turned around, and said, "The core of the Shadowless Kick is not in the feet, but in the fists! The tiger claw forces the opponent to raise their head to defend, so the foot can quietly strike from the lower body."

The timing of the kick must be precisely at the instant when the opponent's view is obscured by the punch; too early, and the opponent can see it; too late, and the opponent has already retreated.

The coordination between this punch and kick—even a fraction off, a slight misstep—would render it a "shadowless kick."

Chen Hongwu nodded.

He understood; the Shadowless Kick wasn't just a simple kick, but a combination of punches and kicks.

The fist feints in the upper body, while the foot launches a sneak attack in the lower body; the power transfer between the fist and the foot relies entirely on the twist of the waist and hips.

The force of twisting the waist and hips is transmitted to the legs, the knees bend naturally, the toes spring out naturally, and the whole leg is like a whip, swinging out from the waist and hips with short and fierce force.

"Come on, Master Chen, let's practice together." Huang Feihong got into a fighting stance, assuming the tiger-shaped stance.

Chen Hongwu stood in front of him and assumed the Three-Body Stance.

Huang Feihong extended his tiger claws and simultaneously kicked Chen Hongwu's knee from below with his right foot.

Chen Hongwu slightly turned his waist and hips, and a twisting force flowed from Yongquan (Kidney 1) through his knees and hips to his fingertips. With a gentle flick of his front hand, he deflected Huang Feihong's tiger claw by half a step. At the same time, he slid half a step back with his back foot, easily dodging the kick with the mud-walking step of Baguazhang.

"Good!" Wong Fei-hung finished his move, a glint of surprise in his eyes. "Master Chen's reaction was even faster than I expected. Let's do it again."

The two practiced repeatedly in the side room. Huang Feihong broke down the power generation techniques and timing of each move, while Chen Hongwu used the footwork of Baguazhang and Xingyiquan to dodge, receive, and counterattack.

When the fight got heated, Wong Fei-hung simply broke down the Shadowless Kick into twelve variations, each designed to counter opponents of different styles and heights.

Chen Hongwu practiced one routine after another, gradually becoming more proficient from the initial awkwardness. Later, his footwork angles and timing of kicks became increasingly tricky, even Huang Feihong had to be on high alert to defend against them.

Later in the fight, Huang Feihong made a feint with his tiger claw, about to kick out, when Chen Hongwu's right foot silently touched the side of his knee, his toes stopping, his strength contained and not released. At the same time, the feint with his tiger claw collided with Chen Hongwu's right hand.

With a crisp "crack," flesh and bone collided, sending a gust of wind through the air.

Huang Feihong looked down at the toes resting against his knees, then looked up at Chen Hongwu, a complex expression on his face.

After a long pause, he slowly nodded.

"Master Chen is exceptionally talented, I admire him greatly. This world ultimately belongs to you young people."

Chen Hongwu smiled and said, "The world belongs to us, and it also belongs to you."