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

As night fell, lights were lit in the central courtyard of the Central Martial Arts Academy.

Dozens of lanterns hung under the eaves, illuminating the courtyard as bright as day.

The blue brick ground was already crowded with people, a cacophony of accents from both the north and south. Some sat cross-legged on the ground, some leaned against pillars with their arms crossed, and some impatient ones stood on tiptoe to peer into the courtyard.

Pan Chengmiao followed Wang Yunpu and squeezed under the east corridor.

Looking up, all that could be seen in the open space in the courtyard was a low table and a pot of tea, nothing else.

"The person hasn't arrived yet?" Pan Chengmiao asked in a low voice.

Wang Yunpu gestured northwards with his chin: "They're here."

The crowd fell silent in a sudden uproar.

Chen Hongwu walked out of the moon gate. He was not wearing a long gown, but only a short blue cloth outfit and white cloth shoes.

Walking to the low table, Chen Hongwu didn't sit down. Instead, he picked up the teapot, poured himself a bowl, and drank it all in one gulp.

He then placed the bowl on the table, turned around, and glanced around.

"I won't teach you any moves tonight, I'll just talk about something first."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was as clear as a bronze bell ringing in water, and every word reached the listener's ears.

All the martial arts masters in the courtyard looked up in unison, like a group of schoolchildren waiting to begin their training.

Chen Hongwu began, "In the world of martial arts, the Southern and Northern schools each have their own theories. But when you get to the core of it, it all boils down to four words—integration, relaxation, penetration, and agility."

He held up four fingers: "Integrity means the strength doesn't dissipate; relaxation means the muscles aren't stiff; penetration means the force can penetrate; and fluidity means the changes don't stagnate."

The man threw a punch, which was powerful and forceful.

Chen Hongwu shook his head: "Your punch is all about the arm and the waist. The arm swings out on its own, but the waist doesn't follow, and the feet don't come up either. When you hit someone, don't use your hands; use your core to hit them."

He stepped back and demonstrated a punch.

"Snapped!"

It doesn't seem very fast, but as soon as the fist is thrown out, the foot grinds, the waist and hips twist, and the shoulder and elbow advance simultaneously, the entire spine is like a bowstring being drawn.

"Watch closely! The foot rises, the waist propels, the shoulder moves, the elbow extends, and the hand arrives. These five things must arrive simultaneously in an instant."

The boxing manual says, "When in motion, they separate; when still, they unite." In your case, this means your hands and feet cannot act independently.

"Let's talk about Song again." He walked up to a dark-faced man, grabbed his arm, and the man's arm was as hard as an iron rod.

Chen Hongwu said, "Your hard skills are good, and your bridge hand is decent. But when you tense up, your shoulders get raised."

The so-called relaxation means letting go of stiffness. The tendons should be relaxed, the bones should be straight, and the skin should be flexible.

"Only when you relax can you unleash your full potential. Those who are tense to the point of exhaustion have already locked themselves up."

"To penetrate is simpler. When you throw a punch, the force shouldn't just stay on the skin and flesh. Explicit force strikes the skin, implicit force strikes the bone, and neutral force strikes the marrow."

When you throw a punch, you should aim to penetrate, like piercing a door with an awl. Even if the door doesn't break, the awl should still go in half an inch.

"As for the work..." Chen Hongwu smiled and stepped back to the center of the courtyard. "Well, I'll invite a few friends up tonight so we can all take a look."

The room fell silent for a moment. Wang Yunpu whispered to Pan Chengmiao, "Master Chen is about to have someone try their skills."

Chen Hongwu took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and read out a few numbers by the light of the lamp.

With each recitation, a person would step out from the crowd.

"Jiangxi Zimenquan, Wang Yunpu."

"Anhui Mantis Boxing, Zhu Liu."

"Hubei Yumenquan, Zheng Daheng."

"Southern Zhejiang Fist, Wen Shouyi."

"Fujian Five Ancestors Fist, Pan Chengmiao".

When he read the last one, Pan Chengmiao's heart skipped a beat.

Wang Yunpu patted him on the shoulder: "Let's go."

The five people entered the courtyard one after another and stood in a row.

Wang Yunpu clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Hongwu and whispered, "Master Chen, please show mercy."

Chen Hongwu laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'll stop here. But you shouldn't hold back either, or I won't be able to see anything."

The five people looked at each other, but none of them made the first move.

Chen Hongwu stood in the middle of them, less than two steps away from each of them.

"Together," Chen Hongwu said.

Before he finished speaking, Pan Chengmiao was the first to move.

He lowered his foot, threw out both fists, and took a step to rush into Chen Hongwu's left side.

The Five Ancestors Fist emphasizes short bridges and short stances, getting close in one step, and using both fists in rapid succession like pounding garlic.

This strike is the "Advancing Horse Continuous Punch," a technique passed down through the Pan family of Quanzhou, aimed directly at the ribs and chest.

Almost simultaneously, Wang Yunpu also lunged forward, crouched down, and with a flick of his wrist, struck Chen Hongwu in the lower back.

The Zimenquan style does not display a grand form; its power is delivered in short bursts, emphasizing "the power arrives with the character," and the short burst of power is delivered before the palm even touches the body.

Zhu Liu, a practitioner of Mantis Boxing, slashed in from the right, his arm moving like a mantis's blade, moving up and down in quick succession, aiming straight for Chen Hongwu's face.

Zheng Daheng of Yumenquan and Wen Shouyi of Zhenan Nanquan blocked the lower body from the left and right.

Five people, five styles of boxing, five kinds of energy, like five rivers flowing in different directions, all pouring into Chen Hongwu at the same time.

"Everyone, be careful!"

Chen Hongwu lowered his body, as if he had slid off the ground.

Pan Chengmiao felt a blur before his eyes, and his "Advancing Horse Fist" had already landed on empty air. Just as he was about to change his move, Chen Hongwu's left hand pressed down on the crook of his right elbow.

"In the Five Ancestors Fist style, the horse stance is very close, but the rear hand is too high to protect the heart, leaving the ribs exposed."

As he spoke, before Pan Chengmiao could react, he had already slid up to Wang Yunpu.

Wang Yunpu had only unleashed half of his short, powerful strike when Chen Hongwu's right palm pressed against his forearm and lifted him up.

"The Zi Men Palm Technique emphasizes inch-force, but if you move your palm heel first, half of that inch-force will be lost prematurely. The force dissipates before the character even arrives."

Chen Hongwu sidestepped Zhu Liu's mantis knife attack, grabbed his wrist with one hand, and used the momentum of Zhu Liu's downward strike to gently push him, causing Zhu Liu to spin half a circle on the spot.

"Mantis Fist is heavy and fast, but your wrist is too stiff. Stiffness means no agility, and speed means no flexibility. A knife fighter should be like a reed, bending in the wind, only straightening when the hand arrives."

Zheng Daheng's Fish Gate Fist and Wen Shouyi's Southern Zhejiang Fist have attacked from the left and right.

Instead of retreating, Chen Hongwu advanced, crashing between the two men, striking with both elbows simultaneously, one pushing and the other leaning.

"The Fish Gate Fist moves like a fish, slippery and elusive, but you've pressed your strength too hard."

"The Southern Fist Four-Level Stance is stable, but your footwork is rigid and your fists are not dynamic. The Four-Level Stance is not a stance that is dead."

The crowd was dazzled by the sight.

Chen Hongwu moved among the five people, pointing out their mistakes each time he knocked one down.

By the time he finished speaking, four of the five men were lying down, leaving only Pan Chengmiao barely standing, kneeling on one knee, his face filled with shock.

"Master Pan." Chen Hongwu walked up to him, extended his hand, "Five Ancestors Fist, good fist, but you've narrowed the scope of Five Ancestors Fist."

Pan Chengmiao looked up and muttered, "Too narrow?"

"The Five Ancestors Fist is inspired by the five ancestors: Bodhidharma, Arhat, Monkey, Crane, and Mysterious Woman. You not only practice fighting, but also neutralizing."

"Advance quickly, retreat quickly. Today you advance more than you retreat; your temper is too fiery, you only want to drive me to my death."

As he spoke, he reached out and pulled Pan Chengmiao up.

Pan Chengmiao stood still and suddenly felt a sense of well-being throughout his body. The stuffiness that had been pressing on his chest for half a day had somehow dissipated.

He sighed deeply, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Pan Chengmiao, I'm convinced."