“Yah!”
“Hah!”
A shout echoed from the corner of the training ground.
There, I received some basic instructions from the stunningly skillful Hong Minki, the Senior Brother.
“As I said, it’s the first day, so I’ll teach you the basics, and starting tomorrow we’ll have group lessons.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“Then let’s get straight into the endurance technique, Mabo Segeun Gyeong. Watch my movements first, then try to follow. I’ll correct you as we go.”
“Sure.”
With that, the Senior Brother spread his feet shoulder-width apart and slightly angled his toes.
—Swoosh.
He suddenly squatted down! Wait, what?
“What?”
Squats, really?
No way, this is totally a squat!
“Like this. When you spread your legs and sit down, you’re developing your lower body muscles. This is the foundation of Mabo Segeun Gyeong.”
“Ah… okay.”
Well, even if he’s a martial artist, he’s not an alien. Exercising the lower body would be the same for people on Earth or here. Squats are definitely good exercise.
From the eyes of someone with gym experience, the Senior Brother’s movements were nothing short of perfect.
It’s surprising to see that the movements in martial arts are exactly the same as modern fitness techniques.
“And for the next movement.”
The Senior Brother, who was squatting, moved to the corner to touch some poles and disc-shaped stones… Wait!
“I need to use this tool.”
A barbell?
Before I could think any further, he started doing deadlifts with perfect form!
“This movement is for strengthening the muscles of the whole body by lifting heavy weights. It can be dangerous because you’re using tools, so be careful.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Really, isn’t this basically just lifting weights?
“Senior Brother, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Isn’t all external martial skills just about training muscles?”
“Low-level external skills are, yeah. And Geunhyeop, now’s not the time for unrelated questions.”
“Sorry!”
After finishing the deadlifts, the Senior Brother moved on to push-ups and sit-ups right in front of me.
“This is for strengthening the chest and abdomen. If your form isn’t perfect, you could injure your back, so be careful.”
“Yes!”
Up until now, it was all familiar territory.
I’d been consistently working out to maintain my fitness.
Seems like Mabo Segeun Gyeong should be easy to learn.
“And this is the arm curling movement.”
“Ooh!”
The arm curl exercise!
It’s a great workout for building arm muscles.
Nothing beats this!
“For martial artists, arm strength and grip are absolute. This movement looks easier than it is, but it can strengthen your arms and grip. Now, give the movements I showed you a try.”
“Understood! I’ll start with the first movement!”
“Good.”
I immediately took my stance and started squatting.
“Ugh!”
Wow, this feels like I haven’t done it in ages.
But since it’s just bodyweight, it’s way too easy.
I almost want to add some weights!
“What’s this?”
The Senior Brother tilted his head.
“There’s no excess in your movement. Geunhyeop, didn’t you say you’ve never learned martial arts?”
“Ah, well, I just did regular body conditioning, but honestly, what I was doing was this. I didn’t know this counted as martial arts.”
“Is that so? I guess it makes sense since Mabo Segeun Gyeong is an external skill that’s spread among civilians. Regardless, your form is flawless.”
The Senior Brother nodded as he stroked his chin.
Alright, let’s move on to the next movement.
“Deadlift!”
“Wha—?”
“That’s the shout!”
Next went the deadlift, followed by push-ups and sit-ups, all passed with flying colors. If he says there’s no excess in my form, then I must have learned well.
“Ah…!”
But after curling weights for the first time in a while, my arms seriously feel like they’re about to burst.
Wow, this is intense!
“You’re good. It looks like you’ve already grasped the Mabo Segeun Gyeong and have a strong physique. At this rate, you’ll learn martial arts in no time.”
“Hahaha, thank you, Senior Brother.”
“Now let’s move to the Vitality Technique. Here, sit cross-legged.”
“Ooh…! Understood.”
Finally, I’m about to learn the internal energy technique!
“The Vitality Technique is a modified breathing technique used by soldiers during the Yuan Dynasty.”
“Soldiers from the Yuan Dynasty!”
Ah, right.
This is the Ming Dynasty. Since martial arts are based in the Ming Dynasty, it makes sense that they used martial arts back during the Yuan Dynasty as well.
It’s come down through the generations and become the martial arts taught in this dojo.
“The Vitality Technique is a fundamental low-level technique, but it has the advantage of being easy for anyone to learn.”
“What’s the downside?”
“It falls short in every other aspect. The speed at which internal energy accumulates is slow, and it takes a long time for breathing and meditation. But since it’s the easiest technique for commoners like you to master, if you practice steadily, you’ll see results.”
“Understood.”
To put it in game terms, this is like a basic or common-level martial art. The explanation makes it sound compatible with all other techniques even if the effects are low.
My first learned internal technique is a total beginner one… I thought starting out in the martial world would involve learning some legendary technique or other.
Well, since it’s compatible with others, I guess it’s fine. Maybe one day I’ll find a good technique. I’ll just have to become a martial arts master by then.
There’s no way to learn a rising technique right now, so I’ll just work hard on this for now.
“By the way, it’s interesting that soldiers from the Yuan Dynasty used this technique. It seems all soldiers learned martial arts. The Yuan army must have been very strong.”
“That’s a story from long ago. In the end, they fell.”
“Right.”
But what’s the actual history here?
Originally, Zhu Yuanzhang, the leader of the Red Turban Rebellion, drove out the Yuan Dynasty and founded the Ming Dynasty, according to Earth’s history.
I wonder how things are here.
“Since they fell, it means they weren’t really that strong.”
“Hmm, I wouldn’t say that. While Yuan masters were defeated by the Emperor and Great General, they were just taking advantage of a weakened enemy.”
The Emperor and Great General?
Are they talking about Zhu Yuanzhang and the founding officials?
“The so-called number one in the world during the Yuan Dynasty, the terror of the Central Plain people, the Heaven Demon, Koke Temur, famously held back the invading Ox Demon King.”
Ko, what now?
Heaven Demon?
Wait, isn’t that the same Heaven Demon I know?
And who’s the Ox Demon King?
“Eventually, the current number one in the Central Plain, the Ten Thousand General, Xiang Yuchun defeated Koke Temur, but many believe that’s because Koke Temur exhausted his powers fighting the Ox Demon King. Besides, during the Yuan Dynasty, the Ghost Gate opened widely, allowing the hellish army to invade while the nation was already on a decline, so it’s understandable. Considering the absolute master, Xiang Yuchun of the Dark Realm, is still fighting the wounded Ox Demon King, it says a lot. Although it’s a taboo subject, the reason why General Xiang Yuchun is called the number one in the Central Plain rather than the world is because of this. The true number one in the world is Koke Temur, the Heaven Demon.”
What?! I kinda zoned out during that long conversation.
So… the current Ming General Xiang Yuchun is weaker than the Yuan Heaven Demon Koke Temur? And there’s an Ox Demon King involved?
It might seem unimportant now, but it looks like I’ll need to study this history someday. If even the instructor is discussing it, it must be common knowledge among martial artists.
“I’ve gone off on a tangent. I just personally admire the martial artist Koke Temur. Let’s begin.”
“Yes!”
I was curious about the Ghost Gate, but this isn’t the time to ask. I’ll look into it later.
“Slowly breathe in. Then slowly exhale while sensing the energy of nature.”
The Senior Brother’s palm was pressing on my back. I spread that sensation throughout my body and tried to perceive the Qi through deep breaths.
It felt like I was meditating.
“While breathing, focus on accumulating that energy in your lower dantian. It might be tough at first, but as you keep breathing with that awareness, you’ll eventually feel it.”
I still don’t feel anything.
Thinking that I should be able to gather inner energy makes me a bit restless. Is there a potion or something? I want to try it, even if it’s ridiculously expensive to get.
Still, if I did manage to take one, wouldn’t at least some inner energy flow into my lower dantian?
That would be exciting.
“Alright. From now on, practice in this manner. Once you feel your inner energy, I’ll show you the next step.”
“Understood.”
Maybe it’s just my imagination, but after practicing the Vitality Technique, I feel a bit better.
Refreshing, maybe?
I feel like my vitality has been revitalized.
“You’ve mastered Mabo Segeun Gyeong already, and your physique looks good, so you’ll likely feel it soon. Now let’s move on to the Six Combination Fist.”
“Six Combination Fist!”
Immediately, the Senior Brother demonstrated the basics of the Six Combination Fist.
—Pah!
A simple technique of punching and kicking. It’s basically the most basic martial technique out there. But it looks pretty impressive when shown by a skilled practitioner like the Senior Brother.
His balance seems excellent.
“Hmm.”
It kinda feels like a practical kickboxing style? But looking closely, there’s no grappling techniques.
Is this the limit of a low-level martial art?
“Senior Brother, I have some experience in fighting. But in fights between commoners, it usually turns into grappling struggles, trying to throw each other rather than just throwing punches, you know? Does the Six Combination Fist have techniques like that?”
“Oh, it doesn’t. You’ll need to learn a different martial art for that.”
“Ah.”
So this is basically taekwondo.
If I want to grapple, I’ll have to learn some other martial art.
“The Six Combination Fist is a basic boxing skill with the assumption that one doesn’t use internal energy. Now, try doing the movements.”
“Understood.”
In other words, it’s time to show off my technique.
—Pah!
As I executed the technique…
“That’s wrong!!!”
“Aack!”
I heard the thunderous shout of the Senior Brother!
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