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

The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of Foshan overnight.

The next morning, teahouses, docks, and martial arts schools were filled with talk of the raid on Heyi Hall.

Ghost Hand Peng is dead, more than a dozen thugs and martial arts masters have fallen, and the hall is empty.

The perpetrators acted swiftly and cleanly, leaving even the police officers who investigated the scene speechless—more than a dozen people lay dead in different locations, none with gunshot wounds, all subdued by hand.

Those who had been secretly coveting the Chen family fell silent overnight.

The eager gang leaders did the math: was it worth it to offend someone who could single-handedly take down the Heyi Hall for the ten thousand silver dollars bounty on Mo Laohu?

The answer is obviously no.

But not everyone chose to remain silent. Li Su, the instructor of Hongsheng Hall, challenged Chen Hongwu to a duel.

The time and place will be determined by Chen Hongwu. After the fight, regardless of the outcome, all grudges will be settled.

When the news reached the Chen family, Chen Hongwu was practicing standing meditation in the courtyard.

In the afternoon, Ip Man paid a visit.

Chen Huaijin personally greeted Ip Man at the entrance and led him to the main hall to serve tea. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ip Man requested to see Chen Hongwu.

Chen Huaijin didn't ask any more questions and had Chen Hongwen lead him to the backyard.

As he reached the courtyard gate, Ip Man suddenly stopped and knocked on the doorframe: "Brother Chen, may I come in?"

Chen Hongwen was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Is this too much politeness?"

Ip Man didn't explain, as the injuries he sustained yesterday hadn't fully healed yet.

If Chen Hongwu were practicing his boxing inside and Chen Hongwu were caught by him, it would be normal for him to be beaten to death according to the rules of the martial arts world.

"Come in," came Chen Hongwu's voice from the courtyard.

The two pushed open the door one after the other and entered. Chen Hongwu stood in the center of the courtyard and put away his stance.

Ip Man cupped his hands in greeting, then sat down on the stone bench, poured himself a cup of tea, and said, "Brother Chen, you have such a strong killing intent. Last night, you single-handedly and silently wiped out the Hongmen and Yitang."

Chen Hongwu said calmly, "I will not offend others unless they offend me."

"Li Su of Hung Sing Mart has challenged you to a duel. You can choose the time and place. What he means is that after this fight, Hung Sing Mart will no longer pursue the matter, regardless of what happened to you at Duanhe Yitang." Ip Man took a sip of tea.

Chen Hongwu was not particularly surprised.

Hong Sheng Guan itself was a secret outpost of the Hongmen, also known as the Heaven and Earth Society, in Foshan during the Qing Dynasty.

Originally named "Hongsheng Hall," it was changed to "Hongsheng" to avoid the taboo of the Qing court. From its inception, it secretly harbored the aim of "overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming."

Their disciples generally joined the Hongmen, and the martial arts schools served as a public cover for the sects.

Li Su was equivalent to a Double Flower Red Stick in the Foshan Hongmen, possessing terrifying combat prowess. Back then, he led over a hundred men straight into the Qing army's camp in Foshan, firing the first shot in the liberation of Foshan.

Ghost Hand Peng was, after all, a member of the Hongmen, and Heyi Hall was also a branch of the Hongmen. It would be strange if the Hongmen didn't say a word after Chen Hongwu wiped them out in such a big way.

Although many of the people under the Hongmen have become corrupt, the upper echelons are still generally righteous and upright.

Li Su issued a challenge, meaning that after a fight, regardless of victory or defeat, all grudges would be settled.

"So what are your plans?"

"Are you here to make peace?"

Ip Man waved his hand, "I'm just a messenger. If you want to negotiate, I can act as a go-between. I'm also familiar with the Hung Shing Mart."

"I agree," Chen Hongwu said. "The time is set for two days from now, after the martial arts school gathering. He can choose the location."

Ip Man breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, anything that can be solved with fists isn't a problem."

He paused, then changed the subject, "But since you're here, I'd like to spar with you a bit. I haven't really fought with Northern-style boxers much yet. Yesterday's fight was too fast, I didn't even see it clearly."

Chen Hongwu glanced at him: "Come here."

Ip Man stood up, walked to the center of the courtyard, and set up the Wing Chun stance.

With his hands guarding his chest, his center of gravity slightly lowered, his toes slightly turned inward, his waist and hips relaxed, and his gaze level with Chen Hongwu, he said, "Please instruct me."

Chen Hongwu walked to the opposite side of him and stood still.

He was completely unpretentious, with his hands hanging naturally at his sides.

Ip Man made the first move.

Wing Chun Sun-Character Fist!

"Clap clap clap!"

The three punches came in quick succession without pause, each aimed straight at the center line. The fists rotated perfectly, and the entire arm was like a spring that kept popping back and forth, making a cracking sound.

Chen Hongwu did not retreat. He crossed his arms and used his right hand to block Ip Man's right fist.

At the same time, his left hand touched the outside of his left arm and gently pushed it open, as if opening a door. Ip Man's center of gravity was pulled forward by this action, and his body leaned forward half an inch.

In that mere half-inch of deviation, Chen Hongwu's foot had already moved.

With a sidestep, he flashed from Ip Man's front to his side, his palm brushing against the outside of Ip Man's forearm.

Ip Man felt his arm sink, his punch was deflected, his force missed, and he staggered forward, losing his footing.

"Your punch is good, but the power comes from your hands too much." Chen Hongwu's voice came from the side. "Wing Chun's power comes from the stance. Your hands are fast, but your feet aren't keeping up. When you throw your fist, your back foot doesn't move forward even half a step."

Ip Man steadied himself, pondered those words for a moment, nodded, and rearranged the stakes again: "Again."

This time he changed his playing style.

He turned both hands into palms, one hand probing for Chen Hongwu's strength, the other concealed behind him. The probing hand probed Chen Hongwu's strength, while the concealed hand prepared to strike.

His steps kept pace, the front foot advancing, the back foot following, the steps moving with the body, and the punches striking with the steps.

Chen Hongwu met him, still using the Bagua steps, his body unpredictable, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, and Ip Man's fist was always half an inch off target.

Taking advantage of a moment when Ip Man exerted too much force, Chen Hongwu flipped his hand, grabbed Ip Man's forearm, and pulled him forward: "You've gone too far; you can't stop now."

Ip Man was pulled forward by this force, his body involuntarily leaning forward, losing his balance, and it took him two steps to regain his footing.

He stopped, carefully savoring the feeling of that moment, and then smiled: "I understand now. When I throw a punch, I always think about hitting all the way down, neglecting the retraction. Wing Chun emphasizes 'receiving and releasing,' and I only know how to release, not how to retain."

Chen Hongwu neither corrected nor agreed, but simply said, "Fight again."

The two exchanged another twenty or thirty moves. Ip Man became more and more unrestrained as the fight progressed, using Wing Chun techniques such as Tan, Bang, Fu, Wen, and Chong in turn, sometimes attacking quickly and aggressively, and sometimes engaging in close-quarters combat in narrow spaces.

Chen Hongwu remained calm and unhurried, using Bagua and Xingyi techniques to break through the blockades, occasionally throwing a chopping punch or a drilling punch, but never putting too much force into it.

Later in the fight, Chen Hongwu suddenly asked, "Who taught you to shrug like that?"

"It was passed down by Master Liang Bi."

"When you spread your arms, is the force directed upwards or forwards?"

Ip Man paused for a moment, his hand moving a beat too slowly.

Chen Hongwu's Bengquan (a type of fist strike) stopped half an inch in front of him, the wind from the punch brushing his face.

"You're using upward force, trying to pull upwards after spreading your arms out." Chen Hongwu withdrew his fist. "But spreading your arms out should be done in a spiral. Pulling upwards is like lifting, while a spiral is a semi-circle."

"If you lift them up, you have to strike back, adding an extra step in between. By spiraling your attack, you open up your opponent's path while simultaneously shifting your own center of gravity and force line into the next move."

Ip Man stood still, looked down at his hands, slowly gestured, then looked up and took a deep breath: "I didn't expect Brother Chen to have such a profound understanding of Wing Chun."

"In the beginning, practicing boxing is pure. After becoming a master and understanding the principles of boxing, one must learn from the strengths of others. I also know a little about Wing Chun."

Chen Hongwu initially practiced the basic forms of Xingyi Quan, and later progressed to the internal strength stage, achieving a level where sound followed the movement of the hand, thus attaining some success. Only then did he gradually extract the boxing techniques that had been instilled into his mind from his previous life.

Otherwise, trying to do too much at once and failing to master the techniques, or developing impure skills, are major taboos in martial arts training.

"Well said, 'knowing a little bit'!" A cold snort came from the rooftop not far away.

"These days, any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to call themselves a master?"