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

Chen Hongwu remained expressionless and strode through the gate.

The main hall of Hong Sheng Guan is extremely spacious and can accommodate over a hundred people.

The ground is paved with blue bricks, the beams and pillars are thick, and the walls are covered with portraits of the museum's owners throughout the ages.

On both sides of the main hall were rows of mahogany weapon racks, with all kinds of knives, spears, swords and clubs, as well as about ten stone locks and stone weights of different sizes, the smaller ones weighing about 30 to 50 pounds, and the larger ones weighing at least 200 pounds or more.

Behind the main seat is a bronze statue of Guan Yu, with a red face and long beard, holding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Three sticks of incense are burning in the incense burner in front of the statue, with wisps of smoke rising.

In the center of the main hall was a three-zhang square training ground, with thick wooden planks on the ground that bounced slightly when stepped on.

The training ground was surrounded by several rows of long benches, which were already about 70-80% full.

Each person sat according to their martial arts school.

The Choy Li Fut lineage sat on the east side, led by a strong man in his forties with arms that reached past his knees and calluses on his hands, clearly a practitioner of the "Piercing Throw" punch.

The authentic Foshan Cai Li Fo is Hong Sheng Guan, but there are other branches such as Tan Family Cai Li Fo and Li Family Cai Li Fo.

The disciples of the Tan family's Cai Li Fo had dark complexions, prominent temples, and straight backs like iron plates. Their sitting posture was different from others, with their knees spread outwards and their center of gravity sinking to their groin. This was the stance of Cai Li Fo's "Pulling Three Stars" technique.

The disciples of Li Jiacai and Li Fo had prominent veins on the backs of their hands and large knuckles, clearly indicating that they had practiced "Iron Palm".

The people from the White Eyebrow Boxing Gym sat on the west side, three men and two women, all wearing white short jackets.

The leading female disciple was about thirty years old, with a white silk sash tied around her waist, long and slender fingers, and a layer of light yellow calluses on the edges of her palms.

White Eyebrow Fist is famous for its Phoenix Eye Fist and Elbow Wrapping Technique, and its finger strength is particularly remarkable. Judging from this woman's hands, she has obviously put in a lot of hard work on the "Phoenix Eye Fist".

The disciples of Xiajiaquan sat in the northeast corner, wearing short black cloth jackets with the cuffs tied tightly. When they sat, their waists and hips were always in a slightly rotated posture, and their toes gripped the ground. This was the preparatory stance for Xiajiaquan's "Piercing Heart Kick".

Legend has it that the Piercing Heart Kick of Xia Family Fist is a powerful strike that strikes straight at the enemy's heart with force generated from the toes, capable of breaking a wooden stake as thick as a bowl with a single kick.

The people from the Wing Chun school sat on Ip Man's side, including Ruan Qishan, Yao Cai, Wu Zhongsu, and seven or eight young disciples.

Their stances were upright, with knees turned inward, toes tucked in, and the standard Wing Chun "Two-Character Clamping Horse" sitting posture. Their hands were naturally placed on their knees, with the backs of their hands facing up and their fingers slightly bent.

The various branches of Hung Kuen were even more numerous and powerful. The disciples of Iron Wire Fist were shirtless, with a row of copper rings hanging from their chests and several on their arms.

Hung Kuen originated from Southern Shaolin and is known for its hard stance and solid stance. In particular, the Iron Wire Fist lineage involves wearing copper rings to increase the weight during training. When the training is advanced, a single Iron Wire Fist routine can sweep away the dust on the ground several feet with the force of the punch.

With a single glance, Chen Hongwu had a pretty good grasp of the situation inside the hall.

Having mastered his kung fu to such a level, he understood the principles of boxing and could discern an opponent's fighting style from the details of their movements, postures, and postures.

"There are quite a few people here today," Ip Man remarked.

Chen Hongwu and Ip Man found a place to sit in the Wing Chun area. As soon as he sat down, he felt countless gazes coming from all directions. Some people were looking at him, their eyes filled with apprehension, curiosity, and a hint of eagerness.

"The news about what happened at the Wo Yee Tong a few days ago has spread far and wide," Ip Man said in a low voice. "I heard that Ghost Hand Peng's senior brother, Iron Finger Chen Tiezhi, said that you were too ruthless and that it was not in accordance with the rules of the martial arts world."

"Iron Finger Chen?" Chen Hongwu frowned.

"He is a master of the Hung Kuen Iron Wire lineage, skilled in Iron Wire Fist and Eagle Claw Kung Fu," Yao Cai chimed in from the side. "He is very prestigious in the Foshan martial arts community. In the past, everyone turned a blind eye to Ghost Hand Peng's affairs, largely because of his influence."

Ruan Qishan sneered, not turning around: "When Ghost Hand Peng was kidnapping and demanding ransom, why didn't they follow the rules of the martial arts world?"

Chen Hongwu did not respond, but followed Ip Man's gaze.

An elderly man in his fifties sat among the Hung Kuen disciples, his hands on his knees, his ten fingers thick and strong, his knuckles flat, and his fists covered with a layer of grayish-brown hard skin.

That's a sign that you've mastered Eagle Claw Kung Fu to a high level; with one swipe, you can create five bloody holes without using any hidden force.

Iron Finger Chen sensed his gaze, turned his head, and the two locked eyes for a moment. Iron Finger Chen's eyes were cold and sharp, like a drawn sword.

But Iron Finger Chen quickly looked away, and Chen Hongwu also withdrew his gaze.

Ruan Qishan suddenly spoke up, his tone tinged with curiosity: "Brother Chen, I heard you practice Xingyi Quan?"

"Focus on form and meaning." Chen Hongwu nodded.

"Xingyiquan is prevalent in the north and rare in the south." Ruan Qishan paused for a moment. "Back then, the senior Guo Yunshen's half-step Bengquan was famous all over the world. My master mentioned it when he was alive, saying that Bengquan is the mother fist of Xingyiquan. If you master Bengquan, you can understand all other fist techniques."

"I only learned the basics of Master Guo's Bengquan (a style of Chinese martial arts)," Chen Hongwu said.

Yao Cai leaned closer and whispered, "Brother Chen, which team do you think is the strongest among those present today?"

Chen Hongwu glanced around the arena and casually remarked, "Hongquan has a solid foundation, with a long bridge and a powerful stance. It is strong but lacks flexibility, and it is easy to suffer losses when encountering a master who knows how to deflect force."

White Eyebrow Fist is agile and versatile, but its techniques are relatively short, making it vulnerable to being outmaneuvered by opponents with long stances and powerful footwork. Xia Family Fist is more eclectic, with no obvious weaknesses, but also no particularly outstanding strengths.

He paused for a moment, "Wing Chun's short bridge and narrow stance are most effective in close-quarters combat, making it suitable for street fighting. Today, the arena is spacious, so Wing Chun's stance will be at a disadvantage. If facing Hung Kuen's long bridge and wide stance, one must first withstand the opponent's initial fierce attack before having a chance to break into the inner circle."

Ip Man nodded repeatedly. A hint of surprise flashed in Ruan Qishan's eyes: "Brother Chen's understanding of various styles of boxing is more profound than that of many old boxing masters I have met."

"It's all just empty talk."

The sound of gongs rang out outside the hall.

"Thump—thump—thump—"

After three gong sounds, the side door of the main hall opened, and a middle-aged man walked out with his hands behind his back. He was in his fifties, wearing a black long gown and cloth shoes with thick soles. He had a square face, thick eyebrows, and prominent temples.

"He is Master Li Su," Ip Man said in a low voice. "He is the head instructor of Hung Shing Mart and also a Double Flower Red Stick of the Foshan Hung Society."

Li Su walked to the center of the training ground, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the surroundings: "You all have come to give Hongsheng Martial Arts School face. Today's martial arts gathering will follow the usual rules—exchange and practice, but stop when you've reached your limit. Each school and sect will send someone to demonstrate their skills, so that the younger generation can broaden their horizons and the masters can offer some guidance."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Please send someone from each martial arts school to the stage."

The gong rang again.

The Wing Chun school made the first move. A young disciple jumped onto the stage, cupped his fists towards the opposite White Eyebrow Martial Arts School, and said, "Yao Bin from the Wing Chun Yao Family Martial Arts School requests guidance from the senior disciples of White Eyebrow Martial Arts School."

A female disciple from the White Eyebrow Martial Arts School stood up. She wore a white silk sash and had a slender figure. She clasped her hands in a salute and said, "White Eyebrow Martial Arts School, Cheng Yueru, please."

Ip Man turned his head and whispered to Chen Hongwu, "Cheng Yueru is Zhang Liquan's disciple, and she has practiced Phoenix Eye Fist for eight years."

Zhang Liquan was a master of the White Eyebrow Fist. Back in Huizhou, he defeated seven people in a row with a single set of White Eyebrow Fist, making him famous throughout Dongjiang.

On the ring, Yao Bin launched a preemptive attack. He unleashed a series of Wing Chun "Sun-shaped Punch" punches, his fists striking straight down the center line with crisp, cracking sounds.

Cheng Yueru remained calm and composed, slightly turning her body to the side. With her left hand, she used the "Phoenix Eye Fist" to grab Yao Bin's right wrist, while at the same time, she struck him in the ribs with her right hand using the "Heart-Piercing Palm".

Yao Bin stepped back and withdrew his fist, turning his hand into a "spread-out" gesture to block her palm. Just as he was about to counterattack, Cheng Yueru lightly touched the ground with her toes, and floated back half a zhang, landing silently.

White Eyebrow Fist emphasizes footwork, possessing the subtlety of "a needle hidden in brocade."

The boxing manual says, "White Eyebrow Fist doesn't injure people with its hands, but with its footwork." This means that the most powerful aspect of White Eyebrow Fist is not its fists and feet, but its footwork.

After exchanging seven or eight blows, Yao Bin was finally forced to concede defeat and leave the stage after Cheng Yueru delivered a powerful "Phoenix Eye Fist" to his throat.

Several more matches followed.

Choy Li Fut versus Hung Kuen.

Cai Li Fo's "Piercing Fist" is wide and sweeping, with the arm swinging like a whip. Hung Kuen's Tiger and Crane Dual Forms are characterized by the tiger form being fierce and the crane form being light and agile, alternating and changing on the field, sometimes like a tiger descending the mountain, sometimes like a white crane skimming the water.

The two fought for more than twenty moves. Cai Li Fo's disciple struck his opponent's shoulder with a "pulling three stars" punch, narrowly winning the fight.

Xiajiaquan versus Moqiaoquan. Xiajiaquan's piercing kick is as fast as lightning, with the toes barely a foot off the ground, yet each strike precisely targets the inside of the opponent's knee joint.

The disciple of Moqiaoquan parried with both hands, his steps like wading through mud, plowing tracks into the dust on the ground. After fifteen moves, the disciple of Moqiaoquan won by locking his opponent's ankle with "Silk Entangling Hand".

Chen Hongwu watched the match calmly. Ip Man turned to him and asked, "Brother Chen, what do you think?"

"That female disciple of the White Eyebrow Fist has practiced the Phoenix Eye Fist quite well," Chen Hongwu said. "But when she exerts force, her shoulder moves first, and the power doesn't flow smoothly. The Phoenix Eye Fist should be like an arrow released from a bow, with the shoulder not moving and the fist arriving first. She's still a step behind."

He paused, then looked at Choy Li Fut: "Choy Li Fut just won, but his 'Pulling Three Stars' move involved excessive outward rotation of the elbow joint when he threw the punch, causing his center of gravity to shift by half an inch. If he were to encounter a master, that half inch could be fatal."

Ip Man nodded repeatedly. Yao Cai, standing nearby, chimed in, "What about the 'Heart-Piercing Kick' from the Xia Family Fist?"

"The form is good, but the meaning is lacking. A 'heart-piercing kick' isn't just about kicking someone; it's about piercing their heart. The toes should be like the tip of a spear, each kick should penetrate deep. His kicks are too superficial, lacking power."

Ruan Qishan chimed in, "Ultimately, it's a matter of insufficient skill and practice."

Chen Hongwu did not speak again.

His gaze remained fixed on the arena, but his ears were picking up on the discussions from all directions: Cai Li Fo's disciples were quietly reviewing the match, Hung Kuen disciples were debating the merits of Iron Wire Fist and Tiger Crane Double Form, and female disciples from the White Eyebrow Boxing School were asking Cheng Yue Ru how much force she used in that Phoenix Eye Fist.

All of these are different.

"Thump—"

The sound of the gong rang out again, silencing the clamor in the hall.

Li Su was standing in front of the stage, about to announce that today's sparring session was over, when suddenly someone jumped up from below the stage.

"Wait a minute!"

The man was in his early twenties, tall and strong, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He wore a black short jacket with the collar open, revealing his muscular chest.

His gaze swept past Li Su on the stage and directly towards the area where the Wing Chun martial arts school was located, fixing his eyes on Chen Hongwu in the crowd.

"Chen Hongwu!" His voice, loud as a bell, resonated throughout the hall. "I am Lin Xingwu, a disciple of Hung Kuen. Today, I dare to ask Master Chen for some guidance! I humbly request Master Chen's instruction!"