Chapter 48: Practical Combat is the Core of Martial Arts

Bang!

Chen Jie landed a kick that nearly sent Luo Qiang stumbling, instantly filling him with confidence.

Immediately afterward, he pushed off with his rear foot, erupting with explosive force as he charged straight at Luo Qiang.

A lunging side kick, heavy with immense power!

Although he was wearing shin guards and foot pads that cushioned the explosive impact of his kicking technique, the speed of this strike was astonishingly fast.

The kicking techniques in Chuo Jiao Kung Fu were renowned precisely for their blinding speed, swift as a sudden clap of thunder.

"Hmph! Your leg power is indeed much fiercer than mine, and your speed is incredible!"

"But your combat experience is your fatal flaw. Your attacking intention is far too obvious. Do you really think a reckless assault is enough to land a solid hit on me?"

Luo Qiang let out a cold snort.

Having just traded blows head-on with Chen Jie in a fierce exchange of kicks, he knew that Chen Jie's explosive power was terrifyingly strong.

He did not dare to continue engaging Chen Jie in close-quarters combat.

There was no helping it; the disparity in their body weight was too obvious.

Luo Qiang felt that his own explosive force held no advantage whatsoever in front of Chen Jie.

If they were to clash directly, he would be at a severe disadvantage!

Therefore,

he quickly altered his tactical approach.

Swish!

Luo Qiang retreated rapidly, widening the distance between himself and Chen Jie.

People with a slightly shorter stature possessed one very distinct advantage: super-high agility.

Luo Qiang's feet flashed continuously as he evaded, twisting and generating power from his waist to put space between them.

The very instant Chen Jie's kicking momentum spent itself, Luo Qiang darted forward by half a step and smashed a heavy punch directly at Chen Jie's face.

A straight punch in sanda and combat sports—fast in speed, fierce in explosive power!

He utilized his opponent's forward momentum during the attack to launch a powerful counterpunch with his back hand.

Bang!

The timing of this straight punch was exquisitely precise, and the counter-attack carried a ferocious might.

At this moment,

the intense battle inside the ring made it glaringly obvious that Chen Jie's practical combat experience was woefully inadequate.

Faced with the agile Luo Qiang, Chen Jie's defense was full of holes!

A thousand glances cannot compare to a single practice, a thousand practices cannot compare to a single bout!

Actual combat is the true core of martial arts!

It was only now that Chen Jie truly understood the profound meaning of those words.

Fortunately, his reflex speed was exceptionally fast, and his mental state had already reached the realm of 'deep visualization', granting him an intensely sharp sixth sense for imminent danger.

Just as Luo Qiang's straight punch closed in on his chin,

bang!

He sank his center of gravity, crossed his fists to form a tight guard, and blocked Luo Qiang's heavy punch head-on.

Stumble, stumble, stumble—!

Chen Jie retreated five steps, staggering heavily and nearly tumbling to the canvas.

Although he had blocked Luo Qiang's counter-attack, Chen Jie's rhythm of offense and defense was completely disrupted.

In a ring duel, the rhythm of attack and defense was paramount.

A fierce battle in the ring did not mean that whoever possessed superior strength and speed was guaranteed to win.

The most crucial factor was the mastery of rhythm and whether one could strike the opponent first—that was the key to victory.

The core principle of any offensive movement was that one had to hit the opponent first in order to unleash the maximum destructive power.

This was precisely why those so-called 'grandmasters of traditional martial arts' who practiced Tongbei Fist and Iron Sand Palm looked terrifyingly formidable during training, effortlessly splitting cobblestones and bending wrenches with their bare hands as if it were child's play.

However,

once they stepped into the ring, they simply couldn't hit anyone, utterly incapable of controlling distance and the rhythm of combat.

The most critical reason for this was the lack of actual fighting!

A thousand practices cannot compare to a single bout!

That was certainly no joke.

Swish—!

Outside the ring, the surrounding spectators burst into laughter at the scene unfolding before them.

"The kid's explosive power is fierce, and his reflexes are fast, but his combat experience is pathetic. Otherwise, Brother Qiang wouldn't be having such an easy time with him!"

"If he had just controlled the distance and rhythm earlier, Luo Qiang wouldn't have had any chance to counter!"

"His center of gravity is way too low, and his footwork looks like he's just planted in a horse stance—it's too stiff. Without a doubt, this kid only practices fixed routines."

"His reaction speed just now was freakish! Luo Qiang's straight punch was about to shatter his chin, and he actually managed to react in time. Incredible!"

"He still lacks real combat. If he undergoes actual combat training for a month, Luo Qiang won't be able to beat him. The gap in their weight classes is still quite obvious, though."

"Let's go—keep it up—!"

The fierce duel between the two men inside the ring grew increasingly thrilling.

However,

judging from their exchanges, it was clear that Chen Jie had fallen into a passive state.

His reaction speed was fast, his explosive power was fierce, and he held the advantage in physique.

Yet what drove Chen Jie to distraction was his utter inability to land a hit on his opponent.

There was no helping it; his attacking intentions were far too obvious, allowing Luo Qiang to anticipate the direction of his attacks well in advance.

Furthermore, the thick boxing gloves on his hands and the guards on his legs severely hampered his performance.

Chen Jie was currently pressing the attack with all his might, but he found it exceedingly difficult to close the distance on Luo Qiang, rendering him unable to inflict any effective damage.

After all, he hadn't been practicing martial arts for very long; even if he combined the time from both periods, it amounted to barely a month or so.

What's more, he was currently only in the initial stage of 'basic muscle strengthening' to increase his power.

'Medicinal baths' and 'medicinal supplements' could enhance his martial potential and elevate his physical constitution.

However,

there were no shortcuts in martial arts, and he had not yet undergone proper combat training.

Judging by their ability to control the ring's tempo, he lagged far behind Luo Qiang in terms of practical combat experience.

If not for Chen Jie's superior physique, coupled with explosive power and reflexes that made Luo Qiang wary and hesitant to engage in close-quarters brawling,

Chen Jie would have been in an even more wretched state.

Especially since Luo Qiang was a master of sanda, fierce as a wolf.

After all, he was the top-ranked professional featherweight fighter in the Elite Martial Arts Academy. His footwork flowed effortlessly, making it impossible to read his attacking angles. He was agile, with an exceptionally strong grasp of distance and ring tempo.

Before they knew it, the two had been battling fiercely in the ring for a full minute.

At this moment,

Chen Jie finally gained a clear picture of his current comprehensive strength.

It seemed he had slightly overestimated his own combat prowess beforehand.

In terms of explosive power, reflex speed, and agility, he had felt completely superior to Luo Qiang.

Yet,

despite holding the advantage, he simply couldn't find a way to land a solid blow.

Luo Qiang consistently controlled the distance between them, leaving Chen Jie feeling completely helpless.

Meanwhile,

the veteran students of the Elite Martial Arts Academy gathered around the ring began to chat and chuckle openly.

From the perspective of offensive and defensive rhythm, Luo Qiang was purely bullying a novice.

How could Chen Jie, who had never experienced actual combat, possibly compare to someone with Luo Qiang's combat experience, mastery of pacing, and distance management?

Even though Chen Jie's various physical attributes were formidable and arguably far surpassed Luo Qiang's,

in terms of actual combat effectiveness, Chen Jie was nothing more than a rookie in front of Luo Qiang!

"Hey buddy, your attack speed and explosive power are indeed fierce, but your intentions are way too obvious. You can't hit anyone like that!"

"Watch how I throw a punch—yeah, just like that. Instant power generation from the waist, straight punch strikes!"

"What are you standing around for? Evade! That's right, sidestep like this. Don't run away—I told you to evade, not to sprint!"

"Haha—your rhythm is a complete mess, your center of gravity is too low, and your attack motions are way too wide!"

"If you keep fighting like this, you'll soon resort to windmill punches with zero technique!"

"Whoa—that kick of yours is vicious! Scared me for a second, take it easy. What a pity, you still can't hit me!"

"The only real advantage you have is being a dozen kilograms heavier than me. If you ran into an opponent of the same weight class, they'd wipe you out in seconds!"

"—"