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Chapter 136 - 123, Issue 2: Eagle Claw Fist

Chapter 136: Chapter 123, Issue 2: Eagle Claw Fist

Song Yang’s diagnosis came out on the same day: severe fracture of the left forearm, soft tissue contusion of the left wrist, minor fracture of the right hand, and moderate fracture of the right tibia.

Truth be told, such injuries aren’t even the most severe in combat sports, but for most amateurs and average people, they are already quite shocking.

The incident unsurprisingly stirred up a great deal of controversy again, and Wu Li had yet another hit on the trending searches.

This time, many people online condemned Wu Li, accusing him of being excessively heavy-handed:

"Since you represent Traditional Martial Arts, you should uphold martial ethics. Being so ruthless only makes you seem too malevolent."

"You are already a known figure; why stoop to their level? Couldn’t you have just dismissed him without using such force?"

"I don’t think this makes you look impressive. It actually seems ungracious."

...

However, there were also many who supported Wu Li, especially some famous boxers who frequently face challenges. After watching Wu Li’s live broadcast video, they felt it was immensely satisfying.

"Once you step into the ring, there’s no such thing as martial ethics. As long as it’s within the rules, any method works. Otherwise, why bother competing?"

——"Jianghu Wind" Boxing Champion Flying Dragon

"Song Yang is just a clown seeking attention by challenging Wu Li. Anyone with discernment can see that. No one forced him to compete, right? Since he chose to enter the ring and was not as skilled, losing means losing. What more is there to say?"

——"Jianghu Wind" Boxing Champion Fang Heng

"Every year, there are injuries in combat competitions. Competing involves risks. For those who constantly seek challenges here and there, I want to remind you: If you want to rise to fame by stepping on others’ reputations, be prepared to get hurt; otherwise, stay home and break bricks. That’s also a good option."

——"Glory Warrior" Boxing Champion Qiu Sheng

...

Just as the online spat became unmanageable, Wu Li released a video on Weibo and Mo Yin on the same evening, which included footage from the Bo Yuan Martial Arts Hall’s surveillance cameras and video recorded by staff members on site.

In the video, Song Yang engaged in wild ranting, calling Wu Li a coward and spitting at him, along with a series of subsequent provocative actions, all of which were captured on camera.

Once this video was released, those who had been criticizing Wu Li online suddenly went quiet, and the online sentiment began to lean one-sided:

"To be fair, I think Wu Li went too easy. He should have smashed the guy’s mouth first, and then the rest of him."

"If disgusting people like that can’t get a proper lesson, then what’s the point of learning the Fist or practicing Martial Arts? Wu Li did great!"

"I find a certain mentality on the internet particularly revolting: if you are wealthy, you are not supposed to take issue with ordinary people; if you are famous, you should also abstain from arguing with the common folk. When a rich person’s car gets damaged and they are completely in the right, even a standard claim is criticized as heartless. A renowned Boxer defeats an opponent on the ring who challenges and insults them, adhering to the rules, yet gets accused of lacking martial ethics. I just want to ask: does having money or fame mean you can’t even uphold the rights of a regular citizen anymore?"

...

Following the uproar, a journalist posted Wu Li’s interview video on a portal website. Wu Li’s words, "After my opponent is down, I will display my grace," immediately became a famous quote, imitated by countless people, especially students.

Reportedly, that evening, many top players in Honor of Kings or LOL would viciously defeat their opponents’ heroes and then type in the global chat: After my opponent is down, I will display my grace.

Qi City TV Station also took the opportunity to record a personal interview with Wu Li and released it online, serving as a preview for the second episode of "Seeking Martial Arts."

In the interview, the host asked Wu Li what he wanted to say to those who challenge him.

Wu Li said this: "Don’t get me wrong; I’ve always been about convincing with reason. I have yet to encounter anyone who hasn’t been convinced. I welcome everyone to challenge me."

After this incident, the number of people online challenging Wu Li dropped significantly overnight, probably realizing that the money earned in this way wouldn’t even cover the medical bills...

After a day’s delay, the team behind "Seeking Martial Arts" officially set off to start the live broadcast for the second episode.

The second episode’s destination was Xiong County in Lincang City, Beihai Province, to visit a Martial Artist who practices Eagle Claw Fist, Gao Zheng.

"Eagle Claw Fist, originally called Eagle Claw Fanzi Fist or Eagle Claw Sequential Fist, is a type of Traditional Martial Arts Fist and belongs to Elephant Form Fist. The pugilistic adage states, ’To touch clothing is to control veins; to separate muscle and misalign bones, to point to acupressure points and cease breath.’ Traditional routines include twelve sequences and fifty continuous forms, evolving from Fanzi Fist..."

Upon reaching Lincang City, the program team drove to Xiong County while Wu Li also began a live broadcast to explain the origins of Eagle Claw Fist to the viewers.

"There are many masters of Eagle Claw Skill in TV dramas, but many of the portrayals are inaccurate because the claw shapes are wrong."

Wu Li said while making a gesture towards the camera: he extended his right hand, with the thumb bent outward, the other four fingers closed together, the second and third finger joints tightly bent, each finger striving to open towards the back of the hand.

"Eagle Claw Fist’s portrayal in movies and TV dramas is mostly about tearing and injuring the enemy, like one claw passing through and tearing the opponent’s clothing, leaving a few blood marks. But in reality, the practice of Eagle Claw Fist’s finger strength is not intended for tearing and scratching, but for capturing and pressing points," said Wu Li to the camera.

"Many netizens are asking, Wu Li, is there really such a thing as pressure point striking in martial arts?" the director suddenly spoke up.

Wu Li nodded, "There is, but it’s not like what everyone imagines, where hitting a pressure point would render a person immobile. In reality, pressing points is about applying external force on key points of the human body to induce numbness and a tender feeling, thereby causing short-term loss of resistance."

"For example, the Head’s Governor Vessel point, the Welcome Man point on the chest, the Shortcoming Basin point, the Central Chest point, the Abdomen’s Heavenly Pivot point, the Great Giganteum point, etc. If these points are struck accurately, and if the finger strength is appropriate, it’s easy to cause a choke or even fainting."

Wu Li casually pointed to several points on his body: "Speaking of this, I have a few more points to make fun of. Many people think Traditional Martial Arts’ so-called killing moves are just poking the eyes, hitting the throat, or kicking the groin, but it’s far more than that. There are many vulnerable parts of the body, and hitting certain points could potentially lead to disability or death. For instance, the most common is the pit of the stomach; that point has very little muscle protection and a heavy blow can easily break the sternum. Then there’s the Life Gate point on the spine; a strike there can have serious consequences. And another example..."

"Cough, cough!" the director suddenly coughed a few times on the side.

Wu Li immediately reacted and said to the camera with a smile, "Well, let’s continue talking about Eagle Claw Fist."

"Haha, the director is frantically giving hints."

"Okay, strong will to live."

"I just took out my notebook, why are we talking about Eagle Claw Fist again, continue with the pressure points!"

"A stationary dummy standing there, we might not even hit accurately, let alone a moving real person. The host’s talk is pointless, what’s there to be wary of, how many people can use it?"

...

The comment section erupted in heated discussion, and the director, pretending not to see it, signaled for Wu Li to continue.

"In short, the killing moves of Traditional Martial Arts are not as simple as everyone thinks. The pressure points of Eagle Claw Fist are mainly for capturing. In fact, that’s considered gentle. In Traditional Martial Arts, the Emei Chasing Wind Short Strike uses Phoenix Eye Fist to specifically target human body points. Now that is truly ferocious."

Wu Li summed up and then continued, "The Gao Zheng we’re going to visit this time, Master Gao, is a famous boxer from Xiong County. Many people from Lincang City also go there to learn from him."

"This time, is it for real?"

"It’s not going to turn into another fake fight, is it?"

"I hope it’s real, looking forward to Wu Li’s exchange with the other party!"

...

The director relayed the netizens’ comments to Wu Li, who replied, "Before coming here, I looked up a lot of information about Master Gao. He seems to practice real Kung Fu, so this episode is not about busting fakes, but sincerely about exchange and learning."

"Let me tell you about some of Master Gao Zheng’s deeds: In 2007, a man in Xiong County suddenly started attacking people in the street with a knife. Master Gao was also present, and he rushed forward barehanded to snatch the knife and subdue the man. This was a real incident, and the police even gave Master Gao a banner and a cash reward afterward."

"After that incident, Master Gao’s reputation grew, and the coaches of the Lincang City sanda team brought several team members to visit Master Gao in Xiong County. They exchanged techniques, and Master Gao successively subdued several of the sanda team members."

"Over the years, many people have gone to Xiong County just to exchange techniques with Master Gao. From what we’ve gathered, Master Gao has remained undefeated! It wasn’t until 2016, when Master Gao got older, that he allowed his disciple to represent him in challenges."

Wu Li recited the information gathered by the program team, then took out a tablet and played a video in front of the camera.

"This is a fighting video of Master Gao Zheng that the program team found online, shot in 2012. The one in black is Master Gao."

The video was very short, less than ten seconds. In it, Gao Zheng, dressed in black, was not very tall and didn’t appear to have much muscle. His opponent was a muscular, much taller black man.

The black man adopted a boxing stance and threw the first punch, a straight punch aiming at Gao Zheng. Gao Zheng moved swiftly, darting out and stepping to the right side of the black man’s body. While dodging the punch, he grabbed his opponent’s right arm joint with both hands, one in front and one behind.

Then, without seeming to exert much effort, Gao Zheng twisted the opponent’s arm behind his back. The black man in the video knelt on one knee, crying out in pain, until Gao Zheng released him.

The video ended there, and Wu Li put away the tablet: "In the video, Master Gao was already 49 years old, while his opponent was a 27-year-old professional boxer from overseas who visited our country to challenge Kung Fu masters. Eventually, he was defeated by Master Gao."

"Wow, so fast!"

"Still that agile at 49, amazing!"

"Looking at their physical difference, they’re not even in the same weight class, but he still won so neatly, incredible!"

The comment section was full of awe, increasing the anticipation for the episode.