The Way of Restraint

Chapter 11: Mastery of Martial Arts – More Than Just Combat

[July 16th, a very meaningful day. I spent the entire day training with Coach Odell and decided on my future training focus: prioritizing foundational work and shaping my body. Tomorrow, Coach Gu Yang will teach us something new. I wonder what it will be?]  

Upon returning home, Su Jie continued his habit of journaling.  

In the early hours of July 17th, at three in the morning, Su Jie arrived at Odell’s courtyard to practice conditioning exercises, focusing on shaping and refining his martial arts foundation. He then worked on perfecting the move called “Hoe Strike”, striving to achieve absolute mastery in its power and precision.  

Using this move, he attacked Coach Odell, who effortlessly countered it. In turn, Odell used the same move to attack him. This back-and-forth exchange allowed Su Jie to deepen his understanding and proficiency with the technique.  

After finishing his training, Su Jie joined the others on the training ground.  

Gu Yang, seeing the training class assembled, began to speak. “Today, I will teach you the true forms of martial arts. Once you learn this set, you’ll not only move gracefully but also improve your flexibility. For instance, this—continuous backflips.”  

As he spoke, Gu Yang demonstrated a series of smooth backflips, followed by a few whirlwind kicks. He landed firmly, calm and composed.  

“Wow!”  

The foreign members of the training group, amazed by Gu Yang’s performance, felt as though they were finally going to learn real Chinese martial arts, akin to something out of a movie.  

However, a few individuals, including Su Jie, saw through the display, knowing it was more for show than practicality.  

Josh stepped forward and addressed Gu Yang boldly, “Coach, I don’t want to learn these flashy routines. I came here to learn real martial arts. Can you teach us techniques like digging and carrying loads instead?”  

‘Seems like Josh has realized something,’ Su Jie thought to himself. 

Josh, having experienced numerous street fights, surely understood that flashy flips and whirlwind kicks were useless in real combat and would only lead to defeat.  

“Do you all want to learn?” Gu Yang asked the entire group.  

“We do!” 

Nearly 90% of the trainees, exhausted from half a month of labor-intensive training, eagerly believed that backflips and whirlwind kicks were true martial arts, unlike digging and carrying loads.  

“Training forms without building a foundation will leave you empty-handed in the end,” Gu Yang replied to Josh. “But there’s another saying: training the foundation without learning forms leaves you penniless. The digging and load-carrying exercises earlier were foundational. Now, I’m teaching you forms. Martial arts have never been just about combat; they’re also about life. Everyone here in this program must leave with skills they can use to make a living. If you don’t want to learn, feel free to train on your own.”  

Josh frowned, said nothing, and walked away to focus on his own training, unwilling to learn the flashy routines.  

Seeing Josh leave, Su Jie also requested leave from Gu Yang. It wasn’t that he thought the forms were useless, but rather, he had more pressing matters to focus on.  

Coach Odell was leaving soon, and Su Jie needed to seize every moment for foundational training. The forms could be learned at any time, but training under Odell was a rare opportunity.  

Gu Yang watched Su Jie leave without expression, not stopping him. At least Su Jie had taken the time to request leave, citing family matters as his reason.  

After leaving Gu Yang, Su Jie returned to Odell’s courtyard.  

“You made the right choice. Forms aren’t unimportant, but they can be learned anytime. There are plenty of teachers for that,” Odell praised Su Jie’s decision.  

“I’ve decided that until you leave, I will dedicate myself entirely to training here. There’s about half a month left, and I’ll give it my all,” Su Jie declared resolutely.  

“Good, then let’s not waste a single moment. Cherish every second,” Odell said with a wide smile. “With your attitude, I’ll increase the intensity of your training, pushing you to your limits to see just how much potential you have.”  

“Don’t worry, I can handle it,” Su Jie replied confidently. However, he soon regretted his words.  

What followed was truly devilish training.  

[July 17th: Suffering! Suffering! Suffering! Suffering! Suffering! Suffering! Suffering!] Su Jie wrote in his journal that day, repeating the word “suffering” seven times before noting, [No strength left to reflect on today. I just want to sleep.]

[July 18th: Suffering!]  

[July 19th: Suffering!]

[July 20th: Exhausting!]  

[July 21st. After five consecutive days of grueling training, I finally started to adapt and catch my breath. The first five days were a blur; I don’t even know how I managed to endure it. The torment felt like being in hell itself. Every morning at 3 a.m., the routine began with warm-ups, joint exercises, physical conditioning, muscle abuse, weight training, stretching, and flexibility balance drills. Every part of my body was in pain, fatigued, and exhausted. Yet somehow, after sleeping, I’d wake up refreshed. I attribute it all to the coach’s medications, massages, and nutrition. The massage oil he used was evidently of much higher quality than what the academy provided. Besides hearty meals, he also gave me supplements used by professional athletes—vitamins, calcium, and endocrine-balancing pills. These things must be expensive; I’ve never seen them on the market. But now, the training feels easier, and my physical fitness has significantly improved.]  

On July 22nd, at 3 a.m., Su Jie got up as usual for training.  

After finishing the routine of warm-ups, physical conditioning, and sculpting, Odell called a stop.  

“Starting today, I’ll teach you real psychological training.”  

“Psychological training?” Su Jie asked, puzzled.  

“Whether it’s martial arts or combat techniques from any country, it boils down to dual training: physical and psychological. This aligns with the Chinese martial arts concept of ‘courage, strength, and skill.’ Courage represents psychological resilience. Without strong psychological qualities, neither technique nor strength can be fully utilized,” Odell explained, taking out a weapon and tossing it to Su Jie. “Strength represents physical fitness, while skill represents technique. If your physical fitness can’t keep up, having technique is meaningless. Training physical fitness takes time—what we call ‘tempering the body’ in Chinese martial arts. But courage can be quickly developed. A coward can transform overnight into someone fierce after a significant event.”  

Su Jie looked at the weapon in his hand. It was a dagger.  

Clang!  

Su Jie drew the blade sharply, and the chilling gleam of the dagger made his hair stand on end. The blood groove on the blade was enough to send shivers down his spine; a mere swing could leave someone fatally wounded.  

A deadly weapon, without a doubt.  

“This is a military combat dagger,” Odell said. “It’s adept at concealment and offers unpredictable angles of attack. It’s standard equipment for special forces on assassination missions. The saying ‘short weapons are dangerous’ is apt here. In ancient China, daggers were tools for piercing meat but evolved into deadly instruments. You Chinese even have the saying ‘revealing the dagger when the map is at its end,’ originating from Jing Ke’s assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang. Swords are visible weapons, not suited for assassination, but daggers are unparalleled in their lethality.”  (G: Jing Ke presented a map to the Qin King, and only at the very end of unrolling the map did a hidden dagger emerge, signaling the deadly intent behind the seemingly innocent offering.)

Odell continued, “Daggers are versatile—effective for close combat and throwable at long range. The simplest techniques involve slashing and stabbing, not unlike how you swing a hoe. Now, let’s spar with daggers!” Odell picked up an identical dagger.  

“Isn’t that a bit risky?” Su Jie hesitated, lightly scraping the dagger against his arm. Even the light touch made his sweat hairs fall off, sending a chill down his spine. “This thing could be fatal with the slightest contact. Didn’t you say we must avoid injuries during training?”  

Josh had emphasized the importance of avoiding injuries in training, and Odell had repeatedly stressed the same point later.  

“Don’t worry,” Odell reassured him. “You won’t get hurt sparring with me. This is just to let you experience the brutality of cold weapons. In combat, fear of punches is a major hindrance. When attacked, most people panic, retreat, and cover their heads instead of staying calm and analyzing the situation. That’s a sign of weak psychological resilience. Overcoming fear of punches is a critical milestone for fighters. Once you conquer that, you can stay calm in a fight and pinpoint weaknesses. Usually, frequent fighting helps reduce this fear, but that’s not a quick solution. In ancient battles, soldiers desensitized to blood and death after prolonged combat. We lack those conditions today, but luckily, I can help you. I’ve taught martial arts to special forces worldwide and adapted their methods. By sparring with daggers, I’ll guide the rhythm to make you feel the proximity of death. Once you stop fearing the dagger, facing an opponent’s fists will feel like child’s play.”  

Indeed, the psychological pressure of a dagger far exceeded that of a fist.  

Most people would prefer facing an unarmed, muscular man than a skinny person wielding a dagger—especially one as sharp and lethal as this military dagger. It seemed designed solely to take lives.  

“Use the techniques you’ve practiced with the hoe to attack me. They apply to dagger combat,” Odell instructed.  

Su Jie gripped the dagger in one hand, pondered for a moment, and then mimicked holding a hoe. He suddenly lunged, raising the dagger and slashing downward in an arc. Remarkably, it carried a faint sense of momentum.  

Clang!  

As Su Jie’s blade neared Odell, Odell sidestepped, dodging the slash. Then, swish, swish, swish! Three swift counterattacks followed. The dagger danced like a venomous snake, ready to stab or slash at any moment.  

The close-range combat with the dagger was incredibly dangerous—far more terrifying than facing someone wielding a long blade.  

The dagger’s gleam flickered as it cut through the air. Under the relentless assault, Su Jie felt a deep fear. Panic consumed him, leaving him unable to stay calm or execute any techniques.  

This state is often referred to in combat as being “stunned by wild punches.”  

Su Jie had grown accustomed to being Josh’s sparring partner at night, enduring combinations of punches and kicks. His fear of punches had diminished.  

But daggers? He was truly terrified.  

And these weren’t fake daggers—they were genuine military combat daggers. One slash could sever a limb or leave a gaping wound.  

Clatter!  

Su Jie’s dagger fell to the ground, and the blade was already pressed against his neck, right at the carotid artery. Blood trickled from a shallow cut, staining his neck. When he wiped it with his hand, the sight was shocking.  

For the first time, Su Jie felt how close he had come to death.  

Odell stepped forward, wiping away the blood with a towel. It was just a minor cut, nothing serious. A bandage later, Su Jie was back on his feet.  

Odell’s blade control was precise. Otherwise, the cut could have severed Su Jie’s artery and trachea, ending his life. 

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