Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 7 - 5 Elite Center
Previously on Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups...
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In the urban winter, the heavens above showed no trace of blue, instead cloaked in a murky grey mist.
The number 13 bus ran on an outdated eighties design, lacking any air-conditioning setup.
Yet it featured a mounted TV that looped endlessly through entertainment shows and news broadcasts.
"...At the West Mountain Ruins, a decapitated Buddha statue has surfaced. Scholars believe the underground portion stretches beyond thirty meters long and could have been wrecked in the Yu Dynasty's anti-Buddhist purge from two millennia past..."
"Media outlets filmed the popular idol Xu Meiyuan slipping into a hotel with an unknown guy after dark, emerging the following morning utterly drained. She refutes the rumors, insisting they were merely..."
Fang Cheng cast a quick look at the television display before sliding open the window, letting the breeze tousle his fringe.
Leafless plane trees, alongside a jumbled mess of advertisements and towering buildings, rushed by outside.
"Infertility treatment, no-pain abortions, Songzibird Women's Hospital wants you to remember..."
"Approaching Maocheng Crossroads, just west of Wantong Shopping Center."
Heeding the announcement, Fang Cheng rose from his rear seat and moved early toward the exit zone.
As the bus halted with a sharp "clatter" and its doors swung wide, he leaped out promptly, bag slung over his shoulder.
Being Sunday, the downtown area seemed eerily empty without the typical rush of office folks.
Along the pavement to the left, he strolled.
About a hundred meters ahead stood a commercial complex boasting prominent wall promotions.
By entrance 3 of that complex dangled a bold placard for the Global Elite Fighting Club.
Familiar with the path, Fang Cheng stepped inside via door 3 and rode the lift up to level two.
Right across from the elevator lay the club's space, plainly seen through its see-through full-height glass panels.
Right then, numerous coworkers dashed in, grabbing their things to punch in at the time clock.
Steady beeps echoed nonstop through the space.
Fang Cheng joined the line to log his arrival, noting the clock hit exactly 9:29.
Right on schedule, neither rushing nor dragging.
Stepping into the locker area, bursts of chuckles immediately surrounded him.
Fellow staffers chowed down on steamed buns and roadside eats, engaging in light banter over sundry subjects.
A few delved into the thrilling twists from yesterday's evening serial; others debated sports matches and figured betting chances.
Lacking shared interests with the group, Fang Cheng swapped into his uniform and ventured solo to the first practice room.
Rays of sun poured through the expansive windows, rendering the light blue mats vivid and gleaming.
Scattered throughout were scores of standing heavy bags, suspended punching sacks, and a central boxing platform.
Rhythmic thumps of padded fists against bags mingled with calls of different tones, ebbing and flowing without pause.
The morning's initial session kicked off at ten sharp.
Learners trickled in steadily, starting their drills on their own initiative.
Fang Cheng caught the lingering whiff of cleaner from the prior evening's scrub and approached Coach Hu, who waved him over.
Yet another hectic shift loomed ahead.
While the club's instructor quality remained a mystery, its facilities shone impressively.
The training ground sprawled wide, equipped with top-notch gear all around.
Offerings encompassed Boxing, Sanda, Jujitsu, Muay Thai, Sword Dao, Karate, Taekwondo, and more besides.
Fang Cheng's role fell under logistics support.
A fancy take on his duties: overseeing routine club functions and upkeep, plus aiding trainers during sessions.
Truth be told, it boiled down to odd jobs like prepping spaces, attending to pupils, and handling sanitation.
Standard shifts ran 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., including a noon hour for rest.
Weekends ramped up the frenzy.
Folks tied to weekday jobs often flocked here on off days.
Sessions ran nonstop from dawn till dusk, barely a moment's pause.
Still, a silver lining existed.
Without evening lessons to accommodate learners, employees wrapped up punctually and headed home.
Fang Cheng primarily handled upkeep for the Boxing section's zone.
He'd start by hauling pads and weights from storage per the trainer's outline.
Afterward, he'd linger nearby, silently watching the class to assist pupils whenever needed.
Such as fetching beverages, cloths, salves, and the like for participants, or fetching items for the instructor.
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This day launched the inaugural boxing lesson, a foundational drill for fresh enrollees.
"You all likely picture boxing as a pair of burly guys in the ring, hurling hammer-like fists, noses spraying blood, flailing madly..."
The trainer's speech, laced with his local twang, sparked chuckles among the assembled novices.
"Quite the opposite."
"Boxing stands as a combat art stressing defense above all. Daily drills demand exceptional foot speed."
"There's a proverb: Skip the steps in teaching punches, but master steps and surpass even the expert."
"We've covered stances and core punches in the opening sessions. Today, we'll layer on that with footwork syncing..."
Though Coach Hu looked rugged and tough, his instruction carried an unexpected finesse.
He showcased moves from easy to advanced, breaking down essential steps and weight transfers in swift actions with thorough clarity.
Such an approach perfectly suited those just starting out.
Fang Cheng knew this material inside out by now.
Endless solo reps had ingrained it deep into his instinctive responses.
Take the weight shift skill, for instance.
It boosted his strikes to maximum force while keeping equilibrium during evasions, ready for swift ripostes.
Yet skills remain mere skills.
True fights hinge on executing them flawlessly, which draws heavily from robust central power.
"One two!"
"One two..."
Guiding over ten pupils, Coach Hu directed repeated advances with steps and jabs.
Calls echoed in steady cadence, charging the mat with vibrant energy.
"Grip those toes tight, loosen up the frame, flow naturally, like coiled elastic..."
"Oi, you there, that's right, quit glancing about, what's with the over-the-top hip shakes? This ain't hip-hop..."
Mere rounds of simple starters revealed the group's fitness disparities.
While some kept joking around, others panted hard already.
Notably, several plus-sized women lagged well behind the pack in pace.
Shelling out more than 2000 yuan a month for boxing lessons doubled as a fitness escape for these desk-bound pros, shedding pounds, torching calories, and easing tensions.
Dressed in a tank top, hands clasped behind, Fang Cheng posted up along the edge like dutiful help.
Still, his eyes wandered now and then to nearby martial arts sessions unfolding.
After close to a month on the job.
Fang Cheng figured he'd grasped the bulk of entry-level boxing moves.
All that stayed was persistent drilling to rack up practice and advance.
Lingering in Boxing ops promised scant further growth.
That notion sparked a fresh concept in Fang Cheng's thoughts.
"Maybe it's time I request a shift to a coaching role..."
Moments raced by, and soon the noon opener wrapped at twelve.
Snatching broom and swab, Fang Cheng briskly swept the floor clean.
Once sorted, he swung by reception for the crew's club-provided boxed meal.
In the brief lunch pause.
Meal devoured and a short sit-down later, amid the locker room's rowdy talk, he dropped for push-ups.
Such an odd habit predictably invited ribbing and laughs from the team.
Fang Cheng ignored the jabs, focusing sharp on the ache building in his limbs.
His ambitions burned personal, his goals his alone to chase.
Peers' opinions blew past harmless as wind, powerless against a resolve forged for power.
Abruptly, a glow burst into view.
Fang Cheng froze mid-motion, palms planted firm against the ground.
A cryptic grin tugged at his lips, beyond others' grasp.
Across the soft azure interface, a notification popped up bold and clear.
[Congratulations, through unyielding toil, your bodily fitness has advanced]