BODYGARD

Chapter 16: An Equal Match

"Jack," Jack said.

"Good, take a seat!"

Smith, unusually, showed a smile and said, "Did you all pay attention to what this student just said?"

"We did!"

"Although what this student said is somewhat different from what I intended to convey, what he spoke is commendable. Since he has already said it, there is no need for me to further explain!" Smith stood with his hands behind his back, his smile entirely due to Jack's intervention. Otherwise, he might have left the classroom today with a frown.

The teacher standing beside Smith, who was also the president of the University of Houston, could only offer a wry smile.

Smith, as usual, despite his age, still had an imposing presence that matched that of any younger person.

Fortunately, there was a student who had answered Smith's question almost perfectly.

"Alright, as some of you are aware, according to tradition, I will spar with a handful of you to give you a preliminary understanding of the Chinese martial arts and to save us from the critique that our department is all show and no substance!" Smith declared with a laugh.

Hearing this, the color drained from the students' faces.

Most who knew what this meant were naturally aware of the implications.

The more they knew, the more they feared. Some of the freshmen from the previous year had suffered bruises and scrapes when sparring with Smith; despite his age, his strength was formidable.

"What should we do?"

Some students murmured quietly amongst themselves.

"What else can we do? If you want to learn some moves to impress girls, you'll have to take a few hits first!"

Disrespect Chinese martial arts?

In their eyes, it was Smith who was taking things too seriously. They reasoned that learning just enough to impress a girl hardly amounted to disrespecting Chinese martial studies.

Meanwhile, Smith had already made his way to the open space in the classroom.

"This student, come on up!" Smith pointed and beckoned.

The student he pointed to was startled, but dared not refuse.

With that in mind, he stood up as well.

"Strike me!" Smith commanded.

The student did not underestimate Smith. After all, no new student had ever managed to last more than three rounds against him. The old man might seem advanced in years, but he was more than capable of handling several young adults with ease.

The next instant, the slightly overweight student threw a punch at Smith.

"Hmph!"

Smith stepped back and grabbed the student's fist with both hands.

The overweight student immediately froze.

"What are you waiting for? Keep attacking! I've got your fist, what about your other hand, your shoulders, your knees?" Smith barked loudly.

The student snapped out of it and tried to strike with his knee.

But as the knee came forward, Smith delivered a palm strike to the overweight student’s body. It looked effortless, but as soon as the palm hit, the student staggered backwards several steps.

"The essence of Chinese martial arts fundamentally hinges on seizing opportunities to strike, dismantling the opponent's moves, and if dismantling is not an option, then defend. While defending, look for vulnerabilities to turn defense into offense and vice versa. The student before also mentioned this. However, to achieve seizing opportunities and countering attacks, what you first need is the ability to flexibly apply these practices!" Smith explained.

Whether it's Chinese martial arts or the martial arts of other countries, at the end of the day, they are all part of the same family.

There are no national boundaries in martial arts.

Anyone with a common goal of development is part of the same family.

And whether it’s combat or killing, there are similarities with the principles of Chinese traditional studies.

Of course, becoming a master is not something that happens overnight.

Smith's intent in founding the Department of Chinese Studies was not to teach college students how to fight, but to promote Chinese cultural academics.

"Did everyone get that?" Smith asked.

"Got it!" The boys and girls shouted loudly.

Smith pointed his finger and singled out the boy who had shouted the loudest, saying, "Your turn!"

"Me…" The boy was nearly in tears. He thought that by being the loudest, the headmaster might not choose him, but the headmaster had done exactly that.

Regret filled the boy’s heart as he rose from his seat and walked to the front.

"Strike!"

The boy threw a punch.

The headmaster caught his punch.

The boy was indeed clever, learning from the previous example. When one punch failed, he quickly switched to the other hand, but the result was the same—Smith firmly caught his other fist as well.

This left the boy stunned.

With both hands caught, what could he do?

"Remember, before countering attacks with 'seeing the technique and dismantling it,' you first must learn 'seeing the opportunity and striking.' Why did you strike when there was no opportunity just now?" Smith pushed the boy's hand away, converted it into a palm, and with a thump, struck the boy's body.

The boy stumbled back a few steps and fell to the ground, grimacing in pain.

"You!" Smith's frown deepened as he pointed at another student.

And so it went: he called one up, struck them, and the next came up. By the end of the round, nearly all the boys in the class had been hit and were still in pain, trying to comprehend what had happened.

Smith stood with his hands behind his back, a hint of anger on his face.

"No talent!" Smith shook his head.

He had established the Department of Chinese Studies mainly to promote the culture of Chinese academic tradition.

Who could claim that traditional studies had no practical value?

He attended each new class of students to assess their physical quality and natural talent.

He wanted to take on disciples.

Nowadays, fewer and fewer young people were interested in learning traditional Chinese martial arts. In the eyes of the youth, it was nothing but flashy, ineffectual moves. He earnestly wanted to take a disciple, but this class of freshmen had been thoroughly disappointing.

He stood in the middle of the classroom, most of the boys at the back, and as he turned around, he happened to see Jack, the only one in the front row. When he saw the delicate-looking boy, Smith's eyebrows rose.

"Jack, you give it a try!" He called out Jack's name.

"Me?"

Jack was momentarily taken aback.

The next moment, he nodded.

Although he wanted to refuse, Smith was the headmaster, and since he had called on him directly, how could he find a reason to say no?

Taking a moment to breathe, he stood up and walked in front of Smith.

"Strike!" Smith said calmly.

Without uttering a word, and as soon as Smith's voice fell, Jack suddenly launched a punch with frightening speed, aiming directly at Smith's face.

He did not hold back much. He could tell that Smith was not like those small-time troublemakers; to bring Smith down with a half-hearted move was not an easy task.

"Hmm!" Surprise flashed in Smith's eyes.

"Such a fast punch!"

Faced with this punch, Smith had to step back, raising his right arm and turning his body to intercept Jack's momentum. He dared not block with both arms directly because if Jack made another move, he might not be able to defend.

Seeing his first punch intercepted, Jack's right arm suddenly vibrated.

But before he could make another move, Smith suddenly counterattacked, his palm striking towards Jack's face.

Jack reacted swiftly, his left hand grabbing and instantly locking down the palm.

Seeing this, the captured palm's thumb pressed down instantly, the middle finger peeking out and pushing forward, getting even closer to Jack's face, forcing Jack to retreat slightly.

If the palm is caught, then use the fingers!

Neither dared to use their knees or legs to attack, as they were very close to each other. Whoever moved their lower body first would indicate they were already at a disadvantage.

Now, the two were evenly matched.

"What a formidable young man!" Smith took a sharp breath.

He had initially intended to test Jack, to see if he had that talent. Although he founded the Department of Chinese Studies primarily to promote Chinese cultural academics and not necessarily to teach fighting techniques, deep down, he still wanted to find a direct disciple. Thus, every year, he would challenge the freshmen. This led to the tradition that first-year students in the Department of Chinese Studies must take a beating.

But—

He had never expected Jack to be such a skilled martial artist.

No wonder, no wonder this kid knew so much; he was a true insider.

The more Smith saw of Jack's ability, the happier he became. Without pausing to think, he only wanted to exchange more moves with Jack.

"Hahaha!" Smith laughed heartily.

While speaking, he retreated significantly, not because he was at a disadvantage, but rather to step back and launch an even more aggressive attack. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists!

The next moment, the agility of his over sixty-year-old frame was undeniable as he delivered a punch, the force of which was palpable in the air.

Seeing this, Jack reacted quickly, aiming to strike at the weak point of Smith's arm.

Seize the opportunity to strike, dismantle the attack when you see it.

But Smith was not so easily subdued. As Jack reached to grab his arm, Smith's forearm shook powerfully and, with precise timing, he launched a series of successive punches.

Jack frowned and hastily moved to block.

Neither was strictly attacking or defending.

Instead, they were both at a midpoint.

Smith threw punches, and so did Jack.

Their initial speed wasn't fast, each trying to find an opening in the timing, but as it became clear they couldn’t find an opening or a weak spot, their punches got faster and faster. It seemed as though they were throwing punches without needing to think, but unbeknownst to onlookers, every punch from each fighter was a search for an advantageous opportunity.

Fast!

Too fast.

The speed was dazzling.

Jack had thought a single punch would suffice, but he hadn't anticipated that once he threw a punch, he couldn't pull it back.

"This…"

"That guy is amazing!" A girl's eyes sparkled brilliantly, her face excited and thrilled as she shouted out loud.

"So fast!"

"Since the establishment of the Department of Chinese Studies, no one has ever been able to fight with the headmaster for this long and still look unbothered!!"

"What are you all waiting for?"

A girl stood up, her eyes shining brightly, and she started recording with her phone.

"This is even better than the fights in movies. Where else could you capture such a scene? A fierce battle between Headmaster Houston and a student – this will go viral if it gets posted on Houston campus's websites or forums!" The female student kept filming, excitedly watching the two of them exchange blows.