“In Canada’s Chinatowns, there used to be an old tradition: after the Lantern Festival every year, there would be some traditional activities, such as lion dances. In addition, there would be internal sparring between Chinese gangs, where each gang would bring out their Red Sticks and have a match.” Tiger slowly said, “Actually, in Canada’s Chinatowns, there originally wasn’t a ‘Double Flower Red Stick’ title. Each gang only had six ‘Red Sticks.’ After all, gangs varied in size, and the Double Flower Red Stick title was an honor, not something that could be easily conferred!”
I understand.
Traditional Chinese communities in Canada are relatively scattered, ranging from large to small.
Let me give you an example. If a small guild with only a few dozen members can produce a "Double Flower Red Stick," it's only selected from a hundred or so people, so its value is very limited! But in a large guild with over a thousand members, even a regular "Red Stick" is selected from a thousand people! Although it's just a Red Stick, its value is significantly higher than a Double Flower Red Stick from a small guild!
If you encounter a Double-Flower Red Stick from a small gang and get beaten to a pulp by an ordinary Red Stick from a large gang... wouldn't that make the title "Double-Flower Red Stick" seem too lowly and worthless?
Therefore, in the local Chinatown, none of the Chinese gangs have the title of "Double Flower Red Stick"! There are only Red Sticks in the gangs, not Double Flower Red Sticks!
However, there was one exception: in the old Chinatown, every year after the Lantern Festival, a competition would be held. Each gang would send out their most powerful fighters to fight, and the only winner would receive the title of "Double Flower Red Stick"!
This "Double Flower Red Stick" title doesn't belong to any one gang, but is recognized by all Chinese gangs in Chinatown!
"Before Sha Hu became the leader of the Luo Clan Association... when he was still a Red Pole, he dominated the arena four times in a row and was the Double Flower Red Pole of the entire Chinatown gang four times in a row!" Tiger said this with a very serious tone. He looked at me and said, "Xiao Wu, I know you are very powerful and I know you are very skilled... but I still think that in a fair fight, there is a more than 90% chance that you will be killed."
Part One: In the Martial World, Unable to Control One's Own Fate, Chapter 152: Before Battle
Despite Tiger's serious tone and cold expression, I still couldn't believe what he said... mainly because he said there was a 90% chance I would be killed if I fought Sand Tiger... such words were unacceptable to someone as proud as me!
Damn! I'm not easily scared! I might be good at talking about other things, but when it comes to fighting... honestly, I've never been afraid of anyone over the years!
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” Tiger sighed, staring at me intently, and slowly said, “Unfortunately, Eighth Master himself isn’t a martial artist, so he doesn’t understand this… This life-or-death struggle isn’t won by sheer passion alone! It’s won through sheer hard work and real skill! It’s a pity I wasn’t in the room at the time, otherwise I would have definitely stopped you from doing this!”
Then, perhaps sensing the slight disapproval in my expression, Tiger silently turned away, took a disc from his bag, put it into the DVD player, and then turned on the TV.
“I’m a martial artist, so I’ve recorded all those sparring matches from a few years ago and watched them… This is some information about Sha Hu that I spent the whole night finding out. I know you’re still very confident, but I hope you can take it easy and read it carefully.”
As Tiger spoke, the television screen first displayed static, then transformed into the shape of a fighting ring.
The image is somewhat blurry, clearly shot with an old-fashioned home DV camera.
This is a fighting ring, and the scene is rather dark. I don't know if it's due to some old-fashioned equipment causing the distortion, or if the lighting in that venue was simply not bright enough. In any case, all I can see is a ring with two men exercising.
This ring was slightly larger than the ones we usually see in boxing matches, and ropes were strung around the perimeter. However, there was no referee. A number of spectators could be vaguely seen standing around the perimeter.
The footage lasted for a minute, then the camera began panning around, and I realized it was a large warehouse, with quite a few onlookers standing on the second floor. The noise was deafening. There were screams and shouts, but mostly background noise.
The camera zooms in and out, clearly showing that Tiger was very close to the ring, or rather, right next to it, during the filming. Therefore, when the camera zooms in, the scene on the ring is still very clear.
Two men were facing off, one of whom was clearly Sha Hu! Judging from his appearance, he was younger than when I saw him yesterday, tall and shirtless, revealing muscles like those of a young calf… muscles that exuded power! Completely different from the stiff muscles of bodybuilders! His muscles were well-defined and full of elasticity. Like a cheetah!
I instinctively squinted my eyes...
Especially Sand Tiger's eyes, which seemed to carry a hint of bloodlust...
His opponent was a man in his mid-twenties, younger than Sha Hu himself. He was very tall and had a large build. Judging from his stances, he was quite skilled and had definitely trained.
As the duel began, a frenzied shout erupted from the television, accompanied by static, and the camera zoomed in a little more... The two men first circled the ring a few steps, testing each other's strength.
I could tell that Sha Hu's lower body was very stable, which was evident from his footwork.
This discovery sent a chill down my spine once again.
Then, Sha Hu's opponent launched the first attack! Neither of them was wearing gloves, clearly indicating a completely unrestricted style of combat! Sha Hu's opponent was quite agile, his attacks were relatively fast, and he threw four punches in quick succession, all of which Sha Hu blocked. Then, the man launched a flying kick, striking Sha Hu's thigh. Unfortunately, the kick only caused Sha Hu to stagger slightly, but it didn't manage to knock him down…
I sighed inwardly. This Sand Tiger seems to have really trained well!
But then the situation changed!
Sha Hu's opponent's kick failed, but Sha Hu preemptively closed in... Seizing this opportunity, Sha Hu slammed a palm heavily into his opponent's chest...
Sand Tiger's opponent coughed up blood, his body swayed violently, he staggered backward, finally coughed up blood again, and then collapsed!
Just one slap! One slap was enough to make that person vomit blood!
Upon seeing this, I raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but mutter under my breath, "Is his hand that heavy?"
Then the scene shifts, and after a period of snow, it returns to a fighting ring, but the people in the ring have changed. Sand Tiger is still Sand Tiger, but he looks much more mature than in the previous match. Clearly, these two segments were filmed in different eras.
This time, Sha Hu's opponent was a middle-aged man with a very composed demeanor. He took a few steps, appearing quite agile! Sure enough, once the duel began, the middle-aged man immediately launched an attack, unleashing five flying kicks at Sha Hu in one go!
I narrowed my eyes. It seems that Sha Hu's opponent's kung fu is all in his legs! And judging from the looks of it, he must have practiced some kind of Tan Tui (a type of martial art).
Sha Hu initially just parried a few blows, but quickly began to dodge. However, his resilience was terrifying; he was kicked in the legs, but only managed to block with his arms. Moreover, he immediately retreated after each kick, using his movement to neutralize some of the force. So, although he looked disheveled, he wasn't actually seriously injured.
Finally, just as his opponent was about to launch a side kick in mid-air, Sha Hu suddenly ducked, and then his body seemed to snap in half... Then he saw that his shoulder had already blocked the opponent's foot, and suddenly he raised his left hand and slapped the opponent's calf!
Looking at the screen, my heart skipped a beat!
Sure enough, the middle-aged man screamed in pain. When he hopped back, his lower leg was clearly deformed; it seemed his shinbone had been broken!
Then the scene changed again...
Tiger's disc contains four segments. There are two more fights later on. Sand Tiger's opponents changed; each opponent was skilled and of a good level, but without exception, they were all defeated by Sand Tiger!
Moreover, he was always defeated by Sand Tiger, whose palms seemed to be made of iron. Each time, he relied on his solid defense and agile dodging to wait for his opponent to attack. His ability to withstand blows was also quite strong. And each time, he would wait for his opponent to launch an attack, then seize an opening and strike…
One palm strike and the battle is over!
His palm strikes are incredibly powerful! The main attack force comes from his palm!
"This is footage of Sha Hu winning the ring four times and taking the double red roller four times. I filmed it all back then," Tiger said calmly. "Did you notice anything?"
I took a deep breath: "His hands are heavy, one palm can win..." I tilted my head and thought for a moment, recalling the scene when I saw Sha Hu yesterday, recalling his appearance and the shape of his palm, and then slowly exhaled: "He probably practices Iron Palm."
Tiger nodded: "Yes, you're right. He is indeed practicing Iron Palm."
Iron Palm is a widely practiced martial art, but very few people can master it.
Actually, I'm sure almost everyone who's read a few martial arts novels knows about Iron Palm. But most people don't really understand this skill. It's not something novelists made up, unlike things like the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, which are fictional; it actually exists.
Iron Palm is a widely practiced martial art, similar to the palm techniques depicted in many martial arts novels. This style doesn't have many specific moves or routines... it's primarily a method for training palm strength.
Many people know about Iron Palm, but very few can truly master it. It's not that there's no way to learn it, but rather…
Many people believe that the so-called Iron Palm is like what is described in some movies or novels, where a person holds a pot of heated iron sand and then thrusts their hands into the sand... That's all fake.
If someone practices like that, your hands will definitely be ruined!
The most crucial aspect of practicing Iron Palm is relying on the power of medicine!
The secret lies in the need for a specially formulated medicine! To prepare this medicine, many medicinal materials are required! There are more than twenty kinds of medicinal materials! Then you also need to add white vinegar and a medicinal wine! After mixing them together, decoct them, then mash the decoction into a paste, and then add a certain amount of iron sand to the paste, and mix them evenly together... Note that the amount of paste and iron sand must be the same, neither more nor less.
Then, the mixed medicinal mud and iron sand were put into the sandbag. This made a sandbag specifically for practicing Iron Palm!
The method of practice is very simple: practice twice a day, morning and evening. When practicing, place the sandbag in front of you and then slap it with both hands. Gradually increase the force of your slaps, being neither impatient nor too slow.
When you first start practicing Iron Palm, your palms will definitely be bruised and swollen, and may even be torn open. However, because the iron sand contains specially formulated drugs, these drugs will seep into your palms as you strike... In fact, this training method uses the power of drugs to transform a person's palms.
After each day's practice, it's essential to wash your hands with a specially prepared medicinal wine! This will help your hands recover quickly... It not only reduces swelling and heals wounds, but also strengthens the power of your hands! Iron Palm is a highly lethal martial art. Once mastered, a single strike can break bones and tendons, and if the target is a vital point, it can be fatal!
I've heard my master mention Iron Palm before. When he taught us martial arts, he also told us many folk tales and stories about kung fu.
My master said that when he was young, he once encountered a master of Iron Palm. He fought that master. According to him, that Iron Palm master could smash a hole in the tabletop of an eight-immortal table with a single palm strike! He could even break a long, hardwood bench in two with one blow!
Of course, the master eventually won, but it is said that the victory was not easy.
Although Iron Palm is widely known, very few people actually master it... not for any other reason than that the key to practicing Iron Palm isn't the sandbag used to strike iron sand... but rather the recipe, which very, very few people know!
The medicinal paste is mixed with iron filings. It requires over twenty different medicinal herbs to prepare! Most versions of this prescription circulating outside are incomplete… Without a few key ingredients, the effect is significantly reduced!
Another thing is that after practicing martial arts every day, you need to wash your hands with a secret medicinal wine! Very few people know what the ingredients of that secret medicinal wine are, or how to prepare it.
In the Chinese martial arts world, any secret techniques are passed down from father to son, from master to disciple. It's all oral and hands-on instruction; very little written knowledge has been preserved…
Part of the problem stems from the fact that most people are secretive and unwilling to share their skills. They're reluctant to easily pass on their secret techniques… and importantly… in China, education only became widespread in modern society. Especially in ancient times, scholars were an extremely small minority! Most martial artists weren't scholars; they had little education, and many might not even be literate. Therefore, they couldn't pass on their unique skills in written form.
Therefore, many kung fu techniques in China have been passed down through generations. Consequently, many have been lost... For example, Iron Palm, a very practical palm technique, is now rarely mastered... mainly because of the two medicinal formulas, which few people know. Even if someone does know them, veteran martial artists are unwilling to easily pass them on.
I've heard that there are experts in this field in the military, but that's just hearsay.
I thought back a little, and it seems my master defeated that Iron Palm master using internal martial arts. My master was originally a master of internal martial arts; he seemed to use a kind of lightness skill to first engage in skirmishes with his opponent, and then finally deliver a powerful internal punch that sent the opponent tumbling. My master was the most powerful master I've ever seen. When he used internal martial arts, his fingertips were pressed against the person's body, the heel of his palm slightly loosened, then he would slightly extend it forward and thrust it forward with the heel of his palm... A normal strike like that could send a strong young man tumbling several times!
Unfortunately, I don't have my master's skills... To be honest, I only learned a little bit of his true abilities.
Of course, I think this Sha Hu is definitely not as powerful as the Iron Palm master that my master encountered back then.
"Do you believe me now?" Tiger asked, looking at me without speaking and still worried.
I thought for a moment, considered my own skills, and slowly said, "I admit that if it were just a matter of fighting in the ring, I would probably be no match for him." But I was not discouraged at all. After a period of training with Lao Kong and Lao Mao, my skills are no longer limited to simply "fighting" as before.
Often, a skilled killer isn't necessarily a martial arts expert. All I need to do is find the right opportunity and strike a vital spot—that's enough!
Looking into Tiger's eyes, a thought suddenly struck me: "Tiger, you didn't call me here today just to crush my fighting spirit, did you? You said I'm doomed if I fight him... What's the point of telling me all this? Do you expect me to just give up now?"
Tiger curled his lip: "Admit defeat? If you admit defeat now, Sand Tiger will definitely kill you. You're gambling with your lives now. The loser has to give their life to the winner! Unless the winner is willing to spare the loser's life... But do you think Sand Tiger will spare your life?"
I shook my head and sneered, "He probably wants me dead right now."
“That’s it.” Tiger said slowly, “I didn’t come to you today to discourage you… I have some suggestions that might be helpful to you.”
I nodded: "Go ahead and say it."
Tiger replayed the clip of Sand Tiger fighting in the ring, and then after a few moves, pressed the pause button.
"Have you noticed... Sha Hu usually fights with his left hand. I know that it's rare for someone who practices Iron Palm to have both hands equally strong; usually, one hand is stronger than the other. Sha Hu is naturally left-handed, so his left hand is more powerful, while his right hand is much weaker... Therefore, I suggest that when you fight him, try to dodge to the right as much as possible, avoiding his left hand. Also, this guy has a very solid lower body and great waist strength, so he's very agile when dodging. But have you noticed that because his lower body is so solid, his footwork isn't as light and nimble? So he's the type of fighter who relies on defense and counter-attack. Look at the four times he won. All of them were when his opponents launched an attack, which he dodged or parried, and then he suddenly launched a counter-attack, winning immediately."
"you mean……."
"When you fight him, don't rush in and attack. You're younger than him, and your stamina should be better. Go in and kite him, don't immediately go all out. Circle around him. You're younger, your footwork is more agile, and your speed is definitely faster than his... and I suggest you dodge to his right, avoiding his strongest left hand. Ideally, you can provoke him, making him give up his defense and counterattack, and let him attack you first. That way, you can take advantage of his attack to dodge to the right and then strike him unexpectedly."
I didn't say much, I just listened to everything and nodded to show that I remembered.
The following day, Tiger took me to the gym. The guys there knew I was going to risk my life against an outsider, so they all came up to cheer me on. Ciro, however, was a little worried for me. He had heard of Sand Tiger's reputation, and he volunteered to be my sparring partner... because Ciro also happened to be left-handed, just like Sand Tiger.
So we practiced offense and defense for a while. Following Tiger's advice, I dodged to the right and then quickly tried to get behind Ciro.
Sure enough, this tactic left Ciro in a very difficult position. His right hand was clearly less powerful than his left. My approach made him feel quite awkward. After practicing for half a day, I had gradually figured out some strategies for dealing with left-handed opponents.
That evening, Tiger led me to a private room. I would be staying here tonight. Tomorrow was the day I was to fight Sand Tiger. Having me stay alone tonight was to ensure I could rest and conserve my energy. There was even someone who gave me a massage tonight to relax my muscles and relieve my fatigue.
Tiger made me turn off my phone and hand it to him. From now on, I shouldn't be distracted by anything outside of myself. I shouldn't be distracted by anything; I just need to focus on resting, getting enough energy, and then having a good fight with Sand Tiger!
The room Tiger arranged for me was very quiet, and the bed was large and soft. The masseur who gave me a massage that evening was an experienced traditional Chinese medicine doctor; his technique was very skillful and proficient! I felt completely relaxed, and eventually, I even fell asleep.
I was a little nervous at first, but after the massage, I actually slept very soundly! I think that old Chinese medicine doctor must know something about stimulating acupoints.
After I woke up, Tiger came to my room. This time his expression was a bit complicated. He looked at me and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Little Five, Eighth Master asked me to ask you two questions. First... when you were fighting Sand Tiger today, during the final, life-or-death stage, it was allowed to use weapons... What weapon did you want to use? A knife or something else?"
I thought for a moment, shook my head, and then whispered something in Tiger's ear.
Tiger's eyes flashed with surprise when he heard what I said. He looked at me and asked, "You...you really want to use that kind of thing? But can something like that even work?"