The underground club was at its peak, with the deafening shouts of the crowd echoing off the walls. Jeok Ryeong stood at the edge of the ring, watching his opponent. This time, he wasn't just facing another muscular teenager. It was an experienced fighter, with a confident smile that conveyed he had faced many like Jeok before.
Jeok took a deep breath, adjusting the wraps on his hands. His body still ached from past defeats, but now there was something different in him: a strategy, a plan. He remembered his notebook and the notes he had written about observing his opponents' center of gravity, looking for imbalances, and taking advantage of their inertia. Today was the day to put it into practice.
"Ready to lose again, kid?" asked his opponent with a mocking smile, throwing a punch in the air to intimidate him.
Jeok didn't respond. He simply raised his hands in a defensive stance, focusing on his opponent's movements.
The fight began with the typical burst of energy. The man threw a quick punch toward Jeok's face, but this time, he didn't try to dodge it clumsily. Instead, he moved backward just enough to avoid the impact, observing how his opponent put too much weight forward with the punch.
"There it is," he thought. "His balance is off."
In a quick movement, he extended his right palm toward his opponent's shoulder, pushing him to the side. It wasn't a strong blow, but the fighter stumbled slightly, teetering as he tried to regain his stance. The crowd made a surprised noise.
The fighter recovered quickly and launched a series of punches to Jeok's torso. Although he managed to dodge some, others connected, making him step back with a grunt. However, instead of getting discouraged, Jeok used the pain to recalibrate his focus. Every hit he received gave him more information about his opponent's attack patterns.
When the man threw a low kick at his legs, Jeok observed how his weight shifted onto his supporting foot. At that moment, he moved his body to the side and pushed with both hands on the man's side, taking advantage of his lack of balance. This time, the push was more effective; his opponent took a forced step back, nearly falling, while turning toward Jeok with an irritated expression.
"What the hell are you doing?" growled the man, clearly annoyed by Jeok's unconventional tactic.
Jeok didn't answer. He knew his pushes wouldn't knock someone with so much experience and strength down immediately, but he was testing something new, building a strategy that could work over time.
The fight continued at a uneven pace. Jeok still took hits, some stronger than others, but every time his opponent made a small mistake in posture or balance, Jeok exploited it with a quick shove or a calculated move. Although he didn't cause real damage, he was achieving something more important: frustrating his opponent.
The crowd began to notice the change in the dynamics. Although Jeok remained the weaker of the two, his way of moving in the ring showed clear improvement. His movements were more precise, his eyes never left the fighter's body, constantly seeking the next moment of imbalance.
However, his opponent's experience eventually took over. In a lapse, Jeok didn't see a quick hook coming to his side. The impact knocked him to the ground, and the referee declared the fight over.
The crowd roared, celebrating the veteran fighter's victory, but some murmured among themselves, pointing at the young man with red hair who, despite losing, had shown something different this time.
.........
Jeok sat in a corner, still sore and breathing heavily. However, a small smile formed on his face as he looked at his hands. His strategy had started to work, even if imperfectly. He had achieved something he never had before: controlling small aspects of the fight, exploiting his opponent's momentary weaknesses.
"It's not enough yet," he thought, clenching his fists. "But it's a start. Now I know I can do it. I just need to adjust my movements, be more precise, faster."
He looked at the ring one last time before getting up. He knew he still had a long way to go, but for the first time since he started fighting, he felt he was moving in the right direction. Each match was another piece of his puzzle, and he had no intention of stopping until he completed it.
Three months had passed since Jeok Ryeong began refining his style in the underground club. Every day started with the sound of his footsteps as he jogged through the streets in the morning. The physical routine he had established had become almost automatic—jogging, push-ups, weightlifting, and endless repetitions of movements in front of the mirror. His body was more defined, his muscles stronger, but more importantly, his mind had matured. Now he knew that each fight was an opportunity to fine-tune his technique.
In the ring, Jeok had begun to stand out. Although he still faced bigger, stronger fighters, his unique style had made him a difficult figure to ignore. His use of his hands, both to deflect blows and to push opponents into imbalance, had evolved. He was no longer just a fighter who resisted; now he moved with precision, redirecting strikes with the palms of his hands and attacking the center of gravity of his rivals. The frustration in his opponents' eyes was palpable when their powerful attacks were redirected and lost efficacy.
At the underground club
Jeok faced another opponent, a tall, muscular man with an intimidating reputation. The crowd watched intently as the fight began. The fighter threw quick, heavy punches, but Jeok moved with precision, deflecting each one with his palms, redirecting his strength into the void. When the man tried to unbalance him with a kick, Jeok leaned backward, pushing the side of his torso with enough force to make him wobble.
The fight lasted longer than the crowd expected, but it ended as many others had. Although Jeok had demonstrated impressive mastery of his defensive technique, he didn't manage to knock down his rival or cause significant damage. His opponent finally caught him with a hook that knocked him to the ground, and the judge declared him the loser.
While the crowd celebrated the winner, Jeok sat in a corner of the club, looking at his hands. He had learned to use his palms to deflect attacks, to push, and to manipulate his opponents' balance. His defensive style was solid, but something was missing.
"I can't win just by defending," he thought as he looked at his slightly trembling fingers from the effort. "I don't have a move that hits with real force, something that can cause impact."
Images of past fights flooded his mind. Every defeat, every moment when his pushes and deflections had kept the fight alive, but weren't enough to secure victory. Jeok slowly stood up, a new idea emerging in his mind.
"I need an attack move. Something that's mine. Something that combines strength and precision, that takes advantage of everything I've learned about unbalancing my opponents. But how can I create it?"
That night, back in his apartment, Jeok sat in front of his notebook. The fatigue in his body was evident, but his mind was full of determination. He began to write, describing what he wanted to achieve: an attack that would use his pushing style, that would be calculated but devastating, allowing him to turn his opponents' imbalance into a decisive advantage.
His fingers drummed on the table as he thought of different ideas. It wasn't about copying techniques he'd seen before; it was about creating something new, something that suited his way of fighting. The next step in his evolution was in front of him, and although he knew the path would be difficult, he was determined to find the solution.
"No more doubts," he thought with a slight smile on his face. "I'm going to create the strike that will lead me to victory."
With the flickering light of the lamp casting shadows on the walls, Jeok Ryeong opened a new notebook. His hands still wrapped in bandages, silent reminders of the battles he had fought over the past three months. But tonight wasn't just another routine night. Tonight had a greater purpose: to define his path. To create something entirely his own.
He wrote on the first page of the notebook, in large, decisive letters: "Style: Ryeong"
Taking a deep breath, he began to define the principles that would form the core of his martial art. He remembered each fight, each fall, each frustration and lesson learned, drawing from all of that the essential.
Principles of the Ryeong Style
Fluid and changing movements: "The movements of the practitioner should be like the threads of a spider's web. Always changing, weaving patterns that disorient opponents. Fluidity is key, like water that finds its way in any situation." Jeok thought about how his own movements had evolved in the ring. He realized that when he was unpredictable, his opponents hesitated, and that hesitation was his weapon. Now he wanted to build on that idea, making each movement part of a constant flow that traps the opponent's mind.
Redirection of energy: "The force of the opponent should not be faced directly. Instead, it is used against them. Pushes, deflections, and manipulation of inertia should be the pillars to unbalance the rival." He wrote this remembering how he had learned to observe his opponents' center of gravity. By moving his energy in the wrong direction, he could control the fight without relying on brute strength.
Palm attacks: "The practitioner should use their palms not only to deflect attacks but also to strike and manipulate pressure points. As if weaving delicately a net, but with devastating force in every impact." Jeok raised his hands in front of the mirror, visualizing how they would move. A punch is direct, but with the palm, he could create confusion, attack from unexpected angles, and keep the flow of his style.
Chaotic patterns and a sense of entrapment: "Chaotic movements are not random; they are designed to create a mental trapping sensation. The opponent won't be able to keep up, as if caught in an invisible web." As he wrote this, he thought about how his opponents often seemed confused when they couldn't predict his movements. He wanted to take that confusion to a higher level, creating a true feeling of helplessness.
Jeok closed the notebook for a moment, looking at his hands. A faint spark of emotion ignited in his red eyes. He had taken the first step to create something bigger than himself. It wasn't just a fighting style; it was a representation of everything he had learned and experienced. Something that would set him apart in the ring, that would turn him into more than an ordinary fighter.
"This is only the beginning," he thought as he stood up. His mind was already planning how he would practice these principles in his upcoming fights. He wasn't seeking immediate perfection, only steady progress. "The Ryeong Style will be my legacy."