The Way of Restraint

Chapter 8: The Movement of Shouldering Like a Dragon’s Coil

“Su Jie, where did you go this morning? You were up even earlier than me,” Josh asked curiously.  

“I went for a run,” Su Jie replied, not intending to deceive but simply following Odell’s instructions to keep quiet.  

“Today is the ninth day.” Gu Yang gathered a group of people on the field and began his speech. “You came here to learn traditional martial arts. For the past seven days, I’ve had you dig soil, which you might think is useless. But in the future, you’ll understand—this is the foundation of all martial arts. Today, I will teach you another genuine martial art!”  

As he spoke, he pointed to a corner of the field where many baskets and carrying poles were placed.  

The baskets were filled with rice, cooking oil, and salt, all heavy items. Each basket weighed about sixty or seventy jin.  

“These supplies are for elderly villagers in need,” Gu Yang explained, gesturing to the baskets filled with essentials. “Now, each of you will take a pole and follow me to the countryside. But carrying these loads requires skill; it’s not just about brute strength.”  

He demonstrated by walking over to the heaviest pair of baskets, setting the pole across them, and slipping under it. With a smooth motion, his body dipped, and then with a flick of his waist, the pole and baskets rose steadily, producing a creaking sound. He carried the load effortlessly.  

“This dipping, lifting, and thrusting contains profound technique. It’s similar to the force used in digging with a hoe but with even greater upward strength, like a blade of grass breaking through the soil to overturn a stone,” Su Jie observed, amazed. With his growing understanding of martial arts, he could see the deep martial technique embedded in the act of carrying a pole.  

An ordinary person, attempting this recklessly, might easily injure their back.  

“I’ll try.” Josh, being tall and sturdy, stepped forward confidently. He positioned himself under the pole and lifted the baskets with effort. However, as soon as he took a few steps, the load became unbalanced. The pole tilted, one basket heavy, the other light, and everything slid off, spilling the contents.  

Fortunately, the rice was bagged, and the oil was sealed in plastic containers, so nothing was wasted. Josh stubbornly rearranged everything and tried again. He managed to lift the pole and baskets but struggled to maintain balance.  

He resembled the central beam of a scale, desperately trying to keep both sides level—a nearly impossible task. Standing still was manageable, but moving was a different story.  

In the past, Su Jie might have dismissed the idea that carrying a pole had any value. But now, with Odell’s teachings, he realized that carrying poles and digging soil were both forms of martial arts.  

Gu Yang was genuinely imparting advanced techniques.  

Odell’s detailed explanation of “The Hoe Technique” had provided Su Jie with many insights. He watched Gu Yang’s actions closely, comparing them to Josh’s clumsy attempts.  

Despite Josh’s physical strength, his lack of experience in farm labor showed. Tasks like carrying poles and digging soil seemed simple but were incredibly demanding over time.  

The students in the training program imitated Gu Yang, picking up poles and following him out of the academy.  

After walking a kilometer, their faces twisted in pain, their shoulders rubbed raw, and their backs and spines ached unbearably under the weight.  

This was far more difficult than digging soil.  

“When carrying the pole, match your steps to the rhythm of your breathing. Move in a rise-and-fall motion, coordinating your entire body to toss the load slightly off your shoulders. This allows temporary relaxation. As the load comes back down, use your shoulders to absorb the impact, transferring the force to your legs. Watch my movements,” Gu Yang instructed.  

He moved with ease, his steps light and quick. The heavy load swayed gently on his shoulders, as if weightless, like a butterfly flitting about.  

Su Jie, with his sharp understanding of martial arts, immediately grasped the secrets of the technique.  

This was indeed a martial art.  

First came the dipping motion to get under the pole. This move was highly strategic, resembling a boxer’s lower dodge but far more advanced. It could be used to attack an opponent’s lower body while reducing one’s vulnerability.  

Then came the upward lift to raise the heavy load. This upward thrust combined the strength of the waist, legs, and spine in a coordinated effort.  

While walking, the body adjusted to the swaying of the load. The technique relied on tension and relaxation to control the movement, akin to a parabolic toss rather than a steady carry.  

This method not only prevented muscle strain but also stretched the tendons, trained balance, and enhanced physical resilience. Carrying a load of over a hundred jin while keeping it steady required extraordinary balance—without it, one would topple immediately.  

‘The wisdom of the ancients is truly astonishing. Their understanding of physical movement reached unparalleled heights. Even in farm labor, profound martial techniques can be discovered,’ Su Jie thought as he carried the pole.  

He gradually found his rhythm and, to his surprise, didn’t feel as fatigued. 

“I can’t go on, I need a break.” After walking out of the academy and covering about a kilometer, Josh was already exhausted like a dead dog. He walked up to Su Jie, dropped the load he was carrying, and panted heavily while rubbing his shoulders and waist. His gaze was peculiar as he asked, “Why aren’t you tired? Have you done farm work before?”

“No, I haven’t, but I’ve used some techniques,” Su Jie replied, demonstrating to Josh by shifting the load. “The technique is about rhythm. When you lift the load slightly, there’s a moment where your whole body can relax. During that brief second, you can regulate your breathing and relax your muscles. Once you master the rhythm, it feels like you’re resting half the time.”

This skill was something he had learned from Odell about balancing relaxation and tension.

“It’s only been a day, and you seem like a completely different person. Did you learn some martial arts from someone, or were you given decades’ worth of energy transfer?” Josh asked in clumsy Chinese.

“What are you talking about? Do you think I’m in a novel where someone transfers decades of skills to me?” Su Jie couldn’t help but laugh at Josh. On the fighting stage, Su Jie wouldn’t stand a chance against Josh, but when it came to farm work, he clearly had the upper hand.

The training class participants spent the whole day carrying loads.  

Everyone’s faces showed signs of agony. Even those with a martial arts foundation found it unbearable.

However, Su Jie had mastered the up-and-down rhythm. While it was tiring at first, he eventually found carrying loads increasingly manageable. He felt that each time the load came down, it was like forging steel, toughening his muscles and bones.

“If you carry loads without proper technique, it’s easy to injure your spine, strain your back muscles, or even damage your joints. But with the right method, it can train many parts of your body. Compared to weighted squats, deadlifts, or bench presses, this trains far more areas. Plus, while walking, you also develop balance. Imagine this: if you can carry heavy loads and still move swiftly, what would happen when you set the load down and face an opponent?” Gu Yang explained to the group during the lesson. “Don’t be fooled by your good diet and rest; you’re far weaker than the farmers of ancient times when it comes to hard labor like this.”

In the countryside, after delivering grains and oil to elderly villagers, everyone was completely exhausted, including Josh. Su Jie, however, had thoroughly mastered the rhythm of relaxation and tension. Though his shoulders were raw, he hadn’t run out of stamina.

He seemed to have grasped the essence of Gu Yang’s method.

“Now gather the vegetables and carry them back too,” Gu Yang instructed.

The group was in the countryside delivering essentials to elderly villagers and collecting vegetables they had grown, which the academy’s cafeteria had purchased. The elderly were deeply grateful.  

Normally, they had to carry the vegetables to town themselves, but with the students coming directly to collect them, it saved them a lot of effort.

Watching the elders express their gratitude, Su Jie felt a warm sense of fulfillment. He believed he had done something meaningful, which made him feel content.

On the way back, as they carried the heavy vegetables, a tall man suddenly lost his temper.

He cursed and complained in English, “What kind of training is this? I came here to learn martial arts, Chinese martial arts, not to do farm work! You had us digging for seven days; now, do we have to carry loads for another seven days?”

The man, Boone, was an American.  

He was tall, burly, and built like a giant, even bigger than Josh in terms of frame and arm span. Boone had enrolled in the martial arts class to learn Chinese martial arts. However, the nine days of grueling training had tested his patience, and today he finally snapped.

Boone stormed up to Gu Yang, looking menacing. “Refund me. I’m quitting.”

Seeing this, Su Jie quickly stepped forward to stop him, but Josh held him back.

The other participants watched closely. They, too, seemed disgruntled. After all, they had come to learn martial arts, not to do farm work. For those who didn’t understand, resentment was inevitable.

Even Su Jie initially had doubts. But after meeting Odell, his doubts were dispelled. He realized Gu Yang’s training was truly a sophisticated form of martial arts, though it was misunderstood by most.

“Fine. When we get back, go to the academy’s finance office, and they’ll process your refund,” Gu Yang replied, surprisingly fluent in English with a British accent. His response caught Boone off guard.

Still, Boone maintained his aggressive stance and even assumed a fighting posture. “You wasted ten days of my time. I demand compensation ten times the amount. I paid $5,000 in tuition, so I want $50,000. Otherwise, I’ll beat you up as punishment for your deceit.”

Just as Boone bounced on his feet, preparing to strike with a boxer’s stance, Gu Yang moved.

In an instant, he lunged forward as if aiming for Boone’s lower body. Startled, Boone instinctively stepped back. But at that moment, Gu Yang surged upward and struck Boone’s face and chest.

Thud!

The towering Boone was sent sprawling to the ground, rolling several times. He struggled briefly before sitting up, dazed and speechless.

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