Chapter 2: The Coaching Match
Jamie Smith, observing the young men's demeanor, could guess what was on their minds. With a smile, he said, "I've seen your files. There are eleven of you from the Jiangnan Province team who use spears, and you're all here today. Among you, three are high school students, specially recruited. You three youngsters, come forward one by one and armor up."
In martial arts competitions, it's mandatory to wear armor, helmets, and even neck guards—nothing can be left out.
Cold weapon combat, with blunted edges and wrapped in cushioning material, still carries a terrifying impact. Without professional gear, it could be fatal.
Jamie Smith also donned his armor, put on his helmet, and looked at the team members through the mesh of his face guard.
"Everyone, get inside," Jamie Smith said, holding his spear as he walked into the arena through the iron gate, with eleven team members and Coach Liu following suit.
"The rest of you, stand to the side. Dawn Chen, you're up first. Liu Hao, get ready," Jamie Smith instructed.
In formal matches, only two competitors should be in the ring, but this was just a coaching match. The twenty-meter by twenty-meter area... for Jamie Smith, coaching the provincial team members didn't require such a large space, so he let the other members come in to observe as well. There were no barriers in the arena, allowing for a clearer view.
"Pay close attention, if your spear techniques were even half as good as Coach Smith's, you could make it to the World Martial Arts Competition," Team Leader Chase Ron said, as the other team members held their breath and watched intently. It was a rare opportunity to see a master like the 'Spear Demon' Jamie Smith in action at such close range.
A young man, also armored and holding a spear, walked to face Jamie Smith, ten meters apart.
"Referee system, activate," Jamie Smith said.
A light descended from above the arena, coalescing into a massive face looking down, and announced, "The match begins."
Nowadays, martial arts competitions are judged by intelligent systems. The referee's cameras can slow down a thousandfold, ensuring accurate judgment, and have never made a mistake.
"Come at me," Jamie Smith said, looking at the young man, 'Dawn Chen'. Specially recruited high school students are generally weaker, but they are specially recruited and trained due to their great potential.
"Coach, be careful. Many opponents can't even block my first strike in competitions," the young man Dawn Chen said with confidence.
"Let's see if you can even touch me first," Jamie Smith teased.
Dawn Chen confidently took a step forward, moving extremely fast and fiercely. In just a few steps, he closed the distance and transformed his forward momentum into a spear thrust, the air whistling as the spear pierced through.
This step-and-thrust was something Dawn Chen practiced every day with all his might, starting from the age of twelve. Now, his thrust was as fast as a fleeting shadow, capable of penetrating thick iron armor! Even though the competition spear had a rounded tip and was wrapped in a cushioning layer, the impact force still exceeded eight hundred jin (a unit of weight).
"Boom!" The sound of the spear tearing through the air was clear, but Jamie Smith only took a single step back.
The spear tip stopped just twenty centimeters away from Jamie Smith, not even touching him.
"Huh?" Dawn Chen was slightly stunned, immediately changing his spear technique into a series of circles, the tip of the spear dotting towards Jamie Smith.
Each dot of the spear tip was a significant threat, but Jamie Smith moved like a weasel, simply stepping aside to let all the thrusts miss.
"High school students in the provincial team," Jamie Smith thought of his younger self, who was also so naive back then.
"Isn't he seriously injured in the leg, with weak footwork? How come I can't touch him, always just twenty or thirty centimeters short?" Dawn Chen was unwilling to give up, launching a dazzling series of attacks, but he couldn't touch Jamie Smith at all.
After dozens of thrusts, Jamie Smith made his first move, lifting his spear and touching Dawn Chen's fiercely thrust spear. In an instant, Jamie Smith's spear blurred and then erupted with a terrifying force.
"Bang!"
The low, muffled sound was the impact of the spears colliding, and Dawn Chen's spear was thrown away.
Dawn Chen's eyes widened, his hands trembling as he held the spear. He stared blankly at the spear that fell to the ground in the distance: "I have at least two hundred jin of grip strength with one hand. How could it fly out just by touching it?"
He had been holding the spear with both hands, and after just one collision, his hands went numb, and the spear flew out.
"A bit too fancy, your footwork is weak, and your spear technique is average," Jamie Smith commented. Such an opponent was not even worth him wearing full armor, but martial arts competitions could not afford carelessness, as carelessness could lead to regret for a lifetime.
"I don't understand spear techniques," Coach Chase Ron laughed, "But this kid's footwork is weak, in our eyes, it's like slow motion."
Dawn Chen looked at Jamie Smith with some confusion: "Coach, even if my footwork is weak, I hold a two-meter-long spear, how can I not touch you at all?"
"Your arm and spear are only so long. The maximum range of attack is fixed," Jamie Smith explained, "Based on your steps, you can determine the maximum range your spear can touch. As long as you maintain the distance, you can't touch me at all. This is the basic skill of professional players."
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"The maximum range of attack is fixed? Maintain the distance, and you can't touch?" Dawn Chen muttered to himself, feeling what he had just experienced. Jamie Smith's movements were simple, but no matter how hard he tried with his spear technique, he just couldn't touch him.
"The essence of footwork is, first, neural reaction, second, the grasp of space, and third, the control of body balance," Jamie Smith said, "You are rough in these three aspects, just like what your Coach Liu said, your footwork, in the eyes of professionals, is like slow motion."
"This kid was just recruited into the provincial team after the college entrance examination," Chase Ron said, "He's a wild road, and he needs to work hard on his footwork."
Dawn Chen asked again: "Coach Smith, what are the problems with my spear technique?"
He admitted that his footwork was weak.
But spear technique was his greatest confidence.
"Your spear technique... Strictly speaking, only the first thrust, which condenses the whole momentum of the body's forward rush into that one thrust, is at the professional level. Other aspects such as poking, splitting, and blocking are very weak," Jamie Smith said, weapon combat is not a child's play, it is the most dangerous combat, serious injuries and disabilities occasionally occur, since he is their coach, he has to clarify their problems.
The other ten team members all felt Jamie Smith's oppressive power, and they were also eager to try.
...
"Bang." The second high school student's spear also flew out the moment it touched Jamie Smith's spear. Even if he was prepared, tried to hold on, and tried to reduce the force, it was useless.
...
"Bang" "Bang" "Bang" "Bang" "Bang" "Bang"...
One spear after another flew out!
These provincial team members were all stunned.
Including the two veteran players Wayne and Kirk who had participated in the national training team, they were all helpless in front of Jamie Smith.
Among them, only Kirk made Jamie Smith take two shots! The first shot swung Kirk's spear open, and Kirk managed to hold on to the spear, but it flew out, leaving him wide open. Jamie Smith's second shot stabbed Kirk in the chest, and the impact made the armor light up red, and Kirk lost!
The other team members, Jamie Smith only took one shot! And it was still a defensive block, and those team members' spears all flew out, and they couldn't hold on at all.
"This is the Spear Demon?"
"The World Martial Arts Competition has been held for nearly thirty years, and in terms of spear technique, all the professional players in history, Jamie Smith is recognized in the top ten. Although I have imagined it, I didn't realize the gap was so big when I actually fought!"
"Spear Demon Jamie Smith, the most famous move is 'Invisible Thrust', but he doesn't need to use such a move against us."
"If the spear technique can reach half of his, it is enough to enter the World Martial Arts Competition."
These team members' eyes were excited and fanatical.
Only by experiencing it personally can one understand how terrifying the top ten spear techniques in history are. They even felt that Spear Demon Jamie Smith should still be at the peak of his strength, and it is possible that he is even stronger than at his peak!
Two hours later.
"Today's preliminary training, I believe everyone is clear about their own shortcomings," Jamie Smith looked at the provincial team members, and the team members were all excited and fanatical, feeling that this training was really worth it.
"In the next nine days, one basic training will
be focused on every day, and after the training is over, you will also practice daily when you go back. Spear technique needs to be practiced year after year, and the whole body's strength naturally turns into every spear, which requires understanding and hard training," Jamie Smith said.
"Yes, coach," the eleven team members all responded in unison, obviously everyone was convinced and worshipped Jamie Smith.
"Okay, dismiss," Jamie Smith nodded.
"You guys go back to the hotel by car first," Chase Ron, the team leader, instructed.
"Alright," these team members all put down their weapons and left in groups of three or two.
"Aaron, take Coach Liu to sit for a while," Jamie Smith said, "Big Bear, I'm all sweaty, I'm going to take a bath and change my clothes first, and then we'll meet downstairs. The barbecue restaurant next to our fighting hall is my favorite one in Binhai City."
"Oh? Then we must have a good taste," Chase Ron, who was as big as a bear, was also quite looking forward to it. These professional players have a large training volume and eat a lot, and they all like meat.
Jamie Smith hurried to take a bath. After two hours of training, although he was a coach, Jamie Smith was already soaked. But he was used to it. Martial arts training, clothes soaked and squeezed, and then soaked and squeezed again, is very common.
...
Jamie Smith finished washing and changed into short sleeves and big pants and came out. He saw a middle-aged man smoking outside the door.
"Senior brother, why are you here?" Jamie Smith was surprised and laughed. The man in front of him was named Ray Stone, the owner of the Star Fighting Hall! The Star Fighting Hall is a first-class fighting hall in Binhai City, with a construction area of more than 11,000 square meters. Jamie Smith, a professional martial arts player, didn't have such a big hand, and he was invited to be the owner.
Ray Stone's main business is selling wine. He is a boss with a fortune of billions and loves martial arts weapon combat. He is willing to spend money and is quite famous in the martial arts circle. He also worships under the name of "Fierce Tiger" Ray Willow.
The World Martial Arts Competition has been established for nearly thirty years, and Ray Willow has been the head coach of the national team for twenty years. Most of the national team members have to call him a master.
At the first World Martial Arts Competition, Ray Willow was already forty years old. As an older generation of martial arts masters, he was ecstatic to find such a competition and continued to compete in the World Martial Arts Competition, fighting with masters from all over the world! In the early days, due to the lack of perfect protection rules, the competition was more dangerous than it is now. Ray Willow has won two third places, two second places, and one first place! After winning the first place, he announced his retirement and became the head coach of the national team that year, and retired at the age of seventy.
Jamie Smith was the main force of the national team at that time and was also the favorite disciple of Ray Willow. Ray Stone was an amateur player, but he loved fighting very much and tried every means to worship under Ray Willow.
"Jamie," Ray Stone smoked and looked at his good brother, "Have you offended anyone?"
Jamie Smith frowned, knowing that Ray Stone would not ask this question without reason. His eyes became deep, as if recalling something.
"Senior brother, what do you mean?" Jamie Smith's voice was low and carried a trace of imperceptible vigilance.
Ray Stone took a deep breath of smoke, slowly exhaled, and the smoke swirled in front of him. His eyes flashed a trace of worry.
"Recently, a few unidentified people have been asking about your news. They seem very interested in you," Ray Stone's voice was low and carried a hint of warning.
Jamie Smith's eyes flashed a cold light. He knew that in the martial arts circle, sometimes fame is also a burden. His name and strength undoubtedly attracted the attention of many people.
"I haven't had any grudges with anyone recently, but you know, in this circle, sometimes trouble will come to you by itself," Jamie Smith's voice carried a trace of helplessness.
Ray Stone nodded, knowing that what Jamie Smith said was the truth. The competition and grudges in the martial arts circle are sometimes more complicated and dangerous than the confrontations on the stage.
"You have to be careful. These people are not like ordinary martial arts enthusiasts. There is something different in their eyes," Ray Stone warned.
Jamie Smith nodded, knowing that Ray Stone's reminder was out of concern for him, and there was a trace of determination in his eyes.
"I will be careful, senior brother," Jamie Smith's voice carried a trace of gratitude.
The conversation between the two ended in the smoke, but they all understood in their hearts that the world of martial arts is always full of unknowns and challenges.
... (To be continued)