stjorthotic Chapter 109 The national team coach forced me to switch to Sanda!
Chapter 109 The national team coach forced me to switch to Sanda!
The entrance to Jiangzhou University was packed with people.
Hundreds of students, holding flowers and banners, eagerly awaited the arrival of Lu Jingchen and Su Muyue. A deafening cheer erupted the moment they stepped out of the car.
"Lu Jingchen! Welcome home!"
"National champions are awesome! Traditional martial arts are awesome!"
"Brother Lu! I want to have your babies!"
Ma Xiaodong and Shi Lei squeezed to the front, each holding a huge banner that read, "Congratulations to Lu Jingchen for winning the national championship and becoming the first person to revive traditional martial arts."
Ma Xiaodong was so excited that his face turned red, and he rushed up to give Lu Jingchen a big bear hug:
"Big brother! You're so cool! I knew you'd win!"
"You have no idea, yesterday during the finals, we were watching the live stream in our dorm and almost smashed our computers! That old bastard Chen Shanhe is such a scoundrel!"
Shi Lei also came over, looking at him with admiration, and said:
"Yeah, bro! That last punch was so satisfying! It shattered Chen Tianhao's protective gear!"
"Now the whole school idolizes you! The number of people signing up for the martial arts club has exceeded three thousand!"
Lu Jingchen smiled and patted them on the shoulder, saying:
"Okay, okay, stop exaggerating."
"It's just a national champion, nothing to brag about."
Su Muyue linked her arm with his, her eyes filled with love:
"What do you mean it's no big deal? This is the first national champion in a traditional martial arts event!"
"You don't know, after the match yesterday, the whole internet was apologizing. Those who used to criticize you have now become your fans."
Just as everyone was chatting and laughing, preparing to walk into the school, a black minivan suddenly stopped at the school gate.
The car door opened, and several men wearing national team uniforms stepped out. Leading them was a tall, stern-faced man in his fifties—Li Jianjun, the head coach of the national Sanda team.
Behind him was a young man in his twenties, muscular and with sharp eyes. He was Zhao Yang, a key member of the national team and the previous national Sanda champion.
Li Jianjun walked straight up to Lu Jingchen, looked him up and down, and spoke with a hint of condescension:
"You're Lu Jingchen?"
Lu Jingchen nodded and said:
"It's me, is there something you need?"
Li Jianjun cleared his throat and said:
"I am Li Jianjun, the head coach of the national Sanda team."
"The reason I've come to see you is to invite you to join the national Sanda team."
"Your physical attributes and reaction speed are excellent; you're a promising talent. As long as you're willing to give up traditional martial arts and switch to Sanda (Chinese kickboxing), I guarantee you'll become a world champion within three years."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding students immediately fell silent.
Everyone looked at Lu Jingchen, waiting for his answer.
Ma Xiaodong couldn't help but speak up:
"Why should we give up traditional martial arts? Brother Lu won the national championship using traditional martial arts!"
Li Jianjun glanced at Ma Xiaodong and said disdainfully:
"What's so great about being a national champion? Those are domestic competitions, they're not very prestigious."
"Traditional martial arts are just for show; they can't compete on the international stage. Real international competitions are dominated by Sanda (Chinese kickboxing)."
"Lu Jingchen, I advise you to think this over carefully. If you train in Sanda with me, your future will be limitless. If you cling to traditional martial arts, this is all you'll ever be."
Zhao Yang, who was behind him, also sneered and said:
"That's right, traditional martial arts can only fool people who don't know anything about it in the country."
"When they actually go to the international arena and encounter experts in Muay Thai or Karate, they are simply no match for them."
"I advise you to listen to Coach Li and switch to Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) as soon as possible. Don't waste your talent."
Lu Jingchen's face instantly turned cold.
He looked at Li Jianjun and said calmly:
"I think traditional martial arts are fine, there's no need to switch to Sanda (Chinese kickboxing)."
"Besides, who says traditional martial arts can't compete on the international stage? I'll show you how I can win the championship with traditional martial arts at the next world championship."
Upon hearing this, Li Jianjun burst into laughter, laughing so hard he almost fell over.
"Win a world championship with traditional martial arts? You're dreaming!"
"Let me tell you, since the inception of the World Wushu Championships, traditional martial arts have never won a single gold medal!"
"Don't think you're invincible just because you won a national championship. Your traditional martial arts skills are simply not enough in front of real masters."
Zhao Yang also joined in the mockery:
"Exactly, don't be so arrogant."
"How about this, let's have a spar. If you can last ten moves against me, I'll admit that traditional martial arts have some use."
"If you can't last ten moves, you'll have to obediently go train in Sanda with Coach Li, how about that?"
Lu Jingchen looked at him, a mocking smile playing on his lips:
"No need for ten moves, one move is enough."
"If I can't defeat you in one move, I'll go train with you in Sanda (Chinese kickboxing)."
"If I defeat you in one move, you will apologize to Chuanwu in front of everyone."
Zhao Yang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter:
"One move? You're way too arrogant!"
"Fine! I promise you! If you can defeat me in one move, I'll apologize to Chuanwu!"
"If you can't do it, you'll have to come with us!"
The surrounding students instantly erupted in excitement, retreating and clearing a large area of space.
"They're fighting! They're finally going to fight!"
"Go, Brother Lu! Take him down in one move! Let him know the power of traditional martial arts!"
"Zhao Yang is a key player on the national team! Can Brother Lu defeat him in one move?"
Li Jianjun stood to the side with his arms crossed, a disdainful smile on his face.
In his view, Lu Jingchen was no match for Zhao Yang at all.
Zhao Yang is a top player on the national team, an Asian champion, and his skill level is far superior to Chen Tianhao's.
Lu Jingchen was lucky to defeat Chen Tianhao; to think he could defeat Zhao Yang in one move was simply a pipe dream.
In the center of the arena, Lu Jingchen and Zhao Yang stood facing each other.
Zhao Yang cracked his knuckles, assumed a Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) fighting stance, and glared fiercely at Lu Jingchen:
"Ready? I'm about to get started!"
"Don't say I'm bullying you, I'll let you make the first move."
Lu Jingchen put his hands in his pockets and said calmly:
"No need, you go first."
"Otherwise, once I make my move, you won't have a chance."
Zhao Yang was so angry his nose almost twisted, and he roared:
"Arrogant! You're asking for death!"
Before he finished speaking, Zhao Yang suddenly exerted force with his feet, and his whole body rushed out like a cheetah.
His speed was extremely fast, his punches whistling through the air, and a powerful straight punch slammed into Lu Jingchen's chest.
This punch, imbued with the full power of his body, was fast, accurate, and ruthless—his signature move.
He could shatter even a thick wooden board with a single punch.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the scene.
Su Muyue clenched her fists nervously, her heart pounding in her throat.
Just as Zhao Yang's fist was about to strike Lu Jingchen, Lu Jingchen moved.
He slowly extended his right hand, and with a seemingly light touch, he precisely struck Zhao Yang's fist.
Then, with a flick of the wrist, a pull is made, and at the same time, the foot gently trips the opponent.
"Bang!"
A muffled thud.
Zhao Yang lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground like a broken sack.
He fell face down, landing hard on his stomach, and almost knocked out his front teeth.
The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape, wide enough to fit an egg, their faces filled with disbelief.
The national team's main player and the previous national champion was actually defeated by Lu Jingchen in one move?
And it was using the most basic Tai Chi push hands?
Li Jianjun's smile froze instantly, his eyes widened in disbelief at what he was seeing.
"How is that possible?!"
He screamed, "This is absolutely impossible! How could Zhao Yang be taken down in one move?!"
Zhao Yang got up from the ground, his face covered in dust, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with horror and resentment.
He couldn't understand how he couldn't even withstand a single move from Lu Jingchen.
Lu Jingchen looked at him and said calmly:
"Now, you can apologize."
Zhao Yang gritted his teeth, his face turning red and white in turns.
If he doesn't apologize in front of so many people, he'll never have the face to show his face in the martial arts world again.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally lowered his head and whispered:
"I'm sorry, I was wrong."
"Traditional martial arts... are indeed very powerful."
Lu Jingchen nodded, turned to look at Li Jianjun, and said:
"Coach Li, do you still think traditional martial arts are just for show?"
Li Jianjun's face flushed red and then turned pale, so embarrassed he wanted to disappear.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.
They were just saying that traditional martial arts couldn't compete on the international stage, but then their own star player was taken down by someone using a single move from traditional martial arts.
That was a resounding slap in the face.
Lu Jingchen continued:
"I'll say it again: I'll use traditional martial arts to win the championship at the next world championship."
"At that time, I will let the whole world know that Chinese martial arts are the most powerful fighting art in the world."
After saying that, he didn't look at Li Jianjun again, took Su Muyue's hand, and turned to walk into the school.
Li Jianjun and Zhao Yang were left behind, and amidst the pointing fingers and whispers of the crowd, they slunk away.
Ma Xiaodong and the others erupted in deafening cheers, following behind Lu Jingchen and chattering incessantly.
"Dude! You're so cool! You took down a key player on the national team in one move!"
"Li Jianjun's face turned green just now! That was so satisfying!"
"I told you traditional martial arts are the best! Let's see who dares to say traditional martial arts are just for show now!"
Lu Jingchen smiled and shook his head, but his heart was filled with unwavering determination.
He knew this was just the beginning.
The world stage is his true battlefield.
He wanted to be there so that the whole world could witness the charm of Chinese martial arts.