Chapter 063: Long Arm Boxing

Congratulations, you have acquired a new skill:

Tongbei Fist LV0 (0/100)

“Tongbei Fist, not a bad martial art at all,” Du Ruo mused, stroking his chin as he absorbed the knowledge flooding into his mind. By now, Du Ruo was already considered a master in martial arts; his understanding was profound, whether in theory or actual practice. Thus, he could easily assimilate the new techniques and concepts of this martial art.

Tongbei Fist, also known as Through-Back Fist, is a classic combat-oriented style. Its characteristics are reminiscent of Pigua Palm—both favor long-range strikes and expansive, sweeping movements.

Yet, there are distinct differences. Pigua Palm relies heavily on palm strikes, aiming to chop with the hand, each move driven by the body to add force to the arm. Many practitioners like to combine it with Bajiquan, as Baji similarly uses the body to drive the joints, giving each movement lethal power. As the saying goes, “Baji paired with Pigua, even ghosts and gods can’t withstand it.”

Tongbei Fist, however, has its own uniqueness. While it too uses the body to drive the fists, it holds back a portion of power, not releasing it all at once. This makes each strike penetrate more deeply, often using the forearm or the back of the hand to attack—designed to let the force travel through, inflicting greater damage.

Why mention Pigua Palm when introducing Tongbei Fist? Because toward the late Qing dynasty, Tongbei Fist absorbed techniques from many other schools, especially Pigua, Shaolin, and Praying Mantis.

As a result, Tongbei Fist has many variations—not only the Five Elements Tongbei and Six Harmonies Tongbei, but also the Cangzhou Tongbei, among others. The knowledge Du Ruo received, however, was of the most ancient form: White Ape Tongbei Fist.

White Ape Tongbei is one of the oldest, with a strong emphasis on combat effectiveness. Its techniques are ferocious and ruthless, often leaving opponents unable to resist. It doesn't focus on fancy forms, but rather on using force efficiently and training the basics of the hands. Sometimes, even if you block an attack, the power penetrates to the bone, causing excruciating pain. In barehanded combat, it is almost unbeatable.

Du Ruo, thrilled with his new skill, couldn't resist practicing it.

The two most crucial basic exercises for Tongbei Fist overlap with Baguazhang and Zi Ran Men: first, striking the sandbag. In fact, all palm techniques include this, but Tongbei, Baguazhang, and Zi Ran Men place special importance on it.

Striking the sandbag with the back or palm of the hand strengthens the hand’s force while familiarizing it with the sensation of impact. The second exercise involves striking a wooden dummy with the forearm, training both the arm’s strength and the feeling of impact.

Du Ruo stood before the sandbag, which was mounted on a frame. He could hit it comfortably.

Yet, the way Tongbei Fist trains with the sandbag is slightly different. Baguazhang and Zi Ran Men favor a comfortable, natural approach, but Tongbei requires the arm to be fully extended, using it like a whip or staff. The whole body powers each strike, driving the force through with every hit. Only through long practice can every blow carry the full strength of the body, making the force truly penetrating.

“Bang—bang—bang—”

Du Ruo struck the sandbag rhythmically, constantly adjusting his stance to achieve the precise effect required for Tongbei Fist.

“Boss Du, Boss Du! Are you practicing Iron Sand Palm? Just in time, I need to talk to you.”

Xingyi Qiangzi—or rather, Iron Sand Palm Qiangzi, as he should be called now—walked into Du Ruo’s courtyard and was surprised to see Du Ruo striking the sandbag.

“Didn’t you just climb Mount Huang not long ago? What brings you here again?” Du Ruo, seeing Qiangzi approach, stopped his practice and checked his attribute panel. In just that short time, his Tongbei Fist experience had already increased. It seemed, just like when he first learned Baguazhang, that a little practice would quickly bring him to level one.

Du Ruo’s feelings toward Qiangzi were complicated. Qiangzi was passionate and persistent—just like those stories Du Ruo had seen online: a middle-aged couple arguing in the street, discovered by college students who then tried to mediate. Was the couple reconciled by the students? No, they were simply embarrassed. In that moment, their quarrel became insignificant; they just wanted to end the awkwardness and leave.

Yet the students, delighted at the apparent reconciliation, insisted on staying, shining flashlights and singing songs.

In that moment, the couple had no resentment for those pure-hearted students—only deep regret for having argued in public. They wished they could crawl into a crack in the ground and disappear.

Of course, it wasn’t that Du Ruo disliked today’s college students—on the contrary, he envied their innocence, something he himself had lost. That’s why he was so tolerant of Qiangzi, even when Qiangzi recommended martial arts he had no use for. Du Ruo was still willing to offer some advice or hints.

“Boss Du, I’ve found real kung fu! I saw a master of Iron Sand Palm online and I’ve decided to pay tuition to learn from him. But then I thought you must be really skilled too, so I came to ask your opinion.”

Qiangzi was as enthusiastic as ever, though this time he didn’t try to persuade Du Ruo to learn with him. He wasn’t foolish—he realized that Du Ruo must be highly accomplished; otherwise, he wouldn’t have instantly spotted the “air canister chest” issue before.

“If you want to learn, then go ahead. Why ask me? Come, have some tea.” Du Ruo replied casually, brewing a cup and inviting Qiangzi to sit and chat.

“Heh, I just wanted your advice. Here’s a video—take a look.”

Qiangzi seemed a bit embarrassed, perhaps recalling how he had once pestered Du Ruo, convinced he was physically weak and needed to train.

Du Ruo said nothing more, but took the phone and watched.

The video showed a man channeling his energy, then clenching his fists and holding them up to the camera. It was clear that after forming his fists, one hand was normal, but the other was much larger—over half again the size. Then, the man picked up a wrench, suspended it between two bricks, and smashed it repeatedly with his fists until the wrench visibly bent.

“Boss Du, what do you think? Is this real?” Qiangzi asked eagerly, watching Du Ruo with expectation, hoping for a positive answer.

“Well… how should I put it?” Du Ruo smacked his lips, glanced at Qiangzi, and gently asked, “Why are you so fixated on traditional martial arts? Smashing wrenches with your bare palm is actually quite painful.”

“I think it’s amazing! And isn’t promoting traditional martial arts a good thing?” Qiangzi said with pride, as if this were a matter of national honor. In this era, when debunking fake traditional martial arts had only recently faded from public attention, it was rare to find someone still so passionate about it.

“Sigh, never mind. Let’s talk about the video. Did you notice his enlarged fist, at the wrist? It’s tightly bound…”