Yu Jung-ak was breathing heavily as he performed a tightrope walk. Training by climbing down a rope suspended high from the ceiling with bare hands was a common practice for judo athletes.
"Whew."
Hell training course, 3rd round.
Yu Jung-ak was coming down after completing the 3rd round of the hellish course, where ordinary people couldn't even finish half of the 1st round, and professional athletes' legs would tremble after the 2nd round.
His entire body was drenched in sweat, but he still looked like he could endure more.
"Whew."
Yu Jung-ak exhaled skillfully. Professional athletes sitting on the floor were watching him.
Most of them had the stamina to complete 3 rounds, but that was only possible during the final stages of competition training.
No athlete would have such high stamina during winter training when there were no scheduled matches. So they were looking at Yu Jung-ak with amazement.
They had heard he was a beginner in martial arts, but he was a monster with unbelievable stamina. And to have such a calm expression after completing 3 rounds!
Yoon Chang-seon was staring at Yu Jung-ak with a blank expression. Yoon Chang-seon and Cho Yong-il were talking in a small office set up on one side. There was a window, and as soon as you opened the door and went out, you could see the training area with mats laid out.
"What is he?"
"What's going on, Coach Yoon? Why are the kids in this state?"
"It's not even close to competition time, but the kids are all like this."
"Even so, there are lightweight guys, how can they be so exhausted?"
"That guy doesn't look like he weighs much either."
"Look at his height. He must be at least 190 cm."
Yu Jung-ak's height was 187 cm. It wasn't quite 190 cm, but it was quite tall for a Korean. Yu Hun-jong's height was 183 cm, so it could be said that he inherited excellent genes. Cho Yong-hee's height was also 168 cm, which was not at all short for a woman.
"Who on earth is he?"
"My nephew."
"I know your nephew, Representative. That guy isn't your nephew."
"He is. The one who went missing before."
"How old is he?"
"He's just turning eighteen. How is it? Is his stamina usable?"
"How much did you train him before bringing him here?"
"I didn't train him. That's his normal stamina. Look at his face. He sparred with me for over 30 minutes yesterday, that's why he looks like that."
Indeed, there were small injuries on Yu Jung-ak's face. His lip was slightly split, and there were light bruises on his face.
"What kind of training did he do to have such stamina? Did you bring an Olympic candidate or something?"
"Something like that. Does he have potential?"
"He's young, so there's plenty of time. He's got the basic stamina, the rest depends on his personal sense. Has he done any martial arts before?"
"I told you. He's a beginner."
Yoon Chang-seon looked at Yu Jung-ak. Yu Jung-ak had finished his workout and was skillfully doing stretches. Training pants and shirt with Team Silence's logo. Silence team members were looking at Yu Jung-ak with curiosity.
"What's his reach?"
"Don't know. We'll have to measure that."
"His reach looks good. It doesn't seem bad."
While Yoon Chang-seon and Cho Yong-il were exchanging opinions about Yu Jung-ak, Oh Jung-ryong called Yu Jung-ak who was doing stretches.
"Friend. Come here and sit down. Where are you from?"
Despite his fierce appearance, Oh Jung-ryong's voice was light. Oh Jung-ryong, the number one bantamweight in Korea. He narrowly lost by decision to the champion in the previous match, but his skills were undeniable.
"Me?"
"Yes. What's your name?"
"My name is Yu Jung-ak."
"How old are you?"
"I'm just turning eighteen."
"You're quite young. Can I speak informally?"
"Go ahead."
Yu Jung-ak naturally sat among the Silence team members. There were ten athletes in total. Among them were two female athletes. Kim So-hee and Yang Jae-in. Kim So-hee was a pretty athlete with long features, and Yang Jae-in had a masculine aura.
"What sport did you do before?"
"I just worked out at home."
"Come on. Don't take me for a fool. Your stamina isn't just from that. What sport did you do?"
"I did wrestling until middle school. After that, I really just worked out on my own."
"Oh, wrestling. Young-tae, he says wrestling."
Oh Jung-ryong said, looking back. Then a man with short hair, obviously a heavyweight, stood up. It was Kim Young-tae, known to be the best at wrestling in Team Silence.
He was a middleweight athlete, but it wasn't easy to find opponents in Korea. He was originally from a judo background but had mastered freestyle wrestling very well.
"So you came to do MMA?" Oh Jung-ryong asked.
"Yes. I want to try it."
"Your stamina is good. You have a good look. Long reach too. But in MMA, there's a lot to learn. Even wrestling is a bit different in MMA. Want to try a round since you're here?"
"Pardon?"
"It's just wrestling, what's the problem? Is that okay? Young-tae, is it okay?"
"Yes."
Kim Young-tae stood up. Yu Jung-ak was taller. But Kim Young-tae looked bigger in build. Although Kim Young-tae competed in middleweight, his usual weight was well over 95 kilos.
A build of 180 cm and over 90 kilos was truly intimidating. Moreover, it was off-season now, so he had accumulated more body fat. Kim Young-tae's build looked even bigger.
"The coach will scold us, oppa. Their weight classes clearly don't match."
Yang Jae-in said.
"It's just wrestling, what's the problem? He's going to join our team anyway. It's not bad to try once. Yu Jung-ak, right? Is that okay?"
"Yes. I'll give it a try."
Cho Yong-il and Yoon Chang-seon were still engrossed in conversation. Meanwhile, Kim Young-tae stood in the center, and the other athletes moved back to sit down.
The training area here was quite spacious, and if you went around the back, there was even an octagon and a ring. It was a place well-equipped with training facilities.
There was no need to go to the octagon; Kim Young-tae stood in front of Yu Jung-ak. Yu Jung-ak looked at Kim Young-tae and slightly lowered his stance to grapple.
Kim Young-tae grabbed Yu Jung-ak's left wrist and quickly extended his right hand towards the back of Yu Jung-ak's neck, as if doing judo. It was a feint. This move wasn't actually used in MMA. Kim Young-tae pretended to grab the back of the neck, then lowered his hand sharply and went for a takedown.
It was a takedown where he dived in, grabbing both of Yu Jung-ak's thighs while driving his head forward. However, Yu Jung-ak didn't panic.
Although it wasn't a textbook takedown defense, he was responding in his own way. As Kim Young-tae quickly targeted his legs, Yu Jung-ak pulled one foot back and slightly slipped to the side. From that position, he grabbed Kim Young-tae's upper body and lightly touched his leg to lift him.
"Hey!"
Oh Jung-ryong, who was watching, shouted. It was because the 95-kilogram Kim Young-tae was lifted into the air and was falling sideways.
Thud!
Fortunately, there was a mat; if it had been bare asphalt, there could have been a serious injury. From that position, Yu Jung-ak skillfully pinned Kim Young-tae down.
The Team Silence athletes' jaws dropped.
What was that?
What kind of monster is this?
Even more surprised was Kim Young-tae. Due to his carelessness, he didn't even know what had just thrown him.
Oh Jung-ryong looked on with a surprised expression and then turned around. And he couldn't help but be even more surprised. Cho Yong-il and Yoon Chang-seon were glaring at Oh Jung-ryong with murderous intent.
"You've been here for years, how could you be so thoughtless! How long has it been since Young-tae recovered from his injury!"
Yoon Chang-seon was yelling at Oh Jung-ryong, who was standing with his hands behind his back.
"He seemed a bit frustrated during training, so I just wanted to show him something. Who knew Young-tae would go down like that."
Cho Yong-il was sitting in a chair on one side.
"So, Jung-ryong, what do you think?"
Cho Yong-il asked.
"About that guy?"
"Yes."
"He's quite something. To be honest, I've never seen Young-tae go down like that before. Even if he was caught off guard."
Cho Yong-il grinned at Jung-ryong's words.
"He's much lighter than Young-tae, right?"
Yoon Chang-seon asked.
"Seems so."
"What do you think about bringing him into the team?"
"You said he's only eighteen. Based on my perfect intuition!"
"Based on your intuition?"
"That guy's a real find. Bring him in without hesitation. He'll probably bring in a ton of money for the team."
"So you're saying he'd be useful if we bring him in?"
"Well, as long as there are no personality issues, it's good."
"There shouldn't be any big problems with that. He's just been focused on training."
"Then I think it would be good."
"Alright. So you're saying he'd be beneficial to the team?"
"Yes."
"Good. Go out there. Since you started this, you teach him the basics of striking."
"Me?"
"Yes. If you mess around, I'll really kick you out of the training camp. Teach him properly."
"Come on, Coach. Have you ever seen me joke about things like this? I'm not a kid."
"Your actions are exactly like a kid's."
"Anyway, I understand!"
Oh Jung-ryong went outside. Yoon Chang-seon and Cho Yong-il looked at each other and grinned.
"Seems like you've brought in someone good. If we train him well, he could bring in some money for the team, right?"
"Coach Yoon, do you only see fighters in terms of money?"
"Come on. You've invested money, we need to get returns."
"Who's trying to make money from MMA? You know the market situation in our country."
"Still, who knows? This guy might go to CFC and raise our team's profile."
Team Silence had many promising athletes, but it wasn't exactly a prestigious team. To be precise, it was a new team.
While MMA is strictly a sport where you face your opponent alone, everything else moves as a team.
Not only good trainers but also teammates who can endure tough training together were necessary. In Korea, they don't take much of the fighter's purse yet, but in foreign countries, trainers and fighters split the fight money strictly. And that includes money received by teammates. This is because teammates play such a big role in preparing for fights.
That's why in foreign countries, there are many athletes who don't compete but only work as trainers or sparring partners.
"Jung-ak! Yu Jung-ak!"
Oh Jung-ryong called out to Yu Jung-ak, who was doing rope climbing. The athletes were already doing their assigned training, and Yu Jung-ak thought he should complete the training he couldn't do in the morning rather than just standing around.
The exercise Yu Jung-ak was continuously doing was rope climbing. It was a high-intensity exercise that even ordinary people find difficult just to climb up.
Nevertheless, Yu Jung-ak was sweating as he climbed up and down like a monkey.
"Did you come down from some mountain? You're like a monkey."
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry about earlier."
"Pardon?"
"Kid! I just wanted to mess around a bit, so I told Young-tae to grapple with you. Who knew you'd flip him over like that? You're something else, aren't you?"
"It was just luck. And he was caught off guard, wasn't he? I was on high alert."
"Oh! You're pretty cool? Young-tae!"
Oh Jung-ryong called Kim Young-tae.
"Yes, hyung."
"This kid has become a decent person. He's saying you went down because you were caught off guard. You were caught off guard, right?"
"Yes, that's right. I was caught off guard."
"Anyway, it looks like you'll be our teammate soon, so let's not hold grudges. I'm Oh Jung-ryong. I'll be the Spirit bantamweight champion soon."
"I'm Yu Jung-ak."
"I'm Kim Young-tae."
"Jung-ak, this guy is like a bear without a grudge, unlike his appearance. Buy him something delicious later. Then any hard feelings, whether they exist or not, will disappear completely."
"Ah, yes."
Although Yu Jung-ak didn't attend school properly, he had been in elite sports from a very young age. In elite sports, hierarchy was extremely important. Because of this, he never acted arrogantly no matter where he went.
Yu Hun-jong was someone who accepted whatever Yu Jung-ak did, but he never forgave a lack of manners. The same was true for Cho Yong-hee.
So even though Yu Jung-ak might seem easygoing, he never acted arrogantly towards strangers. This mindset was appealing to Oh Jung-ryong and Kim Young-tae.
"Hey."
Kim Young-tae called out to Yu Jung-ak.
"Yes."
"Let's do it one more time later. I really was caught off guard."
"Yes, understood."
"Alright, now that we've cleared the air. Young-tae."
"Yes."
"You get out of here. You need to practice more."
"Ah, hyung, why are you doing this!"
Kim Young-tae flared up. Despite his bear-like appearance, Kim Young-tae was a gentle bear in front of Oh Jung-ryong. The sight of his large body swaying from side to side was truly a spectacle. Yu Jung-ak barely managed to hold back his laughter.
"Tsk. You talk too much for someone who got beaten by Go-three. Go stand in the corner and do some wall training. Get out quickly, I need to check our kind Jung-ak's striking."
"You mean you'll do it yourself, hyung?"
"Kid, the beginning is always important. Are you not going yet?"
"Ah, I'm going."
"While the old folks are talking, this hyung will personally! Personally! teach you the basics of striking. You said you're a beginner, right?"
Oh Jung-ryong was a tall man for a bantamweight. With short hair and a face that somehow looked strict, his personality was incredibly cheerful. He might have seemed a bit lightweight, but Yu Jung-ak didn't dislike Oh Jung-ryong.
"Yes."
"So you haven't learned anything?"
"Just... read some books and watched some videos..."
"I see. Then how much do you know?"
"Pardon?"
"Kid. This hyung is personally teaching you the basics of striking. Shouldn't you buy me something? On the weekend, soju pop!"
Whack!
Just as Oh Jung-ryong was excitedly showing his teeth, a dark shadow loomed over. It was Yoon Chang-seon looking at Oh Jung-ryong with a pathetic expression.
"I knew this guy would be doing this. Soju? You're saying all sorts of things to a high school kid."
While saying this, Yoon Chang-seon precisely grabbed Oh Jung-ryong's back. Rear naked choke. Oh Jung-ryong twisted his body to resist.
Bang!
Yoon Chang-seon and Oh Jung-ryong fell to the floor together. Meanwhile, Yoon Chang-seon had locked Oh Jung-ryong's body with his legs.
"W-wait a moment! Coach! It was a joke! I was joking!"
"Yeah, I'm joking too, you squid-like guy. When are you going to grow up?"
"Coach! I tried to stop him, but Jung-ryong oppa forced a sparring session earlier too!"
Yang Jae-in laughed as she exposed him. Oh Jung-ryong pointed at Yang Jae-in while extending his hand.
"You evil one. I warned you."
"Gak-"
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Oh Jung-ryong quickly tapped the floor. Then Yoon Chang-seon slightly released his strength and let go of Oh Jung-ryong. And then he choked him again.
"I tapped... already... Gak!"
"It was a fake, you brat!"
"Help-"
"Jung-ak, watch carefully. That's a rear naked choke. It's a representative submission that makes the opponent pass out from the back position."
Cho Yong-il approached quietly and said.
"I know. I know that much at least."
After the situation calmed down, Cho Yong-il took Yu Jung-ak out. As soon as they got in the car, Cho Yong-il asked for his impressions.
"How was it? Was the atmosphere okay?"
"Yes. It was good. Everyone was cheerful. I heard there might be a lot of hazing, but there wasn't any."
"If they tried to haze an eighteen-year-old after getting beaten like that, they'd be rotten bastards. Yoon Chang-seon is probably scolding them a lot right now."
"But usually when things get twisted like this on the first day, there's a lot of jealousy and envy."
"They're good guys. The kind you'd be good with. They're all decently skilled, but they all have good personalities. That's why I brought them. Even if someone is skilled, I don't use them if they have character flaws. You know your uncle's style, right?"
"Anyway, I'll go in and try as you said, uncle. I need to see how far I can go."
"Before that, let's go to my gym first."
"Why?"
"I've thought about your basic style."
"My style?"
"Your wrestling is good, but everything else is bottom-tier, right?"
"Hey, don't say bottom-tier, just say I'm at the beginning stage. That sounds better, doesn't it?"
"Stop talking nonsense, okay? Am I right or not?"
"You're right."
"So I've thought about your style a bit."
"Are you going to teach me exclusively, uncle?"
"Kid, there's a limit to what I can teach. You should learn techniques from someone who can teach better than me."
"Your striking still seemed alive. I thought I was going to die."
"What are you talking about, recovering in just one day. Do you know how worried I was when you didn't answer your phone, thinking something big had happened?"
Cho Yong-il's words were true.
"Anyway, so you're saying you'll set my basic base, uncle? I searched the internet, and it said in my case, I have a wrestling base."
"MMA is developing fast. Wrestling alone isn't enough. Wrestling is just your main weapon, you need to learn other things."
"I know that."
"But it's not easy to develop attacks in other areas. Just learning a few submissions doesn't mean you can catch submissions on the ground, and learning a bit of striking doesn't mean you can finish opponents with strikes."
"So? What are you thinking?"
"Before attacking, learn to defend first. For now, your concept might not look cool, but I've decided this."
"What is it, then?"
"A point fighter."
"What? You mean that thing, right? Winning by points. Are you telling me to do that?"
"I'm just giving an example, kid. I'll explain when we get up there. Don't get upset, just wait and see."
Just then, Cho Yong-il's car stopped at the gym. Cho Yong-il took Yu Jung-ak up to the gym. The time was 4:30 PM.
It was still early for the evening members to arrive.