Yu Jung-ak was extending his fist with minimal force. Having learned the basics from Cho Yong-il, Yu Jung-ak's form was now taking shape.
However, the distance was too close for mixed martial arts striking. Yu Jung-ak was quickly extending his punches right in front of his face.
This was because Cho Yong-il was teaching Yu Jung-ak from the basics. Trying to strike from far away initially leads to using too much force and poor posture. That's why Cho Yong-il taught Yu Jung-ak the same way he had learned.
"Striking is done up close. If you want to strike from afar, why use fists when you have good kicks? Punching is for close combat. Strike short within 10cm."
"But that's not how they do it in MMA."
"Master this first, and you'll be able to apply it better later. It's harder to correct later if you don't do this now. Some people never get it right. As you practice this way, you'll naturally extend your range. But don't be stupid and do this in a real fight. This is just practice; in a real fight, you extend fully."
Cho Yong-il demonstrated shadow boxing. Afterwards, Yu Jung-ak's most frequent daily routine became practicing punches in front of a mirror.
He didn't use the punching bag much. It wasn't very meaningful to start with that now.
"You don't need to do it a lot. Slowly, with proper form and extension. Take your time. Breathe."
Cho Yong-il told Yu Jung-ak he lacked a sense for striking. He showed him videos of child boxing prodigies online.
They were foreign children who hit mitts better than adult fighters.
"You're not cut out for boxing. You lack rhythm."
"Wow..."
"Could you do that? Even with kids' quick learning, that's impressive."
"Even adults..."
"Even among adults, few can hit that precisely. But that's boxing. It's about various combinations exchanged at close range. MMA is different. So you don't need to extend that much."
"So the conclusion is to keep doing what I'm doing now?"
"Take it slow. Since your rhythm is poor, don't think about flashy combinations. That won't improve much even after years. Instead, focus on counters. Seeing well, dodging, and striking. You know what a sucker punch is, right?"
"Yes."
"That works very well in MMA. Do you know what you need to do for that to work well?"
"I need to dodge well."
"Right, you need to dodge well. But how are you? When a punch comes, do you step away first? Using steps well is good. But what if you just back away when the opponent attacks? You miss the opportunity. It's too late to counter then. That's why skills like ducking and weaving are important."
From that day on, Cho Yong-il focused on teaching Yu Jung-ak how to dodge in short movements. Thanks to this, Yu Jung-ak spent most of his time practicing shadow punching and sparring to dodge punches, learning timing, except for joint training days with Team Silence.
There was a world of difference between just dodging and dodging with minimal movement.
Even though he could spot the attack, he couldn't dodge properly. But nothing was more important than repetition.
Yu Jung-ak practiced diligently from the basics as Cho Yong-il instructed.
And he was improving rapidly.
Yu Jung-ak's peripheral vision was on par with top-class boxers. No, his potential was far beyond that. Cho Yong-il recognized this and continued training to draw out Yu Jung-ak's potential.
His punches still had too much tension, but not as much as his dodging. Later, Cho Yong-il brought two foam sticks and started swinging them.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
He used thrusting motions to simulate jabs and hooks. Being faster and longer than fists, there was nothing better for dodge training.
After some dodge training, Cho Yong-il taught the left jab, one of the basics he had initially taught.
With Yu Jung-ak's long reach, properly using just the left jab could put great pressure on opponents.
Punches coming from farther away than the opponent's.
Even with the same extension, my fist doesn't reach.
For a fighter, there could be nothing more terrifying. Of course, fighters had various skills to break that distance, but at least in theory, having a long reach in fighting was an absolute advantage.
Cho Yong-il added the left jab to Yu Jung-ak's routine.
Yu Jung-ak diligently practiced the left jab.
"Do you think hitting is important? No. Retracting is more important. A jab is just a jab. Hit quickly and pull back. This disrupts the opponent's timing."
Duck then left jab.
Weave then left jab.
Inside leg kick then left jab.
Outside leg kick then left jab.
Feint then left jab.
Once Yu Jung-ak's left jab motion became somewhat relaxed, Cho Yong-il started teaching various combination skills.
All were movements related to the left jab.
He didn't properly teach the right hand. And when a match was set, he started focusing on sparring training.
Bang! Bang!
Kim Young-tae sighed after finishing the first round of sparring. The weigh-in was tomorrow, and Yu Jung-ak's weight cut was going smoothly.
Today they were doing light striking sparring.
The opponent was Kim Young-tae.
Kim Young-tae's striking was the heavy MMA type, but it was being blocked by Yu Jung-ak's jabs.
"Was his reach always that long?"
Kim Young-tae asked Yoon Chang-seon.
"It's similar to yours, dummy. His jab is just good. How is it?"
"It's sharp."
"He'll create opportunities with that in this match."
"Hiroya Kizaemon won't be easy. His footwork is lightning fast."
"But his eye is good. After this tournament, you're next, Young-tae."
"I know."
Hiroya Kizaemon was famous for provoking opponent fighters. He wasn't particularly tall at 175cm and had a short reach. His style was more unorthodox than Liu Jinshi, with considerable one-hit destruction power.
A hard puncher who closes the distance with unorthodox footwork and finishes with power.
A style that overcomes short reach with footwork.
He was strong, and above all, had almost no weaknesses.
As expected, at the weigh-in, he provoked Yu Jung-ak with a sneer. He pushed Yu Jung-ak's face with his fist while facing him.
Usually in such situations, fighters would push back, but Yu Jung-ak just smiled slightly after being pushed.
This confused Hiroya Kizaemon.
'What's this? He's not falling for this provocation?'
Yu Jung-ak considered the weigh-in part of the match. So he didn't get excited at all. Instead, he lowered his arms and looked down at Hiroya with a gentle smile.
It was as if he was saying, "I don't care about the likes of you."
Hiroya's provocation continued at the press conference after the weigh-in. He expressed his dissatisfaction about having to fight a rookie who had just had his debut match.
He added that Yu Jung-ak's victory over Liu Jinshi was a fluke and that he would burst that bubble.
Yu Jung-ak didn't respond much. He calmly said he would do his best as prepared. It wasn't the kind of strong statement journalists would like, but he didn't show any signs of nervousness.
That left a good impression.
Usually, fighters facing cameras for the first time get nervous and make reckless statements instead of prepared ones, but Yu Jung-ak didn't do that.
Instead, he spoke carefully and calmly.
After Hiroya Kizaemon's strong provocation, Yu Jung-ak's match began. Today was the third fight on the main card.
It wasn't the co-main or main event.
The main event was the bantamweight title match between Oh Jung-ryong and Yu Min-jong.
Yu Jung-ak warmed up and got ready to go out.
At that moment, Oh Jung-ryong appeared behind him.
"Win this. Super high school senior."
"I will. You win too, Squid hyung."
Oh Jung-ryong's nickname among team members. He was called Squid because he fought tenaciously like a squid. Of course, that wasn't his real nickname.
Finally, it was time for the blue corner's Yu Jung-ak to enter.
As the entrance music started, the audience looked around with surprised expressions.
The music playing was completely unsuitable for an entrance theme.
The intro began with quiet applause, followed by a calm yet rhythmic guitar melody.
Then came a deep male vocal voice.
Followed by a female vocal voice.
It was a quiet song.
But the lyrics didn't match the quiet tune at all.
"Go to hell" by Geumsawol Gamhaewon.
The lyrics "go to hell" actually played. The audience was laughing in disbelief.
"Hey, why did you choose this song?"
"When they asked what music I wanted for my entrance, I just gave them what I've been listening to lately."
"What the hell is this? You like this kind of stuff?"
"A friend recommended it. Isn't it good?"
"Who uses this kind of thing as entrance music?"
After the audience had a good laugh, it was Hiroya Kizaemon's turn. Hiroya made an impressive entrance wearing a traditional Japanese mask and accompanied by traditional music.
It was quite different from Yu Jung-ak's comical entrance.
The ring announcer began introducing Yu Jung-ak and Hiroya.
"Defeating Liu Jinshi wasn't luck. I'll prove my worth with this fight today. The rising star of Spirit! Yu Jung-ak!"
"I'm in a different class. I'll burst all your bubbles. The karateka from Japan! Hiroya Kizaemon!"
Hiroya Kizaemon, standing in the center, was glaring fiercely at Yu Jung-ak. Yu Jung-ak's eyes were calm.
Yu Jung-ak extended his hand for a glove touch, but Hiroya just backed away.
The fight began.
Right from the start, Hiroya approached confidently and threw an outside leg kick at Yu Jung-ak.
Whap! Thwack!
As if he had been waiting for it, Yu Jung-ak extended a left jab timed with Hiroya Kizaemon's leg kick, followed by a right straight.
The left jab and straight landed almost simultaneously on Hiroya's face.
Some spectators stood up right at the start.
Hiroya was falling backward.
[Oh! Yu Jung-ak's one-two lands right from the start!]
The excited commentator's voice!
This happened just 5 seconds into the fight.
Hiroya Kizaemon, hit on the chin, tried to maintain his guard position. Although he took a sudden counter, it didn't land precisely on his chin. Moreover, Hiroya Kizaemon was well known for his toughness, despite his delicate appearance.
Most Japanese fighters had this tendency. They might not have much impact, but their fundamentals were solid. Their grappling was quite good too.
Thud! Thud!
As pounding shots rained down from Yu Jung-ak's long arms, Hiroya twisted his body and shook his head to defend. He also guarded his face with his hands.
Hiroya's face turned red. He wasn't bleeding, but it was swelling up instantly.
However, Hiroya remained calm.
This was the scary part of having solid grappling fundamentals. It greatly improved one's ability to handle crises.
[Yu Jung-ak's pounding continues to land. He's got an opportunity!]
But contrary to the commentary, Hiroya Kizaemon was gradually regaining his senses. Once he recovered somewhat, Kizaemon turned his head in the opposite direction of the pounding and raised his legs. Then he wrapped around Yu Jung-ak's left arm.
Armbar!
[Oh, an armbar. He's got a deep grip! He needs to defend. The fight could end right here!]
Commentator Kang Du-hwan got excited.
However, Yu Jung-ak calmly defended the armbar by bending his arm. The reason Yu Jung-ak could remain so calm was that he had spent most of his grappling practice time learning submission defense.
Yoon Hong-seok.
Yu Jung-ak had learned grappling from him, who was known as the Armbar God. He had no intention of losing to an armbar.
Although the grip was deep, this actually worked in Yu Jung-ak's favor. While defending by bending his arm, Yu Jung-ak struck Hiroya Kizaemon's face with his long right arm. This attack was possible due to his long reach.
Hiroya's head snapped back a few times. However, Hiroya Kizaemon, having seized an opportunity, intended to end it here.
He suddenly applied force, trying to straighten Yu Jung-ak's arm. For a moment, it seemed the armbar would be completed as Yu Jung-ak's arm extended.
But Yu Jung-ak was skilled.
As his arm extended, he twisted it and rolled his body to the opposite side. This naturally broke the armbar grip.
And then the side position began.
Yu Jung-ak was well aware that he was a beginner in mixed martial arts.
That's why he thoroughly studied submission defense from top positions.
This was because Yu Jung-ak had great confidence in his wrestling, which allowed him to focus on this aspect. If he hadn't been confident in his wrestling, there would have been no reason to practice submission defense from top positions.
He would have needed to train to withstand pressure from bottom positions first.
Yu Jung-ak attacked Hiroya Kizaemon's face with hammerfists from side control. It was a pounding motion from bottom to top, like swinging a hammer.
In that situation, Hiroya quickly rolled backwards and stood up. Yu Jung-ak tried to take the back, but Hiroya Kizaemon's movement was too fast.
He had excellent elasticity.
Yu Jung-ak grabbed Hiroya Kizaemon's waist from behind as he stood up. When Hiroya tried to quickly move towards the fence, Yu Jung-ak tripped his leg and threw him sideways.
Thud!
Hiroya Kizaemon fell to the side. Yu Jung-ak took back control and started striking Hiroya's face from behind.
Hitting the back of the head was against the rules, but striking the face from behind was a legal attack. People who had experienced this attack often felt fear. The impact was significant because punches were coming from an unseen direction.
"Jung-ak! Take it slow! He's already recovered!"
Yoon Chang-seon's voice reached Yu Jung-ak's ears. Yu Jung-ak started breathing as Yoon Chang-seon instructed.
He had seized an opportunity and inflicted damage, but couldn't finish. If so, there was no need to exert too much energy.
In fact, in MMA, fighters often lose by exhausting themselves trying to finish in situations where they can't.
Yu Jung-ak slowly struck Hiroya Kizaemon's face while controlling his breathing. Hiroya defended his face with both hands, looking for a chance to escape.
[Wow, Yu Jung-ak is showing experience. He regains back control in that situation and starts applying pressure.]
[As I mentioned before, Yu Jung-ak shows a level of experience that's hard to believe for an 18-year-old fighter.]
[More than his physical specs, that's what's surprising. Despite his youth, he has the composure of a veteran. That's how he was able to beat Liu Jinshi in his debut, showing unexpected calmness. It shows how important the mental aspect is in MMA. Oh! As I'm saying this!]
While pounding from back control, Yu Jung-ak wrapped his arm around Hiroya Kizaemon's neck. Hiroya tucked his chin and positioned himself to defend the choke. However, this was a trap set by Yu Jung-ak.
Yu Jung-ak never intended to go for a submission from the start.
The submission was bait.
While feigning a rear-naked choke, Yu Jung-ak immediately used his other hand to press down on Hiroya Kizaemon's head.
Hiroya Kizaemon's face, which had been tucked and pressed to the ground, was pinned. Then Yu Jung-ak quickly removed the hand around Hiroya Kizaemon's neck and started pounding.
The impact of the pounding in this fixed position was beyond imagination.
Bang! Bang!
Sounds like hitting a sandbag came from Hiroya Kizaemon's face. For a moment, Hiroya Kizaemon lost consciousness.
However, the referee didn't catch this, and neither did Yu Jung-ak. Hiroya Kizaemon regained consciousness by Yu Jung-ak's third punch.
He raised his hands to defend and turned his body. Yu Jung-ak could have taken mount, but Hiroya quickly turned again into a turtle position and slipped out between Yu Jung-ak's legs. It was a smooth, natural ground skill.
However, the process had consumed too much of his energy. While Yu Jung-ak had also used energy throwing punches, it wasn't as much as Hiroya Kizaemon. Hiroya Kizaemon was breathing heavily, his shoulders heaving.
In the standing position, Yu Jung-ak calmly looked at Hiroya Kizaemon. It's best to finish when you can, but if the game doesn't go that way, it's important to start over carefully from the beginning.
Yu Jung-ak decided to do as he had practiced for this match.
Whoosh!
As Yu Jung-ak extended a jab, Hiroya Kizaemon took a backstep. The fear of the one-two combination was still fresh in his mind.
Then Yu Jung-ak, while pressuring Hiroya, feinted a jab by slightly raising his left hand, then threw an outside leg kick.
Thwack!
Hiroya Kizaemon's expression contorted.
And then came Hiroya Kizaemon's counterattack!
A powerful hook thrown while quickly approaching the opponent! It was one of Hiroya's specialties. However, Yu Jung-ak slightly backed away while throwing a double left jab.
The left jab landed on Hiroya's face.
It wasn't a strong punch, but a jab.
However, the effect was clear as it was thrown just as Hiroya Kizaemon was pushing in. Blood flowed from Hiroya Kizaemon's nose.
As Hiroya Kizaemon hesitated for a moment, another left jab flew in!
Followed by a follow-up strike!
A right straight!
The punch that had first dropped Hiroya Kizaemon landed again. Hiroya Kizaemon collapsed on the spot.
There was no need for follow-up ground and pound. Hiroya, who fell backwards, couldn't get up again. Yu Jung-ak's one-two punch was that clean.
A straight punch that felt like a sniper firing a shot.
It was a KO victory by Yu Jung-ak's striking.