That’s Not How You Exercise (2)

 

“Hey, you ignorant fools who don’t even know the first thing about exercise!”

The moment Mu-jin shouted out loud,

“……”

A chilling silence fell over the training grounds.

“Mu, Mu-jin? What’s wrong?”

In the midst of that silence, the worried voice of the young monk who had woken Mu-jin up in the morning pierced his ears.

However, Mu-jin couldn’t soothe the boy’s concern.

The young monks who were observing the training. The second-generation disciples of  Shaolin, who didn’t even resemble monks, stared at Mu-jin with demonic expressions and shouted,

“You insolent fool!! How dare you utter such nonsense during training!”

“Making such excuses just because the training is hard! Are you really a  Shaolin disciple?”

“Straighten your posture immediately!!”

Even ordinary people tend to shrink back when being yelled at in a group. Moreover, since the second-generation disciples of Shaolin were young men skilled in martial arts, their shouts naturally carried an aura of intimidation.

In such a situation, a faint-hearted person would have wet their  pants.

“Is it a crime to point out what’s wrong?”

But Mu-jin wasn’t the kind of man to be intimidated by such threats. He had endured seven years of rigorous training in a special forces unit, and he had dealt with troublesome clients as a fitness trainer for ten years.

His life had been too tumultuous for him to shrink back from mere shouts from young men.

Because of his confident demeanor, even the second-generation disciples who were shouting at him looked at him with astonishment.

“As a disciple of  Shaolin, are you really saying that  Shaolin’s training is wrong?”

One of the second-generation disciples stepped forward and asked, and Mu-jin couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘Wow, this dream feels so real.’

Even the young man’s tone and demeanor were exactly what one would expect in a martial arts novel.

‘Should I respond with an archaic tone, fitting for a martial arts novel?’

With this thought in mind, Mu-jin spoke up.

“If you exercise like this, when you get older, you’ll suffer severe pain from damaged knee cartilage.”

“That’s just an excuse for the weak.”

“Isn’t martial arts something that the weak learn to discipline their body and mind? And yet, you say the weak can’t learn it. What a contradiction.”

The second-generation disciple who initially stepped forward to scold Mu-jin was momentarily at a loss for words due to Mu-jin’s criticism. Fortunately, another second-generation disciple stepped forward to assist him.

“Our  Shaolin martial arts are different from the martial arts you’re referring to. The reason we practice martial arts is to cultivate ourselves and achieve enlightenment.”

“Then, by that logic, does it mean that those who are physically weak should not seek enlightenment?”

“That’s not it! It means that through ascetic practices, one can cultivate their spirit!”

The second-generation disciple, momentarily flustered, shouted back, but by then, a smile had already formed on Mu-jin’s lips.

“Why must one attain enlightenment through asceticism?”

“The human mind is weak. In difficult situations, people tend to seek convenience and harbor evil thoughts. Through training that involves enduring such situations, one cultivates their spirit.”

“Can one attain enlightenment that way?”

“Yes.”

“Is enlightenment something that can be achieved in just a day or two?”

“What’s this nonsense all of a sudden?”

“Isn’t that what the monk is implying? He said that through asceticism, one can cultivate their spirit, so it’s fine if their knees get damaged. This suggests that asceticism is unnecessary when one gets older. Therefore, it means that one can achieve enlightenment before they get old. If that’s the case, how poorly must the monk over there have practiced asceticism to not have attained enlightenment yet?”

Mu-jin pointed at the middle-aged monk overseeing the entire training from the upper seat. The first-generation disciple Hye-jung (惠正). The second-generation disciples all fell silent.

While part of it was due to being struck by Mu-jin’s logic,

‘What nonsense is this crazy guy spewing now!?’

they were also in a state of panic because an aspiring third-generation disciple and novice had dared to point fingers at a first-generation disciple, who was like their grandmaster.

And as Mu-jin silenced the second-generation disciples, he stood there with a satisfied smile on his face.

This was the reasoning and eloquence he had developed over ten years of dealing with clients. Indeed, service jobs weren’t for just anyone.

He only regretted that he was using this brilliant eloquence in something as trivial as a dream.

“Kal!”

At that moment, the first-generation disciple Hye-jung, who had been pointed at by the young novice, roared like a lion and approached Mu-jin with bold steps.

“I’ve heard your point. As the second-generation disciples said, generally, the martial arts practiced in Buddhism are merely tools to attain enlightenment. However, our  Shaolin martial arts are different.”

“How are they different?”

“We do not practice martial arts merely for personal cultivation. The reason we practice martial arts is to save the sentient beings. This means, we protect them from evildoers and demons who torment them.”

“To protect the sentient beings, are you saying we must engage in such knee-destroying exercises?”

“Indeed.”

Disciple Hye-jeong glared at Mu-jin with displeasure. Despite being a monk, he was also a martial artist and held the important role of training novice disciples.

To someone like him, this lazy novice was naturally unwelcome. Especially since, if left unchecked, other novices might also follow his example.

However, disciplining a novice who could be his grandchild wasn’t a good look, nor was it fitting behavior for a Buddhist disciple.

With his experience, Hye-jeong quickly devised a plan.

“If you truly believe that  Shaolin’s training methods are wrong, then prove it.”

“What do you mean by ‘prove’?”

“If  Shaolin’s training methods are flawed, that would mean you know the right methods. In that case, defeat a disciple who has trained under Shaolin’s methods.”

At Hye-jeong’s words, Mu-jin snorted.

“Wow, stepped on shit.”

Mu-jin instinctively sensed it. The middle-aged monk in front of him was a classic ‘kkondae’ – someone who would try to crush others with force if logic didn’t work.

And unfortunately for this ‘kkondae’ monk, Mu-jin wasn’t one to back down to such force.

Having experienced much in life, he knew that if he kept yielding, his opponent would look down on him.

“Who should I defeat? Surely you’re not suggesting I fight you, Monk?”

“Hahahaha. As much as I dislike the idea, I wouldn’t raise my hand against a child. Naturally, you should fight a fellow novice for fairness’ sake. Mu-gung, step forward!”

Despite laughing heartily like an enlightened monk, Hye-jeong’s chosen opponent, Mu-gung, was far from a fair match.

Mu-jin had been in  Shaolin Temple for less than a week, while Mu-gung was the most senior among the novices.

To make matters worse, compared to the other young monks who had not yet experienced puberty, Mu-gung was a head taller and bulkier.

‘Wow… Can a monk be this petty?’

Mu-jin, who was looking at Mu-gung, who had stepped forward, let out a hollow laugh again.

But a hollow laugh was just that. Coming this far only to back out wasn’t his style.

“Should we begin the sparring right now?”

Seeing that Mu-jin was not at all intimidated by the boy, who was a head taller than him, Hye-jeong shook his head.

“You understand that wouldn’t be fair, don’t you? Didn’t I tell you to prove what you claimed was true? You said the  Shaolin training methods were wrong, so after seven days and nights of training as you see fit, you can spar with Mu-gung.”

It was a very orthodox way of doing things.

While sounding considerate of his opponent, the intention was to leave no room for excuses and thoroughly crush him in a week’s time.

Moreover, it was a warning to the young disciple. The intention was to scare him a little and make him apologize first.

“I will do so.”

From Mu-jin’s perspective, who thought this was a dream, it was a story he didn’t care much about.

‘He rejects the invitation to drink and chooses punishment. Amitabha.’

Hye-jeong glanced at Mu-jin’s confident face, then turned back to the main seat.

Perhaps it was because of Mu-jin’s unusual behavior, but not only Hye-jeong and the second senior disciples, but even the novice disciples who were training together were looking at Mu-jin with displeased expressions.

“Resume training!”

“Yes!”

At Hye-jeong’s command, the second senior disciples, who were assisting in the training, each glared at Mu-jin once before returning to their positions.

“Mu-jin, why did you do that… Let’s apologize to Master Hye-jeong, okay?”

Amidst the atmosphere where everyone was antagonistic toward Mu-jin, the young monk who woke him up in the morning was the only one worrying about him.

“Mu-yul! Focus!”

“Yes!”

However, when the second senior disciple pointed him out specifically, Mu-yul responded in a surprised voice and had no choice but to focus on training.

“Resume horse stance!”

Naturally, training resumed in a strange atmosphere due to Mu-jin.

In that awkward atmosphere.

“Whew.”

Mu-jin also, like the other children, spread his legs shoulder-width apart, bent his knees, and lowered his buttocks downwards.

It was the horse stance that they had been practicing.

Of course, a small sneer appeared on the lips of all those who were sneakily watching to see what Mu-jin might do next.

Only Hye-jeong, who had deep cultivation, thought, ‘As expected,’ while maintaining a poker face.

Seeing Mu-jin stand in the horse stance only to straighten his knees in a short moment — so brief it was called “Su-yu,” which is ten times shorter than a “Shun-sik” — a few young monks couldn’t contain their laughter.

“Chuckle.”

They assumed that Mu-jin was making excuses because the training was difficult.

“Hey, who dares laugh during training?”

Nevertheless, Hye-jeong, being a follower of the Buddha, warned the disciples who were mocking others.

“Sigh.”

However, Mu-jin, who was the subject of the laughter, remained unperturbed, regulating his breathing as he bent his knees.

“Whew.”

Then, straightening his knees again, he stood up and exhaled the breath he had been holding.

What Mu-jin was doing wasn’t the horse stance; it was a squat.

Mu-jin focused his mind as much as possible, repeating the squat slowly to feel and stimulate every single muscle fiber of the primary muscles — the gluteus maximus and quadriceps, and additionally the spinal erectors and semitendinosus.

“Whew.”

After repeating it fifteen times, he paused to catch his breath, slightly rotated his knees, and loosened up.

“???”

At last, Hye-jeong, along with the other disciples, realized something was amiss.

“Tsk.”

Regardless, Mu-jin went on with his second set, acting as if he was just doing his job.

“You scoundrel! What are you doing during sacred training time?”

When Mu-jin, once again, bent and straightened his knees fifteen times while breathing strangely, a second senior disciple, unable to stand it anymore, shouted.

However, Mu-jin, upon hearing the senior disciple’s outburst, simply wore a blunt expression and pointed at Hye-jeong.

“Didn’t you say to prove it? Master Uncle told me to exercise my way for seven days and nights, but are you, monk, higher ranked than Master Uncle Hye-jeong?”

“……”

The second senior disciple, who had shouted, looked at Hye-jeong with a bewildered face after Mu-jin’s logical retort.

Hye-jeong sighed inwardly and allowed Mu-jin to train individually.

“A promise is a promise, just leave him be.”

“Understood, Master Uncle.”

In the end, Mu-jin, who had been granted immunity, then proceeded to train in earnest, feeling at ease.

While the other children were already maintaining their horse stance for over an hour, gritting their teeth to endure their shaking legs and aching knees.

“Inhale.”

“Exhale.”

“Inhale.”

“Exhale.”

The rhythm of Mu-jin’s peculiar breathing was enough to captivate the children’s attention.

“Hey! Stop looking around!”

When the children’s gazes repeatedly turned toward Mu-jin, the second senior disciples shouted.

“Inhale.”

“Exhale.”

Of course, Mu-jin just focused on his exercise, paying no mind to them.

After finishing four sets of fifteen repetitions each, Mu-jin loosened his squat stance, caught his breath, and then extended his left leg back while bending his right knee.

It was the lunge position.

Once again, he slowly focused his mind and adjusted his posture.

Simply bending and straightening the knee without focusing on the muscles wasn’t exercise; it was just knee abuse.

“Hmph.”

Of course, in a situation where others were dying from maintaining the horse stance, Mu-jin’s strange actions naturally stood out.

“I have to pretend I don’t see it.”

Having already promised seven days and nights, Hye-jeong had no choice but to overlook Mu-jin’s antics.

“Let’s see after seven days and nights!”

Whether he knew what Hye-jeong was thinking or not, Mu-jin would quietly mutter something inaudible after each set.

“Tsk. That’s not how you exercise.”

“He’ll ruin his joints like that.”

“Who’s going to take responsibility for a ruined knee at that age~”

Naturally, those small mutterings reached Hye-jeong’s ears like thunder, even though they were just mumbles, as he was already at an advanced level.

“Namo Amitabha.”

At some point, Hye-jeong, who had been reciting silently, started reciting aloud with a gritting sound.