"Martial arts can be divided into practical martial arts and performance martial arts. Practical martial arts include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling, judo, karate, taekwondo, and so on, with the core focus on 'strength' and technique.
Performance martial arts combine various fighting techniques, with a core focus on 'form.' What I taught you last time was a performance martial art that combines Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, and karate, with movements centered around punches, elbows, knees, and waist and leg actions. It's suitable for women and looks very cool when executed.
When you join a film crew in the future, the action director will teach you fight choreography, which will be similar to this. Practice it now so you'll learn faster when you're on set."
In the company's training room, Richard, dressed in workout gear, demonstrated a set of Muay Thai 'elbow strikes' and karate 'kicks.'
Among various martial arts, the elbow strike from Muay Thai is one of the most lethal, considered a finishing move.
Karate has a wide variety of kicks, such as snap kicks, front kicks, side kicks, roundhouse kicks, and intercepting kicks. These moves are dynamic and frequently used in action scenes.
Combining these two martial arts creates something very cool, making it perfect for performance. This was an insight Richard gained from discussions with the action director on the "X-Men" set.
Now, as he taught Jessica, he made some adjustments, adding in Jiu-Jitsu, which better showcases a woman's flexibility. The combination felt both cool and stylish to him.
"Jessica, try it out for me," Richard said as he finished his demonstration and stepped aside.
"Alright!"
Jessica took off her outer shirt, revealing a white sports tank top and black stretch pants. She began with a bow stance and leg kicks, energetically practicing the moves.
She exercised regularly and had a dance background, giving her good flexibility. She threw punches and high kicks, occasionally doing a forward flip, shouting as she delivered some fierce elbow strikes, looking both aggressive and graceful.
However, her movements were unfamiliar, making her execution slower and lacking smooth transitions between moves.
"Richard, how did I do?" Jessica asked, shaking her leg playfully after a high kick.
"Not bad, looks like you haven't been slacking off," Richard clapped and praised her.
"Of course! I've been practicing this every day lately," Jessica said, wiping the light sweat from her forehead with a smile.
"Very good, keep it up." Richard handed her a towel.
"Richard, how long do I need to practice to be as good as you?"
"As good as me?" Richard chuckled lightly. "That's unlikely. I'm a guy—taller, stronger, with natural advantages. You don't need to compare yourself to me."
"Alright then, but compared to regular people, how many guys could I beat if I got good at this?"
"Still not possible. This is performance martial arts. It looks impressive but is ineffective in real combat. By the way, now that I've taught you martial arts, let me teach you something else: if you're ever in danger, don't think about fighting. Scream, call the police, and run—those three are the best survival techniques for women. If you fight, whether you win or lose, you'll get hurt, and that's not safe."
Richard spoke seriously.
Jessica nodded and then smiled playfully, "Richard, there's one survival technique even better than the three you mentioned."
"Is there?"
Richard asked, intrigued.
"Yes!" Jessica grinned, "That is, to find a boyfriend as strong as you. That time in Las Vegas, you took down four armed men with your bare hands. You were so cool—ten times cooler than those agents in movies."
Richard shook his head, "The tabloid reports weren't accurate. That time, I used a gun, injured them first, and then dealt with them one by one. It wasn't very difficult."
"Still, it was impressive. Richard, if I ever get into trouble in the future, can I call you for help?"
"Of course."
"Then it's settled," Jessica smiled softly and continued practicing martial arts, preparing for the upcoming shoot.
During her practice, she seemed quite serious, trying her best with every punch and kick. Richard was pleased with her efforts. A smart, hardworking, and cheerful girl like her would surely achieve great things in the future.
After offering a few more tips, Richard said his goodbyes and left the company early.
He drove to the metropolitan area, as usual, bought a bouquet of tulips, and arrived at Ms. Theron's house.
Ms. Theron had just returned from filming in Boston. As Richard entered, Ms. Theron and her assistant Helena were unpacking several suitcases.
"Richard, you're just in time! Come help us," Ms. Theron called out.
"Alright!"
Richard threw away the wilted flowers from the vase, replaced the water, and arranged the tulips in the vase.
"Richard, forget the flowers for now, help me hang these clothes up," Ms. Theron called out again.
"Coming!"
Richard washed his hands before helping unpack the suitcases. Two of the three were filled with clothes and shoes, which ended up scattered everywhere.
Ms. Theron let Helena go home to rest, then sprawled out on the sofa, lazily stretching her legs, "I'm exhausted."
"Have you eaten?"
Richard asked while organizing the clothes.
"I had something on the plane. Could you pour me a drink?"
Ms. Theron asked with a smile, resting her head on her arm.
"I checked the fridge; the drinks in there are expired. There's beer, coffee, tea, and wine. Which would you like?"
"Um, I'll have some tea!"
Ms. Theron decided after a moment of thought.
"No problem, coming right up!"
Richard boiled a pot of water and brewed a cup of Ceylon black tea, filling the living room with the delicate fragrance of lily of the valley.
"This smells wonderful. It's so nice having you here!" Ms. Theron took a sip of the tea and playfully gave him a peck on the cheek.
Richard chuckled softly and continued sorting the clothes. "Why is this outfit dusty? Was it not washed?"
"It's dirty, or maybe I wore it once and forgot to separate it."
"Alright then."
Richard shook his head, then took down the clothes he had just hung up and inspected them again. Realizing that most of the clothes were either dirty or not properly cleaned, he decided to toss everything washable into the washing machine. He also placed the shoes in a bin for cleaning.
After spending over an hour sorting through the three large suitcases, Richard finally made his way to the living room, where Ms. Theron was dozing off on the sofa.
"While you nap at home, I'll go to the supermarket to restock some essentials," Richard said, gently tapping her on the shoulder.
"Wait! Let's go together later. I want to take a bath first, but I'm too lazy to move. What should I do?" Ms. Theron lazily wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Alright, I've got it covered!" Richard chuckled softly and headed to the bathroom to fill the tub with warm water before carrying her into the bathroom.
After a long bath that lasted over an hour, it was nearly dark when they finally emerged, moving sluggishly.
"I don't feel like going to the supermarket anymore. How about we go tomorrow?" Ms. Theron leaned against his shoulder.
"I'll go by myself then. Just write down what you need, and I'll get everything in one trip."
"Aren't you tired?" Ms. Theron asked, gently tapping his waist.
"Not at all. If you hadn't surrendered, I could've kept going a few more rounds," Richard teased, playfully pinning her down.
"Haha, I don't believe you!" Ms. Theron laughed, giving his waist a playful punch.
"You asked for it; don't blame me," Richard said as he yanked off her towel.
"Ah~! I believe you, I believe you—let me go~"
After another half-hour of playful banter, Richard finally helped Ms. Theron settle in before grabbing his car keys and leaving the apartment.
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(End of Chapter)