To be honest, being Kamman’s sparring partner put Jason Luo under a lot of pressure. Kamman’s movents were so agile that Jason could hardly pose any real threat to him. At first, Jason relied on anticipating his opponent’s rhythm to launch counterattacks, but once Kamman grew familiar with it, that strategy quickly stopped working...
What made things worse was Kamman’s trademark style: whenever he went on the offensive, he unleashed a storm of combination punches in quick succession. Jason suffered badly from this, and if it weren’t for the protective gear, he wouldn’t have lasted at all.
Jason tried everything he could think of, but Kamman effortlessly countered every move. The repeated failures left Jason frustrated and even a little discouraged.
In the ring, it felt as if Kamman were a starving wolf ready to pounce at any mont, while Jason was nothing more than a clumsy bear being toyed with!
Desperate, Jason tried to imitate Kamman’s style, throwing rapid-fire combination punches of his own during counterattacks. But Kamman’s nimble footwork carried him out of range in just a few light steps. After one round of forced aggression, Jason quickly realized his stamina was draining fast.
Why could others do it, but not him?
Kamman noticed Jason’s attempt to mimic him, frowned, and stopped.
“Why are you throwing quick punches now?”
Jason blushed. “I wanted to try your style, but I just can’t get the hang of it. Could you teach , Kamman?”
Kamman shook his head. “Jason, listen. You’re not suited for this right now. It’s not that I don’t want to teach you, but your current condition doesn’t support this style. To develop fast and sustained punching, you need punch speed first. In daily training, your body has to gradually adapt to that rhythm. Most importantly, you need resistance and recovery. Think of it like a war—without strong logistics, telling the front lines to fight harder is just empty talk. Do you understand?”
Jason lowered his head, disappointed.
Smiling, Kamman added, “Don’t lose heart. Everyone’s boxing style is different. Speed is a strength, but it isn’t always the strongest. Look at Foreman’s fights. His punch speed wasn’t fast, but who dared challenge him? The terrifying power of his heavy punches was just as much a mastery of the sport! Keep training. With your coach’s guidance, I’m sure you’ll find a style of your own.”
Jason regained so confidence. “Thank you, Kamman. I’ll work even harder. One day, I’ll be like you—fast as the wind, striking like thunder!”
“Hah, if that really happens, that would be sothing! Jason, only a handful of fighters in the boxing world can combine the strengths of both a technical and an aggressive style. Those who do are true champions. When that day cos, I’ll be your sparring partner myself!”
...
After a long day of training, Jason went ho, took a shower, and felt so relaxed he could lt away.
He picked up his phone and called Tony Huo, telling him about the contract he had signed so that Tony wouldn’t waste ti coming to find him at noon.
On the call, Tony was happy for him but quickly started complaining. “Jason, you didn’t even tell you had a match! Do you know what happened to ? I passed my driving test! I’m just waiting for my license now!”
“No way, that easy? I heard most people need two or three tries.”
“Of course! Who do you think I am? I’m the second Schumacher—getting a license is nothing for ! Once I get it, I’ll drive you around all of Chicago.”
“Uh, I don’t think your dad’s going to lend you the car.”
“Pfft, if he won’t, I’ll buy my own. At the used car market, you can get a car for a few hundred bucks. No problem at all.”
“A few hundred for a car?” Jason was stunned. He even began to suspect that the $60 he’d paid for his bike had been a complete rip-off.
“Of course! I already checked. They’re old cars with 150,000 to 200,000 miles, but who cares? As long as they run, they’re fine.”
“Oh, I see. You scared for a second! Still, I think if you’re going to buy one, you’d better get sothing reliable. Otherwise, it’s way too unsafe.”
“Easy for you to say. We don’t have that kind of money. Forget it. Anyway, I don’t even have the license yet. I’ll co find you when I get it.”
“Alright, but call in advance. If I want to go out now, I need Mr. Raul’s permission.”
“Got it!”
After hanging up, Jason was happy for Tony. What young man didn’t love cars? He also hoped that one day he could drive his own. But for now, Jason knew he had just signed his contract and needed to focus on training hard so as not to disappoint Mr. Raul.
Life was simple and repetitive, but Jason didn’t find it boring. He tested out many of the new training facilities at the gym. The speed bag didn’t feel very useful—he couldn’t hit it well anyway—but the resistance machine was great for strength training. The treadmill and aerobic machines worked nicely together too.
Still, his main focus remained on Boxing Technique. Coach Pedro was supposed to co back in two days, so Jason wanted to show him so progress.
Unexpectedly, Pedro showed up the very next day.
After watching Jason’s training, the old man was clearly a little surprised. In such a short ti, Jason had improved his Footwork and timing to a noticeable degree—sothing not often seen.
But Pedro, known for his strictness, never wasted words on praise.
“Keep your center of gravity steady. Rotate your waist more smoothly. Your footwork is still too heavy... Stop!”
Jason froze at the sudden halt, thinking, “It’s over... he’s not impressed.”
Pedro looked him over and asked, “Your na is Jason Luo?”
“Yes, sir. My full na is Jason Luo.”
“Luo... Jason. Never mind, I’ll just call you Jason. Chinese nas are too hard to pronounce. Listen. You have good physical condition, but your agility and technique are poor. If you train under , you’ll suffer a lot. Of course, you can choose to quit. Your agent will help you find another coach. The difference is this: other coaches might want you to beco an offensive fighter, but I’ll develop you into a technical fighter. The choice is yours.”
Jason understood. This was it!
“Coach, I want to train under you. Please believe . I grew up in a poor family—I’m not afraid of any hardship.”
Pedro nodded. “That much, I already know. Do you know why I’m willing to take you on?”
Jason shook his head, confused.
“It’s because you can resist temptation, and because you use your head in the ring. Rember, boxing isn’t just a resistance sport. Only fighters who think can reach the top!”
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