After Professor Will had gotten over Alex's insane regeneration speed, he continued with his training session.
"First, we're going to start off with the basic principles of Martial Arts." He said, moving back over to the centre of the training area.
Alex nodded along, his mind already having moved past the fact that his hands had just been dismbered only a few dozen minutes prior.
"The first principle you will have to learn is Mind-Body synchronisation."
Professor Will assud his previous serious attitude, as if he wasn't just shocked.
"Martial Arts begins with the alignnt of the mind and body."
"Practitioners must achieve a heightened state of awareness where thoughts translate seamlessly into actions."
"This synchronisation allows for faster reaction tis, enhanced coordination, and fluid movents to appear more effortless."
Professor Will took a deep breath, centering himself before he began.
He could sense Alex's eagerness, but he knew that being too hasty with his training would only do him more harm than good.
"Alright, Alex. Let's start then. This is the foundation of everything you will learn in Martial Arts. Without it, nothing else matters."
Alex nodded, his gaze focused intently on Professor Will.
"To achieve Mind-Body synchronisation, you must first clear your mind. This is easier said than done, especially with the chaos of combat. But with practice, you can achieve a state where your thoughts and actions are perfectly aligned."
Professor Will moved away from the centre of the training area and sat down cross legged on a mat.
He motioned for Alex to do the sa.
Once Alex was seated, Professor Will continued.
"ditation is the key to clearing your mind. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing."
"Inhale deeply through your nose, hold it for a mont, and then exhale slowly through your mouth."
Alex mimicked the Professor's breathing pattern, feeling his mind relax with each exhale.
"Good. Now, let go of any distractions. Don't think about what happened earlier, don't think about what's going to happen later. Just keep your mind focused on the present mont, on the rhythm of your breath."
Alex listened to Professor Will's instructions, doing just as he said.
He retracted his spatial awareness, closed his eyes, and blocked his other senses from affecting his mind.
The two of them sat in silence for several minutes, the only sound in the backyard, other than the occasional bird chirp, was their synchronised breathing.
Alex found his mind drifting at first, random thoughts of the past and worries for the future drifting in and out.
But each ti these thoughts drifted in, he recalled what Professor Will said about focusing on the rhythm of his breath, emptying his mind etc.
And those intrusive thoughts eventually went away on their own.
"Martial Arts is as much a ntal discipline as it is a physical one," Professor Will said softly, breaking the silence.
"The mind must be sharp and clear, free from distraction. Only then can you achieve true Mind-Body synchronisation."
After what felt like an eternity, Professor Will opened his eyes and stood up, motioning for Alex to do the sa.
Alex watched Professor Will carefully, eager to see what was next.
Professor Will smiled slightly, a smug look in his eyes.
"Let's see how well you've synchronised your mind and body."
"I want you to perform the sa moves you did earlier on , but this ti, focusing on maintaining the ntal clarity and control you've just spent the last 30 minutes developing."
Alex nodded, stepping back and assuming the sa combat ready stance as he did the first ti Professor Will asked him to attack.
He took a deep breath, centering his centre of gravity.
His mind was clear, at least he thought so.
"Huah!"
He began with a simple punch, aiming for Professor Will's mid section.
'Woah!'
The movent felt different this ti.
'My movents seem so fluid!'
He noticed that he wasn't exerting as much energy as he had before. It was smoother, more fluid.
Each strike flowed effortlessly from one to the next, his body moving in harmony with his thoughts.
"Excellent," Professor Will said, stepping back to avoid a punch.
"Do you feel the difference?"
Alex nodded, a look of surprise on his face.
"Yup, I feel like I'm using much less energy with each punch, each one being more efficient than the other!"
Professor Will smiled, clearly pleased with Alex's progress.
"That's the power of Mind Body synchronisation. By aligning your thoughts and actions, you can perform at a higher level with less effort. Your strikes are more efficient, your movents more controlled."
Alex was extrely happy that he had gone through with this training.
If he could implent what he had already learned in combat, he would perform to a much higher standard.
But he had to reach a good enough point for it to be combat ready.
"How am I compared to other students you've taught?" Alex asked, clearly interested to see how he did compared to others.
"You were above average. Normally it takes students around an hour of ditation before they are able to reach a point where they can see a noticeable difference in their power output."
"But considering your situation and experience, it's a no brainer that you would start at a higher point than them."
Professor Will explained.
'So I'm above average huh… The fact that he says this ans there are people much better at this than … I guess I can't be first in everything.'
"How long before this becos viable in a real combat situation?"
This question was looming on Alex's mind the mont he realised just how much it had impacted his strength.
He wouldn't be able to actually test it in real combat until he went out on another mission, but it would be helpful to know how far in the future that would be.
"It depends. What you call 'combat ready', I call 'Perfect Harmony', which can take years, or it could take months. It depends on your talent and self control."
"In order to achieve perfect harmony, you would need to be able to synchronise your mind and body like *Snap!* that."
Professor Will explained, clicking his fingers together just to emphasise how quickly Alex would need to enter such a state of mind.
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