"Although sculpting may seem like an exercise that requires little upper body strength, it actually engages the entire core muscle group. And you must stand firmly in this position to avoid injury!"
"Our Maemoto Clan have been building this up for generations, but many of those with unstable core strength have been in danger because they didn't have a firm footing."
"So this is very basic, you must understand that if you don't have a firm footing, the way you swing the hammer could very well cause you to lean forward and tip over onto the workbench."
"This could be dangerous!"
"Furthermore, when your hammer strikes the iron block, it generates a very strong recoil force. If your stance is unstable and you lose your footing, you could be bounced back and fall to the ground, which is extremely dangerous."
"Therefore, the most important thing in building a strong core is to first stabilize the lower body using the core muscle groups, and then use the core muscle groups to generate power in the upper body!"
Did you hear me clearly?
Maemoto Ichiro patiently explained, one sentence after another, which showed that he had no intention of being perfunctory with Araki in this matter, and was even genuinely trying to cultivate him.
but...
at the same time...
Maemoto Ichiro was deeply shocked.
He originally thought that a child of Araki's age wouldn't have much strength, so he let Araki push him hard. But just now, with Araki's push, he almost fell towards the stove.
At that moment, he felt unsteady. If it weren't for his years of experience in building his physique, which allowed him to instantly regain his balance and use muscle power to stand firm, he might have actually fallen.
This was something he had never expected.
Maemoto Takashi's loss was not unjust!
In the Maemoto Ichiro was teaching his son, he had made his son do similar things, but no matter what, Maemoto Takashi could not put that kind of pressure on him.
Most importantly...
Maemoto Ichiro could clearly sense that Araki's power was contained and not unleashed, as if it had a desire to protect him, and there was no sense of him using up all his strength.
Despite this feeling, he was still very clear about what was going on inside him. After all, he was the one who was pushed. When someone has used up all their strength, it's a kind of reckless abandon, and there's absolutely no way to salvage the situation. The whole person is in a state of outward release.
However, Araki was not like that, which made him deeply realize the huge gap in strength between this boy and his son.
Maemoto Ichiro didn't let Araki push him again because he knew very well that the force was right at his limit. If he blindly increased the force and let Araki push him again, he might really fall on the stove.
"I've already talked about the lower body. Now let's talk about building it up. Building it up involves using the muscles in your waist to engage the muscles in your back, and then slamming the hammer down with full force, as if you're ready to unleash a powerful attack!"
"It's important to note here that you should use your lower back and waist to generate power, not your arms."
"Many people use their arm strength to drive the hammer when crafting, which not only results in insufficient strength and precision, but also often leads to fatigue and even injury."
"The most fundamental aspect of Forging Technique lies in its core!"
"Just as the feet should be firmly planted on the ground like the roots of an old tree, the hands should be stretched out high like branches, blocking out the entire sky!"
"When you exert force like that, it's as if the entire sky is pressing down on the ground, generating an incredibly powerful force!"
After saying this, Maemoto Ichiro adjusted the angle of the hammer he was holding in his right hand. He looked completely different, as if his body was like a bow, with all his muscles tense together, making him look like a completely integrated whole. Then, suddenly, he swung the hammer in his hand and smashed it down towards the red-hot iron block.
"When!"
A loud noise suddenly rang out, and the red-hot iron block clearly changed shape, transforming from a cube into an irregular rectangle. The parts that had been struck by the hammer showed obvious signs of collapse and dents.
Araki was deeply shocked by the situation, as he could clearly see that after Maemoto Ichiro.
Isn't this the Konoha-Style Strong Fist?
Araki suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Although he had not learned the specific Taijutsu of Konoha-Style Strong Fist, based on some scenes he had seen in the past, many Taijutsu, including Konoha Whirlwind, all used the core to drive the limbs. Although there were big differences in the expression and the training, the core content was exactly the same.
This is like a variation of force application!
" Araki, why don't you give it a try and see if you can smash this piece of iron into a flat sheet!" Maemoto Ichiro immediately invited.
This action was not only to help Araki, but also had a bit of a boasting element, because he knew very well that people who were learning the Forging Technique for the first time were not yet very clear about how to apply force when forging.
Although those who have learned the Konoha-Style Strong Fist find it relatively easy to understand the concept of core power generation.
What he was certain of was that Araki would find it much easier to learn the Forging Technique than those who had no prior experience.
However, he did not believe that Araki could learn these skills in a short period of time.
When Might Duy was learning, it took him several months, just by using his core strength to make his feet stand as firmly as the roots of an old tree, which was extremely difficult.
Not to mention raising his right hand to grip the hammer, making himself like a fully drawn bow, ready to unleash his power, integrating all his muscles into one, and bursting forth with formidable strength.
This process is extremely difficult and requires continuous effort; it's not something an average person can do.
"OK."
Araki stepped forward, took over Maemoto Ichiro's position, and took the hammer and clamp.
This process also caught the attention of Maemoto Takashi, who stared intently with intense curiosity, wanting to know what Araki was capable of.
At this very moment.
Maemoto Takashi had extremely complex feelings towards Araki.
There wasn't the usual resentment, but she didn't completely consider Araki one of her own either; in fact, the two weren't even that familiar with each other.
But he was just really curious!
Araki stood in front of the forging table, holding the iron block with a clamp in his left hand to keep it stable and prevent it from flying away after being hit. He found that this process required continuous force from his left hand. Without strong physical strength, it would be difficult to endure even this step, let alone what would happen if the iron block were hit.
Immediately afterwards, Araki picked up the hammer with his right hand and raised it high.
During this process, he discovered that the hammer was very heavy, much heavier than he had imagined.
Perhaps it was precisely because the hammer itself had a certain weight, coupled with the core force that burst forth from the forging index, that it was able to smash the iron block so hard that it deformed.
After completing these two steps, Araki took a deep breath, felt his core muscles, and used his waist and abdomen to drive his legs straight to his feet, trying his best to Maemoto Ichiro's movements.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Just by striking that pose, Araki felt his heart pounding wildly, his heart rate rising sharply, and streams of green Chakra surging from his heart, flowing into every cell in his body and relieving his fatigue.
At this moment, Araki seemed to possess limitless power. He felt a powerful force emanating from his entire body, as if all the muscles in his body were stretched into a single line.
This line begins at the location of the core muscles in the lower back and abdomen.
Extending downwards to the thighs and calves, through the soles of the feet, deeply plunging into the ground, making one feel as if rooted to the ground.
The movement extends upwards through the back to the shoulders, then through the right arm directly to the hammer, as if the hammer were also part of the body.
This clear feeling only formed after the green Chakra appeared, connecting his entire being and appearing as a line of power.
"???"
Upon seeing Araki's posture, Maemoto Ichiro immediately felt the tension in the other's muscles and several small question marks popped into his mind. This person was learning so fast! Even if it was just copying, at least the way he looked now was like a newcomer who had been training for several years. Even an apprentice couldn't make such a standard posture.
That's a bit of an exaggeration!
Even though Maemoto Ichiro had prepared himself mentally, he was still deeply shocked when he saw this moment.
He had always believed that crafting required talent, but that all of that depended on physical ability. However, after meeting Araki, he finally understood that talent could also be developed physically, at least in terms of learning, which allowed him to learn faster than others.
However...
Just as he was in shock...
Araki slightly changed the angle of the hammer in his right hand, shifting the feeling from lifting the hammer to smashing it down, and the hammerhead was now tilted.
In an instant.
The thread that had been connecting Araki's body suddenly became taut, like a fully drawn bow, poised to unleash terrifying power.
The next moment.
Araki slammed the hammer down on the iron block...
Chapter 3 Genius
"Bang!"
With a loud crash, Araki struck the red-hot iron block with his hammer, causing it to deform dramatically.
After making this movement, Araki did not stop immediately. Instead, he raised his right hand again, and the faint lines that appeared in his body were pulled up once more. As he raised his right hand high, his whole body was like a fully drawn bow, ready to be released.
At that moment, Araki had a very strange feeling in his heart, as if he were a perpetual motion machine, able to continuously perform the action of drawing a bow and dropping a hammer, with the green Chakra constantly overflowing from his heart providing him with power.
With this power boosting him, he seemed to never tire.
Next.
Araki didn't stop what he was doing; instead, he slammed the metal block down again.
"Bang!"
Another hammer fell, creating a loud thud.
The red-hot iron block on the forging table was deformed again by the blow, demonstrating just how powerful Araki's hammer blow was.
After Araki delivered that blow, he raised his right hand high again, repeating the previous action.
The line within his body tightened again with his movements, like a drawn bow, gathering all his strength, ready to unleash it, and as if tireless, he once again made the hammer-slamming motion.
that's all.
Under the shocked gaze of Maemoto Ichiro and Maemoto Takashi, Araki swung his hammer repeatedly, rapidly striking the forging table.
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"...
The sounds of knocking and colliding rang out incessantly, constantly reaching the ears of the father and son.
At this very moment.
Both Maemoto Ichiro and Maemoto Takashi's gazes towards Araki underwent a dramatic change.
What kind of monster is this?
To unleash such terrifying power on the very first attempt at learning to create something is something they find utterly unbelievable, no matter how you try to explain it.
So much so that even now, watching Araki continuously swing his hammer, they felt a profound sense of awe.
For a moment, no one could say a word.
Just as Araki swung his hammer more than twenty times, shattering the iron block on the forging table into a thin sheet, he turned to look at the father and son, Maemoto Ichiro and Maemoto Takashi, focusing his attention more on Maemoto Ichiro.
Am I in the right posture?
Araki genuinely asked the question, because he couldn't see his own posture and movements at all, and could only try his best to imitate what Maemoto Ichiro had just demonstrated.
During this process, what Araki could feel was a taut line inside his body, as if this line was a guide line to help him quickly master the movement. However, this was still his own idea, and he still needed to seek the opinion of Maemoto Ichiro.