Chapter 85: Straw Mattress Obstacle Course (1)
When Anji first attempted to roll, as the book suggested, she faced her first obstacle. Zhao Mingfeng demonstrated the roll in a very cool form. Anji thought the movement looked simple. It resembled a round pebble as long as she tucked her knees towards her chest and curled her spine with her head looking at her belly. However, when she assumed the ready position, she rolled backwards instead of forwards.
Mingfeng did his best not to laugh at the surprised look on his daughter’s face. He should have known this would be a tad too difficult on her. Unlike her golden core and knowledge, Anji was still a tofu princess, as Doctor He described. She did not have the same amount of strength and coordination a regular four-year-old child had. The Rolling Panda Martial Arts might be a tad too ambitious for her.
Clearing his throat to hide his amusement at Anji’s confusion, Mingfeng decided to change this week’s lesson. They should prioritise building Anji’s physical stamina and power first before incorporating any martial arts.
"How about running lapses first?" Anji’s father suggested. "At this rate, it won’t be a rolling panda but a rolling dumpling. We need to strengthen your muscles and practise some coordination movements first."
Anji readily agreed. Although she had learned some basic martial arts from Gu Ying and her mother under Doctor He’s strictly regulated guidance, it was not enough. In the past two months with her shifu, Anji had barely left the hut. Any strength or muscles she gained before would have deteriorated. Apart from the muscles that she used to walk, pick up objects and sit, Anji did not practise anything else.
Instead of running in the courtyard, Mingfeng shifted the straw mattresses, creating several obstacles and a new running route that involved climbing up and down some stacked mattresses as part of her track.
"We will not be timing your progress for the first run," Mingfeng told his daughter. "Follow the course and don’t mind the speed. Remember that safety comes first, no matter your progress."
Feeling excited for the interesting obstacle and running track, Anji bounced on the balls of her feet. Due to her poor health, she had never been given the chance to climb on objects. Her mother barely let her climb any stairs and most times, Lizi would carry her when they had to climb more than a flight of stairs. The stacked straw mattresses rolled up appeared like bouncy boulders. Anji could not wait to jump on them later.
Clapping his hands to mark the start of the obstacle course, Mingfeng watched as his daughter shot off. Although Anji wasn’t a quick runner, she had the brightest smile as she ran.