new breaking record.

Reuters recently reported on a Malaysian Kung-Fu practitioner setting a new record for coconuts broken with his index finger. The report and video are here. Mr. Ho's breaking 4 coconuts in 30 seconds has set a new record which he hopes will be entered into the Guiness Book.

A couple notes. One, the Guiness Book of World Records seems crazy to me. I mean, how many millions of records are there? The list could go on forever. Alright, that's tangental but looking at the actual break I am both impressed and unimpressed. Impressed by the size of the feat, unimpressed by the method. Coconuts are a particularly difficult material to work with when breaking due to non-uniformity. The difference between coconuts in terms of hardness and density can be huge and it's all in the luck of the draw. This makes it an especially ambitious choice for attempting to set a timed record as you don't really know what you're up against.



I am unimpressed however with the fact that the break seems to be simply a question on raw strength. Watching the video, Mr. Ho pauses several times to grip his wrist and hand in pain. He makes grotesque faces suggesting he has broken something and is simply disciplined enough to work through it. This strikes me as rather undisciplined. If you have not trained your specific body part to break material without being hurt itself, then the technique becomes nothing more then a strong man feat. It's a carnival show, not true disciplined Kung-Fu technique.

What do you think?

Here are some other Youtubes for your enjoyment:





P.S. Thanks to Sherif Ashmawy for sending in the link. If you got anything pertinent, please send it my way..............