Check out this video of Monk Hai-Tank (wmv file). He's 90-years-old, but he still has "finger skill." Which means that he can stand upside-down supported by only one finger. The video obviously has to be fake. I assume they're supporting him with invisible wires. Special effects like this are pretty standard in kung-fu movies. (via Ceticismo Aberto)
Comments
i have that documentary,and i can olnly say that man
are reel to me,watch closer of his finger!!
there s no wire in his hand ,cuz that man is training this style almoust a 20 years...
this is a one finger zen style,and only man can to that in the china culture is that man monk hai-tank.
"This can be done, because famous movie-star/martial artist Bruce Lee performed a stadium show when he was alive, and one of his techniques was to do a push up without his feet touching the floor, and only balancing on both is index fingures, so I reckon this is possible as well"
I don't know if what you say is true, but even if Bruce Lee DID do this, that by no means proves that a 90-YEAR-OLD MAN could so something similar. For most 90-year-old people, getting out of the chair is a major feat.
"I actually believe this......after seeing my Sifu put a nail into a piece of wood with the palm of his hand (Iron Palm) this looks believable....."
That isn't logical. First off, just because a particular unusual thing can be done, that isn't proof that a DIFFERENT unusual thing can be done.
Second, whenever I've seen the "Iron Fist" trick, the person performing it has had a very padded hand, wrapped in tape. They are also driving the nail into pine, which is a very soft wood. Not that big a trick, really.
"This reminds me of that documentary about shaolin monks that I saw a while back. It featured some really weird stuff, like someone being able to throw a needle through a pane of windowglass and people balancing on two fingers. So yeah, I think that this is quite possible."
I once saw a movie where a giant lizard destroyed Tokyo so I guess anything is possible.
Are you absolutely sure that the things you saw in this "documentary" were legitimate? I haven't seen it so I can't say for sure but I DO know that not everything portrayed in a movie, even a "documentary" is necessarily accurate.
"This is such a cynical bunch, and so trapped in western ideas of strength. If you want a real discussion of "one finger skill" and similar things, take a look at http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/search/topic/14454-1.html"
That's right. I forgot that anything that comes out of a Western culture is automatically "out of harmony with nature" and anything from an Eastern (or indiginous) culture is automatically ancient, IN harmony with nature and inherently superior.
I'm going to save up some money so I can take a trip to Tibet where I will no doubt see streets filled with 90-year-old men walking around on their fingertips. Ah, the powers of Chi.
You'll have to excuse me. I have to turn my computer off and move it. I just found out it's in the wrong corner of my room and its feng shui is making my aura bounce around and cause the bad weather we've been having here on the Oregon coast. Duh. I should have known. It's SO obvious.
This is almost equally impressive as those two twin brothers who made guiness world book of records balancing one ontop of the other using two knives with their tongue, balancing at the tip of each knife.
i would be more impressed if I one day see a 190 year old Shaolin monk balancing on one finger without any support at all.
Yes, the power of Chi. The ignorance of the West will soon one day be matched by the wisdom of the East.
PaiMei
http://www.movecars.com/states/arizona.htm
its 100% its a skill called shaolin steel finger.
Shoalin monks can manipulate chi and do next to imposible things, ican do it with three fingers and the guy that monk hai tank was master to can do it with two. its also not a movie its from a documentory featuring jet li.
"you are all so dense other than one guy that mentioned something about yoga.
its 100% its a skill called shaolin steel finger.
Shoalin monks can manipulate chi and do next to imposible things, ican do it with three fingers and the guy that monk hai tank was master to can do it with two. its also not a movie its from a documentory featuring jet li."
It's a power SO amazing that it is only evident to people who don't understand spelling, punctuation or syntax.
Clearly, if it's in a "documentory," it CANNOT be fake.
Some aspects of the film come across a bit like a communist china nationalist propoganda film (did the goverment have a hand in making this movie?) and no doubt this scene was staged to add a little mystique. An earlier scene depicts this same poor old guy supposedly taking full force blows by a younger monk with a 3 section staff who is clearly only soft tapping him.
The majority of the show was quite impressive, shame on the filmmakers for talking the monks into the less sincere parts.
"Just because most of the old-aged in America are unfit and cannot get out of bed, that does not mean that there aren't old people in this world who are fitter than you. What this old man is doing is entirely possible, whether or not the video is a fake."
Oh, you are SO right, Omar. Once I threw off my Western concepts of fitness and physics, I learned how to fly. Yes, thanks to my rigorous study of Eastern philosophy, I can now fly like a bird. You should see it some time, it's truly amazing. And all I had to do was discard my silly Western notions of what is possible. How I pity those of you who still think that some things are impossible.
as a martial artist i can tell you that everything is true
I am a 23 year old Frenchman living in China since February 2006. I am very fit, a good runner and amateur bodybuilder (meaning I'm not a crank, just someone who keeps an attractive body).
I saw those guys on the stadium ... 80 yrs old +, total freaks. One of them could push some 120 Kgs 15 times in a row, I was like: "oh my f****** god !!!". Guys, as another poster said, just because Americans and Europeans are packs of shapless fat doesn't mean everyone is like that.
There's alot of other "unusual" or seemingly impossible feats, of course it doesn't directly prove this particular one is true, but it does make the statement that certain feats which we think are impossible could certainly be achieved.
To those that think "chi" is a mythical thing and is about as real as as a leprechaun, keep in mind that while there might not be an actual unpalpable force moving through your body, alot of the results of "chi" can probably be explained in western/scientific terms such as contracting/relaxing of certain muscle groups.
When I saw the video I wondered why they didn't show him actually getting into the finger stand, my only guess is that he got into the stand with 1 hand then slowly placed his weight onto that 1 finger?
You just dont accept to be beaten by a 80 years old guy who can stand on 1 finger. It is pride because hes the only 1 able to do that and itsb thanks to his meditation damn noobs... Your just lowbie humans lol.
You Crazy...ofcourse it's true...
I am not confirming whether the footage is real or not because I cannot, but the one-finger stand does exist and is possible. I have personally met and seen a number of masters doing many of these wushu feats. There are also chi kung competitions in China every year where people from around the world compete in all sorts of kung fu, such as throwing needles through glass, hard or iron body strength, breaking a stack of bricks without spacers, finger stands and push-ups, breaking pebbles or tiles with fingers, etc.
For skeptics or outsiders, nothing you say can convince them, and there is nothing wrong with that. This ignorance cannot be blamed because there are so many swindler and fake masters out there that give Chinese martial arts a bad name. Also, the circle of wushu and chi kung, even in China, is relatively small, although it has been gaining popularity around the world in recent years. So for someone not interested or inexperienced in the field, standing up with one finger may not be a believable thing, and if he's skeptical, he probably wouldn't want to spend the time and/or money to find out.
Let me tell you, those of you who have not seen the whole thing, these men are tough. No, more than tough. They train since childhood to withstand physical punishments that would put us all in the hospital right now. Hai - Tank was not faking this. However, he is not the only one who has ever done the Finger Skill, but very few others have the discipline to do it.
He practiced at the major Shaolin temple in China where children are tought martial arts skills, rigorous training and meditation from a young age. There are alot of training methods that are similar there such as finger push-ups and standing on few fingers but he's the only man to be able to stand on only his index finger. He probably was a Shaolin monk but each monk is hand-picked by the Shaolin teachers at the temple to make up the "elite of the elite" practicioners of Shaolin.
I actually first read about his feat in a local scientific journal called "New Science" in a column about "natural wonders". The theory there however wasn't about chi but that his finger has special anatomy.. I don't remember the details written there anymore. I also heard a reference to this man in a NBC documentary about Shaolin.
"Damn you are ignorant lot. This man's feat is well documented."
Great way to start a debate, Dude You'll understand if I ignore you from this point on, I trust.
"It's done by alignment of the spine and I will leave it at that."
Nice way to avoid explaning something that seems probably impossible.
"Alignment of the spine" in no way "explains" a VERY old man doing a handstand on one finger. Sorry. Yes, I realize I'm bound by my Western concept of reality and all that other nonsense people say when they try to justify the impossible and/or irrational, but I'm not buying it.
"I saw him doing something that resembled levitation. Clearly the laws of physics have been suspended and this is not a mere trick."
Just because you can't immediately figure out a trick could have been accomplished, that is no reason to jump to the conclusion that the impossible (or highly improbable) has occurred.
ALWAYS keep open the possibility that it's a trick.
I assume that was sarcastic, in which case I'm laughing along with you.
monk unfortunately is dead now but he has current successors that are training the finger skill. The current person can do this on 2 fingers. This clip is a portion of a Discovery Channel Documentary on Shaolin. Its NOT fake.
"This clip is a portion of a Discovery Channel Documentary on Shaolin. Its NOT fake."
Are you under the illusion that if something airs on The Discovery Channel, it MUST be real?
Sorry, I'm just not buying this whole thing. It would be fun to live in a world where 90-year-old men can balance on one or two fingers, but I don't think that's reality on our planet. I'd be happy to be proven wrong on this, but I'm not going to hold my breath (even though as a master of the martial arts, I can do that for hours at a time).
"Shao-lins are not normal people"
They have Super Duper reinforced fingers?
Also, if you watch the entire biography, he has some other interesting skills. He has not slept on his back since he was 17 and always meditates on a chair at night.
There is a temple in China that was erected for his memory as mastering Chi. George Lucas was inspired by him to create the character "Yoda".
CrankyMediaGuy although I find your responses somewhat witty and humorous, they are as much unfounded in fact as the rest.
"Also, if you watch the entire biography, he has some other interesting skills. He has not slept on his back since he was 17 and always meditates on a chair at night."
So, a biography which claims that a VERY old man can stand on his finger also makes some other questionable claims. And that proves what, exactly?
Sleeping sitting up is not a particularly unusual or difficult thing to do; I do it frequenly myself. His (allegedly) doing that in no way proves that he can stand on his finger.
"So if you cannot disprove the feat, and cannot prove it, how is it labeled on a Hoax site? That seems proven guilty until innocent."
This isn't a court of law. There's no issue of guilt or innocence here. We're simply questioning the ability of an old man (or anyone) to stand on their finger for an extended period.
I think Occam's Razor applies here. The far more likely explanation is that it's bullshit.
It's not fake, yea he's against the wall. It would be damned near impossible not to, maybe he can do that too, who knows
why are you all so quick to disprove something you have never seen before? It's like the earth being round hundreds of years ago, have an open mind
theres a guy on youtube that did push ups with his fingertips, he's a monk too but way younger
"why are you all so quick to disprove something you have never seen before?"
Well, you've convinced me, Crimson. In fact, because of your convincing logic, I'm going to reveal something I've been holding back.
I can fly. No, I don't mean in an airplane or if I'm attached to wires or something, I mean fly just like a bird.
You may be skeptical, but you should have an open mind. I mean, just because you've never seen a person fly, that doesn't mean that I can't, right?
You DO have an open mind, don't you? You aren't one of those closed-minded people like the ones who didn't think the Earth was round, right?
As we know, if someone makes a claim on the Internet, no matter how unlikely it may be, it MUST be true. Please tell me that you believe that I can fly. I wouldn't want to think that you were closed-minded.
Mind said:
"Shao-lins are not normal people"
They have Super Duper reinforced fingers?
>
Actually, yes they do. Via training, and bone growths, they have stronger fingers. If you watch the video closely, his first joint is hideously big due to the bone growths.
If you have done _any_ physical training (which judging by your need to argue with everyone in the world tells me no), you would know that you can gain strength through training. Yes! Even in your fingers.
Iron Palm is the training of the palm, whereas you can break large bricks with your palm impact. This is done by making the hand more resilient via training.
Why did you not argue the temple in his name, or any of the others facts? Why haven't you tried to research and prove to all of us that it's wrong rather than spouting what you "think"? You can sleep in a chair, but you can't sleep in a chair for 8 hours for 70 years of your life.
You are just proving the arrogance of your heritage with every word. Educate yourself, then make fact based retaliations so that you are not just a humorous critic as your name suggests.
"Via training, and bone growths, they have stronger fingers. If you watch the video closely, his first joint is hideously big due to the bone growths."
Um, could that be due to arthritis or another condition, especially since he appears to be a very elderly man?
"If you have done _any_ physical training (which judging by your need to argue with everyone in the world tells me no), you would know that you can gain strength through training. Yes! Even in your fingers."
Ah Ye Olde Personal Attack. I have no idea whatsoever how you go from my alleged propensity for arguing "with everyone in the world" to the notion that that somehow indicates that I have done no physical training. Seems like a non sequitor to me.
"Iron Palm is the training of the palm, whereas you can break large bricks with your palm impact. This is done by making the hand more resilient via training."
Wouldn't strength be more useful than resilience in this matter? I don't know specifically about "Iron Palm," but I do know that some of the usual martial art-related demonstrations are essentially tricks, like the board breaking things we've all seen. Basically, because of the way they're always staged, anyone of normal strength can perform them, no special training needed.
"Why did you not argue the temple in his name, or any of the others facts?"
Huh? I have no idea what you're trying to say in that sentence.
"Why haven't you tried to research and prove to all of us that it's wrong rather than spouting what you "think"? You can sleep in a chair, but you can't sleep in a chair for 8 hours for 70 years of your life."
Well, that's probably true, but who says he's actually done that? I guess you missed it when I pointed out that anyone can say anything on the Internet but that doesn't prove it's true.
"You are just proving the arrogance of your heritage with every word."
"Heritage?" Oh, you mean being a white Westener? I have to kind of laugh at people like you who seem to automatically assume that people from another, perhaps "exotic," culture automatically possess magical knowledge that we poor suckers from the First World do not and can not.
It is certainly possible (and desirable) to try to learn from other cultures, but it's just silly to unquestioningly accept the notion that people from far-away lands are inherently superior to us. Do you also think that the world is going to end in 2012 because the Mayan calendar doesn't go beyond that year?
"Educate yourself, then make fact based retaliations so that you are not just a humorous critic as your name suggests."
Despite whatever inference you may make based on my screen name, I assure you that my questions about this old guy standing on the tip of his finger are genuine. I just ain't buying it.
I'll continue to believe that this is a trick until I can see the stunt done in front of me where I can check for hidden wires and/or camera tricks.
so, the battle continues....
i really want all of you to give me your opinion of this pic, so i shall post it again: