Friends,
I’ve not posted lately, because I’m focusing on my own martial arts training right now and I don’t want to waste much time doing other things. However, this post will take just a moment and I want to share it with you.
The video I’ll be discussing is located here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l3y3B4cls0&feature=related
If you’d like, you can open it and watch it while reading this blog entry.
The video is “Dim Mak Finger Test,” a video in which Ashida Kim demonstrates “Dim Mak,” which is a famous old martial arts technique that has never been scientifically proven. The technique involves simply touching a certain area of the body to cause death. I've heard some claims say that the effect is instantaneous, and some others claim that it can take two or three days, refered to as the "delayed death touch". Nevertheless, many do claim that it exists, although skeptics say it is nonsense. I’m neutral in that subject, as I do not practice an art claiming to teach it, and I have no interest in it, as it is unlikely that the technique could be actually used in a real violent conflict, even if it was a legitimate technique.
Anyhow, on to the video.
We start out with the typical-looking Ashida Kim, wearing historically incorrect ninjutsu attire. This includes a black karate dogi and a ski mask. He is standing in front of a table with a hunting trap on it, and as the music (which is very odd music for the mood of the video) starts, Ashida picks up the trap and says, “This… is a no. 4 steel trap!” with a very dramatic tone to his voice. He goes on to explain how it is used for trapping small game, and he then picks up a pencil and shows that the trap can easily slice the pencil in half. He begins to talk about the concept of Dim Mak and how it relates to ninjutsu (which is doesn’t historically), and then, guess what? He starts talking about what is apparently his favorite movie, “Bloodsport.” I’ve seen him mention this film several times in his videos, so he apparently likes it quite a lot. Anyway, he talks about how the movie relates to Dim Mak, and then performs a hilariously obvious camera trick. Right at 1:20, he stops the film and evidently switches the trap with an identical duplicate, except that it has a dull edge on it instead of the normal toothed edge, used for painfully cutting into the limb of an unsuspecting animal.
Then right after that, he does something very random. He bends his thumb down to make it look like it was cut off, then shows it to the camera. Odd. Then, at 1:29, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! He theatrically slams his hand into the button, causing the duplicate, dulled trap to slam into his fingers. He then picks up the trap, still attached to his fingers, and proudly shows it is on his hand tightly. He then self-importantly and aggressively says, “Let he who says he is a master of Dim Mak take this test!!!” He then releases the trap and pulls his hand out, saying “This power of the hidden hand, the invisible fist,” etc., etc. It’s funny how Mr. Kim even pretends that there is a connection between ninjutsu and Dim Mak, because according to him, “ninjutsu isn’t about combat, it is about invisibility” yet Dim Mak was used in combat, according to those who believe it is authentic. What’s even funnier is how he thinks that just because your hand can withstand a game trap, you’re a master of Dim Mak. Where’s the connection between a tough hand and a very complex martial arts technique presumably involving proper pressure, angle of pressure, accuracy, etc.? What is funnier yet is how Ashida Kim thinks that using a cheap camera trick of stopping the film and switching prop items is actually going to convince people that his hand is capable of withstanding a game trap.
Nevertheless, he seems very proud of himself.
Stay tuned.
The Truthful Warrior
