Originally Posted by
brendan V Lanza
What are your opinions on this?
Well, back in high school I lay on a bed of nails and had some cinderblocks placed on my chest. There was no chi involved. If you want to impress me, then lie down on one nail without being punctured. One nail will go through you. A bed of nails will support you.
If I remember correctly, e-budo member Joe Yang is something of an expert on the parlor tricks pulled by groups like this-- he has studied the history of such tricks and how they developed from quasi-theatrical demonstrations. He made a great post on it here once. You should search for that post. It's quite informative. It's no more "ki" or "chi" power than David Copperfield's illusions are real magic.
As a matter of fact, these tricks as being a lot like a magic show-- there is certainly an art to it. Sleight of hand, illusion, misdirection, all of these are impressive talents. A man who can pull a rabbit out of a hat has mastered a number of skills. But these skills do not include the ability to summon animals out of thin air. Knowing how to prepare the bricks in advance, knowing how to stack them so that they break cleanly, these are skills. But they are not ki.
David Sims
"Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum." - Terry Pratchet
My opinion is, in all likelihood, worth exactly what you are paying for it.