A: There’s a guy over there hitting a tree. And the tree appears to be bending under the weight of his blow.
B: Are you having a laugh? He’s practicing a martial art, and the tree was originally that shape.
A: But why would he be striking a tree? He appears to be using a lot of force. It must hurt.
Photo: Paul Cooper, Taipei Times 照片:台北時報古德謙
B: He’s probably conditioning his knuckles. It’s a technique where you build up the hardness of your knuckles by gradually increasing the amount of power you use. It helps you build the ability to strike hard objects without damaging your knuckles.
A: 那邊有個人在打一棵樹。而且那棵樹看起來好像被他一拳打彎了。
B: 你在開玩笑嗎?他是在練武,而且那棵樹本來就是那個樣子。
A: 那他為甚麼要打一棵樹?他看起來好用力,一定很痛。
B: 他也可能是在訓練手指的關節。這種技巧是慢慢增加所用的力 量,來讓關節越來越硬。這是讓你能夠打硬的東西,而不傷害手指關節。
(Paul Cooper, Taipei Times/台北時報林俐凱譯)
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