The Strange Form Of Kung Fu That You Probably Won't Want To Try

Most men would probably do anything to avoid getting hit in the crotch. But the 65-year-old Wang Liutai (pictured above) is not like most men. Per Reuters, Wang is a master of a particularly shocking branch of martial arts: iron crotch kung fu.

You read that correctly. Iron crotch kung fu is essentially just what it sounds like: a martial art dedicated to strengthening one's groin. Iron crotch kung fu is practiced in a variety of ways, from receiving kicks from your colleagues to beating your own groin with sticks. But perhaps the most noteworthy implement of iron crotch kung fu is the 6.5-foot, 88-pound swinging log that crashes directly into the crotch of the practitioner. To an outside observer, it looks excruciating. But according to Wang, "When you practice iron crotch kung fu, as long as you push yourself, you will feel great."

But... why do it? Well, per Reuters, it's less crazy than it sounds. The goal of iron crotch kung fu is to strengthen your body's weak spots, making yourself less vulnerable to attack. Iron crotch kung fu is just one of the many forms of "Tongbeiquan" kung fu practiced in Juntun, a village in central China. Per Tang Xiaocheng — a colleague of Wang's — Juntun's martial arts experts also practice iron throat, iron head, iron back, and iron chest kung fu. Tongbeiquan masters are able to strengthen their body parts through a combination of bone and muscle techniques, as well as special "qigong" breathing practices.