Kung Fu Science
Launched on 4 August 2005 as part of Einstein Year, www.kungfuscience.org reveals the physics behind the power of Kung Fu strikes.
Video clips starring Chris Crudelli, presenter of BBC3’s ‘Mind, Body
and Kickass moves’, shows the Kung Fu master training physicist
Michelle Cain to break a block of wood with her bare hands. Text and
diagrams alongside the video clips explain the techniques used to
ensure that the block breaks while the hand doesn’t.The laws of physics come into play as Chris and Michelle work out the force needed to break the board, and measure the speed of the strike using high speed cameras in order to calculate the energy produced on impact.
Newton’s laws of motion also help to explain the difference between western-style boxing and Kung Fu, and why a quick Kung Fu jab can do more damage than a heavy-weight boxer’s slug - www.kungfuscience.org.
