Hard Kungfu: former Shaolin disciple drills his head

Zhao Yue in southwest China's Sichuan Province points an electric drill at his temple on March 17, 2015. [Photo: newssc.org]

A 24-year-old man from southwest China's Sichuan Province has gained popularity in his town for his "tie tou gong" (iron head).

The young man called Zhao Yue performs kung fu tricks that include lying face down on four steel spears (with one placed on his throat), hitting his head with an iron bar, and forcing a steel bar to his throat.

These, according to Zhao, are all warm-up exercises for his main performance, drilling his temple with an electric drill.

After drilling for around 10 seconds, the electric drill only left a crimson mark on his temple.

Zhao said he had been practicing these tricks for over five years, with a focus on external strength.

He has been learning free combat and hard qigong at the Shaolin Temple in central China's Henan province since 2009. After leaving the temple, he worked as a kung fu tutor and also performs his tricks to the public.

"Studying kung fu is not only a good way of exercise but also gives me confidence," said Zhao.

But he warned amateurs, especially children, that his performances are very dangerous and require strict and difficult training. Do not try to imitate him without professional training.