Fight Club

Researched and Conducted by Harikrishnan M B

Gyanartha Quiz Club, GEC Thrissur

August Informals

Which weapon?

While originally meant to look like scimitars, the description was literally taken to

the extreme when used in X. The weapon is completely fictional but bears

similarity to ancient weapons such as the khopesh and orak among others.

Although unable to penetrate armor, it gives the wielder tremendous

maneuverability of wrists and is best used open combat.

Dothraki Arakh

In 2008, Nokia released a limited edition phone a tribute to Bruce

Lee since that year was his 35th death anniversary. As a part of the

ad campaign, they released a CGI footage of him playing Ping

Pong against another person. The footage became viral as many

believed the footage to be authentic.

In the video, instead of a paddle, the fake Bruce Lee used

something else which enabled faster strikes and more flexible

manoeuvres than what was possible with a normal paddle.

What object was used by him instead of the paddle?

Nunchaks

https://youtu.be/SncapPrTusA

What did he do?

When Jason Momoa appeared to audition for the role of Khal Drogo in Game of

Thrones, the show runners informed Jason that Drogo doesn't talk much and

there was nothing in the script for him to do the audition.

Then Jason came up with an idea and performed something that resonated with

the intensity and bruteness of Drogo's character.

In his words - "It was challenging to do the audition afterward — I couldn’t stop my heart from beating. The first time I did it, they were very scared. But then they

wanted me to come back in so they could put it on tape.”

Haka

https://youtu.be/svPRlZj-fuI

The TP-82 was a triple-barrelled Soviet pistol that was carried

by cosmonauts on space missions. It was essentially a sawed-off, double-barreled

shotgun with a short-barreled rifle added onto it. The detachable buttstock could

be as a machete when needed.

TP-82s were carried regularly on Soviet and Russian space missions from 1986 to

2006. They were part of the Soyuz capsules as well. Astronauts of all nationalities

have trained to use the TP-82. In 2007, the weapon was retired and replaced by a regular semi-automatic pistol that would be used on future missions.

What was the need of these guns for a cosmonaut?

To defend against bears and wolves incase they

went off course and landed in the Siberian forest

during return

The meteor hammer often referred to simply as meteor, is an

ancient Chinese weapon, consisting at its most basic level of two weights

connected by a rope or chain.

It could be easily concealed as a defensive or surprise weapon, being of a

flexible construction. The primary advantage for using a meteor hammer was its

sheer speed. When used by a skilled fighter, its speed, accuracy and

unpredictability make it a difficult weapon to defend against.

Where would you have seen a modern version of this weapon in action wielded

by a rather crazy but attractive person?

Used by Gogo in Kill Bill

https://youtu.be/x9iIKn1Bl6c

What is it used for?

A body chord is a connecting element used in

an electronic detection system. It consists of a

set of two/three prongs that is connected to

the user's _____ and a lamé (an electrically

conductive garment) or a wire reel. Typically, a

body cord is worn under the lamé.

Detecting weapon touches during Fencing

Name this weapon

______ is a naturally occurring host defense peptide that has the ability to fend off

against the human influenza A virus and is now being used as an anti-flu drug. It is

produced by the skin of Hydrophylax bahuvistara, a species of frog found in South India, and was discovered and isolated in 2017.

Electron microscope images of the virus after exposure to the peptide revealed

that the virus had been completely dismantled which inspired the researchers to

name it after a weapon from their homeland which could literally slice and dice

multiple enemies while protecting the user at the same time.

Urumin from Urumi

What popular notion?

This popular notion is likely rooted in artistic convention but it's largely a

misconception. It was an idea borrowed from the puppet handlers of theater,

who did this in an effort to simulate props moving independently of their controls,

which later became how ______ became portrayed in theatre as well.

While it may look effective in the first glance, in reality it'd have rather stood out and done the opposite of what it was meant to do.

Ninjas wear black clothes

The most common misconception about the existence of this design feature is that it

allows blood to flow from a wound for easier blade removal. Other versions say that it is to

let air in to prevent suction and to reduce noise upon withdrawal.

The real reason is simpler and rooted in actual physics. The feature reduces the blade's

weight without compromising its strength too greatly. The same approach is used in

engineering in the shape of the I-beam.

What am I talking about?

Blood grooves in swords

Otoya Yamaguchi, was a member of a group which, among other things, wished

to get rid of Western influence and restore Japan’s traditional culture. He chose

something that was fitting to represent his purpose than what a normal person

would choose for an "endeavour". He did it infront of the public & national

television and succeeded after two attempts.

He was convicted and jailed. Three weeks later, he committed suicide after writing on his cell wall: “Seven lives for my country. Long live His Imperial Majesty,

the Emperor!”. What "endeavour" and what did Yamaguchi choose to do it with?

Assassination of Asanuma using a samurai sword

FITB

During their 2010 elections campaign, the Swedish liberal party Folkpartiet proposed a

mentoring program for young and new employees. According to them, apprenticeship

can help to overcome the high youth unemployment.

One of their posters for the program read: "No ______-___ without _________" as a reference

to two people. It was quite fitting as it highlighted the importance of having a proper

apprenticeship under a experienced master in order to be successful.

In fencing referees often check the blades used by subjecting them to a 750

gram weight test. This is done so because during the bout, whenever the tip of

the blade is depressed beyond a pressure of 750 grams, an electrical circuit is

completed which causes the scoring machine to light up and a touch is

registered.

This modern practice is actually derived from old duelling customs. A pressure of

750 grams is the equivalent tension required to cause something that would have guaranteed a victory in a duel to the first person who did it.

What was this victory criteria that would happen at a pressure of 750 gm?

Minimum amount of tension required to

break the skin and draw first blood.

Give me X

Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk widely regarded as founder of Shaolin kungfu. When

he first arrived at the Shaolin Monastery he was either refused entry or being ejected after

a short time, after which he lived in a nearby cave, where he "faced a wall for nine years,

not speaking for the entire time". After nine years he was admitted to the monastery.

In one version of the story, he is said to have fallen asleep seven years into his nine years of

wall-gazing. Becoming angry with himself, he cut off his eyelids to prevent it from

happening again. According to the legend, his eyelids upon hitting the floor created X

which aptly has been helping students through the centuries that followed to prevent

such a fate happening to them during zazen (a type of seated meditation).

Tea plants

In February 2012, the headline of the ESPN official site was titled "_____ __ ___

______", as a reference to Asian American basketball player Jeremy Lin. It was a

nod to Lin's unsuccessful game against the New Orleans Hornets, suggesting that

his popularity and winning streak were weakening.

Many people found it offensive as one of the words in the phrase is also an ethnic

slur against someone of Chinese descent. It generated much controversy and ESPN quickly removed the article, apologized and fired the editor.

Give me the phrase which actually refers to a person's area of vulnerability?

Chink in the armour

The F5 is the finishing move of WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar. The name is a reference to a force of devastation whose characteristic feature is seen during the

execution of the move.

He specifically named it F5 as they are the most violent and powerful among

these forces when scaled and thereby declaring that his move is very dangerous.

Name the force of devastation and what does F5 denote?

https://youtu.be/gQN84jlMKlU

Tornadoes, Fujita Scale 5

ID X

Muay Thai or Thai Boxing is the national sport and cultural martial art of Thailand.

It is a form of close-combat that utilizes the entire body as a weapon.

Before there were Thai Pads or kicking bags, one of the most popular and well

known training techniques in the sport was kicking Xs. The soft and porous nature

of the X was ideal for practicing leg kicks and knee strikes. X was abundant in

Thailand and found in most homes as well. It was preferred because it was soft enough to not damage the fighters leg, but hard enough to powerfully strike

many times before it wore down.

Banana Trees

https://youtu.be/RIIgge9-i24

FITB

The world championship bout held on March 17, 1990 between WBC world

champion Julio César Chávez of Mexico and IBF world champion Meldrick

Taylor of USA, was a historic event in professional boxing.

It was titled "_______ Meets _________" after two entities that appear together

(albeit a few seconds apart) as an allusion to the explosive punching power of Chávez and fast handspeed of Taylor.

Thunder meets Lightning