The Taiwanese masters of genital weightlifting
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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And then something strange happens. She just drank and drank and had something like 20 litres of pure water.
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This podcast was produced on the lands of the Wabakal and Gadigal people. G'day, Matt Bevan here. This is If You're Listening. We've just finished our four-part series on Taiwan, and while researching this series, Adair Shepard, who helped me write the series, stumbled across an incredible piece of reporting, one that showed truly extraordinary commitment to the craft from ABC foreign correspondent Eric Campbell.
I'm going to regret this. It rather hurts. I think probably 2.5 kilos is my limit at this early stage. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, please, no, please.
Unfortunately, we never found a place for this remarkable piece of television in our series on Taiwan. So we've decided that it deserves an episode all of its own. It's too good to just file away. But just a warning, it does touch on some adult themes in case you're listening with some small ears around. This is just one example of the many unusual situations Eric Campbell found himself in during nearly three decades as an ABC foreign correspondent. He's also about to head back to Taiwan for a story for Al Jazeera. So we thought it was the perfect time to catch up with him. Eric, hello. Hello, Matt. And thank you for that.
I think it's my finest work.
So Eric, this story that you did in 2005, it's titled Taiwan Pulling Power. Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about how you came across it and why you started looking into the practice of Yin-Diao-Gang?
Well, I suppose good investigative journalism, we were going to do a story about the President Chen Shui-bian. And in those days, the Foreign Correspondent Program also had postcards, little five-minute stories about some quirky thing. So I googled Taiwan weird and Taiwan bizarre. And basically, it's an ancient Chinese art form called 印教工. Tu Xin Shang is the Grand Master of Yin Jiao Gong, an extraordinary and controversial form of medicine for men who want to be all they can be. So basically you tie a rope around what you might call the beans and the frank and tighten it and then with a hook on the end of the rope that's attached to you, you lift weights. And the more you lift, the stronger you become, the stronger your chi is, and according to the proponents, the stronger your potency becomes, and they've described it as a form of lifelong Viagra.
Master Two believes conventional medicine will one day recognise the benefits of this exercise and even see it as a safe alternative to potency-enhancing drugs like Viagra.
I should say that there is a link to the video of Eric's report in our show notes today. We will do our best to describe it if you are stuck in the car and you can't watch that link right now, but it's there for when you get to your destination.
I think every man can imagine it.
To be honest, Eric, Adair told me about this story and it wasn't until I watched it that I truly understood. LAUGHTER
After deep breathing, each man ties a soft sash around his penis and scrotum and straps on a five kilogram weight.
I don't really know how to describe it myself. These gentlemen are wearing martial arts outfits, sort of the sort of outfit that you might wear in Taekwondo, but it's very much open at the groin area. and they have a sash and then there's a hook on that sash.
What unusual practice related to weightlifting is explored in this episode?
And what are they attaching to that hook?
Anything. They claim they've pulled planes, a jumbo plane. In this instance, they're pulling a car. The more experienced practitioners are still to discover the limits of in-jiao-gong. As their qi grows, so do their feats of strength.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–4:25
2
What unusual practice related to weightlifting is explored in this episode?
4:25–9:35
3
How did Eric Campbell discover the practice of Yin-Diao-Gang?
9:35–12:30
4
What are the claimed benefits of Yin-Diao-Gang according to its practitioners?
12:30–22:55