# This man pierces coconuts with just his finger - How is this possible?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-man-pierces-coconuts-with-just-his-finger-how-is-this-possible/697193>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 1, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-man-pierces-coconuts-with-just-his-finger-how-is-this-possible/697193 "2014-09-01T21:14:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-man-pierces-coconuts-with-just-his-finger-how-is-this-possible/697193/1 "2014-09-01T21:14:20Z")

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Apparently not a magic trick. I’ve seen the woody shell of a [supermarket coconut](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut)and I can’t image a human finger, regardless of the power behind it is going to pierce that hard woody shell. Are these green coconuts much softer than the supermarket coconuts or is he generating superhuman amounts of force with his finger?

[Story here](http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/kung-fu-masters-finger-of-steel-can-puncture-coconuts-imagine-what-it-could-do-to-your-skull.html)

[Video here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcHe1gGv2z4)

> [@](#):
>
> Kung fu master Ho Eng Hui doesn’t need any fancy weapons, because nature has given him a pretty awesome one – his index finger. His incredibly powerful finger can pierce coconut shells, releasing a burst of sweet water from inside. He proudly declares: “This finger of mine actually helps me raise my family.”
> 
> Ho has been performing his amazing ‘finger feats’ twice a week at a special spot on Jonker Street, in the Malaysian State of Malacca. The government assigned him this spot in the year 2000, and he has been entertaining tourists and locals alike, ever since. Every Friday and Saturday, he travels to the spot from his home in Johor Baru city, to perform between 8 and 9 pm. Prior to his gig at Jonker Street, between the years 1991 and 1995, he performed at Bugis Street in Singapore.

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-man-pierces-coconuts-with-just-his-finger-how-is-this-possible/697193/2 "2014-09-02T02:25:44Z")

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A typical cocoanut has [three softish “eyes”](http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Coconut). Compared to the hard shell, these would be much easier to penetrate with a finger.

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**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-man-pierces-coconuts-with-just-his-finger-how-is-this-possible/697193/3 "2014-09-02T05:56:46Z")

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These are probably young coconuts with their husks still on. The shells of young coconuts aren’t as hard as those of mature coconuts. Still, it’s a pretty impressive feat.