Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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THE TABLE — Mastering a sport or skill is no joke, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it into a joke.
In fact, I would argue that the most compelling sports figures are those who, at the end of the day, don’t take their sport or themselves too seriously. Sure they train hard and set all sorts of ambitious goals, but they also like to make fun of themselves or sport just a little bit.
Think of all the athletes who’ve hosted “Saturday Night Live” or appeared in a “SportsCenter” commercial.
Now, I know that some people wouldn’t even call ping-pong a sport, and more people might even feel that ping-pong is inherently funny. Especially with the seemingly over-the-top stances, swings and concentration. But that’s not why we’re here today.
We’re here today to enjoy a few laughs with and be amazed by ping-pong mater Takkyuu Geinin. In the video, Takkyuu uses all sorts of different objects to get a unique-sounding ball hit. By itself, that’s perhaps mildly entertaining. But Takkyuu is a master, so of course he takes it above and beyond.
With every hit, Takkyuu also knocks down a small pin placed on a corner on the opposite side of the table. From frying pans and wine glasses to maracas and Whoopee Cushions, the pin comes down with a well-aimed ping-pong ball every time.
When you think about all the different weights, sizes and textures of each different object, you start to realize how freakish and amazing his mastery of the sport really is.
And if that’s not enough to entertain you, he also yells funny things in the video. There’s something for everyone. Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to write about. Follow her on Twitter at @monstergar.
