Question 128: Hardening of nails

There are problems with any type of body part forging. First, toughening hampers the body part’s normal operation. You may be able to punch through a brick wall, but you will have to spend the rest of your life using a pencil to peck at computer keys since your fingers will be too stiff to use them. Second, since most people will never incur a self-defense situation in the lives, toughening is a waste of time since the problems it causes far outweigh any potential benefits. Lastly, toughening is not necessary. People normal hands and no martial arts training are fully capable of killing with their bare hands. Mas Oyama, the great Kyokushin karate master, who toured the world breaking wood and stone in demonstrations, and who often attempted to knockout a bull with a punch, had hands that looked similar to paws. In his later years, he expressed regret for the damage he had done to his hands.