Hey everybody! Get over here and check out this video from stunt performer Todd Robbins because it is thrilling. In the video Robbins uses a rope dart—a Chinese throwing weapon—to nail cans, water bottles, and watermelons with incredible precision and poise. It’s just like Scorpion from Mortal Kombat would… only with less blood and guts and hazy undead ninja eyes.
Robbins, a SAG/AFTRA stunt performer, posted the above taste of his extraordinary rope dart skills to the YouTube channel Kuma Films. Robbins and his brother Joe are the minds behind Kuma, which showcases people from around the world doing wild things. “Wild things,” suffice to say, that consist of a lot of street magic and wicked martial arts displays.
In this showcase of skill and slow-motion camera work Robbins shows how he’s able to use a rope dart to stab, strike, and generally annihilate various objects; including clay pigeons, soda cans, water bottles, and, of course, a couple of watermelons. (What sort of lust for juicy violence have you unleashed upon us Fruit Ninja?!) He also strikes at almost all of them at one point or another from a good dozen feet away. About a minute into the video he even nails flying cans out of the air, which is especially impressive.
The best part of the video, however, is the watermelon showdown, which begins at the 2:30 mark. Not only are the aerodynamics of the rope dart mesmerizing, but it’s also clearly a genuine threat as a weapon. The heavy metal spear at the end of the rope can obviously do serious damage and the way it tears through melon rind makes us think it’d have no problem with skulls and other bones.
Kuma Films
Unfortunately, Robbins doesn’t have a tutorial on how to build a rope dart, but you can find them online if you look hard enough. Although it’s probably not a great idea to buy one. After all, you want to be shouting Scorpion’s famous catchphrase at your enemies, not a 9-1-1 operator.