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THEY say desperate times call for desperate measures. So when a Taiwanese man found himself almost down and out and heavily in debt, he began offering himself as a human punching bag for a price. Every week from Friday to Sunday in the evening, you'll find Mr Fan Cheng-En clad in boxing headgear and gloves, ready and waiting at the square outside the Feng Chia University in Taichung city.
For NT$50 (S$2.20), you can have a go at Mr Fan for 30 seconds (one minute if you're a woman), reported Apple Daily Taiwan. The rules are simple: you must wear boxing gloves and you can't hit him in critical areas like his groin. He promises not to retaliate. Inspiration. The 27-year-old got his idea from the 2001 movie Love On A Diet, in which Andy Lau's character Fatso, an obese salesman, ended up with money problems while trying to raise money for his friend (Sammi Cheng) to lose weight.
To raise the cash, Fatso allowed anyone to pummel him for a fee. He managed to raise the money. But Mr Fan is finding this harder to do in real life. He tried his best to "promote" his service to the crowds outside the Feng Chia night market, but there were few takers, only curious onlookers. Pedestrians interviewed said they hesitated because they were afraid of injuring Mr Fan. After a two-hour wait, a man who stood head and shoulders above Mr Fan approached him.
Mr Fan guided the "customer" on simple boxing moves, and put on a pair of gloves for the man. The burly man did not pull his punches and let loose a series of volleys at Mr Fan, who struggled to block and dodge them. He was hit in the head about 20 times. The man later told Apple Daily Taiwan that he wanted to vent his anger after police raided his illegal street stall. "Since there's someone willing to be the outlet for my frustration, I'm not angry anymore," he said.
Mr Fan told Apple Daily that his troubles started because of his failed investments in real estate. He ended up owing NT$6 million (S$262,800). He lost his house and his wife walked out on him, leaving their two children, aged 3 and 4, in his care. Mr Fan's job as a technician at a power plant, which earns him about NT$40,000 monthly, isn't enough to service the debt. His contract will also end this June, and it is likely that it will not be renewed.
To compound his problems, creditor banks applied successfully to the courts last November to service his debt with 70 per cent of his monthly salary. That was when he came up with the idea of being a human punching bag. Thanks to sympathetic friends, the Fans have a temporary roof over their head at a church. Mr Fan said that he is usually exhausted at the end of each day, but he still tries his best to play with his children until bedtime. "I listen to the things they say and I forget about all my tiredness," he told Apple Daily. "They give me strength."
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I'll be your punching bag for $2 <!-- TITLE : end--> <!--
Taiwan man in debt due to bad investments. -TNP --> </td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr> <td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top" width="550"> <table> <tbody><tr> <td> <table> <tbody><tr><td>
The New Paper </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td align="right" width="400"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td align="right" valign="top">
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THEY say desperate times call for desperate measures. So when a Taiwanese man found himself almost down and out and heavily in debt, he began offering himself as a human punching bag for a price. Every week from Friday to Sunday in the evening, you'll find Mr Fan Cheng-En clad in boxing headgear and gloves, ready and waiting at the square outside the Feng Chia University in Taichung city.
For NT$50 (S$2.20), you can have a go at Mr Fan for 30 seconds (one minute if you're a woman), reported Apple Daily Taiwan. The rules are simple: you must wear boxing gloves and you can't hit him in critical areas like his groin. He promises not to retaliate. Inspiration. The 27-year-old got his idea from the 2001 movie Love On A Diet, in which Andy Lau's character Fatso, an obese salesman, ended up with money problems while trying to raise money for his friend (Sammi Cheng) to lose weight.
To raise the cash, Fatso allowed anyone to pummel him for a fee. He managed to raise the money. But Mr Fan is finding this harder to do in real life. He tried his best to "promote" his service to the crowds outside the Feng Chia night market, but there were few takers, only curious onlookers. Pedestrians interviewed said they hesitated because they were afraid of injuring Mr Fan. After a two-hour wait, a man who stood head and shoulders above Mr Fan approached him.
Mr Fan guided the "customer" on simple boxing moves, and put on a pair of gloves for the man. The burly man did not pull his punches and let loose a series of volleys at Mr Fan, who struggled to block and dodge them. He was hit in the head about 20 times. The man later told Apple Daily Taiwan that he wanted to vent his anger after police raided his illegal street stall. "Since there's someone willing to be the outlet for my frustration, I'm not angry anymore," he said.
Mr Fan told Apple Daily that his troubles started because of his failed investments in real estate. He ended up owing NT$6 million (S$262,800). He lost his house and his wife walked out on him, leaving their two children, aged 3 and 4, in his care. Mr Fan's job as a technician at a power plant, which earns him about NT$40,000 monthly, isn't enough to service the debt. His contract will also end this June, and it is likely that it will not be renewed.
To compound his problems, creditor banks applied successfully to the courts last November to service his debt with 70 per cent of his monthly salary. That was when he came up with the idea of being a human punching bag. Thanks to sympathetic friends, the Fans have a temporary roof over their head at a church. Mr Fan said that he is usually exhausted at the end of each day, but he still tries his best to play with his children until bedtime. "I listen to the things they say and I forget about all my tiredness," he told Apple Daily. "They give me strength."
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