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Gu Ru Zhang
Ku Yu Cheung
Gu Ru Zhang (Ku Yu Cheung) was another famous Northern Shaolin master who defeated many foreign martial art masters, especially from Russia and Japan. He is best known for his Iron Palm.
Anyone familiar with the western concept of muscles and strength, seeing his deceptively fragile physique could never believe how powerful Gu Ru Zhang was. He would place more than ten bricks one on top of another on the ground, without any support below. With an apparently gentle tap on the top brick, this fragile looking Shaolin master could send his internal force down the remaing bricks and break them all! It is understandable that many modern martial artists may not believe this was possible.
Once, after seeing Gu Ru Zhang's demonstration, a skeptical spectator suspected that the bricks had been tempered with beforehand. He changed all the bricks which were to be used in another demonstration the next day. The following day, without knowing that the bricks had been changed. Gu Ru Zhang piled the bricks up. The spectator expected Gu Ru Zhang to be put to shame. As usual the master slapped on the top brick with his palm; all the other bricks broke.
One day a stuntman from Russia brought in a trained horse and challenged the sick men of East Asia to tame it. When many Chinese were hurt by the horse, the stuntman insulted the Chinese people saying that with all their Chinese kungfu they were no better than a horse. This angered Gu Ru Zhang. He walked towards the horse, and gave one slap of his Iron Palm on its body. The horse collapsed and died immediately. The people, Chinese as well as foreigners, were surprised. There was no mark of injury on the horse's body, but when they cut it open they found that many of its internal organs were smashed.