Quote:Kung Fu Barber Gives Upside Down Haircuts

Chinese hairdresser trained in kung fu is turning heads with his unique way of cutting hair – while standing on his head.

Wang Xiaoyu of Changsha in Hunan Province was first spotted last year by local media, who found him styling a person’s hair while doing a handstand.

Wang, 36, has been working as a hair stylist for the past 16 years. His new technique makes surprising use of his 18 years’ training in kung fu.

While some say his methods are just a gimmick to attract business, Wang has had many satisfied customers since he started to combine his kung fu skills with his day job.

It is not known whether these customers are pleased with the haircuts they get, or if they simply come for the novelty of having their hair cut by an upside down kung fu expert.

Wang’s technique could be the strangest hair styling method seen since Italian-American hairdresser Pietro Santoro was found to be cutting hair over a naked flame in Washington D.C. last year.

Quote:Last Updated: August 28, 2010
Weather: Melbourne 8°C - 14°C . Few showers easing.
Cage fighter escapes from Russian psychiatric ward
* By staff writers
* From: NewsCore
* August 25, 2010 8:30AM

RUSSIAN police are hunting an ex-cage fighter who escaped from a psychiatric ward by tearing through a fence with his bare hands.

Vyacheslav Datsik, 33, turned to a life of crime after he was deemed too violent for the no-holds barred sport, RIA Novosti said.

The powerfully-built Datsik was locked up in a high security psychiatric clinic in 2007 for robbing mobile phone stores but authorities moved him to a low security facility in St Petersburg in July.

Datsik used his immense strength to escape on Saturday.

"He tore a hole in a chain-link fence with his bare hands and fled. We immediately informed police about his escape," the hospital's shocked chief doctor, Leonid Yefremov, told the fontanka.ru news website.

Datsik's former cagefighting career was dogged by accusations that he endangered his opponents by being too brutal in the ring.

The martial arts expert was repeatedly disqualified for being too violent before he threw in the towel after losing six straight bouts from December 2001 and February 2003.

Datsik escaped criminal charges over his subsequent robbery spree because he was diagnosed as mentally ill.

Authorities suspect the brawler has already re-offended.

A salesman at a St Petersburg mobile phone store told police that a "hefty man" raided his business on Sunday, making off with about 7000 rubles ($227) and a Nokia phone.

The assistant identified the robber as Datsik from a police photo, RIA Novosti said.

Quote:MC Hammer -- the 48-year-old entrepreneur, rapper, dancer, reality TV star, ordained minister and former Oakland A's bat boy -- said his recent foray into mixed martial arts isn't a gimmick.

In July, the former Stanley Burrell created Alchemist Management, promoting about 15 MMA stars, including Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko and Nate Marquardt.

"If I could today, I'd be a fighter myself," said Hammer, who still looks in dancing, if not fighting, shape. "I love the combat. The world is like that today. Everyone loves to battle. You get all your frustrations out."

Hammer said that while growing up in Oakland, he was big into karate and a big fan of legendary fighter/movie star Bruce Lee, who was born in San Francisco. In fact, Hammer and the neighborhood children would have karate battles.

"We would fight kids from other neighborhoods," he said, "and then we'd go to the legendary Lux Theatre to watch the karate movies."

In fact, Hammer said if you look at his video for Addam's Groove, you can see some karate-style moves.

"See, I've been big into it for a long time," said Hammer, who also boxed while in military service. "That's why I think I would have gotten into MMA fighting if I were young again."

But now he'll just focus on the promoting the sport.

Just a few weeks ago, he helped UFC president Dana White with a little situation in the Bay area when the San Francisco Chronicle wasn't covering much UFC. White used Twitter to spread his thoughts on the subject, and Hammer joined the fray.

"I didn't do much, but I thought it was important that the newspaper understood how big MMA was becoming," Hammer said. "So, while I was doing business in New York, I called the Chronicle's editor to voice my opinions. I did my little part to help. The sport is going to change the world."

And Hammer said he'll be there to see it happen. I guess you could say … it's Hammer's Time again.

"And, no matter how overwhelming a fight can get," he said, "you can always tap out!"