Bamboo torture
Encyclopedia
Bamboo torture is a form of torture
where a bamboo
shoot is grown through the body of a victim. Bamboo torture was allegedly used in East
and South Asia
. Accounts accuse Japanese soldiers of practicing the torture technique during World War II
.
Bamboo shoots are fast-growing, strong, and sharp. They naturally grow through obstructions as the shoots grow straight out of the ground. In bamboo torture, a victim is tied to the ground over bamboo shoots or suspended in the air over young bamboo. The bamboo pierces the flesh and grows through the body in a matter of days. Victims of bamboo torture were reportedly found as corpses impaled by fully grown bamboo.
The MythBusters
investigated bamboo torture in a 2008 episode. They found that a bamboo shoot can penetrate through several inches of ballistics gel
in three days.
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
where a bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
shoot is grown through the body of a victim. Bamboo torture was allegedly used in East
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. Accounts accuse Japanese soldiers of practicing the torture technique during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Bamboo shoots are fast-growing, strong, and sharp. They naturally grow through obstructions as the shoots grow straight out of the ground. In bamboo torture, a victim is tied to the ground over bamboo shoots or suspended in the air over young bamboo. The bamboo pierces the flesh and grows through the body in a matter of days. Victims of bamboo torture were reportedly found as corpses impaled by fully grown bamboo.
The MythBusters
MythBusters
MythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
investigated bamboo torture in a 2008 episode. They found that a bamboo shoot can penetrate through several inches of ballistics gel
Ballistic gelatin
Ballistic Gelatin is a testing medium scientifically correlated to swine muscle tissue , in which the effects of bullet wounds can be simulated. It was developed and improved by Martin Fackler and others in the field of wound ballistics. Ballistic gelatin is a solution of gelatin powder in water...
in three days.