A Skill for Many Uses

Today I punched open a watermelon. I brought out the fruit for the guests, in the midst of my roommate's birthday celebration last night, when somebody jokingly suggested that I use my karate skills to cut the gourd. It would be more entertaining than the conventional cutting with a knife. I jokingly agreed. Somehow I found myself standing over the watermelon on the porch, with all of the guests in front of me on the lawn, like an audience before an act on a proscenium stage. I thought for a moment about which strike would be the most efficient to crack it open with, and I decided on the favored palm-strike. The first time, my hand slipped off after impact, and the watery gourd absorbed most of the shock. Embarrassment. I shook my hand off and assumed a better stance. With everybody watching me (nobody being a martial artist like myself) I realized I had forgotten to do a spirit shout, and probably did not have enough oxygen. I tried again. It cracked a bit and sprayed juice over my roommate Allyse, who had been holding it in place. After a couple more strikes with my palm, I had the watermelon completely split in half and was photographed viciously eating my spoils of victory. I'm not quite sure what the point of the experience was, but I feel pretty cool.