We all wanted it to be true. In a pioneering use of "deepfake" technology, a 2008 Nokia commercial depicted supposed found footage of actor Bruce Lee playing table tennis with a pair of nunchaku (or "nunchucks," as the chained sticks are often erroneously called). The spot was so convincing that many believed it was real. To this day, if you Google "Bruce Lee," the first suggestion that pops up is "Bruce Lee ping pong." China's Xie Desheng (pictured, right) was not fooled, but he was intrigued. The martial artist and nunchaku expert was 16 when the commercial debuted. Now 28, he has gained international fame for nunchaku tricks such as extinguishing candles, unscrewing bottle caps and knocking an apple off a very trusting friend's head à la William Tell. Last year, Xie set an official Guinness World Record when he took on a table tennis robot and hit 32 balls in one minute. To be official, each official ITTF ball is fired at a minimum of 25 mph (40 kph). Xie holds one end of the weapon in his right hand, cradling the other end in his armpit, striking straight ahead at each oncoming ball before catching the stick back in his armpit, rinse and repeat. While this is certainly impressive, Xie seems dissatisfied. This September, he tried again and set a new record of 34. Now Xie, who must be on a first-name basis with the weary Guinness receptionist by now, has raised the bar yet again. On Wednesday, Xie Desheng set a new world record of 35 hapless table tennis balls knocked silly in sixty seconds. The successful attempt was livestreamed with Guinness World Records officials in attendance. While it was not required for Xie to successfully return the ball, his rapidly increasing accuracy does raise the possibility actually attempting to play a game of table tennis with his versatile weapon. While Bruce Lee would have been a contender, even today at 80, his tragic and mysterious death in 1973 means we will never know how he would have fared at the hybrid sport he unwittingly inspired. So go ahead, get your old pair of nunchaku out of the closet and start practicing. You might just be the world champion of the sport of the future.

More at China Daily