In a world where warfare is getting more and more technologically advanced and anonymous, it is so good to see that good old Kim is sticking to basics: good old fashioned martial arts. It is powerful no doubt…

This is a pretty impressive display, sure, but how much hand-to-hand combat do troops really engage in these days?

What this video is supposed to accomplish is simple: send a message to North Koreans that their military is ready for any threat. This video was not meant for international consumption per se, but if it did manage to get out, then that’s just fine, because only one thing is better than a patriotic populace, and that’s a terror stricken foe. These types of performances were also a typical part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s PR as well, until very recently, when Chinese generals sheepishly admitted that breaking bricks with your face has no real battlefield application.

These types of demonstrations have their origins in village-level wushu performances, once common throughout the Chinese countryside, but now slowly being replaced by flashier events. There was always the “One man vs. Many” performance, followed by breaking all manner of concrete objects with your hand, with your head, with your belly, on your belly, and on your face. Then a few rounds of getting hit with sticks, hitting other guys with sticks, falling on glass, and flipping through the air.

Without doubt or question the actual level of skill and martial arts technique displayed is very impressive and not something we should take lightly. Any of you who have ever done any martial arts can attest to the incredible level of training and strength (mental and physical) that these sequences take.

While this clip is perhaps not the most convincing PR stunt because of it’s obvious propaganda and slightly old-fashioned displays of martial arts, the physical and mental power of these North Korean soldiers should definitely not be underestimated.

Check out more on this story at Vice’s Fightland