‘Welcome to the challenge’: Female stunt artist wows TikTok with virtuoso nunchuck tricks

A video recently uploaded to TikTok has left viewers in awe of fiery nunchuck tricks, paving the way for a new TikTok challenge while sparking conversations on the importance of female self-defense.

In the video, uploaded by user @mysteriou91, a female stunt artist uses nunchucks to extinguish fires, ignite flames and remove cards stuck between two bottles placed on top of each other. A variety of everyday objects, including candles, textbooks and Coca-Cola bottles, make appearances as well. Several of the challenges in her video were even completed blindfolded. “Welcome to the challenge,” @mysteriou91 wrote in the TikTok’s caption.

Many users commended the artist for her commitment to the years of training that made these stunts possible. One user commented on the effortlessness of her performances, noting that her casual expressions made it seem as though “she aint even trying.” Others saw the video as a symbol of female strength and empowerment, with one user saying, “I don’t need any man to protect me when women like you exist.”

This is not the first instance where @mysteriou91 has reposted viral TikToks that seemingly tackle gender roles. An earlier TikTok from Dec. 18, 2021 satirizes the expectation that women must eat daintily in public and in front of men.

The account, which features videos and repostings from other artists exploring different topics such as fishing, farmwork, kung fu, dance and makeup, challenges narratives where women are expected to be vulnerable, submissive and confined to the home — suggesting that adopting non-traditional roles should not have to come with sacrificing femininity. In the recent nunchucks video, the featured artist’s neutral expression adds an undertone of defiance, speaking out against societal pressures on women to mask their struggles behind a smile.

Since it was first uploaded on March 16, @mysteriou91’s reposting has garnered over 11,000 comments and over 1.7 million likes.

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