Question: What is Body Toning World Records?
Answer Body Toning World Records is a DBA (doing business as) name of totaltoning.com, an Internet business featuring physical flexibility. It is not only a business, but also a community. Up to December 2005, it has accumulated 11,902 active members worldwide. These members represent a broadly-based community of coaches, performers, athletes and fans of body flexibility. Since the year 2005, Body Toning World Records is collecting the data of most flexible people in the world and building records.
Question: Why do such Records?
Answer: First, it is fun. Second, it is an art. It is true that art can not be measured by rulers. But there must be some means of records and numbers in order to promote it in a way that fits in the pop culture.
Question: What uniqueness do Body Toning World Records have?
Answer : Most of other physical records nowadays feature the body flexibility in a manner of freakish physical extremes. However, we believe flexibility skills are artistic and athletic. Not only natural flexibility is necessary for the participants, but also professional trainings are needed to do the poses. We deliberately exclude those freakish body positions which could be demonstrated with natural flexibility only. Without intensive trainings in a professional genre, it is impossible to compete for these Records.
Question: Who can participate the contests?
Answer: Anybody can. But those with professional trainings have a better potential to win, such as gymnasts, acrobats, and dancers. However the participants are not limited to these disciplines. Anybody can try.
Question: Do you have an age limitation? Gender limitation?
Answer: The contest does not have gender limitation. Both male and female can compete for the same record. The minimum age of the participants is 18, in order to encourage people to develop and maintain excellent flexibility into older ages.
Question: Will you issue financial prizes along with the certificate?
Answer: From now on, yes. We will issue decent financial prizes. We have set up seven individual Records and one general Record. Multiple winners will be generated and each of the winners will be awarded.
Question: Who are decision makers?
Answer: Founders and sponsors who contribute to the work can influence it.
Question: Do you have a record holder right now?
Answer: In the year 2005, we granted the first place to Liu Si Yu. In a sense, she is the record holder. However, she is did not compete with other participants. We issued the award to her willingly, because we want to start the Records from a starting point. It is kind of "chicken or egg" thing. We need to start it from somebody.
Question: Why Liu Si Yu?
Answer: She is an accomplished contortionist. She has won the Golden award of an acrobatics contest with her flexibility skills in the year 2000. She is not only naturally flexible, but also acquired advanced equilibrium skills from professional trainings. Her strength and flexibility in the back, most joints, and muscles are well balanced. She has toured many countries with her contortion act. Many experts in acrobatic fields from various countries were amazed by her flexibility and generally recognized her flexibility as the best. Based on the worldwide acceptance of her skills, we granted this first award to her. In the following years, we welcome elite artists and athletes to challenge the record holder. By that time, Liu might possibly not be the record holder any more.
Question: How many records does Liu Si Yu hold?
Answer: We have seven poses tested. Please see rules and procedure page. Liu Si Yu was qualified for A, B, C and F. Among those poses that she qualified for, we found she does three of them quite well: A, C and F. So, these Records are temporarily held by her.
Question: When and where will the next contest take place?
Answer: Time is set to year 2006. We are looking for a company or organization which can host this event with a big local support. It does not matter which country, but the city must be a modern city with vivid business environment, and a good understanding in arts among residents.