It is not unusual for fathers to want their children to grow up to be happy, healthy and successful people. It is rather more unusual for a father to train his 8-month-old son in kung fu, in the hope he will one day make it into the Shaolin Monastery and become a kung-fu master. That appears to be what this Chinese father has in mind, as he attempts to give his son a head start in life by teaching him the art and skills of kung fu.

Video posted on Youku on March 4, 2013

The video shows him helping his son perform acrobat-like somersaults, while he holds him by the wrists and ankles. The exercises are presumably designed to improve strength and flexibility, but ever since a web user in Guangdong Province published the video on the Chinese equivalent of YouTube, ‘Youku’, the father’s antics have attracted strong criticism from fellow web users.

The video has received roughly two times more ‘don’t likes’ than ‘likes’, as well as dozens of negative comments. One web user remarked: "He cannot be his biological father, or if he is, he’s a complete jerk." Another fumed: "When the baby’s back is deformed, it’ll be too late for regrets. What will he do if he dislocates his shoulder? This idiot of a father should think about what he’s doing."