Series 1 - China

Madventures

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The boys' first stop is the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province - an important centre for both Buddhism and Kung Fu. However, Riku is unimpressed by the commercialisation of the once-sacred practice of martial arts. They decide to visit the Shaolin Epo Wushu College in Dengfeng to learn some moves from a young student. Although Riku is clearly out of shape, he insists on fighting after some basic training. "Training is for the untalented - I want to fight!" he says enthusiastically. Will his large frame be any match against a trained martial artist? The next morning the pair go to Beijing's Tianjao Market, which specialises in the trade of crickets. The boys learn that specially trained and bred crickets are pitted against each other in combat. "Even the insects do Kung Fu in China," Riku says. As gambling is common at such fights, certain crickets are in very high demand and can cost up to $1,000. Sometimes the competitors are also given steroids to improve their chances. Riku and Tunna decide to buy and train an insect for combat, naming it Jiminy. After purchasing some specialist miniature training equipment, the Finns take the insect to a match. The crickets are aggravated with straws in order to provoke them into fighting. However, it eventually becomes clear that Jiminy is non-violent. "Jiminy's a sissy - he didn't fight!" a disappointed Riku says. Having worked up an appetite, the lads decide to sample an infamous Oriental delicacy - dog. During the 2008 Olympics, over 100 restaurants were banned from selling dog as a foodstuff so as not to offend the sensibilities of Western visitors. However, it is now business as usual again and the Finns decide who will eat the dish by their usual method of rock, scissors, paper. Once again, it is Riku who has to eat the meal - much to his chagrin. "The whole concept of eating a pet is pretty bad," he says. Will he be able to keep the meal down so as not to offend his hosts?

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  • Series 1 - Nippon

    The globetrotting Finns Riku Rantala and Tunna Milonoff travel around Japan.

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