Polish toughness contests

Can anyone tell me if these actually exist?

I read the story I'll past below recently and just can't work out if it's possibly true.

If there are such things as toughness contests, I'd be really grateful if anyone here could fill me in on a few details. For instance, do people really don the bonnets?

Thank you!

Sam

""Toughness contests are a traditional part of Polish recreational life," Regional Prosecutor Stefan Wojcelski told a court in Stargard Szczeciski, "and the state has no wish to interfere with a playful tradition. But, while we accept amputation as an inevitable part of this we do not accept murder, and I therefore ask for the heaviest penalites to be broiguth against the three accused.

Wojcelski, who was leading the prosecution of three men accused of manslaughter, explained what had happened. "The three men had been drinking solidly all afternoon in the garden of Krzysztofy Azninski, the dead man. They put on traditional toughness bonnets and began a contest. At first they played breath holding contests. Then they hit each other with blocks of wood and banged nails into their own flesh. But then Franciszek Zyzcoszusko put his hand on a chopping block, and dared Krzysztof A to cut it off. Krzysztof A hacked at it with ihis own knife partially severing the wrist then pout his own head on the block and challenged Franciszek Z to chop it off. Franciszek Z beheaded him with an axe. The three (remaining) men decided things had gone too far, stopped the contest, and began singing a folksong "Roll the head of the giant" which woke the neighbours. Thats when they were observed burying the body in the garden."

The three accused pleaded not guilty on grounds of drunkeness."

Does no one know?!

I never heard of this (maybe it's something new for Polish society though).

It's a joke ?

Thanks for replying! I'm pretty clueless about whether it's a joke or not...

I don't think it's that new as the story is supposed to be from the 1990s...

Do you think it's not a true story then?

Well, in Germany one homo asked the other one to kill and eat him and he did that, so everything is possible, but It's definately not normal here that people chop off others' hands.

haha. I guess you're right.

Do the "toughness contests" or anything similar exist? Have you heard of those?

Armwrestling, drinking...

but It's definately not normal here that people chop off others' hands.

Nope thats Saudi Arabia

Either these guys were one noodle short of a brain, or this is a joke meant to
throw people off. never in my whole life did I even hear, and my familys from
Poland, my dad wasnt taught any thing like this, and if it was true, it was isolated
incident which I am sure those boys got life imprisonment for their stupidity.

if you believe this, your gullible. like Giles said, only those countries which
we have seen proof of this, and thats because its their govts laws, or their
not punished like normal people are in civilization. example Saddam who had
control and did whatever he wanted till he was stopped, and I think they only
did it because the whole planet was watching to see what would happen to
such a sick man. he got away with to much for to long.

but no, never ever have I heard of such a game or even a thought like this of
anyone polish and Ive always had strong impressions that Poland was based
on Traditions and Culture and has and always will be Peaceful nation!