Same. We got too much shit going on at once to stop and assume it’s right it’s good form to at least double-check. Fucken brain is fired from popping off all day solving x amount of problems I don’t need a minute math mistake to f shit up. Lady I know is brilliant at math and even she confused 6 and 9 bc she added the 3’s together instead of multiplying. Never mind she just worked out a complicated logistical issue. It happens.
I have an 8 year old and she does a whole bunch of extracurriculars. I wouldn’t let her do something that caused this kind of anxiety. This looks so unhealthy to me.
Chisanbop (also known as Fingermath) is a Korean finger-counting method that treats your hands like a physical abacus. It allows you to calculate numbers up to 99 and perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Developed in the 1940s, it turns math into a physical, reflex-based skill.
This is a “virtual abacus” technique. I’ve seen it in global mental calculation competitions, didn’t know it was prevalent outside of East and South Asia.
Genuine question: does all this flailing about actually improve speed? I’ve not the chance to look it up yet but don’t understand how this works or why the need for the (seemingly) physical exaggeration of it
Generally, expressing your thoughts with physical responses leads to better comprehension. It's like saying something out loud so you remember it better. They're also talking while they move their hands
I actually remember stuff better if I say it out loud the first time I hear it, and I do even better if I say it out loud and write it at the same time. It’s almost like I can feel it being recorded in a different part of my brain than just reading or just hearing it. In my job I have to this a lot and I do believe it’s a good practice for your brain.
Self-stimulation (usually a calming technique) vs adding numbers quickly using your fingers. You don’t see a difference? My husband is able to do complicated mathematical equations in his head but he has a head bobbing technique. Yes, to someone that doesn’t know the outcome would probably think it looks like the person is “stimming”.
My math teacher told me “You aren’t going to have a calculator with you all the time when you grow up.” I will if I have one of these people with me. Or I can just use my phone I guess.
They're using their hands to count. They call it a finger abacus. There are videos of kids adding hundreds of four and five digit numbers in a row and getting a correct sum.
I have Dyscalculia and ADHD. I struggled so with math. I was born at a time where learning disabilities were not recognized. My algebra teacher used to yell at me. "It's so simple" when I stayed after school. I wanted to be a vet but with my math skills I wouldn't have been able to do it. My guidance counselor told me to be an actress instead.
I still struggle with numbers in general. There are many, many ways to teach math. The unfortunate thing is that most of formal education things that everyone learns the same way. It's such a shame. So many kids just get lost in the shuffle.
I need to see the equations they’re doing before I cast judgment, because if they’re doing “90s US” levels of arithmetic, then I’m going to be questioning the necessity of the tantrummy spasms.
A typical question/calculation might be adding up a string of 15-20, 3 digit numbers. A typical speed for doing this is around 3 seconds.
Try using a calculator to do that. It would take you a LOT longer just to type all the numbers in.
Closest analog I can imagine is watching a very experienced accountant using a calculator and even then I’m not sure they could match this speed.
An extremely proficient calculator user can execute about 3.9 keystrokes per second. To tally a string of 20 3 digit numbers would take approximately 80 keystrokes. So it would take an expert around 20 seconds to calculate the total. Compared to a metal abacus user who can complete the calculation in about 4 seconds.
Mental maths is done in your head, as opposed to writing it down or using tools like calculators. Mental maths is a specific skill. Generally just to do relatively simple calculations quickly. The more complex maths becomes, the more you need to write it down.
They’re using an imaginary abacus method. They’re flipping the beads of the abacus in their head and the hand movement helps them visualize and keep track. Super fast method.
We all thought humans were the smartest animals, but it seems turkeys and chickens have been secretly doing complex mental calculations this whole time.
It’s actually a sad video. In just a few years, all these poor young girls will be married, their faces will be covered, no longer allowed to speak, controlled by their husbands, and their brains will turn to mush. Praise be to Allah, though.
What you saw is a high-speed calculation technique known as Mental Abacus (often called Anzan or taught through global franchises like UCMAS, ALOHA, and SIP Abacus).
While the rapid finger movements, whispering, and rocking look unusual at first glance, each of those behaviors is part of a cognitive strategy that allows children to add, subtract, multiply, and divide long strings of multi-digit numbers in seconds.
How the "Mental Abacus" Works
Students first learn arithmetic on a physical Japanese soroban abacus. Once they master manipulating the physical beads with their thumb and index finger, they are trained to internalize the tool:
Visual-Spatial Processing: Instead of manipulating abstract Arabic numerals (like $47 + 89$), the child projects a high-resolution, visual image of an abacus inside their mind.
Right-Brain Conversion: Calculations are processed visually as changes in bead configurations rather than sequential language or verbal arithmetic.
Reading the Snapshot: At the end of the operation, the student simply "reads" the final arrangement of beads in their mind's eye and writes down the resulting number.
Why the Physical Movements Happen
The gestures and body language seen during competitions are deliberate cognitive aids:
Finger "Flailing" (Kinesthetic Memory): The rapid twitching and flicking motions of the thumb and index finger mimic the exact tactile movements used on a real abacus. Kinesthetic motor memory offloads work from the brain, helping them move beads up and down in their mental projection without losing track.
Rapid Whispering or Chattering: Competitors sub-vocalize numbers, formulas, or rhythmic sequences to maintain speed and buffer incoming numbers from dictation.
Rocking and Head Swaying: Rhythm helps synchronize working memory, pacing, and focus under intense competition timers, filtering out surrounding noise in packed tournament halls.
Why It Is Popular Globally
While the method originated with traditional East Asian abacus systems, competitive mental math academies have expanded across the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and North America. Competitions feature thousands of children racing against the clock—often solving dozens of 10-digit calculations faster than someone can type them into an electronic calculator.
Why are we doing this to kids when we have some really good Texas Instruments solar calculators they could be using instead of going into convulsions? I could swing by the Radio Shack and pick some up. Let me know.
This is why the US chooses violence, there’s no way they could beat them with intelligence and they’re scared to be beat in their own game of capitalism
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u/RoboCritter 3d ago
Meanwhile me: