Samurai chops 160km/h baseball in half

Fast reflexes are a prerequisite for most top athletes – particularly any sport involving a bat and ball.

Now a Japanese sword master has combined two of his nation's great loves – baseball and samurai – to deliver the ultimate show of lightning quick reaction.

Standing about 10m from a baseball pitching machine, Japan's modern day samurai master, Isao Machii, has underlined his unbelievable hand eye coordination to slice a baseball in half as it speeds towards him at an astonishing 160km/h.

Forget dodging Mitchell Johnson bouncers, Machii has some seriously fast reflexes.

Footage of the "blink and you'll miss" it moment, shows the Guinness World Record holder allowing two balls to pass to prepare for his stunt before drawing his samurai sword at the third ball with the speed of a striking cobra to slice it in two.

The video has gone viral and is sure to give Machii, a master of the sword-based martial art, laido, a legion of new fans.

We can only imagine his skill in the kitchen, not to mention his prowess in the batting cage.