Kriti Mehrotra
With TLC’s ‘Most Extreme Humans’ chronicling the tale of individuals with the rarest medical and physical conditions known to society, we get a clear insight into their daily experiences. Among them is Dimas Sapturo (better known online as Dimas Luffy or Dimas Bengkong) in the episode titled ‘Bending the Rules,’ owing to his severe Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder. Hypermobility is a bone/tissue ailment wherein one’s joints can move beyond the normal range of motion, often even causing pain, sprains, stiffness, stretchy skin, and/or dislocations.
Dimas Sapturo Sacrificed His Education to Escape Bullying
A native of Teras Village, Indonesia, Dimas Sapturo was born in 2008 into a reportedly caring, loving, and supportive family as a normal child with no markers of something being amiss. He thus grew up in a completely ordinary environment alongside his siblings and cousins, according to the episode, only for everything to take a drastic turn after he turned 5 years old. That’s when his body began changing in rather quick succession – he kept having growth spurts, but it was particularly his limbs that kept getting longer while also bending at unique spots.
Dimas’ grandparents wanted to take him to the hospital and have him checked as soon as possible, but they couldn’t afford it at the time. Therefore, it wasn’t until he was 18 in early 2026 that he got his official diagnosis of Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (or simply HSD). Since the youngster had no idea what his condition was, all he knew growing up was that he had bamboo-looking arms, flatish legs, elastic skin, and uniquely proportioned limbs. He was admittedly also always left wondering why he walked on his toes or sides when everyone else walked on their soles and why he could never wear shoes or sandals after age 10.
However, the worst of Dimas’ experiences came in school because he “felt really down” and “utterly alone’ at almost every step of the way. Since his ailment presents itself in a physical way and affects how he looks, he claims his peers were either afraid of him or made fun of him. “They called me ‘elastic boy,'” he said on the show. “They teased me with phrases like, ‘Can’t you stand properly?’ That made me sad… When people stared, I felt uncomfortable.”He added, “I felt something was wrong with me… Maybe because I’m disabled, they didn’t want to be friends,” so he ultimately dropped out in the hopes of escaping all the negativity.
Dimas Sapturo Hopes to Establish Himself as a Silat Martial Artist
After Dimas left school, he found solace in two very different things: the traditional martial arts form of Silat and working at his cousin Aji Sapturo’s tropical fish store right next door. He admittedly found peace as well as strength in both avenues, claiming they taught him what it means to stand up for himself and focus on what matters in life. He even said in the episode that if the fish store is empty, he likes to just sit and observe the animals swimming around in their tanks for hours. Among them, his favorite is the Betta Fish because their core qualities are aggression, protectiveness, and vibrancy, which he hopes to emulate in his own life.
“My dream is to become a warrior in Silat Martial Arts,” Dimas candidly stated in the documentary. “If anyone bullies me, I can protect myself.” Since Silat combines fast movement with close-combat techniques while also centering on the concepts of balance, humility, and peace, the 18-year-old’s desire to master it clearly stems from self-defense. He doesn’t want to harm anyone through his training; he simply wants to care for himself, protect those who might need it, and devote himself to spreading the art’s message. His trainers don’t push him too much because they understand his body’s limitations due to his condition, but they ensure he gets what he needs from every session and passes various classification exams. Dimas was told by his doctor after his diagnosis at age 18 that he could continue with the sport, provided he sticks to Shadow Silat, because actually punching hard surfaces could injure him.
As per the youngster’s medical records, he dislocated some bones as a kid that were never identified or treated owing to his hypermobility, so his body continued to grow after adjusting to them. Therefore, continued pressure on such bones could cause further harm, but Dimas is resolved to remain on the path to becoming a fighter, albeit with additional precautions. In fact, these days, the fish store employee is not only a member of the prominent Silat Martial Arts organization called PSHT (Persaudaraan Setia Hati Terate) but also actively competes in national competitions. He has already appeared at Bondan Gemoy events and won the Shaduk Jotosh belt in 2026, but his hope is to one day compete for the Pro Lightweight 60kg Championship Belt. We should also mention that Dimas is a rising social media creator, going by the moniker Dimas Luffy as a way to compare his physical traits with Monkey Luffy, the rubber-powered anime character from ‘One Piece.’
Read More: Herson Steven Leon Valdez: Where is the Most Extreme Humans Star Now?
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