History Main / PercussiveMaintenance

* ''[[Radio/IntergalacticalMagicalRadio The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: Intergalactical Magical Radio]]'': One of the kids suggests to Ronald that they can get the radio station working by hitting it like his father does with the television. Ronald points out that such a technique isn't recommended on delicate equipment, but decides it can't hurt to try anyway.

* ''[[Radio/IntergalacticalMagicalRadio The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald]]'': One of the kids suggests to Ronald that they can get the radio station working by hitting it like his father does with the television. Ronald points out that such a technique isn't recommended on delicate equipment, but decides it can't hurt to try anyway.

* The Fonz (who used to be the page image until a certain troper thought otherwise) on ''Series/HappyDays'', using this trope to get the jukebox to play free songs and as a way to fix some cars. This is, of course, to show how The Fonz can channel RuleOfCool like magic. To the point where he knows [[MachineEmpathy how and where to strike the jukebox]] to play whatever song he wanted. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in one episode where he hits the brick wall of a building to turn the exterior light off. Richie Cunningham is stunned near-speechless, to which the Fonz simply explains, "It's a gift."

* ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'': Milo uses this method, in the form of an elaborate series of blows, to fix both the boiler at the Smithsonian and Mole's digging machine.

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' shows Wash trying to repair a radio, and when the Reds arrive to help out (i.e. bringing Lopez [[spoiler:Dos.0]]), he gets more and more frustrated as the Reds and Tucker bicker, until finally, he punches the radio out of frustration. It works. [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope But only because Lopez Dos.0 fixed it offscreen.]]]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In the ''Webcomic/SkinHorse'' storyline "Unsinkable" we're introduced to Cinderblock, TheBigGuy of the superhero team AG-I, who is also responsible for calibrating their supercomputer. Nera thinks this combination of brains and brawn makes Cinderblock like Comicbook/SheHulk. When they see ''how'' Cinderblock [[http://skin-horse.com/comic/alone-with-his/ "calibrates" the computer]], Jonah amends this to "just regular [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]".

* ''Film/DemolitionMan''. During the final battle between John Spartan and Simon Phoenix, Phoenix tries to use a laser cutting device on Spartan but its power output drops. Phoenix bashes it against a column and its power massively increases.

** In fact the orks take this further in the ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' With [[UpToEleven Percussive CONSTRUCTION]]. While the Imperium uses its once advanced tech to build everything it needs, the Eldar uses its very advanced (easily mistaken for magic) technology and Chaos uses actual magic to build everything. The orks simply have their Gretchin hit a dropped in pile of scrap with wooden mallets until it resembles an actual structure (and the whole thing works because [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve Ork Logic]]).

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsII'' has Section trying and failing to fix a CLAW drone. Frustrated, Harper kicks it, and it immediately starts mowing down every bad guy in sight.

* To quote Ran Kotobuki from one episode of ''Manga/SuperGals'':

* A Capri Sun commercial features a kid who can fix anything this way while drinking their product. Including a locker that's not really broken -- [[WhatAnIdiot its owner simply didn't remove the lock after unlocking it]].

* ''At the Rialto'' by Connie Willis involves a group of Quantum Physicists at a convention. An overhead projector isn't working and one scientist explains that "it needs its fractal basin boundaries adjusted". She proceeds to whack it twice and it works.

* Used by Peter Ustinov's character Jules in ''We're No Angels'' (1955). He opens a lockbox by meditating, then tapping it with the edge of his hand. So this may be OlderThanTheyThink.