Vlad Teps rehearsed this act for years & years...of course he used others to absorb the test thrusts....and they all died...but the R&D has been done hundreds of years ago...I'm waiting for the idot who allows himself to be sliced in half cranium to crotch by a Samurai Sword..now that's an act! Can only be done once though...but if your suicidal, why drag it out?

Think I will stick to stuffing poppers up me bum!!!

There is a short clip of a similar stunt, although the one I'm thinking of had more religious value. The Sufi's have festivals where people dance through the streets, jamming whatever they can find through whatever body parts strikes their interest. The usual seen is pins, forks, knives, lamps, anything sharp and metallic pushed through cheeks, bottom of jaws, arms, and yes.. one man had a sword pushed through his chest. Another man had a knife punched in the top of his head. ***ized as "whirling dervishes" these people are NOT faking anything. They have no reason to. The man that had the sword pushed through his chest lived, the injury was not lethal and he sustained minor bleeding and healed almost immediately. The point of entry was at the ribcage about 6 inches below the armpit and went across (under the ribs) and out right below his opposite shoulder. Ssuchayo, these are NOT performers. It IS real. Just because something is widely known in the illusionary circles as gaffed does not in ANY way mean that what others have done (and do today) is falsified. Do some research. It is REAL.

Hers I video of the festival http://www.bravo.co.uk/worldofpain/clips/mov5.html

I stumbled upon this thread and decided I would take the time and translate what buddy is saying in the video for you guys...

"In this Baule hospital, an audience composed of doctors and scientists are called upon to study the extraordinary case of ?Mirin Dayeau? This Holland man's body can be pierced without damage with a sword. The demonstrations are being conducted by a Swedish wiseman named ?massinni? and can be authentified by his ranking amongst the Swedish officials.

Here we see the "patients" right lung has been pierced without any apparent discomfort or pain, and this, even upon removal of the sword. A severe medical exam completed by a minute radioscopic team proved that any other person attempting these stunts would not survive.

The strange Holland man who apparently portrays a normal shell, has suffered several times, the damage of one or more essential organs for every stunt. This one time, he even punctured his heart"

wow that was tiring... I thought it would take 5 minutes... hehe..i am going to bed

Thanks for that Eric. This is great.

Ros

Looks as if the swords are missing the major organs. I know many who use pain killers like vicodin before doing the pin cushion, could you imagine the pain along with this?

I don't know ANYBODY who would do something that stupid, ignorant and charlatan. First off, if you feel the need to take a painkiller before performing a torture act you shouldn't be on a stage. Wimp. Second off, all painkillers contain anticoagulants, so if you intend on doing body stapling, pincushion, etc. be prepared for a hell of a cleanup. Dumba ss. Thirdly, (this kind of goes back to First) you should already know how to do a certain something to not feel pain if you intend on doing "torture" acts. Pain is entirely in your mind. Your mind is a fascinating tool that can do a myriad of unimaginable things. Scott, if you or anyone you know is doing this quite unprofessional practice of using painkillers, stop now before you seriously hurt yourself or somebody else. Also consider the mental and psychological impact that these drugs have on your systems. Painkillers side effects (sometimes amongst certain people are DESIRED effects) include sleepyness, drowsiness, dulling of senses, inability to focus, loss of concentration, loss of motor function and coordination, slurring of speech, sometimes sensitivity to light (what's pointing at you onstage? 1,000 stage lights pointing at you, each at over 150 watts), these are just to name a few. Forget about the uncontrollable explosive diarrhea and loss of bladder control (that would look nice onstage). I'd say that a drugged out slurring stumbling fakir is the BEST type of presentation you want to shoot for (that's sarcasm there for ya).

I've been lifting serious weight(s) with my piercings since 1996 and I have NEVER used medication, pain mamagement is entirely mental. Here's my best advice on this one... take the word MEDICATION and subsitute a letter "T" for the letter "C". Use THAT while onstage and you'll earn my respect and the respect of the men and women who have been doing this the right way for centuries.

TGN

Anyone know the circumstances of the guy's death?

f

TGN,

Guess some are stronger then others. I never have used them, but I have seen some who do. After 10 shows a day 7 days a week, one builds a tolerance. But, when one starts off the medication helps take the edge off...

1,000's of lights at 150 watts? Wow, your playing the madisson square guardens sideshows aren't you? The 3 side shows Ive worked in barely had lighting.

Diarrhea, I get that from the constant trips to mc donalds late at night. Eating one meal a day off the dollar menu at mc donalds will make any man sick! Surviving that, now theres a stunt!

In conclusion: When your Pin Cushion doesn't arrive for another 3 weeks and you need a "Blow Off" tent, some performers/operators are willing to go to negative extremes to get the job done. With a 95% turn over with the pin cushion blow, Diarrhea and light sensitivity is the least of ones worries. Paying the bills usually wins out.

Not trying to sound like a jerk, just wanted to let you know how it is on the road where I've been. This happens. I personally like the pain, some don't. You may not like what you've read but it happens. It may not be safe, but it does go on...

Thanks for the transcript Eric! I was really wondering what they were saying ... I found this while searching to see what other sword-through-body illusions were marketed, what he is doing is exactly what I intend to do - only mine is an illusion and I won't be bare chested.

JoeJoe

Scott, no worries man. You did not appear to be a jerk. I got ya on the midway bit. Been there a few times for Ward Hall and once for Jack Constantine. The part about the slurring stumbling fakir was more directed towards theatrical stage prescence rather than the 20-shows-a-day-seven-days-a-week. Users of painkillers for theatre venue stage shows, well that lot is sloppy and unprofessional. You'll also notice I tend to exaggerate as well. 1,000 lights I wish! So was the part about the uncontorllable explosive diarrhea and loss of bladder control. Those "side effects" sound amusing when you hear them in commercials... those along with "accidental anal leakage", that one kills me!

Yours,
TGN

Folks, I know no one has posted on this thread in a while, but I was doing some research on Mirin Dajo and ran across this topic.

I would like to add to it to clear up some misconceptions.

1) Dajo did not die from doing the sword through the body stunt. Amazingly, he did this hundreds of times and it did not kill him. Dajo died doing a different bizarre stunt, but the sword did not do him in, although some books have implied that it.

2) The death of Dajo. Dajo believed that his body would move aside and allow the sword to pass through him.
A rich person made a bet with him and Dajo agreed to swallow a metal wedge shaped spike that had a ball on the end. The ball went into the stomach with the spike pointing upwards and the wedge part facing outwards, towards Dajo's abdomen The idea was that it would pass through the front of his body.
Well, this did not work, so Dajo had one of his doctor friends perform and operation to remove the spike.
After the operation everything seemed fine. Dajo was healing rapidly from the operation. Days later, while at a friend's house, Dajo went into a deep meditative state, something that he did often. This time he did not wake up, Dajo had died.
An autopsy revealed that the cause of the death was internal hemorrhaging. It is not clear as to whether this was caused by the spike of the operation that removed it.
Sword swallowers should take special note of this. The hemorrhaging was from a slight perforation of the esophagus into the aorta. The medical report of Dajo's death clearly show just how close the esophagus is to the aorta, the largest artery in the human body, and how vulnerable it is to perforation.

3) And a bit of misinformation I have seen here and nowhere else.... Dajo did not swallow a woman's show and try and digest it. At first I could not figure out why someone would say this, but while doing research, I found one website that make reference to Dajo swallowing a "stiletto."

Just to clarify, here is what dictionary.com says about stilettos:

stiletto
n : a small dagger with a tapered blade

stiletto heel

n : a very high narrow heel on women's shoes

Dajo swallowed the first one, not the second. And when it says he was run through with a foil, they are not taking about Reynolds's Wrap.



Your,

Torture King

Hi Tim,
I was just wondering about something I saw on the deathwish special.A voice-over on a clip of Mirin Dajo being implaled,stated that it was a feat anyone could achieve following dangerous surgery.Im not sure what this meant,but basically my question is,whether or not following all your research,you feel that this stunt would be possible to replicate.

Zane,

The doctor on who was doing the voice over for the original Pathe' newsreel was trying to explain it away, not explain it. It is obvious from watching the film that Dajo is doing something different from what he is saying. For instance, he say that the sword always goes through the same place, but you can clearly that he has numerous marks on his back in many different places where it went through before.
As far as I can tell, the dangerous operation that allows you to have a sword thrust through your body is.... having a sword thrust through your body.

As to whether someone else can do this... I have found historical accounts of this, as well as some contemporary accounts. Usually this is done by Sufi Dervishes in private ceremonies and not as a public display. So other people can and have done it.

I have read medical reports on Dajo, although not as many as I would like to because of the language barrier; most of what is written on Dajo is in German or Dutch.

In the past I have said that this is a feat that I would like to duplicate, and I still hold by this. I am convinced that I can duplicate it. But it will take some interest by a serious backer, someone interested in presenting this for TV or pay-per-veiw or something like that, before I move forward on this

Tim

Incredible. After watching that vid I feel like a total sisified fraud.

I am a bit nervous to post this on the Magic Café. However, I thought you might be interested since my medical specialty is Vascular and Interventional Radiology--I stick people with *VERY* long needles all day and use X-ray, ultrasound and CAT scan guidance.

While I believe this guy was actually getting skewered, I am not sure that
the radiograph (X-ray) on the site:

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/for......ic=35093

is genuine. Of couse, it is so small it is hard to say and if one were actually doing this effect, why would you need to fake a radiograph. (I'd love an enlarged image). If it were real, he appears to be skewering his liver (and his lung). Yes, your liver rides as high as your nipple and...most of the time, puncturing the liver isn't a big deal.

This man may have had bilateral pleuritis from prior pneumonia or TB, causing the linings of his lungs to thicken and adhere to his chest wall--thereby avoiding a "dropped lung" or pneumothorax. If one stays lateral (most of the vessels feeding the lung are central), then the only risk of skewering oneself is a pneumothorax--a complication he is clearly able to avoid for reasons that must relate to his anatomy. One would probably also like to make sure that the blade enters ABOVE the rib (the intercostal arteries run underneath the ribs).

At any rate...if this is real, this man has something peculiar about his chest. Something that cannot be "learned". As a guy who sticks needles and instruments into people ALL DAY LONG under direct visualization so I can actually see what damage I am doing, I am telling you this is a talent that can't be "learned".

As for the transabdominal skewer....stick out the pooching fat pad of your abdomen, go in one side and out the other being careful to stay in front of the abdominal muscles and then "suck" your abdomen back in tight. It will give the appearance of being skewered through the middle of the abdomen with out endangering your intestines, veins, arteries, etc. Most of us, even us skinny guys, have enough fat to do this (just not enough balls).

By the way...Nippulini may be able to lift stuff up with his tits, but he isn't always right... "Second off, all painkillers contain anticoagulants, so if you intend on doing body stapling, pincushion, etc. be prepared for a hell of a cleanup. Dumba ss."

That simply isn't true. The only widely used "pain killer" that is an anticoagulant really is aspirin. It makes your platelets less sticky. Other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti inflammatory medications) are not anticoagulants. Narcotics, the other major class of painkiller, are not anticoagulants (otherwise we wouldn't give these medications to people before and after surgery). He may be under the impression that anesthetics are vasodilators--which is generally true. Anesthetics, such as lidocaine (the most commonly used local anesthetic), benzocaine and others in the "caine" family increase flow in your blood vessels--something to be avoided when piercing the body. However, we give people anesthetics without significantly increased risk of bleeding (otherwise you'd be really ****ed off with your doctor and particularly your dentist). By the way, there is one famous anesthetic that is a vasoconstrictor (make the vessels SMALLER) and that is COCAINE. This is why cocaine is used to treat people with intractable nosebleeds. That is also how it rots your nose out if you are a chronic cocaine user. Chronic vasoconstriction leads to gangrene of the septum of the nose.

Anyways, I doubt that there are very many physicians like me--ones that have interest in the sideshow arts. If anyone wants me to review any medical related sideshow stuff (X-rays, journal reports, etc.) I am happy to do so. I'd be happy to be the "medical consultant to the sideshow". So feel free to e-mail or snail mail you stuff. I have a great collection of X-rays of things placed where they shouldn't be.

Jeremy Weiss
JeremySWeiss@yahoo.com

Jeremy, well put! Hear hear! The comments I made about painkillers were mostly poking fun at a topic (pun intended). The painkillers that I was referring to as PROVEN anticoagulants are the OTC kind. Aspirin, Tylenol, Motrins, that sort of lot definitely cause excess bleeding as you already know that. I stick things in people too, about a dozen times a day (body piercer), the only time my clients bleed is if they have been drinking within 24 hours, have a history of bleeding, or have been on an OTC painkiller (I've even had some clients come in high on Tylenol #3, Vicodin, Xanex, alcohol, marijuana, etc.). I would hope that as you are in the medical field that you would agree with me that any use of painkillers on stage is extremely unprofessional behavior. In addition, the so-called torture acts are all done without letting pain get in the way - sans drugs. Excellent insight to the sword through the chest act, by the way.

TMFGN

Jeremy is a great guy. He attended the sideshow school in Coney Island and he was great to have around. He knows what he is talking about and LOVES the stuff we do here. He is a welcomed addition to our group.

Thanks Todd and Nippulini.
Uhhh, yeah...no one should be on drugs and on stage. Especially doing anything high risk to yourself. There is also always an audience to worry about...and it is the performers responsibility to help keep them safe too. (And of course, if they are enjoying the act, they are likely to be impaired....)