How far would you do?

[Sidekick]

I was just reading Gift From The Gods by Val Andrews which is a book on the great life of Ching Ling soo, who is my favorite stage illusionist for his amazing skill and his understanding of making a character for the spectators experience, he was an American actually

So I finished the book and well I know most of you know that he died performing the bullet catch, loads of magicians have died from the bullet catch, they all risked it not to just for the spectators but for themselves they risked death.
Maybe not a bullet catch for us modern close up magician but maybe something like Through and Through by Dan Hauss or some of the REAL geek magic which have a great risk behind them, How far would you go to perform?

I mean just risking it so that the audience will have a good time and for you.

Share your thoughts!

EDIT: The title is wrong its supposed to say How far would you go?

 

[Justin.Morris]

Well, my faith and my family are my biggest priorities in life. To be honest, entertaining people is WAY down on the list (even though I love doing it). So to be honest, I wouldn't do anything that puts myself in any serious harm's way (but of course I would create the illusion if it was safe). I've got way too much to live for. But even when I was a single guy, my life and quality of living was much more important to me than trying to entertain people.

On top of all that, people can be entertained without watching people do stupid stuff.

 

[Luis Vega]

I want to die performing a Double Lift.....

 

[CorbinB]

I want to die performing a Double Lift.....

Haha. But then the double would split.

 

[willabbotsm]

And all your family will cry.... over the fact that a perfectly good double just split.

 

[CorbinB]

And all your family will cry.... over the fact that a perfectly good double just split.

Lol, took me a while to get that. Nice one

 

[AsherF]

I'm sure a lot of people will differ on this subject. Which makes for good conversation. Because not too many people would die for a hobby. To, me, I would die for my art. It means that much to me. My art isn't just magic either. But I live for it.I live for my family, my friends, faith, and my art, and each would be something I'd die for. I may sound a bit overboard. But its the truth.

 

[KeoSilver]

I was just reading Gift From The Gods by Val Andrews which is a book on the great life of Ching Ling soo, who is my favorite stage illusionist for his amazing skill and his understanding of making a character for the spectators experience, he was an American actually

So I finished the book and well I know most of you know that he died performing the bullet catch, loads of magicians have died from the bullet catch, they all risked it not to just for the spectators but for themselves they risked death.
Maybe not a bullet catch for us modern close up magician but maybe something like Through and Through by Dan Hauss or some of the REAL geek magic which have a great risk behind them, How far would you go to perform?

I mean just risking it so that the audience will have a good time and for you.

Share your thoughts!

EDIT: The title is wrong its supposed to say How far would you go?

The name is actually Chung Ling Soo not to be confused with the other Chinese magician Ching Ling Foo.

To answer the question though, if I could find someone to properly teach me I would do strong man sideshow stunts. Things like bending rebar with my neck, and balancing myself on a spear point. But that probably isn't going to happen, so to be more reasonable. I would go as far as risking severe burns by learning fire eating, or maybe even eating glass.

 

[FOO:L]

no use crying over split doubles.

 

[magicusb]

Dorothy Dietrich, as a teenager, was the first women in the history of magic to catch a bullet in her teeth or mouth as it were, under test conditions for a yearly International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) convention. She did this under test conditions asking a committee from the IBM to find a sniper qualified rifleman to inspect the single shot rifle that he would use, have them buy the box of bullets, bring them that day under guard and have him open the box and pick the bullet to use. She did this because at the time, as is often still the case, women did not get very much respect in magic. She wanted to prove she was "one of the guys." She also, at the same International IBM convention, did the escape from a strait jacket while suspended from a crane by a burning rope. A stunt, at the time and now as well, done by few male magicians let alone any women ever. Houdini never did it, as well as his backing away from the bullet catch. She later did the strait jacket presentation for an HBO Special as special guest star with movie actor Tony Curtis, who played Houdini in the film bio. She did it from the burning rope suspended from the top of a parachute ride at Knotts Berry Farms Amusement Park In Calif. She still holds the record for this one. The name of the special was "The World's Greatest Escapes."

She is to this day unique for doing these record breaking performances, and many other innovations she has developed. She also works with doves, poodles, ducks, and is an excellent and well rounded magician. She ran the Magic Towne House, a magic show spot in NYC along with myself, that broke many records. Thurston, Houdini, Henning and Copperfield all wanted to open such a venue but never did. It helped develop many of today's top magicians including Jeff McBride, Rocco, Meir Yedid, Eric DeCamps, Johnny Ace Palmer, David Regal, Michael Chaut, Peter Samelson, Richard Robinson, and countless others. Sorry for the ones I have left out. She currently travels the country and when not traveling runs the Houdini Museum in Scranton, the only building in the world entirely devoted to Houdini. She is also my partner in our other presentation, Psychic Theater's "Haunted! Mind Mysteries & THE Beyond!" It is the longest running mentalism and seance show ever.

As for doing dangerous magic, when asked, she cautions magicians to stay away.

Dick Brooks

 

[AlfieWhattamMagic]

For me its just a hobby so I wouldnt put my self in danger...

 

[Sidekick]

Sorry, I could have sweared it said in the book Ching but I looked back it said Chung

Really nice responces read each and everyone of them I undertstand that for some its just a hobby but for me its more than that.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

I was breathing fire long before I was turning doubles, so I have a different view on dangerous activities.

I would do most of the geek stunts if I could find a good teacher, like Todd Robbins.

For me the balance is finding the line between stupidly dangerous and reasonably dangerous. Reasonably dangerous things could go wrong and hurt you, but stupidly dangerous things will probably go wrong and hurt you.

Through and Through is a good example, perhaps. I don't own it (yet) so I can't be sure, but putting a needle through your hand? Reasonably dangerous. It might do some damage but looks like much more than it is.

Breathing fire with a polyesther shirt on? Stupidly dangerous. It's like asking to be lit on fire. Much better to do it shirtless, which makes it seem much more dangerous but in actuality is much safer.