40 Feet of Solid Steel to be swallowed simultaneously Worldwide

Ocean City MD, Hollywood CA, Orlando FL, Gatlinburg TN, Niagara Falls, New York City, and STOKE on TRENT!

EVENT:International Sword Swallower's Day

LOCATIONThe Circus of Horrors, Victoria Theatre. Hanley. Stoke on Trent. Saturday 27th February at 3pm.

At 3pm on February 27 2010, Sword Swallowers around the world will attempt to swallow over 480 inches of steel swords at various locations worldwide for International Sword Swallowers Awareness Day.
That's over 40 feet of solid steel! Believe it or Not! Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) President Dan Meyer proclaimed "Sword Swallowers" to raise awareness of sword swallowers around the world at locations all over the world & at The Circus of Horrors in Stoke on Trent.

To ad extra spice & to make the stunt even harder to swallow Circus of Horrors resident sword swallower Hannibal Helmerto has agreed to hold A SWOWD SWALLOWERS WORKSHOP on the stage at The Victoria Theatre, Hanley, Stoke on Trent.

Budding sword swallowers will be given a crash course in this ancient art and & be given the opportunity to swallow a metal coat hanger.
Coat hangers being the staple diet of sword swallowing wanabees.
The sword swallowers master class will be presided over by Hannibal Helurto who will first of all demonstrate his amazing skills before putting the new kids on the block.

Any one wishing to take part needs to call Asia on 07956 237918.

A brief incite into Sword Swallowers & Sword Swallowing.

Why do sword swallowers need a day of awareness? "Sword swallowers risk their lives every time they swallow a sword, many people don't believe it's real, or they think the art has died out," Hannibal himself had a bad accident only 3 years ago when he accidentally forced the sword through his larynx in front of a live audience while The Circus of Horrors was in Croydon. Consequently he was hospitalized for 3 months & forbidden from sword swallowing for 12 months.

"SSAI established this day to promote this ancient art that is still being carried on by a few dozen surviving practitioners, to honor veteran performers, to raise awareness of the medical contributions sword swallowers have made to the fields of medicine and science, and to correct misconceptions and educate the public and medical professionals by putting on demonstrations for medical facilities and the media around the world."

At the end of the day, sword swallowers will submit reports of their activities to SSAI. "It's a huge honor for us to carry on the great tradition of sword swallowers who have performed at Ripley's Believe It or Not! museums over the years," Meyer explains. "In light of this, SSAI is sending an open invitation to all sword swallowers worldwide to contact us and join us in swallowing swords all over the world on the 2 7 th!"

Since some sword swallowers perform charitable work for the medical community during February "National Swallowing Disorders Month", SSAI is encouraging all sword swallowers to perform medical demonstrations at local facilities throughout the day to help raise awareness of esophageal cancer, dysphasia, GERD, and other upper gastro-intestinal and swallowing disorders. Sword swallowers will also perform at hospitals, nursing homes and orphanages for those who would otherwise have difficulty getting to theaters to see live performances. "Sword swallowers who participate in these activities find them rewarding," explains Meyer.

Many people will have the opportunity to witness sword swallowing first-hand who would otherwise not have a chance to experience it." "Many of us have been entertaining for years, and we love our work," explains Meyer. "'Sword Swallowers Day' is a great opportunity for us to show the medical community and the rest of the world what we really do.

The art of sword swallowing began over 4000 years ago in India, and requires the practitioner to use mind-over-matter techniques to control the body and repress natural reflexes to insert solid steel blades from 15 to 25 inches down the esophagus and into the stomach. With the demise of the traveling circus sideshow over the past several decades, there are currently less than a few dozen full-time professional sword swallowers actively performing the art of sword swallowing around the world today.

Medical Facts and Trivia about Sword Swallowing – Believe it or Not!

* Sword Swallowing is a 4000 year old art that originated in India around 2000 BC.
* The average person swallows about 600 times per day – 350 while awake, 200 while eating, and about 50 times while asleep.
* The average swallow uses 50 pairs of muscles and can take from 3-23 seconds to complete.
* Sword swallowers use mind-over-matter techniques to repress the gag reflex in the back of the mouth, the peristalsis reflex in the throat, and the retch reflex in the stomach to "swallow" solid steel blades from 15-30 inches in length.
* Sword swallowing can take from 2 years to 7 years to learn, and even after years of practice, some people never learn to master it.
* SSAI reports that there are on average between 4-6 serious sword swallowing related injuries reported around the world each year that require medical attention and hospitalization, with dozens more that go unreported each year.

This might help explain why there are currently less than a few dozen full-time professional sword swallowers left performing around the world today! Believe It or Not!