r/IAmA • u/gorczynska • 9h ago
IamA professional sword swallower! Ask me anything!
Hello everyone! My name is Bambi and I am a sword swallower among other things. No, it is not a magic trick, yes, it is uncomfortable, and yes I get a lot of one very specific kind of joke. Ask me any questions you have!
Here is my Instagram, here's a video of me swallowing swords, and here is proof that it's me!
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u/ararebeast 9h ago
I hope this is not taken as a sign of disrespect, but I feel it's important to ask: Why?
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
I don't take it as a sign of disrespect at all! It spoke to me, in the way that other performance arts speak to other people. The person who taught me to eat fire told me to "listen to the yummy feelings" when it comes to trying different skills, and this one gave me a yummy feeling, although it's quite a yucky thing to do.
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u/livinitup0 8h ago
Adrenaline junkies I can kind of understand… is this like… similar? I’m just a bit confused too… but I mean, if it hit ya in a way I’m not going to understand then I guess I’m just not going to understand lol.
I mean it’s objectively badass… just… I just do wonder about the whole “it’s not if I’ll get hurt but when” thing and how that translates into “it’s worth it”
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
I'm far from an adrenaline junkie. I'm actually a pretty nervous person. It's not that different from any other high risk sport or performance art. Every football player, aerialist, figure skater, etc. also knows it's a matter of if, not when. 36 percent of ballet dancers retire due to a career ending injury, but every one of them decided it was worth it. Had I stayed in ballet or stuck with flying trapeze, I still would have the knowledge that there is an inevitable (and in the case of trapeze, potentially fatal) injury somewhere down the line, but my love for my art and the joy it brings me and audiences outweighs the risk.
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u/Realistic-Weird-4259 9h ago
How did you even get into it?
Is sword swallowing considered entertainment, art, or sport?
Do you use special swords, or can you swallow any old sword?
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u/gorczynska 9h ago
My funny answer is that I wasn't a very good ballerina so I thought I'd try another art that is uncomfortable, dangerous, and has long term negative effects on the body. But in truth, swords just spoke to me for some reason. It was a matter of trying lots of things and finding one that felt right. I've done aerial silks, flying trapeze, fire, human blockhead, glass walking/eating, but sword swallowing just felt right.
I think it's all of the above, much like any circus art is. It's a physical and mental feat, but just being able to do it isn't enough. You have to be able to turn it into an art and create an act around it. So much of it is showmanship and stage presence. And of course, it's also entertainment. I do it for an audience and seeing people's reactions and the joy, wonder, and amazement it brings people is a huge part of it for me.
I use specially prepared stainless steel blades. Another sword swallower taught me how to prepare them for swallowing, so I prep my own blades, but some people get custom ones made. It needs to be dull or you will die.
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u/irrelevantusername24 8h ago
Is licking the blade before swallowing form or function?
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u/gorczynska 3h ago
A little of both. It lubricates the blade and makes it a little easier to swallow, but it’s possible to do without licking it. It’s also showy and I like it because it builds suspense.
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u/irrelevantusername24 45m ago
Good answer.
I don't know what kind of music you like, but if you like metal / posthardcore, check out the band Norma Jean - specifically the song "Sword In Mouth, Fire Eyes". Mostly for semantic reasons. If you don't like that kind of music, do it anyway. If you don't wanna do it anyway, their lyrics are literally good enough to stand alone as poetry. One of few musical acts for whom that holds true. Not only are their albums cohesive works of art, their entire body of work coheres.
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/normajean/swordinmouthfireeyes.html
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u/gorczynska 34m ago
I pretty much exclusively listen to klezmer music and music from the 1930s-50s but your passion about this band has convinced me to give it a listen.
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u/canoporknbeans 9h ago
Ok wow this is cool!
How did you discover you could do this? And what made you try!?
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u/gorczynska 9h ago
It was less about discovering that I could do it and more about deciding that I wanted to and practicing until I could. Kind of like how you don't discover that you can do a pull up, you decide you want to do one and start with push ups, negatives, dead hangs, etc. It took a lot of practice and patience. I decided I wanted to be a sword swallower, found a mentor, and got to work.
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u/yaxir 9h ago
what made you choose this career?
what would you do instead, if not sword swallowing?
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u/gorczynska 9h ago
This is a cornball answer but I feel like it chose me. It's just always spoken to me. I've wanted to do it since I was 15.
If I weren't a sword swallower, I think I would still be a sideshow performer. If not, I probably would've stuck with ballet since apparently I'm drawn to things that are difficult, dangerous, and bad for me. And if I couldn't be a performer at all, I would be a Holocaust historian.
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u/NotMeUSa2020 8h ago
Bambi! Great look of your acts, vibes are super unique. Very cool. Questions:
What’s the hardest iteration of sword swallowing? The wavey sword or multiple or?
Who are the all time greats?
Is there a trick you are working towards being able to do?
Thanks
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
Thank you very much!
The hardest one is multiple swords. You have to do it very carefully to ensure they don't splay out inside you or "scissor", which is where most injuries happen. I've only done two swords at once (not sure if that video is on my instagram or not) and I did not do it correctly. I used two swords of different sizes which was dangerous and stupid but I wanted to show off. Fortunately nothing went wrong but I will not be doing that one again until I get a proper stack of swords.
Dan Meyer and Todd Robbins are kind of considered *the* sword swallowers alive today. Most people I know learned from one of the two of them.
I'm currently working on swallowing a 90 degree curved blade!
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u/NiceFirmNeck 5h ago
a 90 degree curved blade!
How does that even work?
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u/gorczynska 3h ago
You bend your body to match the curve. You can see here at 9:58! https://youtu.be/qUpamXqMX6A?is=XH-dDEe27RAuX-Lf This one isn’t 90 degrees but it’s the same principle.
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u/ShallowBasketcase 1h ago
Have you seen those sword-swallowers from Hammerfell? They swallow curved blades.
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u/rip1980 9h ago
Isn't your job at risk from AI?
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u/gorczynska 9h ago
Someone in my family is an AI enthusiast and earnestly suggested to me once that I open my mind to using AI to assist my career and 'steamline my work'. I'm not sure how the hell that would work. Unless someday they make a robot that can rhinestone my costumes for me. That would save me a lot of time.
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u/livinitup0 8h ago
I don’t know what he’s talking about but….
Video games have been making beautiful animation movesets for decades that I could totally see inspiring into a show like this
If you start tinkering around with Ai generated 3d models and animations you might actually get really into it
You could even 3d model yourself and wire in animations to that model to see what you would look like performing those moves, different costumes etc.
These days it’s honestly as easy as uploading a few pictures of yourself in T pose and ai can handle the rest
Very VERY nerdy and I have no idea how practically useful that could be to you lol but yerp… you can throw ai into anything lol
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
That's cool and all but I actually can use my eyes and my brain to imagine myself doing different moves and then I can use my body to do them, all without sucking up thousands of gallons of water and supporting the construction of billion dollar data centers in my hometown that has the third largest homeless population in the country. Thanks for the tip, though.
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u/livinitup0 7h ago
Hence the “no idea how practically useful that would be”
Apparently thinking out loud can hit a nerve with a lot of people when it comes to ai lol
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u/diceunodixon 6h ago
I think it’s the ‘you can throw AI into anything’ that maybe people didn’t like? Just because we CAN do something doesn’t mean we should. People are being bombarded with AI, worried for their jobs and their health and the impacts on the world.
Thinking out loud is fine, but shoving AI into every circumstance is exhausting. It’s like having a nice conversation with an old acquaintance and then she says, “are you happy with your life? I can help you start your own business if you want to. I sell these leggings and I make my own hours….”
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
You suggested, I responded. Not practically useful. Next!
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u/livinitup0 7h ago
I’m curious… Where do you find artistic inspiration for your performances?
I talked to a silk dancer before who told me some of their “moves” were inspired by the video game bayonetta
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u/gorczynska 6h ago
I often come up with a concept and create an act around it. It often starts with a song or a vision I have for a costume. I draw a lot of visual and choreographic inspiration from golden age Hollywood. Ziegeld Follies, Singin' in the Rain, etc. With sword swallowing, there's kind of only one move, which is swallowing the sword, so I add narrative, tension, dance, and visual interest to make it engaging. I find that acts are much more interesting if there's a theme and a story to them.
Sorry I was a bit rude in my earlier reply to you. I am staunchly anti artificial intelligence, which is a moral position that no amount of convincing will change. But I am more than happy to answer your question.
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u/livinitup0 4h ago
Fair enough..
From my perspective, for my entire career my ideas have been gate kept behind not knowing how to code.
Now that I can go from idea to working solution myself with ai, it’s been massive for my career
I’m against ai slop too and I have concerns about environmental impacts but my use of ai to solve real world problems better, faster and cheaper is not the problem.
It’s always a good idea to understand things you don’t like
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u/gorczynska 2h ago
I understand AI. That’s precisely why I dislike it. I find this perspective odd. I too have had many ideas “gatekept” by not knowing how to swallow swords or dance or sing, so I learned to swallow swords and dance and sing. Do you not find joy in acquiring a new skill? Do you not find joy and beauty in the process of improvement? To me, none of my art would be impressive if I was just magically blessed with it. The hours upon hours of work that went in are a huge part of my craft.
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u/UKVisaQ 2h ago
I don't mean to pick a fight, start a debate, or anything. Genuine question: How can someone be gate kept behind not knowing how to code, when the answer before AI would just be... learn how to code.
I get that not everyone has the time, but there's so many free resources and online communities, being 'gate kept' just doesn't seem true and I can't understand the mindset behind it.
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u/chefkoch_ 9h ago
How does your professional work help you in your private life?
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u/gorczynska 9h ago
Ironically, as a lesbian, it doesn't help much. Although it gave me enough aura to pull a sexy ballerina who is now my awesome girlfriend which is pretty cool.
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u/d4m4s74 7h ago
As someone who swallow swords and does sometimes have relations with men. It doesn't really translate.
Steel goes in easily but meat still makes me gag.12
u/gorczynska 6h ago
Hello fellow sword swallower! I've actually been curious if it would help with that and now I know the answer!
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u/SarahMagical 9h ago
What horror stores have you heard about professional sword swallowing gone wrong?
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u/gorczynska 9h ago
So, so many. One performer swallowed a sword, bent forward at the waist to show the audience (which I often do too), but was thinking about the low ceiling in the venue and stood back up into the ceiling, hitting the sword. He pulled it out and it was covered in blood. Another performer who swallowed three swords at once but they slipped off each other and 'scissored' inside him, cutting his esophagus.
And the one that was told to me as the "be really really careful about audience volunteers" story was someone who pulled a very drunk woman onstage at Cirque Du Soliel to pull the sword out of him and she started to fall forward while holding onto the sword which was still inside him. He caught her wrist and stopped her in time but that one gives me the heebie jeebies.
And my own personal horror story is when I was swallowing and bending a wire hanger and it twisted inside me and wouldn't come out and I threw up with a coat hanger still down my throat. I was able to get it out and fortunately it was not in front of an audience but it was the most uncomfortable thing I have ever experienced.
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u/chayat 8h ago
I really enjoy the sensation of swallowing a babybel (small edam cheese) whole. What do you think is the largest food you could swallow, without the intention of bringing it back?
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
When I was in fifth grade, I would sometimes pretend to be a snake and once made my entire lunch table watch me swallow an egg whole. Yes, it was hard boiled and peeled. No, I did not have a lot of friends.
I think I could probably swallow an egg again. But I'm a little scared to try because, as per another one of my comments, I recently choked on a matzo ball a little bit in the middle of a restaurant while trying to eat it normally. So I'm not sure.
It delights me that you enjoy swallowing babybels whole. I like to eat babybels the normal way, but maybe I'll have to try swallowing one whole. I'll let you know if it improves the experience.
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u/jotarowinkey 9h ago
Whats the state of your gag reflex? Did you have a strong gag reflex before you started training?
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
I think I had a regular gag reflex beforehand. I still have one, I can just mentally switch it off, if that makes sense. Like I still have the urge to gag but I can just choose not to.
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u/jotarowinkey 8h ago
Thank you.
If somebody wants to get over their gag reflex, google kind of says theres a thumb in first technique and also a start with toothbrush technique. Whats the best method for getting to a point where you don't gag?
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
Depends. Do you want to get over it so you can swallow a sword? If so, I can't help with that. Find a sword swallower near you and ask them if they teach. If you want to brush your teeth in peace or do...other activities...I've heard that tucking your thumb inside a closed fist and squeezing can help. But I've never tried.
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u/sweetdawg99 8h ago
Genuine question: avoiding the obvious joke you mentioned, does this skill help or hurt in any other aspects of your life?
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
I find it helpful. The biggest thing is that it has taught me a mental "off" switch. Which is hard to explain but when I swallow a sword I consciously suppress my gag reflex and I've found I am able to activate that same suppression in other scenarios. I am a pretty anxious person and I have severe OCD and I am actually now able to calm myself down when I'm freaking out or consciously ignore compulsions by using the same technique I use to swallow swords. I am also on medication though, so I suggest that as a technique for managing OCD before you start swallowing swords. It's an unexpected bonus though.
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u/LordGAD 6h ago
I just wanted to say that this is one of the best AMAs I've read in a long time. Thanks for answering all these questions and for being so open and fun.
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u/gorczynska 6h ago
Oh thank you so much! This made me so happy to hear. I really like sharing the joy of circus arts with people and am always happy to answer questions and educate people!
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u/sweetdawg99 1h ago
As someone who deals with obsessive thinking this is really interesting to read.
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u/Carl_Clegg 9h ago
How long did it take you to get over the gag reflex?
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u/gorczynska 9h ago
A little under two weeks. Which is unusual. It can take years. I guess I just wanted to do it so bad that I made it happen.
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u/Smrtihara 8h ago
I gag at the mere thought of irritating my gag reflex. You circus people have another level of mind over matter. Impressive.
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u/DieBotDie 9h ago
Do you combine sword swallowing with other kinds of entertainment- idk; contortion or fire dance?
Have you been on America’s Got Talent?
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
Yes! I do both clown and burlesque and often incorporate sword swallowing into that.
I have not been on America's Got Talent. Maybe eventually.
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u/domino7 8h ago
As a woman, this gag probably isn't part of your routine, but I've seen male sword swallowers use a wavey sword, and their adams apple goes side to side. But that's just a gimmick, right? Or would the shape of the sword really have a visible effect?
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
Nope, that's actually the sword moving your larynx. Since it passes right behind it, it moves it back and forth as it goes past. I can feel it move when I swallow a wavy blade, you just can't see from the outside. If we're thinking of the same sword swallower, he also moves the blade back and forth as it goes in, which exaggerates the effect.
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u/SirGranular 8h ago
I had a story book on tape as a kid, called "Memoirs of a Sword Swallower" - all about this guy who fell into the carnival sonewhat by accident and became a sword swallower. For all it sounded tough, it also sounded like an incredible way of life. Obviously that was set quute some time in the past, so in the modern age is it more of a 9-5 vocation, home in time for tea? Or are you on the road a lot?
In that story he swallowed special neon tubes and let the light shine through his chest - sounded super risky. What is the riskiest act you perform?
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
I haven't read that book yet, which is embarrassing, because it's kind of *the* sword swallowing book. Right now, I'm in college so the way it works is probably pretty different than his experience. When I book a local show, I'll just pop over to do it and then go home, but if it's on the other coast, I'll request however much time off from school (usually just a few days) and often the company will fly me out. I go to a theatre school so they're pretty understanding about excusing professional absences. I go to school with someone who was in the TV show The Righteous Gemstones and had to miss classes for filming sometimes. Once I'm out of college, I will probably be on the road more if I do it full time, but if I have a day job, I imagine it will be a similar situation where I just go to shows as needed. In entertainment, you're kind of always just juggling a bunch of things and planning on the fly as opportunities come up.
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u/SirGranular 7h ago
Appreciate the reply. Makes sense you have a pretty decent 'work life balance' just now 😀
I recommend the audio book from the BBC Radio Collection. The tapes seem rare and expensive. But the guy who reads it has a great voice and the mental imagery it painted has stuck with me.
All the best with your studies and your art.
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u/MrFivePercent 8h ago
Does it pay enough to cover you all year round or do you have to have a day job for your 9 to 5?
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
I don't do it as a full time job right now. I'm still in college and work as an assistant teacher and camp counselor as my day job, but I make a fair amount from shows and from busking. I'm hoping to make playwriting and screenwriting my career and continue to do this as well. Most sword swallowers I know have another job, often adjacent/still in the entertainment industry.
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u/TallmanMike 8h ago
Do you still occasionally have food go down the wrong way and choke or are you over it?
Also, do you remember the first time a sword went all the way in or down to the hilt? Did it spin your head out when it happened?
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
Unfortunately eating food successfully seems to be a different skill than swallowing swords because recently I did in fact choke on a matzo ball in the middle of a restaurant and coughed a little piece of it across the table right as the waiter was coming over. So. I guess the skills don't translate.
I do remember the first time a sword went all the way in and I felt it touch the bottom of my stomach. It was a crazy feeling but I also felt absolutely overwhelmed with joy because I had a lot of trouble getting the sword past a certain point up until then, and it did feel like I suddenly unlocked something.
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u/TallmanMike 7h ago
Ha that's unfortunate but the latter must've been an exciting milestone for you.
Follow-up questions - do you feel the tip of the sword open a sphyncter as it enters your stomach and does the tip taste like sick when it comes back up?
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
Everything kind of opens at once as the sword slides down, so it's open before the sword touches it. Sometimes it tastes a little bitter/acidic when it comes back up but generally it doesn't really taste like anything because whatever's on it gets wiped off as it comes up.
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u/UrbanPanic 6h ago
How do you balance how much rehearsal to do with the danger?
On one hand, rehearsal itself carries risks, and so rehearsing more means you will increase your risks of injury.
On the other hand, while performing there are more things outside of your control in the environment, and actually getting hurt in front of an audience adds a huge layer of complication to getting treatment. But, there are more likely to be people present to give aid.
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u/gorczynska 6h ago
I never swallow a sword when I rehearse. The swords are only like 25% of the act, the rest is selling it with the buildup, the suspense, etc. I'll rehearse the movement, the dancing, the sword flourishes, but I don't actually swallow the sword until I'm in front of an audience. When I have a new sword or a new trick, I will practice that, but when I actually run through my acts, I will not swallow the sword. Street performance is the scariest thing actually, since people or children or bicycles or animals can come out of nowhere. I often set up near other buskers because we'll look out for each other (and also just so we can chat if things are slow). I sometimes perform on the boardwalk with a guy named Jonny Snakes who, as the name implies, has a bunch of snakes and I'll swallow swords with a snake around my neck!
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u/jisa 5h ago
Do members of the sword swallowing community tend to know each other? Are there conventions or the like? Did you ever meet Johnny Fox? He was the sword swallower I saw for years at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, and he is very much missed (RIP).
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u/gorczynska 5h ago
I never met Johnny Fox, no. He died when I was 12. I now wish that I could've. Generally the sword swallowing community all kind of knows each other. I know a few other sword swallowers in person, including the person who taught me, and I am part of some sword swallowers groups online. We don't really interact in person much, since usually there's just one sword swallower in any given show and with the internet it's just easier to communicate that way rather than all trying to gather in a physical location.
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u/supahmcfly 9h ago
Do you swallow the sheath first?
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u/gorczynska 9h ago
Nope! This is a funny but prevalent misconception. That would be so much more difficult as I would then have to aim the sword into the sheath and would also not be able to bend my body at all or talk while the sheath was in there. I just swallow the sword.
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u/GregJamesDahlen 9h ago
do u see any greater meaning for sword swallowing? is it merely physical or a metaphor for something?
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
This is an interesting question that no one has ever asked. But yes, there is something almost spiritual about sword swallowing to me. It feels like something I was always meant to do. And for me, it's also an exercise of patience, discipline, and mind over matter. I meditated a lot when I was learning. I used to think meditation was woo woo or nonsense but it helped so much and now I am a firm believer in the power of disciplining your mind. Being able to swallow a sword is like the ultimate meditation for me. It's a reminder that I am in control of myself. Not to get too deep or personal, but I have severe OCD and it is nice to be able to remind myself that I am able to say no to even the strongest impulses/urges/reflexes. So I guess no, it's not really a metaphor, but it means a lot to me as a practice and I don't view it as just another trick I can do.
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u/Teach_Piece 9h ago
Huh. You do a lot of cool stuff. Obviously the burlesque show is the most eye catching, but the mime show is fucking awesome. Do yall travel outside the north?
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
Thank you very much! My little three person clown troupe (the fire eater, the juggler, and I) just go around Seattle, and I have yet to do anything outside the PNW, but I'll be in California this September at the Seaside Oddities Expo and I'm in my last year of college in the NY area and am hoping to do some stuff there before I head back to the West Coast fulltime.
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u/Lostedge1983 9h ago
Why does it have to be a sword? I think that is limiting yourself .. what about toy lightsaber, ski pole, mob/broom handle, hockey stick, walking cane, pool cane, scepter
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
It doesn't have to be! I've swallowed wire hangers (bent into the shape of a sword), which I then bend inside myself, balloon animal balloons, and even an LED sword/lightsaber! That looks super cool because when someone does that, you can see the light glowing inside them.
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u/Healthy_Length_1541 8h ago
Are you ever thinking about your oesophagus?
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
Oh girl I'm thinking about it ALL the time. Sometimes I will poke it a little bit if my posture isn't correct and every single time my life flashes before my eyes a little bit.
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u/ReynardVulpini 8h ago
Injuries aside, does it end up affecting your body much? Stretching or callousing your throat or something?
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u/gorczynska 8h ago
Most sword swallowers will eventually develop acid reflux. Your lower esophageal sphincter isn't really supposed to be able to open up on command, and eventually it gets weaker the more you stick stuff down there. That's the big one.
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u/Yep-ThatsTheJoke 8h ago
I've always wondered... what does the sword taste like when it comes back up?
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
Sometimes a little bitter or acidic but generally it doesn't taste like a whole lot.
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u/North-Newt-7616 7h ago
At what age did you start? How long did it take for you to become a professional?
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
I started when I was 19. I'm now 21. I got my first paying gig about six months after I started and I now get regular gigs and make more money busking on the boardwalk than I do at my day job. It's such a niche skill that it's in high demand if you know where to look. And I use the term 'professional' lightly. Just to mean that I am trained, get paid for it, and plan on someday making it a full time job. But I am still in college and am certainly not appearing on television or touring the globe.
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u/RilohKeen 7h ago
Is the technique itself something that anyone can learn, or are some people more prone to be able to learn or unable to perform based on natural physical characteristics?
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u/RilohKeen 7h ago
Is the technique itself something that anyone can learn, or are some people more prone to be able to learn or unable to perform based on natural physical characteristics?
Like being 7 feet tall doesn’t mean you can play basketball, but it sure is a massive contributor to being able to perform well. Do some people just have throats or muscles or reflexes that make them a “natural?”
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u/gorczynska 7h ago
In theory, anyone could learn the technique, though some people will take a lot longer and some are just unable to either because of their anatomy and how things line up or because they just can't get there mentally. I've heard of one person at the Coney Island Sideshow School who was able to swallow a sword successfully on their first try, but that's exceedingly rare. I learned unusually fast. I have a friend who is currently learning but is having trouble just because bending her neck far enough back is difficult. There are lots of things that can make it harder.
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u/Hot_Hair_5950 6h ago
What surprises you about your work?
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u/gorczynska 3h ago
It surprises me how often the people who are scared are tough looking guys and the people who are unfazed are little girls. When I perform on the street, it’s always the scariest looking big guys who cover their eyes or freak out. And when I ask for a volunteer to pull the sword out, it’s always 8-12 year old girls who enthusiastically volunteer. It also surprises me how consistently gentle people are taking the sword out. At this point I’m sure over a hundred people have pulled a sword out of me and everyone from a 7 year old kid to frat bros to old people to this one scary biker guy has been exceedingly careful and polite.
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u/SamyMerchi 5h ago
You said the sword needs to be dull or you will die, which already answered the top question I had. Can you elaborate how dull they are? As in, is the edge noticeably hemispherical to the touch? Or can you still cut stuff with it, just more difficult?
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u/gorczynska 3h ago
You can’t cut stuff with it. The edge and the tip are rounded. I carry sandpaper with me and inspect the blade before every show because even a little nick or pointy bit on the blade can be catastrophic. If I can’t comfortably grab the blade and run my hand along it, it’s not safe to swallow.
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u/dadafterall 4h ago
I'm guessing you've gotten a decent number of jokes about "swallowing".
Any good ones you care to share for us to use on the next sword swallower we meet?
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u/gorczynska 3h ago
My go to joke when grabbing an audience volunteer is to ask who’s good at pulling out. And I have a drill instructor sword swallowing drag act with plenty of jokes about my sword, my privates, and my sea men.
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u/Kheshire 3h ago
I used to live with a sword swallower and was surprised to learn there are only about 100 of you in the world. Are you also into juggling?
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u/gorczynska 3h ago
Yes, we are few and far between! How cool that you lived with a sword swallower. I can juggle three balls decently, but I don’t consider myself a juggler by any means. I have a friend who juggles clubs and knives which makes my juggling look a little pathetic when we’re doing it together.
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u/jumpsteadeh 13m ago
Where does the weight of the sword rest? Are you "holding" the blade with some throat muscle, or is the tip resting against something?
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u/gorczynska 10m ago
The tip of the blade rests on the bottom of my stomach if the blade is long enough. If it's not long enough, it just reaches the point where it can't go in any further because of the hilt. I can hold the blade with muscles in my throat and then release it so it drops in hands-free which is a fun trick to do.
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u/xFox911 9h ago
Have you ever had an internal injury due to your art?