Sword swallowing involves drawing a sword through the pharynx, esophagus, and stomach without swallowing. It is a dangerous art form with potential risks, but is still performed by a niche market of self-taught performers, often in traveling circuses or entertainment shows. Learning to become a sword swallower takes several years and extreme caution.
A sword swallower is a person who performs the ancient art of sword swallowing. The process of swallowing swords does not involve the actual act of swallowing, but quite the opposite. A sword swallower tilts the head back, relaxes the esophageal sphincter to prevent the gag reflex, and draws the sword blade through the pharynx, esophagus, and stomach. Typically, a sword swallower will only have the sword blade at their throat for a few seconds before carefully removing it, as even with training it is very difficult to suppress the gag reflex for an extended period of time.
Today, most remaining sword swallowers are part of a traveling circus or other form of entertainment show. This could involve a side gig, or simply performing at small parties or other events. While the performance art of sword swallowing was once very popular around the world, it declined in popularity throughout the 20th century as other forms of entertainment such as film, television, radio, and computers came into wider use.
Like many other performing artists, a sword swallower is typically part of a fairly niche market and is usually self-taught. While there is a Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) that strives to ensure the survival of the art of sword swallowing, finding an instructor can still be very difficult. According to SSAI, the process of learning to become a sword swallower can take several years and many years to master the art.
There are also a number of very serious potential risks taken by a sword swallower. Although the blades being inserted down a person’s throat are not always sharp, there is still a high risk of inserting a piece of metal down a person’s throat. Many sword swallowers complain of sore throats from frequent performances or while learning the process for the first time. There is also the potential for severe minor lacerations within the esophagus, pharynx and stomach during the sword swallowing process.
Although there are relatively few recorded cases of sword swallowers dying due to accidents while performing, it is still a dangerous art form. Anyone considering learning to swallow swords should only do so with the utmost caution and practice controlling their gag reflex first. Becoming a sword swallower takes a lot of effort, practice, and extreme caution.
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