#How did houdini escape how to#
#How did houdini escape free#

'It was important for me to be a strong example for young women in particular, so I thought I would do something most women don't do, and that is the escapes,' she says. I'm not Vegas showgirl, that's not me,' she says. He wanted to put together a show and he really wanted her to be in it. It was during that time she met Ridgeway. Johnson became an escape artist after taking a break from her job at a Fortune 500 company to help her mother run an entertainment business.

#How did houdini escape free#

'I use a shallow water free diving technique where I take a number of breaths so I can take in more oxygen and oxygenate my blood,' Johnson says. She practiced picking locks, and she worked with a dive master to slow her heart rate and hold her breath. Johnson first publicly performed this escape in 2003. 'The world's premiere female escape artist - give it up for Kristen Johnson!' Ridgeway exclaims. After nearly three minutes Johnson has picked every lock and freed herself from the chains. Your browser does not support the audio element.Johnson pulls a bobby pin from her hair and begins to work on getting the handcuffs off. Listen to a recorded reading of this page:.

#How did houdini escape how to#

soldiers how to escape capture during World War I. He was an excellent athlete and long distance runner.Houdini may have worked as a spy for the British Secret Service gaining information while performing for world leaders such as Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.One of Houdini's most famous illusions was the 'vanishing elephant' during which he caused a 10,000 pound elephant to disappear.A few days later, on Octo(Halloween), Houdini died from a ruptured appendix. One of the students decided to test out this rumor and punched Houdini in the stomach. Rumor had it that Houdini was invincible to blows to the body. One night before a show in Montreal, Canada, two young men visited Houdini backstage. In his later life, Houdini took on many other activities such as making movies, learning to fly an airplane, and debunking psychics (proving they were fake). He also performed an escape where he was buried alive six feet underground and another where he was put in a casket under water for over an hour. He often invited the local police to try and handcuff him or hold him in a cell. Other escapes - Houdini performed a variety of escapes.It would still be nailed together with the handcuffs inside. After Houdini escaped (sometimes in under a minute), the crate would be pulled to the surface. The crate would then be tossed into the water. It would also be weighed down with around 200 pounds of lead. The crate would be nailed shut and tied with ropes. Houdini would be locked up with handcuffs and leg-irons and placed into a crate. Box in a River - This trick seemed especially dangerous.He would then escape from the straitjacket with everyone watching. He would be suspended in the air by his feet from a tall building while strapped into a straitjacket. Straitjacket Escape - Houdini took escaping from a straitjacket to a whole new level.They couldn't believe it! Now Harry was famous and everyone wanted to see his amazing escapes. However, Houdini escaped in a matter of a few minutes. The police searched Harry thoroughly and handcuffed him inside a cell. Then he challenged the English police at Scotland Yard to an escape. He would escape from all sorts of things like handcuffs, straitjackets, and ropes. Upon the advice of his manager, Martin Beck, Harry began to focus his act on escapes. Bess and Harry started their own magic act called 'The Houdinis.' For the rest of his career, Bess would act as Harry's assistant. They fell in love and married a year later. While Harry and his brother were working at Coney Island, Harry met a dancer named Bess. Around the age of seventeen he began doing a magic show with his brother 'Dash' called 'The Brothers Houdini.' Harry would spend hours working on magic tricks and practicing quick hand movements. Young Harry always had an interest in magic and performing. He worked as a locksmith for a time where he became an expert at picking locks (this skill would come in handy later). Harry worked various odd jobs to help out the family while growing up.