Escapology
Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps. Escapologists (also called escape artists) escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, cages, steel boxes, barrels, bags, burning buildings, fish-tanks and other perils, often in combination.
Some escapologists' tricks are accomplished by illusionists' techniques; others are genuine acts of flexibility, strength and daring.
Techniques of escapology
Escapology in its purest form is generally related to rope work, and problems are set with rope, cord, or string. However, professional escapologists' tricks will include anything from handcuffs, rigged or otherwise, to chains, mailbags, or even, in the case of Harry Houdini, prison cell. Items such as straitjackets are a staple feature in any show, either in rigged or official versions.
Although many cuffs sold in toy stores or adult stores don't even need a key to release, similar types can be opened with any thin object, such as a watchmaker's screwdriver, by pushing up from the keyhole towards the chain of the handcuffs.
Handcuffs can be secured by various methods against these kinds of attacks. Hinged handcuffs are designed to prevent twisting the wrists. Applying the cuffs so that the keyholes face upwards, away from the hands, reduces the possibility of escape.
One of the best ways to prevent a bound person from escaping is to secure the thumbs together; another good way is to secure his elbows. When thumbs are bound, the hands are effectively turned into paws, and cannot be used to untie knots or handle keys. Thumbcuffs, thread or fine cord can be used to do this. Wrapping the hands into balled fists with tape, preferably thicker varieties like duct tape or electrical tape, is also effective.
Additionally, ropes can be effectively used to restrain someone. Useful techniques include the jacobi or reverse-jacobi positions, where arms are crossed, and the ropes are tied around the body straitjacket-style, or Japanese positions where the hands are tied high up behind someone's back. Generally, any position which ties the elbows behind the back is difficult to escape from, as the escapologist can't reach that area with hands or mouth to untie things.
Unfortunately, with ropes, there are secure ways to tie people, and there are safe ways to tie people - rarely can both be managed! Especially when someone is struggling, slipping knots can cut off circulation. Because of this danger, rope should never be placed around the neck. Even Houdini routinely answered challenges with the proviso that, "any ropes about the neck shall be fixed so as not to risk strangulation." So, often when binding an escape entertainer, bindings that risk strangulation or loss of circulation are precluded.
With roped bondage, one escape strategy is to move slack around until the escapologist can get it somewhere useful to untie a knot, or to release a part of his body. Most people will leave plenty of slack when tying - in their knots, in the bits between knots, and even around the wrists. The escapologist should try each loop of rope in turn, and go to work on the most promising ones.
The escapologist may try to get a head start, when tied, by breathing in, making fists, or pulling away from knots, to gain slack when the ropes are tied off. If the wrists are tied together, they can be pushed apart, either during or after their tying, to get more slack. The escapologist can also gain slack by tightening adjacent loops in the rope.
Leather bondage gear is sometimes used as an escapology challenge, but most such gear is straightforward to escape from. Assumed wrist sizes in leather gear are normally too large. There are nearly always major weaknesses in leather gear, usually involving the easy access to buckles.
With a self-made or purchased lock-pick set and practice, many padlocks can be opened. There are exceptions, such as combination locks and certain pick-resistant padlocks, such as the antique 'Scandinavian' padlock.
It should be remembered however, that escapology, like any other discipline, evolves. Escapologists routinely put their minds to finding ways around the impediments that make escape less probable. This is one reason why restraint manufacturers continuously make improvements to their products.
Escapology in fiction
- The Grim Game, a 1919 film, stars Harry Houdini as a young man who is bound and imprisoned on numerous occasions by a gang who have kidnapped his fiance.
- The novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon (winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize), features escapology as an important plot point.
- Ragtime, by E.L. Doctorow, features Harry Houdini as a major character.
- In American superhero comic books, many superheroes like Batman are trained in escapology which is invaluable when dealing with deathtraps. However, superheroes who are escape artists by profession include Mister Miracle, Ms. Liberty and The Escapist. Houdini himself appeared as a time/space traveler in the comic book series, Daring Escapes featuring Houdini.
- The 1953 biographical film, Houdini, starring Tony Curtis in the title role, depicted many of Houdini's escapology performances.
- In 1972, Christopher George played an escape artist named Cammeron Steele in the TV movie/unsold series pilot, Escape. Steele was a non-performing escapologist and night-club owner who, like Bill Bixby's Anthony Blake (The Magician) habitually helped people in trouble.
- In 1982, Griffin O'Neal played a junior escapologist named "Danny Masters" in the film, The Escape Artist.
- In 1983, real-life escape artist Bill Shirk played himself in a film called The Escapist.
- Yorick, the main character of the comic book Y: The Last Man is an escape artist.
- In the 1991 film, The Linguini Incident, Rosanna Arquette plays an aspiring escape artist.
- The novel Specific Gravity by J. Matthew Neal (2007) features a female scientist who is also a master escape artist.
- Adam Phillips' essay "Houdini's Box" uses Houdini himself, as well as a young victim of sexual abuse and other examples to discuss escapology.
- The console video game Exit focuses around the exploits of self-proclaimed escapologist 'Mr. ESC' (Which is a joke on the computer's escape or ESC key)
External Links
- Busker Central - Rare and historic videos of Escapologists.
- Magic Shop - Escapology by Dooley.
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Escapology ]
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