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(Checked, proofread, and updated 11-25-00)
-PLEASE, feel free to contact the Master with questions you cannot find answers to within these pages. BUT, please be sure your answers are not to be found on this site before wasting your time and his. -Thank you.
NOTICE: Do NOT expect some sudden revelation of insight on these pages, that will turn you into a human inferno "in three easy steps." You could actually do that in two simple steps: 1.) Pour gasoline; 2.) Strike a match....
But if you are stupid enough to follow those two steps, you do not need the Master's help. The kind of help you need is not available on these pages, and you may as well check out the following site: http://www.cyberanalysis.com/ -Go ahead. It's free. If you are drawn to the "glamour" and the sparkle of the fire and light, perhaps http://www.internationalfireworks.com/ can give you more what you are looking for, with far less personal risk. Or, if you are seriously interested in the spiritual aspects of bathing yourself in flames to increase your self-awareness, then by all means, go to www.firewalking.com and may the Goddess be with you. However, if you are here in hopes of finding out "how they do it," so you can run out and impress your friends with a "new trick," then stop right here. The Master has no patience for your kind and you are not welcome on this site.
If, on the other hand, you are seriously interested in the exotic art of fire-eating, and willing to learn to do it the correct and professional way, then welcome, friend. Read on, and heed the words of the Master. Mephisto will not deliberately lead you wrong. Pains have been taken to make this instruction as complete and precise as possible.
Mephisto the Master is NOT a spiritual teacher or guru. He does NOT deal in, nor work directly with, display fireworks. Neither is He a "stunt-man." It cannot be overemphasized that professional fire-eating, as well as being extremely dangerous, is a performing art. To be a successful professional fire-eater, one must be experienced in -or at the very least, willing to develop- basic theatrical skills. This is not to imply that professional fire-eating is just an act. But stage-presence is one of the requisite skills necessary if one hopes to utilize the various fire-related presentations to the best possible degree. Several of the better fire-eating "stunts," while no less dangerous or daring than any of the others, do require a certain degree of showmanship if they are to be presented properly. Mastering the basic techniques of working with fire will NOT automatically guarantee a successful stage or street performance. And like a professional actor playing a convincing role, the Fire-Eater must first convince himself of the wonders of what he/she is doing before the audience will be convinced. The Fire-Eater must learn to LOVE and RESPECT the fire. At the same time, do NOT be fearless. A healthy fear combined with understanding and respect for all fire, its power, its fury, and its limitations are the Fire-Eater's main defenses against serious injury or death. You MUST know not only WHAT you are doing, but also WHY you are doing it, if you wish to succeed in this highly specialized line of performing.
The true professional Fire-Eater does NOT use fireproofing chemicals of any kind. He does NOT "prepare" his mouth or hands with the gels, foams, or other applications available to theatrical stunt people. Should the presence of fireproofing of any kind be detected, the would-be Fire-Eater immediately loses credibility with the audience. And burns can be recovered from far sooner than lost credibility. Ice, Vaseline, or burn ointments, if used, are only applied after a burn has been sustained. It is also very rare for a professional Fire-Eater to wear fireproofed clothing. Indeed, some do. That cannot be disputed. But by-and-large, such precautions are frowned upon as unnecessary and a mark of a rank amateur.
Perhaps you have been told of a "super-secret" preparation that, when applied to the inside of the mouth, renders one immune to the heat of fire. If so, welcome to the world of P.T. Barnum. If such a preparation did exist, professional Fire-Eaters would accept it as readily as fireproofed underwear! Bluntly speaking, it would be cheating. The true professionals have "paid their dues," and have no tolerance for cheats amongst them.
Have you heard of the specially-made fuel that burns with a "cold flame"? -Another nice myth is hereby blown. It is true that some fuels burn cooler than others do, but no decently visible flame is cool enough to not burn human skin (or hair).
Let us, for example, examine alcohol. Some say alcohol burns cooler than other fuels, like automotive gasoline. Go to a sporting-goods store and buy a can of cooking gel-fuel. In the United States, this product is most often found under the brand name, "Sterno". Put the opened can on a table or on the ground. A short ways away, set a metal or other fireproof cup or bowl containing a small amount of lighter fluid, white gas, naphtha, or automotive gasoline. Set fire to both (preferably with a long "fireplace" match). Now judge for yourself...Which fire is easier to see? Pass your hand over each, and which feels hotter? The bluish flame of the alcohol is not only hotter, but it is almost impossible to even see in daylight from more than a few feet away. -How far away will the back row of your audience be?
As has been stated, professional fire-eating is first and foremost, a performance. It is presented for the entertainment of the audience. The true professional Fire-Eater is NOT out to prove some special ability to withstand being burned (Except for entertainment value). Mephisto does NOT subscribe to the notion that injuring oneself is a necessary -or desirable- aspect of a good fire performance. You will get burned. That is a given. ALL FIRE-EATERS GET BURNED. Of course, the trick is to try to NOT get burned. If you are going to perform a fire act on any regular basis, you simply cannot afford to get burned every show. You need time to heal before the next burns. Therefore, the emphasis is on giving a good, entertaining performance with the least risk of personal burns. One way to do this is to KNOW YOUR LIMITS. -Know, before the show, and especially during the show, what you can and cannot do with the fire, and what your personal limitations are. Combine your knowledge of the fire and how it works with your knowledge of your personal limits and heat-tolerances to produce an effective and entertaining performance.
From a performance standpoint, there is no sense whatever in using fuels -or equipment- larger, hotter, or more volatile than necessary. Doing so only increases your risks without increasing audience enjoyment.
Continue- Page two, "Tips from the Master"
Intermediate page, "The Master on Tools"
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