Escapology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harry Houdini, a famous escapologist and magician.

This article is about the study of escapology. For the Robbie Williams album, see Escapology (album). Escapism is the attempt to divert attention from an unpleasant reality.

Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps. Escapologists 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.

1 Techniques of escapology
2 Escapology in fiction
3 List of escapologists
4 See also
- 4.1 Resources

[edit] Techniques of escapology

Spoiler warning: The following section reveals a magic secret.

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.

There are methods used to secure a pair of handcuffs from these attacks. Hinged handcuffs are designed to prevent twisting the wrists. The keyholes can also be put facing upwards, towards the captive's elbows. Putting the person's hands into thick gloves or mitts before applying the handcuffs inhibits the use of fingers.

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.

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, slippy knots can cut off circulation, and perhaps even strangle if the rope is around the neck, which it shouldn't be.

One way to make a rope tie almost inescapable is to start with a hangman's knot, and pull the loop tight around whichever part of the captive's body which needs to be secured. This knot is solid, self-tightening, and difficult to undo. However, care should be taken when tying, showing, or describing this knot, as it has some very negative associations — people may think the knot is intended for the prisoner's neck, or they may associate it with the Ku Klux Klan and lynching, even where the planned use of the knot is benign. Also, if binding an escape entertainer, bindings that risk strangulation or loss of circulation are precluded for obvious safety reasons. Houdini routinely answered challenges with the proviso that, "any ropes about the neck shall be fixed so as not to risk strangulation."

Useful ways to tie ropes include the jacobi or reverse-jacobi positions, where arms are crossed, and the ropes 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.

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.

With roped bondage, the escape strategy will be 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.

[edit] 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 fiancée.

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.

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.

The novel Specific Gravity by J. Matthew Neal (2007) features a female scientist who is also a master escape artist.