Marinelli bend is a form of contortion posture in which the performer (most often female) supports their whole body weight only by biting onto a mouth grip attached to a short post in a backbend position with their buttocks sitting on their own head. It is considered to be one of the most difficult and dangerous contortion positions, and is usually the climax during a contortion performance.
This name comes from the contortionist and international theatrical agent H.B. Marinelli (1864-1924). [1]
This is a Marinelli bend in which the contortionist performs a Marinelli position with another contortionist doing a handstand on their top so that the former is holding the weight of two persons only by their mouth. This is considered to be an extremely difficult contortion act, and is exclusively performed by Mongolian or sometimes Chinese contortionists. The bend normally lasts for 5–6 seconds from the moment the Marinelli bend contortionist releases their hands from the floor.
This is a Marinelli bend in which the contortionist performs a Marinelli position with two other contortionists on their top so that the one in Marinelli bend is holding the weight of three persons only by their mouth. From all available documented records only one trio of contortionists have managed to do achieve it. [2]
This is a Marinelli bend in which the contortionist performs a Marinelli position on specially built equipment that can slowly spin 360 degrees. [3]
Contortionist Tsatsral Erdenebileg from Mongolia is the current Guinness World Record holder for the longest Marinelli bend achieved at 4 minutes 17 seconds on 24 Jul 2013. [4] She broke her own previous record held in May for 2 minutes and 34 seconds. [5]
The prior record was held by Iona Luvsandorj for 50 seconds in 2009. [6]
Keepie uppie, keep-ups or kick-ups is the skill of juggling with an association football using feet, lower legs, knees, chest, shoulders, and head, without allowing the ball to hit the ground. It is similar to Kemari, a game formerly practiced in the Japanese imperial court.
Contortion is a performance art in which performers called contortionists showcase their skills of extreme physical flexibility. Contortion acts often accompany acrobatics, circus acts, street performers and other live performing arts. Contortion acts are typically performed in front of a live audience. An act will showcase one or more artists performing a choreographed set of moves or poses, often to music, which require extreme flexibility. The physical flexibility required to perform such acts greatly exceeds that of the general population. It is the dramatic feats of seemingly inhuman flexibility that captivate audiences.
Circular breathing is a technique used by players of some wind instruments to produce a continuous tone without interruption. It is accomplished by breathing in through the nose while simultaneously pushing air out through the mouth using air stored in the cheeks.
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A bed of nails is an oblong piece of wood, the size of a bed, with nails pointing upwards out of it. It appears to the spectator that anyone lying on this "bed" would be injured by the nails, but this is not so. Assuming the nails are numerous enough, the weight is distributed among them so that the pressure exerted by each nail is not enough to puncture the person's skin.
A freeze is a b-boying technique that involves halting all body motion, often in an interesting or balance-intensive position. It is implied that the position is hit and held from motion as if freezing in motion, or into ice. Freezes often incorporate various twists and distortions of the body into stylish and often difficult positions.
Static apnea (STA) is a discipline in which a person holds their breath (apnea) underwater for as long as possible, and need not swim any distance. Static apnea is defined by the International Association for Development of Apnea and is distinguished from the Guinness World Record for breath holding underwater, which allows the use of oxygen in preparation. It requires that the respiratory tract be immersed, with the body either in the water or at the surface, and may be performed in a pool or open water. Static apnea is the only AIDA International discipline measuring duration, and one of the three disciplines considered for the international competitions by team, with constant weight and dynamic with fins.
Irina Kazakova is known as one of the world's most flexible rhythmic gymnasts. She specializes in contortion and rhythmic gymnastics on Russia's national team. She is trained with a personal trainer, with whom she works on her oversplits. Her most popular performance is her "Snake Dance". As a rhythmic gymnast, she has performed with the ball, clubs, hoop, and ribbons.
Hooping is the manipulation of and artistic movement or dancing with a hoop. Hoops can be made of metal, wood, or plastic. Hooping combines technical moves and tricks with freestyle or technical dancing. Hooping can be practiced to or performed with music. In contrast to the classic toy hula hoop, modern hoopers use heavier and larger diameter hoops, and frequently rotate the hoop around parts of the body other than the waist, including the hips, chest, neck, shoulders, thighs, knees, arms, hands, thumbs, feet, and toes. The hoop can also be manipulated and rotated off the body as well. Modern hooping has been influenced by art forms such as rhythmic gymnastics, hip-hop, freestyle dance, fire performance, twirling, poi, and other dance and movement forms.
Robert "Mr. Fantastic" Muraine is a dancer in the popping style.
Chayne Hultgren, known professionally as the Space Cowboy is a world record-holding sideshow, street, and freak show performer.
Captain Frodo, also known as “The Incredible Rubberman”, is a Guinness World Record breaking contortionist living in Australia. He is the son of a famous Norwegian magician known as “The Great Santini”.
Johnny Strange, nicknamed "the man with ears of steel", is an English world record breaking performance artist, producer, street performer and bestselling author based in London, England. He is known for performing daredevil stunts with a comedic twist.
Stig Åvall Severinsen is a Danish freediver. He is a four-time world freediving champion and holder of multiple Guinness World Records. He also wrote Træk Vejret – mere energi, mindre stress (2009), published in English in 2010 as Breatheology – The Art of Conscious Breathing.
The plank is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up for the maximum possible time.
Peter Czerwinski, better known by his stage name Furious Pete, is a Canadian competitive eater and YouTube personality. Czerwinski currently holds fourteen Guinness World Records in eating.
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Daniel Browning Smith, also known as The Rubberboy, is an American contortionist, actor, television host, comedian, sports entertainer, and a stuntman, who holds the title of the most flexible person in history, owning a total of seven Guinness World Records. Smith owes his flexibility to the genetic condition hypermobile Ehlers–Danlos syndrome.
Aerial Manx. is an Amsterdam-based Australian sideshow entertainer who has pioneered the field of acrobatic sword swallowing. Aerial Manx was born on 18 March 1986 in Melbourne, Australia.
(Kamal)Matt Alaeddine is a Canadian-based entertainer from Edmonton, Alberta who is the world's fattest contortionist. He has travelled around the world performing in a variety of venues. After getting his start at the Edmonton Fringe Festival, he has gone on to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Canada's Got Talent, and Comedy Central's Gong Show. He holds the world records for "Heaviest Man to Touch Own Feet to Ears" and "Heaviest Man to Fit Through a Hula Hoop."