Harry

There is a legend that Harry Houdini, the master escape artist, daredevil and person who spent his adult life surviving incredible risks and dangers, died from a simple punch to the stomach.


Houdini travelled the world, making his living challenging police forces to handcuff him well enough that he couldn’t break out. He was buried alive and climbed out. He was handcuffed, upside down inside a barrel of water and had to pick the lock before running out of breath. Locked in a box, thrown overboard from a tug boat. Straight jacket, upside down in a barrel. People watched with fear and amazement. Cool job Harry.


Due to the physical nature of his life Harry’s body was super tough, coiled like a great muscular spring. The legend is that his musculature was so honed that he could be struck in the belly by a grown man and suffer no ill effects.


One night in Montreal a real cool guy decided to test out the legend and struck Houdini repeatedly in the abdomen. Houdini was lying on a couch at the time due to an escape related broken ankle and wasn’t really ready for the old stomach of iron test. He performed that night in pain, developed a fever, refused to miss his death defying act 2 days later and died shortly after with acute appendicitis.


So what do you do with this knowledge/legend of Harry Houdini?


Get super fit? Do a bit less boasting? Make sure you check for concent at all times? Perhaps do less punching of other people’s stomachs, even if they can take it? Maybe just kiss your family and try to have a good day?