Anyone still perform this? I used to perform this as the ending of a story told performing rope effects, but stopped after hear a lot of "the kids are going to try that and someone is going to get hurt".

I was talking with a lady this weekend and she asked me if I'd perform something for her, but not a card trick.

I looked around the office we were in and spotted a 6 ft USB cable. I told a very abridged version of the story and when I got to the ending I did the Tenkai.

I was only standing about 5 ft from her, and when I did the pull through she blinked real hard. She had been burning me pretty hard as I draped the cable around my neck, but I managed to distract her with the story, for the second it took to do the move.

Afterward she told me that was amazing, and that she had watched me loop the cord around my neck and tie the half hitch in front very carefully to be sure I was not up to any funny stuff. just doing this one move this close and being watched like a hawk, has me rethinking the strength of the effect.

I am thinking about putting this back in the routine again, and just wanted some other opinions.

Cheers
Frank

If you heard "the kids are going to try that and someone is going to get hurt" from a bunch of magicians, then ignore them and put it back in your act. If you start hearing it from parents in your audience, then you'd better cut it out, or put in a disclaimer "Kids, don't try this at home. It takes a trained goof-ball to even want to try it!"

It was parents. And I had the disclaimer.

Cheers
Frank

I like the non-magical prop and that makes it more amazing.

Ian

What are your thoughts on the Tenkai and children imitating what they think they saw?

You know a magician needs to be prepeared to wow with what's at hand some times. It usualy gets a better "WHAT THE.....?" reaction if it's something as un-magical as possible.

Cheers
Frank

Depends on the age of the child. They will emulate what they see. They will, however, do it without the secret. As long as you put a disclaimer with young kids not to try this at home, I think you will be okay. But, with so many other effects to do, I never saw the point to that trick.
The kids will get a rope burn if they try it, but I don't think they will strangle themselves.
I would suggest, that for kids, you do the rope thru body rather than thru the neck. Or, perhaps thru the leg or arm just to keep it safer.
More, if I think about it.

I do the neck because it goes with the end of my story.

I could easily change the end of the story to go with the rope through body, but it
will cut the punch of the story's ending.

I'll have to think about it a bit.

Cheers
Frank

Nah, don't change a thing. mine was just an opinion. I didn't know the patter

I'll play with alternate handlings and story lines.

I think I can still keep the punch of the story with the body pen.

I just need to alter a few details and work up the end of the script a bit. I have a decent alternate I think. It just needs a bit of fleshing out.

Cheers
Frank

" And I had the disclaimer."

Disclaimers do not phase children (if anything they want to rebel and try it) and it does not satisfy concerned parents. It does not protect you from lawsuits, and you'd feel horrible if ever a child was hurt.

This is a very fine piece for your totally adult audience, and depending on the circumstances, older teens perhaps.

Rather be very safe than eventually sorry.
My opinion reaches farther, to any seemingly dangerous effect or stunt.

Magically,
Walt

Walt

Is why I removed it from my routine to start with.

It's almost impossible to get a total seperation of adults and kids unless you are working bars or "clubs", and then I'd forgo the stroy magic and go flash and glitz to keep the hook set.

I think I've worked out a resonable story to end with the rope through body anyway.

I just need to massage it a bit and try and shake the old story out of my head.

Cheers
Frank

Great Frank!

The rope through body is worth expanding with a dramatic story, I have two examples one for children one for adults in my new book (see my signature below).

I agree with mixed audiences, luckily I work almost always with corporate adults!

Magically,
Walt