A word about Fire Breathing

i havent read every post on this page, so if somone has already posted this i appologize. i know of two non toxic Fire Breathing methods

1)cornstarch
2)a mixture of everclear and hemp seed oil (just slightly more everclear)

cornstarch doesnt make as much of a flame as other fluids does but i would definetly suggest using it for those who have never breathed fire before due to the fact that if you inhale, it is much less likely to burn your lungs.

everclear and hemp seed oil makes a great flame, but after about four spits you will be rather drunk, even if you dont swallow it. so NEVER do it more than four times. also make sure you shake it every time before you spit because the everclear and the oil will seperate.

Hi Rayan.

New substances and ways of doing things are awlays good, however, be aware that as far as lungs are concerned, not being toxic doesn't mean not being detrimental to short term and long term health.

Cornstarch, like chalkdust (using teachers as an example) is a very inert, nontoxic substance, but one that can cause serious health complications if it builds up in the lungs. The fact that congeals with moisture and at certain himidity levels actually hardens with fast movements (such as coughing to expell it) actually makes it a highly dangerous substance to have in your lungs in any type of quantity.

This may not make much sense, so if not, try this experiment. Mix a handful of cornstarch and add small amounts of water, almost drip by drip, until slightly wet and runny.

Then stick your hand in the bowl and grab it, throw it from hand to hand and generally move it fast. The very runny liquid mix will harden to a hard solid when moving, a fun experiment on its own, but also shows how it is almost impossible to expel such a mix from your lungs by coughing.

Also, it's my own personal opinion, not that of HoP, NEVER to use any type of alcohol for Fire Breathing, as the risk of being drunk or even tipsy, combined with alcohols well know effects of decreased risk assessment and lack of motor control, mean if you are affected by drink, you are less likely to stop anyway.

Does that make sense?

i know it does that in your mouth with saliva.. gotta keep a glass of water with you to make sure you dont get it stuck in there D:

another thing that works is cooking oil.

and yes, it makes perfect sence, incase you didnt read my whole post i said NEVER spit more than four times.

But if after four spits you will be drunk, your ability to keep to the rule of "only four times" may well be impaired by drunkeness, and some people may have that effect much earlier than others.

This is why I feel it's important not to use any chemical that has, even a slight chance, of intoxicating the fire-breather, as it will affect their decision-making and ability to stick to safety rules...


Combine that with the risk inherent with Fire Breathing and you have a cocktail (pun intended) for disaster.

The addition of rules to a process of intoxication sounds safe initially, but is likely to lead to problems if a few of the 70,000 members here try it...

Rayan,
Cooking oil is so thick it doesn't aspirate well and you get more of a slippery stage than you do a good fire breath.

Corn starch isn't flammable, it's explosive. There is a huge difference. It's a lousy performance tool since it builds up in the mouth and on top of that you can get the equivalent to a Miner's Black Lung. Many workers in mill's used to suffer from it. Inhalation of the particulated corn starch is just as dangerous to the respiratory tract, if not more so, than liquid fuels.

Alcohol should never be used. First of all, it's weak. The flames from it suck in comparison. It has a higher flashpoint than lamp oil which means it's fumes are more dangerous. All of the dangers of fuel inhalation are there, add in intoxication, increased risk of blowback and for a less quality product.
Even when mixed with other things.

Any foreign liquid introduced to the lungs is dangerous. It isn't about what you ingest. It's about what you inhale.

There are 3 facts about eating & breathing fire that can’t be ignored, not matter what you use;

- You are knowingly POISIONING your self
- You WILL get seriously burnt at some time, it’s not a matter of if, but when, or at the very least you will get seriously injured.
- You could DIE while practicing this art. It can & does happen

I think that those of us who practice the art can & do get a bit blasé about these facts, while those who are thinking of taking up the art, or who are just starting out, and still feeling there way about, need to keep them in mind, and come to your own conclusions about weather or not this is a fire skill / art for you.

They are also the reasons why we are often so apprehensive about teaching other people, because as already been said, it can be fatal, & that’s a big weight to have on someone’s mind.

Well that’s my 2 cents worth anyway

Read this thread as well, it elaborates on what Perky said.

i dont need information on Fire Breathing as i have researched it thuroughly. all i'm looking for now is new fuels to use.

however, i know that you were just trying to give me useful information on Fire Breathing, therefore i thank you.

Honestly...Rayan, just from the conversation it seems you haven't looked it up thoroughly enough.

If you had, you'd already know what fuel to use for that matter.

I actually think what's important is technique. I think that it is a bit vague. I understand why people don't want to have any lessons for breathing on here but, it seems a lot like sex ed. A clear education is probably going to make people safer than simply telling them to not do it. I've not been doing it for very long and I already had an accident.

Which brings up a strong point.

WIPE YOUR DAMN MOUTH.

If you aren't wiping your face after blows, then you better keep the flame far away. There was actually a breathing record attempt on chinese TV. The man was wiping his mouth on his shoulder and unsurprisingly he eventually caught his shoulder on fire. Is safety noticed before he did. And his spitting was making the stage so slick the safety fell over trying to get to him.

This is supposed to be a professional. There were way too many oversights, like how close the hosts were to him for example.

Nevermind it wasn't a safety it was one of the hosts, and a stage hand...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnwrOZNabOo

We could all probably list things wrong with this. That to me speaks to some of the problems. This person is supposed to be a pro but obviously did some incredibly irresponsible stuff.

Hm, the issues with that video start when he says that its not really that dangerous... its the poisoning thats dangerous... yeah, sure thats got a higher likelihood of happening... (100% chance for poisoning to some degree) but if you've got that kind of attitude its asking for trouble...

MRC is right.

There are full write ups on the fuels, on the techniques (including wiping the face ) and all of that in this site.
Some of it is in the link that aston put up. Doc has an interesting story on pg 3(or so) on that link of someone who was suffering severe ARDS from Fire Breathing with alcohol.

It also links to what causes ARDS.

And it all goes back to, it's not what you swallow, it's what you inhale.
Sure you *can* swallow oils, starches, alcohol but the fact remains the body isn't made to inhale them. And we do, we will, when Fire Breathing. We simply can't create a cloud and not breathe any of it in.

I just want to add to this thread after our experience this Saturday night.

We were doing a fire show outside a club, standard stuff: 2hrs of freeform spinning and breathing to entertain the queuing masses. Sheltered location with low breeze. We had a constant lighting flame running so inspect for wind direction. About 90mins in Cam made a tower breathe just as a gust of wind blew in from the other direction. Luckily he was breathing upwards so did not ingest any fuel, but the blowback went straight into his face. Hes now left with superficial burns, the worst of which were to the back of his right eyelid (hes got no lashes left at all).

I've been performing with Cam for years and hes experienced and professional but we all agreed that he was lucky it wasn't MUCH MUCH worse, if his head had been at a slightly different angle, or his eyes open we'd not have been finishing the show (he sat out obviously), we'd have been straight to the emergency room.

Once again - BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

I work in egypt as a fire performer, My main skill is Eating but can breathe too although getting the right fuel here is very difficult could you tell me just how dangerous alcohol is comared to fuel and why an answer would be very appreciated

Alcohol is much more volatile than paraffin. It has a much lower flash point, and all that meaning not only will it be much more likely to backtrack to your face because of the volatility, but even more so because of the flash point making it easier to be lit. It will catch on fire if it is on your face, paraffin won't. And any alcohol consumed as well as fumes breathed will cause you to become intoxicated and mess up. And you WILL ingest some because it gets in your spit.

Thankyou, that is very helpful. I try to avoid breathing if I can because as we all know here it is extremely dangerous. I wont be using alcohol im just going to stick to eating and my other toys, Is anyone here familiar with the Zip poi? one of my colleagues is very good at it and I believe it is quite a new toy?

Mate, Kerosene/parrifin.

gee wiz... i have been breathing for a month now but i waited till someone taught me how. noone should try it without a guide! I was interested in the remark about wiping up. im looking for a good rag that i can hold in my hand while i hold my oil bottle too. got any good ideas for fabrics? shammy?