David Blaine: Do Not Attempt Season 1 Episode 2
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00:00You
00:15As a magician, I'm always searching for secret knowledge
00:20Wow, I'm searching for secrets that shatter my perspective on what's possible
00:34This looks incredible so that something dangerous might become magical
00:39And something terrifying could become beautiful
00:49I'm searching for performers who will teach me things that are daring
00:59And way out of my comfort zone
01:03Wow, that's crazy
01:12And that search has brought me to Southeast Asia
01:16Where I will experience one of the most intense moments of my career
01:21Some people travel to Thailand for the amazing beaches and food
01:41But I'm here searching for something slightly different
01:47Something dangerous, challenging, even surprising
01:54A playing card can cut like a knife
01:58A chopstick can be used as a weapon
02:03Or teeth
02:05Can become a vice grip
02:08He was a magician?
02:13Yeah, I know him, the person that taught him
02:16I've met Tang through Patrick Coon
02:19Patrick is a local magician and he has incredible insights to the kinds of magic I'm most interested in here
02:27He learned from his master how to train like a tiger, learn everything, chop sticks
02:33Crook
02:50Tong makes this look easy
02:55Right here, open
02:57I wasn't surprised that Patrick would nail it right away he's one of my
03:11favorite magicians and has created magic the performers around the world use
03:16every day and I'm lucky to experience Thailand through his eyes you guys want
03:23to see magic in Thailand not many people have experienced magic in person like
03:38Patrick everywhere I go I have to pull out a deck of cards so you remember this
03:43one we're gonna use it after which did you want and you shuffled all the cards
03:49look under your watch it's miracle so there's no magic but this isn't why I'm
04:01here I cook scorpions that's right Wow I came to see things I've never seen just
04:15like salt and fried and try things I've never tried
04:25tastes good but I'm not here to just eat some fried scorpions Patrick is going to
04:32have to challenge me a little more than that I think coming here it's gonna
04:37really push him with his boundary and take him out of his comfort zone a little
04:42bit in Thailand the urban environment and the wild they're closer than a lot of
04:48places in the world
04:52Patrick tells me that here in a humid tropical climate people live among many
04:58wild creatures and that inspires some very unique acts so I'm starting my journey in
05:08northern Thailand to meet a courageous performer who has broken world records
05:12by closely interacting with venomous scorpions
05:17she's been dubbed Thailand scorpion queen after performing with scorpions for more
05:27than six years they time they do know hey you time to time one time it's I'm cool
05:33right now he got to come in from half and four they time they do know when they pop high
05:41now he's so quickly throughout history magicians from around the world have worked with dangerous
05:51animals to demonstrate their fearlessness and a connection to nature
05:55something I've kept hidden for most of my life is that I have a
06:25serious phobia of things that crawl as a kid if I would have seen a scorpion in my
06:32bedroom I'd run out and probably never return
06:35with this many scorpions I was prepared to get stung
06:54the challenge is to not react because as soon as you move they may perceive a
07:14threat and are likelier to attack
07:16the oil helps with the pain but not with the odor okay the scorpions smell like rotting me and
07:34they're crawling all over my body it's an overload of weird sensation and I know that I have to stay still
07:46thank you
08:01Kinchana taught me the importance of staying calm and in control especially while getting stung and
08:08and this skill will be essential when dealing with insects it could be deadly especially when they
08:14number in the hundreds of thousands
08:20Kinchana has been a beekeeper for more than 10 years at this time of the season he's in the north of Thailand where the flowers are best for his bees
08:47the
08:49and
08:50you
08:52you
08:54you
08:56you
08:58you
09:00you
09:02you
09:04you
09:06you
09:08Bee bearding is a classic act that was first documented in the 1830s by a beekeeper.
09:38To demonstrate his connection with bees.
09:43It's so compelling to watch hundreds of thousands of bees transform into one single organism around him.
09:52It looks incredible.
09:56It's so striking that after seeing it just once, I know I need to try it myself.
10:02Last night, I kept having these dreams over and over of these swarms of bees everywhere, which is pretty crazy.
10:12It really does affect a certain part of my subconscious.
10:17So I'm going to do it here.
10:18Yeah.
10:19Gan taught me that you have to respect the bees.
10:22They have a highly sophisticated method of communication.
10:27If a swarm of bees wants to sting you, they will keep attacking you until they're done.
10:36It's okay.
10:36Because they're willing to die to protect their colony.
10:40The bees are attracted to black, and I was advised by Gan not to do this.
10:44But since I always wear black, I'm wearing black.
10:50The first step is locating the queen bee, the largest in the hive.
10:55Now I should sit down, Gan.
11:01Yeah.
11:03He's going to put the queen bee around my neck.
11:06Should I hold my hands like this?
11:08Yeah.
11:10The queen bee has a pheromone which is going to attract these bees.
11:15They follow and protect her.
11:18Good?
11:19Ready.
11:19Okay, I'm ready.
11:25I'm ready.
11:55I'm getting a few stings.
12:04I'd say we're up to about 10.
12:08I know how important it is to keep my composure even while being stunned.
12:16The amount of venom could easily become deadly.
12:25Okay.
12:34Okay.
12:35Hey y'all.
12:36Can I just...
12:38Do it off?
12:39Yeah, I got tons of things.
13:01Look, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
13:06The black, ah, the mistake was the black.
13:14They're removing the stinger so they don't keep pumping venom into me.
13:20I do have to say, the vibration is amazing.
13:24Yeah?
13:24Oh, yeah, when they're first like zzzz and your whole body begins to vibrate, that is crazy.
13:33It's fascinating to see your connection to nature and to the bees.
13:38And it was truly one of the most amazing experiences.
13:46You really feel the power of the bee swarm.
13:58It's something that words can never, ever explain.
14:03The feeling is almost like, like bliss.
14:08It's almost like, uh, I guess like magic.
14:11Throughout my career, I've been putting myself in extreme situations where I've had to maintain my composure.
14:30Let's pull it right out.
14:35It's a skill set that I've been working on for years.
14:40And here in Southeast Asia, I want to see what techniques they can teach me.
14:45So, my next stop is in Indonesia, where there's an incredible group of people who perform a practice called Debus.
14:55Their skill set is demonstrating that they have a superhuman pain tolerance.
15:00I've been invited to a Debus performance in the ruins of Banten Palace, an area destroyed by the Dutch colonizers in the 19th century.
15:14The Indonesians couldn't match the firepower of the Dutch colonizers, so as an act of resistance, they honed a martial art called Debus, demonstrating their unique ability to resist pain.
15:34Now, eight generations later, Debus practitioners commemorate this history.
15:52For many, their discipline comes from a deep faith in God.
15:56The second bite is even bigger.
16:18For Debus practitioners, their magical acts often involve showcasing the strength of the body with sharp objects.
16:45That's crazy.
16:48I cut the paper, right?
16:50You take real razor blades, slice it, and then eat them?
16:53This is so dangerous.
16:54I've never even seen this before.
16:56Makanya Bunda selalu berusaha untuk, kata siapa wanita itu lemah.
17:03Wanita itu kuat.
17:07Tapi Bunda, kenapa lebih mendalami dan mencintai silet itu?
17:12Itu yang menurut Bunda ekstrim, ya?
17:15I love what you did with the razor blades.
17:25Oh, yeah.
17:26I love the eating.
17:30This next practitioner is performing under circumstances that are unpredictable.
17:35I love the people.
18:05The difference between the debris is that they use a deadly weapon or a deadly weapon.
18:17Here, we play it with animals or human beings.
18:35A king cobra can deliver so much venom in a single bite that it can kill a full-grown elephant.
18:55It's mesmerizing to watch Fitz perform with the king cobra.
19:03He's unbelievable.
19:05I can't think of anything equal to it.
19:08A performance where the risk is so high, I might have just found my next obsession.
19:24With the snakes, it's like a great white shark.
19:29Like, its eye is, like, dead.
19:32You know, it's like you can't connect to it.
19:35Or at least I've never felt that connection.
19:40Fitz has the most incredible snake act that I've ever seen.
19:44He appears to have a special trust in these deadly creatures, and I want to understand his methods.
19:51I'm traveling east from Banton to Fitz's home in Sumedang.
20:02Wild snakes are common here, and Fitz often rescues them from hunters who would otherwise sell them for their meat and skin.
20:08You ready?
20:12First, Fitz wants to test me.
20:15To see how well I can follow his directions with snakes that can strike at incredible speed.
20:21Dan ular ini, dia mempunyai medium venom.
20:35I'm not in love with the concept of the medium venom.
20:46That's crazy.
20:48Is there a position that it can't bite?
20:51It's hard with the snake.
20:55It bit like we munch.
20:57With the snake.
20:58With the snake.
20:59With the snake.
21:00With the snake.
21:01With the snake.
21:02And the snake.
21:03And the snake just keeps biting.
21:04It's just a part of our attraction.
21:07We have the benefit.
21:22Holy.
21:23Damn!
21:24I'm ready.
21:29Hold here. Like this.
21:32Here.
21:38Now just let go.
21:49Yeah, you can move your right hand.
21:52Closer to the head.
21:53Yes.
21:54Good, good.
22:00I'm told not to react even knowing that this venomous snake could easily bite me.
22:07And if I can't handle this, then I'm not going any further.
22:14He's saying it's like not the best time to play with it.
22:16Yeah, because it's nocturnal.
22:19Maybe we continue tomorrow.
22:21Yeah.
22:23Dr. Myers.
22:25Dr. Myers.
22:27Dr. Myers.
22:28Dr. Myers.
22:30The King Cobra?
22:31Yeah, King Cobra.
22:32Blindfolded?
22:33Dr. Myers.
22:34Dr. Myers.
22:36Dr. Myers.
22:37Dr. Myers.
22:46The King Cobra?
22:47Yeah, King Cobra.
22:48Dr. Myers.
22:49Dr. Myers.
23:06These are your daughters?
23:07Yeah.
23:08Beautiful. Are your daughters afraid when you do this?
23:19I understand that very well.
23:23I also have a daughter, and so I'm much more calculated when it comes to life-threatening risks.
23:30Fitz believes that he can teach me how to interact with King Cobras, but I have a long way to go.
23:38Can you put the sunglasses on?
23:46Yes, now.
23:56From far distances, the spitting cobra can shoot its venom with precise accuracy.
24:01Should I move away a little bit?
24:03Yeah.
24:04If it gets in your eyes, you can easily go blind.
24:08If you know the attraction in India with the flute, it's focusing not to the sound, but to the movement of the flute.
24:25Ah, so when they play the flute, they're looking at the movement.
24:28Yeah.
24:29I see.
24:33What Fitz has mastered is his use of misdirection.
24:36If you can distract him in front, Fitz will go around him and touch his head from behind.
24:45You want to try to touch the back of his head?
24:59Back of the head?
25:00Yes.
25:01Yeah.
25:02Okay?
25:03Okay?
25:04Okay?
25:05Okay?
25:06Okay?
25:07Okay?
25:08Okay?
25:09Okay?
25:10Okay?
25:11Okay?
25:12Now I've got to mentally prep for that.
25:15Yeah.
25:16So if I touch the snake, I touch him here.
25:17Yeah.
25:18This.
25:19Yeah.
25:20But you don't move.
25:22Okay?
25:23Slowly.
25:24Slowly.
25:25Slowly.
25:26Slowly.
25:29this yeah but you don't move
25:40okay slowly slowly
25:46you can go on David
26:07this next is focusing on fits here yeah
26:20I will see you guys a little bit okay that was great I think for today we're good with
26:47the spinning cobra what's funny about what's happening today very good for now is the
26:54learning curve is happening in front of everybody which makes me super awkward
27:17the king cobra can straight away move around his head pivot very fast and this is a wild one so
27:32it's not used to handling it's imperative that I learned from Fitz had to understand the king
27:39cobra's behavior they're among the most intelligent of snakes they have fangs as sharp as hypodermic
27:46needles and their strike can be faster than a human's reaction time wow
27:56if we stood still it will not attack it will only observe and then he will go away
28:06you see
28:07you see
28:09komunikasi saya dengan ular ini tidak jadi cukup diucapkan dalam hati saja seolah-olah kita ada
28:15hubungan batin dengan si ular ini
28:22dan kita seolah-olah serasa sudah menjadi pasangan yang sedang menari dia ikut menari
28:29yang ideal seperti saya dengan ular ini punya ikatan yang punya ikatan batin yang cukup kuat di saat
28:48tapi kamu harus sangat-sangat kalem dan tenang you have to like trust trust that the snake will not
28:55attack
28:59i like what fits does so much because it's primal it's just him and the king cobra
29:06dan saat saat saya mencium si ular king cobra ini seolah-olah itu benar-benar terjadi saya
29:12ngomong sama dia tolong dong tenang tolong dong tenang saya mau mencium kamu
29:25dan
29:35itu yang luar
29:37itu yang luar
29:39itu yang luar
29:41itu yang luar
29:43ini
29:45kita bisa menjalin hubungan
29:47jangan dengan manusia ya kita dengan hewan saja bisa menjalin hubungan dengan baik
29:51tergantung kita
29:53tersebut
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31:21hasag
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31:39Is he okay?
31:42For today, it will not hurt.
31:50For years, I've read about performers
31:52eating red hot coals.
32:09I quickly learned that there was no trick to this,
32:18and for days after, my mouth, throat, and esophagus
32:21were burned, making it difficult to swallow.
32:27But I need to focus,
32:29because I can't afford even the slightest mistake.
32:39Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
32:55Thailand is one of the only countries in the world
32:57that produces anti-venom for the king cobra.
33:02It's an extremely dangerous job,
33:04because even after they milk the snake,
33:06it can still kill.
33:07The anti-venom can be life-saving.
33:11You see, you see?
33:12Bangkok has a remarkably high snake population
33:15for an urban area.
33:17On average, a snake encounter is reported
33:19to emergency services every 15 minutes.
33:23Bangkok fire stations received more than 34,000 calls.
33:27I'm here in Bangkok to meet Chris Shannon,
33:30a snake handler who actually worked
33:32at one of these facilities and was bitten.
33:34The anti-venom saved his life,
33:38yet his love of snakes is so strong
33:40that he's willing to risk his life
33:42to educate people about them.
33:44Hey, little buddy.
33:45Snakes are so misunderstood.
33:48I've made it my life goal to do what I can
33:51when it comes to conservation,
33:52protecting the numbers.
33:54This is Fitz's first time leaving Indonesia.
34:06I asked him to join me in Thailand
34:08so we can continue our training.
34:10Terima kasih.
34:11Sami Sami.
34:12Thank you for coming.
34:15I think the two of them together
34:17can help me better understand the King Cobra.
34:23Fitz, look.
34:25Chris lives with about 100 venomous snakes.
34:28Incredible.
34:29All right, this is the king room.
34:30Oh, great.
34:32Some of them are rescues.
34:34Wow.
34:36That's Skittles.
34:37Skittles?
34:37Being around him, it's easy to forget
34:40that even one scratch from a fang can kill you.
34:43Hi, Skittles.
34:43It's me again.
34:46It's very rare to see someone handle a King Cobra
34:48with this level of confidence and ease.
34:50Wow.
34:52And right outside?
34:54By coincidence, Chris's near-fatal snake bites
34:57happened exactly one year apart and on my birthday.
35:02One was April 4, 2014, and another April 4, 2015.
35:07And this one, I was like, OK, I'm probably going to die now.
35:11My heart stopped for seven seconds at the hospital.
35:14I felt like I was falling through this black abyss.
35:18And then I woke up.
35:19I didn't even know.
35:20Starting to realize we mean him no harm.
35:26Seeing Chris's level of comfort and ease around the King Cobras
35:43is helping me mentally prepare.
35:45Yeah, now you can touch it.
36:02When I talk to snake performers, there's no real retirement
36:08in our line of work.
36:10You just keep going, keep pedaling until one day you don't.
36:14But I don't know.
36:15A mentor of mine, he did all of this,
36:18and he was kissing venomous snakes over 23 years.
36:22And he got to the age of 42, and he died of diabetes.
36:26So in my mind, I'm like, I'm just going to do what I love doing
36:29and share what I love doing.
36:31And when my time comes, it's my time.
36:34I guess I don't think too much into it.
36:38For thousands of years, magicians have
36:40tried to demonstrate their powers by performing with serpents.
36:46It's almost like they're showing their ability to defy death
36:50or to face death and control it.
36:52And there's a beauty to that.
36:58Nothing in my career compares to my experience with these Cobras
37:03in Southeast Asia.
37:07It's the first stunt that I've ever done where I feel like one false move
37:12can easily lead to death.
37:14You can stand back.
37:16OK.
37:17I've spent the last several months mentally and physically
37:20preparing myself to engage with the King Cobra.
37:25Whoa!
37:27Studying the King Cobra's behavior
37:30and learning to be able to try this for myself.
37:33Maybe like this.
37:34Fitz and Chris have been teaching me different approaches.
37:37Move your leg, yes, like that.
37:40And my confidence is slowly increasing.
37:44Fitz shows me how to first gently push down on the Cobra's head.
37:48Touch here?
37:50Yeah.
37:50To see if it is focused enough for the kiss
37:53and less likely to turn away.
37:55Yeah.
37:56OK.
37:57Snick like there.
37:58If you're leaning down for the kiss, no second thoughts.
38:01If you move wrong, that one mistake could be your last.
38:07Heart rate's going.
38:08I walk out.
38:09OK.
38:09OK.
38:12What was really powerful.
38:14Want to try?
38:15Was giving the water.
38:19When I gave the Cobra water to drink,
38:21I felt a connection.
38:23He's drinking it.
38:24Yeah.
38:26That's amazing.
38:28Like all animals, I think they're very sensitive.
38:31I feel that.
38:32Exactly.
38:33I feel confident that I'm surrounded
38:35by the best team possible.
38:39But I'm losing sleep over what I have to do.
38:42Let's go.
38:43Let's go.
38:51Ready for tomorrow?
38:52Yes.
38:53OK.
38:54Thank you for keeping me safe.
38:55You're welcome.
38:55Even though I've been obsessing over this moment,
39:11I know I'll never be ready.
39:13But still good.
39:14Good.
39:29Good, Fitz.
39:29Good.
39:30Good.
39:38Yeah.
39:39Yeah.
39:39Yeah.
40:05OK.
40:05OK.
40:06Yeah.
40:07Yeah.
40:08Can move closer, slowly.
40:10Yeah.
40:11Can move closer, slowly.
40:13Yeah.
40:14Don't forget your leg.
40:15Yeah.
40:16First time, you try to turn it.
40:19OK.
40:20Slowly.
40:21Slowly.
40:22Slowly.
40:23Yeah.
40:24Slowly.
40:25Slowly.
40:26Yeah.
40:27Yeah.
40:28Don't forget your leg.
40:29Yeah.
40:30Don't forget your leg.
40:31Yeah.
40:32First time, you try to touch.
40:34OK.
40:35Slowly.
40:36Slowly.
40:37Slowly.
40:38Yeah.
40:39Yeah.
40:40Yeah.
40:41Yeah.
40:42Yeah.
40:43Yeah.
40:44Take a breath.
40:45Good.
40:46Good.
40:47Good.
40:48Good.
40:49Good.
40:50Good.
40:51Good.
41:09Good.
41:10Right?
41:11Yeah.
41:13Good.
41:14Okay.
41:15Slowly.
41:16Good, okay. Slowly. Yeah, yeah. Wait, wait, wait.
41:35Slowly.
41:46In this moment...
41:59Slowly, slowly.
42:00Nothing else exists.
42:02Okay, that's enough. Good.
42:16Good Lord.
42:32You can stand up. Okay.
42:36That was the most stressful kiss of my life.
42:41It's good.
42:42Fit.
42:43Good.
42:47That one, my heart was racing, yeah.
42:58Because all professions have a risk.
43:03And the risk of this animal attraction,
43:06I couldn't have done this without the teachers I've met along the way.
43:20And I am forever grateful to them for sharing the traditions and knowledge that kept me safe.
43:25This was one of the most terrifying moments of my entire life.
43:35And yet, somehow, one of the most beautiful.
43:40One of the most beautiful.