Unlocking the Mysterious: The Trickiest Escape Artists in the World

When it comes to live entertainment, few things unlock the imagination of modern-day audiences like a good escape.

All of the elements of drama are there: a major obstacle to overcome (usually a lock), the possibility of catastrophic failure and danger, as well as the very real threat against the well-being of the brave soul whoâ??s attempting the stunt.

Today, many artists such as David Straitjacket and Criss Angel keep escapology alive and well, with incredibly amazing stunts.

This revived thrill has become such a pastime that itâ??s worth actually unlocking their mysterious world and examining who some of the trickiest escape artists in history were and are. Some of them continue to work today, while someone like Houdini helped pioneer the art of escaping in front of a crowd.  So without further ado, here are four of the top names in escape artistry:

4. Anthony Martin

Martinâ??s unique take is that he is a purist: he hates using trick locks, which means that he truly has to unlock himself every time he puts himself in a tough situation. He also likes making big risks, like jumping out of airplanes, which mean that if he fails to escape from his self-imposed trap in time, he will be at a real risk for dying. Thatâ??s the kind of drama Anthony Martin incorporates into his stunts â?? and itâ??s going to be a frequent theme for some of the escape artists on this list, all of whom are constantly pushing themselves (and the boundaries) to the very limits with each and every stunt.

3. Steve Santini

Canadaâ??s Steve Santiniâ??s background as a locksmith who was especially expert in keys and locks helps him escape various situations, to be sure, but whatâ??s remarkable about his own stunts is that he puts himself in such extreme situations and somehow comes out all right in the end. Santini is also a name that has, like Houdiniâ??s, become synonymous with escape artistry â?? especially as Santini is one of the ones out there pushing the envelope.

2. David Blaine

Using the name David Blaine today seems to evoke the same emotions as mentioning a name like â??Houdini.â? When you hear that David Blaine is doing a stunt, you tend to ask, â??Well, what is he doing this time?â? He constantly tops himself by pushing his mental capacity â?? and his body â?? to the limit. His specialty is mind-over-matter stunts like holding his breath for a long time or being encased in ice. In essence, he likes putting himself in situations that most normal people would like to escape from within just minutesâ?¦and then he stays there for incomprehensible lengths of time.

1. Harry Houdini

Harry Houdiniâ??s impact on escape artistry is so long-standing that his very name has become synonymous with being able to escape. These days, if we unlock something challenging, people will refer to us as a â??Houdiniâ? simply because of Houdiniâ??s storied past as an escape artist. And itâ??s for good cause â?? Harry Houdini was an American entertainment icon who pushed the envelope in an age when few people were willing to do what Houdini was willing to do.

Meg Jones enjoys writing about security and safety issues for Phoenix Lock Master in the state of Arizona.