Going round the twist: Bendy grandad folds into eyewatering contortions

By Tom Mendelsohn

A BENDY OAP rests his head on the upturned sole of his foot in a remarkable display of flexibility

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Videographer / Director: Sijori Images
Producer: Haziq Qadri, Liam Miller
Editor: Joshua Douglas

Compact Grandad: Mbah folds himself into a box shape

Mbah Bejan is 68-years-old, but the grandfather of 16 has all of the agility and poise of a gymnast.

Knees up: Mbah reclines in a twisting bend with considerable ease

Mhab is so flexible that he can even fold his body in two and squeeze into a pipe just 50cm in diameter.

Pensive: Mbah rests his chin on the sole of his foot

Super-flexible: Mbah's agility is famous in his home province

Other incredible positions include 'the roasted chicken’, where he lies on his back, swivels his knees through 180 degrees and places his feet flat on his stomach, and the cobra, in which he lies face down and presses his calves to his side.

Do my feet smell? Mbah twists his foot to his face

Super-stretchy Mbah, from the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia, doesn’t have a known medical condition and discovered his strange bendiness as an 11-year-old whilst fishing with friends.

Poised: The grandad of 16 perches onto a chair with his legs folded behind him

He had accidentally pierced his foot with a thorn on the river bank and twisted his leg to his mouth at an impossible angle.

Eyewatering: Mbah has been folding his body into impossible shapes since he was a child

His friends could not believe what they saw – and assumed he’d injured himself quite badly.

It took them quite a while to release not only that Mbah was unharmed, but that he also had a unique talent.

Bendy OAP: Mbah is super-flexible for his 68 years

Celebrity: Mbah retired from showbiz in 2001 but is happy to put on the odd performance

Mbah, who has 12 children, said: “I unconsciously twisted my leg to check my feet. My friends were asking what was wrong with me.

Having a snooze: Mbah rests his face on his upturned foot

“They were asking how I could twist my leg like that. I replied 'what do you mean?' And my friend explained that the soles of my feet were up towards my face.”

Mbah discovered his agility whilst fishing with friends as a child

Mbah started showing off his talents in public in the mid 70s when he was in his 20s, and made a living from his unbelievable physical feats.

Put your feet up: Mbah slips into his contortions with comfort

Rubber man: Mbah can even fold his body in half

Even now the pensioner is able to tuck both his feet under his chin – and even claims that he doesn’t feel any pain in his legs.

Although he retired from show business in 2001, Mbah is still a celebrity in his home province, and is more than happy to perform his tricks for anyone who asks him.