What a mouthful! Meet the record breaking sword swallower

Kishan Valaiah Ayula, from Telangana, South India, has been performing the dangerous art-form for sixteen years, and has won a world record for his steel-swallowing tricks.

The 47-year-old started out practicing by swallowing a water pipe and has now forged a career as a professional dare-devil.

Kishan said: "I started practicing stunts when I was eight-years-old. I learnt juggling from my father and uncle. Father taught me some stunts with swords - but then I stopped doing all that.

"I started working as a waiter in a local bar but then the bar shut down. So I went back to learning stunts from my father.” 

Kishan started performing shows and swallowing swords became his profession –making the brave performer a local celebrity.

He risks his life nightly in the frightening act – as he has no alternative income to feed his six daughters.

Kishan said: “I don’t earn enough money to meet the needs of my family – each performance helps me earn roughly £60.

“I have my children, a wife and a mother. Somehow, I manage, I worked very hard.”

But Kishan’s wife Ayula Sarojana Kishan is frightened by the act and believes that his husband should change his profession and become a farmer.

“We are happy about this record but we still have some fear as it is very dangerous. I, my daughters and my mother-in-law live with this fear.” Ayula said.

However, due to the extreme dangers in sword swallowing, Kishan does not encourage his daughters to follow in his footsteps.

Kishan said: “There were a few incidents when I got injured while using these swords. When I did the stunt for the first time I vomited blood due to internal cuts.

“And I can’t see my daughter’s putting their lives at risk.”