In the article we will talk about Alexander Zass. This is an incredible person who at one time was very famous due to his physical characteristics. Otherwise, it was called "Iron Samson." The man was a circus performer and a strong man, known for his outstanding physical form.
Childhood
So, who is he - Al Saxander? We will begin to consider the biography of this man by the fact that he was born in March 1888 in the Vilnius province. He spent his childhood years in Saransk, where his family moved shortly after the birth of the boy. Already in childhood, he demonstrated his amazing qualities. Weighing 66 kg, he did a bench press with his right hand, loaded with 80 kg.
Life path. Start
Alexander Zass, whose photo we see in the article, was born in a family of strong men like himself. If we conduct a study and dig deeper into history, we will find out that all Zassa possessed quite impressive power. However, it was the hero of our article who was able to surpass all his relatives thanks to constant grueling training. He a hundred times increased what nature gave him in its infancy.
In his rare interviews, Alexander himself said that, perhaps, his future fate was determined by one case that happened in childhood. Then he went with his father to the circus. Most of all, the little boy was impressed by two rooms. The first of them is the performance of a trainer with animals, and the second is a demonstration of the strength of a circus strongman. Alexander said that what he saw shocked and impressed him for the rest of his life. He constantly thought and could not get rid of the thought that he wanted to possess the same power.
There was another interesting case in the life of Alexander. So, he went with his father to the circus, and during the performance, the circus athlete bent an iron horseshoe. He succeeded, and the audience was delighted, applauded him. After that, he invited everyone from the auditorium to repeat this number. Naturally, there were no people who would like to show their weakness, so no one came out. However, at that moment Alexander’s father got up and went on stage. He decided to try, which caused surprise not only in the hall, but also on the stage. Surprisingly, he was able, like an athlete, to straighten a horseshoe. To say that the audience and the athlete himself were in shock is to say nothing.
This incident demonstrates to us that not only Alexander, but also his father were very fond of demonstrating their strength. However, all this happened most often in the circle of family and friends, while Alexander wanted to conquer the whole world. And he really succeeded, because after this event he could not think of anything else but the circus.
The first steps
The boy persuaded his parents and arranged a rather spacious area for training in the backyard of the house. At first it was only 2 horizontal bars with established trapezes. However, the boy gradually brought more and more sports equipment to his small corner, where he sat for hours. Already after a while there were weights, dumbbells, after a bar appeared.
After a fairly short period of time, the backyard turned into a gym, where Alexander spent almost all of his free time doing strength training. He would not only do what, but try to repeat athletic numbers.
Visiting a circus with his father, he memorized the most interesting tricks and tried to repeat them at home. Surprisingly, he could, without absolutely any help from adults or specially trained people, even then be able to repeat one of the most difficult circus strongman tricks. So, he learned to do a backflip on a horse, pull himself up with one hand.
Despite the fact that the guy was praised and admired by his achievements, he understood that something was missing. So the training system of Alexander Zass appeared. Naturally, it was not formed immediately, because for a long time he changed it, chose certain elements and constantly improved it. Nevertheless, it was in his teens that he realized that in order to get a really high-quality result, some kind of orderliness and structure were needed.
Handbook of Alexander Zass-Samson
The construction of his own system began after his father brought him a book entitled "Strength and how to become strong." The author of this publication was quite famous at that time athlete Eugene Sandov. For a teenager, he was a real idol, so he accepted the gift with incredible enthusiasm. This book was very interesting and became a desktop for Alexander.
He has repeatedly said that thanks to her he was able to accurately determine his choice in life and understand many crucial points for the circus performer. Eugene Sandov in the book spoke not only about training and tricks, but also shared special moments from his biography.
So, he talked about the fight with the lion, which happened in his life. However, Alexander was determined, practical information was important to him, so he did not pay much attention to interesting cases, tried to take the seed of truth from the book. And he found him. The author spoke about 18 exercises that must be performed with dumbbells. It was them who took note of the future Iron Samson - Alexander Zass. The training methodology now consisted of his own exercises and new 18. However, as time went on, the young man realized that even this was not enough for him. He clearly realized that exercises with dumbbells could not develop in him the incredible strength to which he had so longed and dreamed.
Search for mentors
After some time, Alexander was guided not by books, but by the recommendations of real people. So, for a long time he was worried about the idea of finding mentors and people who have achieved something and can share their valuable knowledge with him. His teachers were Peter Krylov and Morro-Dmitriev.
They were quite interesting and distinguished athletes, impressed the audience with their numbers. It was they who created for the young man a certain set of exercises that would help him achieve the desired heights. It should be noted that the training method of Alexander Zass, which he invented initially, has been preserved. In other words, the athletes recognized its effectiveness and simply supplemented it with specific exercises. It is believed that Morro-Dmitriev made the greatest contribution to the development of the future Samson, because it was he who told the young man about all the features, subtleties and tricks of working with the barbell.
By the age of 18, the young guy had developed enormous strength in himself. He regularly visited the circus in order to look at the circus athletes and learn something new from them. When he reached a certain peak, he decided to develop himself further. He did not want to stop, so he filled up his props with nails, metal rods, horseshoes, etc.
All this was new to him, because before that he had not encountered such elements. Nevertheless, he understood that if he rests on his laurels, he will remain a developed and strong, but ordinary athlete. He himself admitted that it was precisely when he started working with non-standard details that he realized that it was this that greatly developed physical spiritual strength, and not weights and barbells. In order to work with such unusual tools, you need much more strength, endurance, patience and will.
The path to fame
For the first time in a circus, a man performed in 1908 on the Orenburg stage. And his entire future path was inextricably linked with this. He became famous for being the strongest man in the world. For several decades, he adorned all the circus posters. Alexander Zass - Iron Samson was a welcome guest in every city and every country. He was called a rising star. This is not surprising, given how unusual and diverse his circus numbers were. He tried to be original and create something new, avoiding carbon copy work. He did it very well, because his performances delighted and shocked the audience at the same time.
The incident that glorified this man occurred in 1938. Until that time, he was engaged in physical development, worked in a circus, but was not a star for the masses of people. So, in 1938, in a small town in England, he clearly demonstrated his capabilities. Alexander Zass lay on the square and was driven to the top by a clogged truck. This was all watched by people who were shocked and delighted with the possibilities of Iron Samson. After that, he simply stood up without a single scratch or dent on his body.
War has come
The First World War began precisely at the time when the guy entered the military age. He served in the Vindavsky cavalry regiment. It was in the war that an incident occurred that impressed not only ordinary people who were not aware of the strength and capabilities of the guy, but even his friends and relatives who knew what he was capable of.
Once the guy was returning from intelligence and was ambushed by the Austrians. An Austrian soldier injured his horse’s leg, but realized that he was near the Russian border, so he quickly disappeared away from problems. Alexander for some time behaved quietly and quietly to wait out the danger, and after that he got on his feet to move on. It was then that he saw that his horse was seriously injured in the leg, and realized that he could not leave her to die. Go to the regiment was about 600 m, but even this fact could not stop the man. He slid the horse onto his shoulders and carried it straight to the regiment.
After some time, when the war ends, Alexander will again remember this incident and will use it in his speeches. It will be he who will bring him fame and become one of the most striking and impressive rooms. However, a man’s war was a pretty scary event that left a lot of sad memories for his whole life.
So, once he severely wounded his leg, and she began to fester. As a result, the doctors decided on the necessary amputation, but the man begged them not to do this. He himself did not like to recall this moment, because it was very tragic for him, and this is quite understandable.
Captivity
Also, Alexander 3ass was captured 3 times and each time fled from him. However, he was caught twice, after which he was rather severely punished, which for some time was discouraged. But only for a while. The third time the escape was successful and it was he who caused the man to climb the circus Olympus. Before the war, he was just a fairly famous athlete, but did not perform regularly in the circus. He studied simply for himself, although sometimes he visited the circus to watch a particular number.
Having got out of captivity, he reached a small town in Hungary, where Schmidt’s circus was touring just at that time. It was the most famous circus in Europe, which everyone wanted to get into. Alexander decided that this was his chance. He began negotiations with the owner of the circus, shared with him information about what is a captured and escaped soldier. At the same time he spoke about his capabilities and great strength. During the first meeting, the owner decided to check the guy. He gave him a large metal rod and an iron chain so that the guy showed his abilities.
It should be noted that before this Alexander lived for several days without food and water, because he was on the run. However, he understood that his future depended on whether he could prove himself. Therefore, he gathered all his physical and spiritual strengths and was able to break the chain with his bare hands, after which he still bent the rod. Immediately after this, the owner of the circus accepted him into the circus troupe, and news of an incredibly strong athlete spread throughout the city.
However, not everything was so smooth. The training of Alexander Zass was still exciting and interesting to the public. He became an increasingly popular and interesting circus performer. But at one point, the Austrian commandant drew attention to his speech. Togo was impressed by Alexander's numbers, so he became interested in his biography. Then he learned that Zass was a Russian prisoner who had escaped from the captivity of the Austrians.
After this, Alexander was badly beaten, and he ended up in a dungeon. However, he found a solution to this problem, again thanks to his strength. With his bare hands, he breaks the chains and unbends the grilles. This time he manages to escape and get to Budapest. There he meets a rather famous and good-natured wrestler named Chay Yanos, who helps him get a job in a local circus. In the future, it is thanks to this man that a man will fall into the troupe of the Italian circus.
Tours in Europe
The training of Alexander Zass, as well as his amazing tricks and numbers impressed the Italian impresario, so he offered the man a contract. It is this agreement that brought Alexander fame worldwide in the future. He signed it and went on a European tour.
There, a man demonstrated numbers with lions, horses, raising a piano and exercises with a belt. Alexander Zass tried to improve every time in order to surprise the audience again and again. As a result, it was after a gorgeous performance in England that the greatest athletes of that time spoke about him. The most amazing thing is that they themselves tried to repeat certain numbers, but could not. The audience was delighted with Samson (Alexander Zass).
Rooms
So, consider the main numbers in the circus, which were represented by strongman Alexander Zass:
- With ease he lifted the piano on which the girl was sitting. He not only lifted them, but also wore them in the playpen.
- With his bare hands he caught a core weighing more than 9 kg. At the same time, it must be added that the core was thrown from a distance of 80 m, so during flight it acquired additional weight.
- He could hold a metal structure in his teeth, on which two people or two large animals were sitting.
- He also tied himself under the circus dome for one leg, hanging upside down. In this position, he held the piano in his teeth.
- Without a shudder, he could lie down with his bare back to the surface with nails and needles. After that, a stone weighing about 500 kg was still placed on his chest. But the test did not end there. Usually invited spectators from the hall, who could hit the stone with a sledgehammer with all their might. Alexander Zass did all this absolutely calmly, without a grimace of pain or at least discomfort.
- He could break the links of the steel chain with just one finger.
- He skillfully hammered nails with his bare palms into thick boards.
Features
Athletic numbers, which the man showed, made a huge sensation. People paid a lot of money to admire Iron Samson - Alexander Zass.
I must say that his numbers and appearances attracted not only by the fact that they excited the worldview of a normal person. The highlight was that in appearance the man was a completely ordinary ordinary person. He weighed about 80 kg with a height of 170 cm. The volume of the biceps was approximately 40 cm. In other words, we can say that he did not resemble a standard circus strongman in any of his parameters, which boasts huge muscles and a massive body.
Alexander Zass himself said that the presence of a pile of impressive muscles does not yet speak of human strength. He argued that the most important thing is the ability to feel your body, skillfully manage it and cultivate willpower. The man believed that these qualities can make anyone a real strongman.
Trainings and performances
As the circus himself recalled, most often he was asked a question about how he could become so strong. He answered honestly, without embellishment and exaggeration. He talked about the fact that strength is the result of exhausting work and intense stress not only of physical, but also of spiritual forces. He always honestly admitted that his success was completely based on constant work to the limit.
Alexander Zass never enveloped himself in any fables and myths that he was born with such incredible strength and is a miracle of nature. He just stubbornly walked toward his goal. The system of Alexander Zass will impress anyone, because he adhered to a very strict regime all his life and constantly trained. If you try to briefly and succinctly describe his life, then it will be periods of training and performances. In fact, these are two main activities that occupied a talented and stubborn man throughout his life.
It seemed simply unbelievable that this man remained true to himself and his views, even in old age. So, in old age he continued to work. Of course, he could no longer demonstrate any power numbers, but nevertheless continued his activities as a trainer. And yet, he could not refrain from showing several power tricks during the performance, which only warmed up and excited the audience. Around this age, he still shocked the audience with his teeth holding a structure on which two lions sat. He could not only hold them, but also walk with them around the stage.
However, the last public appearance took place when the circus was 66 years old. After that, he worked only “behind the scenes” and trained animals. He really enjoyed working with horses, dogs, monkeys and ponies. He also trained large animals such as lions and elephants.
Book
His book, published in 1925 in London, which in fact is his memoir, was incredibly popular. It was quickly sold out, and a new circulation was needed. It was called “Amazing Samson. Told by himself … and not only. " It appeared in the Russian translation only in 2010, much to the regret of our compatriots. So, in addition to the text, there were about 130 illustrations, which were photographs of various documents, posters and real photographs of Alexander.
Inventions
After concluding a contract with the Italian circus, Alexander was a circus performer until the end of his days. In general, he spent about 60 years in the arena. Interestingly, in addition to his unsurpassed performances and exercises, he left some inventions.
So, he invented a hand dynamometer and a cannon that shot a man. He is also the author of the idea of attractions "man-shell". In one of the rooms he caught a girl who flew out of the cannon he had invented. It is amazing that before falling into his hands, she flew about 12 m.
Few people know that this man was fluent in several European languages. And this destroys the modern stereotype that "there is power - no mind." There are a large number of excellent examples in which this statement is a complete fallacy. Alexander is vivid proof of this.
