Batraz Tibilov! If you are involved in the steel bending world you have to know him. I am very happy that he said yes to the interview so that we all can have a little insight.
I am following Batraz since the beginning of my steel bending journey and was always impressed of his feats of strength. Not only in bending, also the hammer leverings and the hand or finger lifts are truly amazing. He is specialized in barehand bending and there he is an absolute monster in the elite game and the guy to catch up if this is even possible!
In 2020 he was able to bend the red nail with his barehands as the first man. In the past a lot of the bending guys were asking if that feat is even possible and Batraz did it!
If you haven´t watched it, here is the video link: click!
He also created his own bars which are named "Noble Force" and they are out of very good quality. They are available with small progressions steps and from beginner to elite level everything is included. I bent a few of them and they are really good. If you want to try them, just contact Batraz via social media.
To follow his ongoing journey here are the links to the social media accounts from him:
Here is the Interview!
Name:
Batraz Tibilov
Year of birth:
1987
Height:
180cm
Weight:
96kg
Location:
Russia - Rostov on Don
Occupation:
Businessman
Relationship Status:
Married
Question 01:
What does steel bending mean to you?
This is such a philosophy, a manifestation of strength that is not like standard weight lifting. Trains your will and character.
Question 02:
When and why did you start steel bending and what does or did your active time look like?
I first tried to bend a nail in 2008, when my friend came from the capital and said that the guys there bend steel. I was able to do this fairly easily with my barehands and incorporated bending into my basic workouts. Did the bending at the end of the workout.
Then the first Red Nail appeared in Russia, it was 2010 and I was the first to bent it here. But there was no particular desire to be certified, since I heard that John Brookfield bent him with his bare hands and I wanted to get certified with my barehands. And ten years later, I did it first on video. In these ten years, I only tried Red naked twice, this was in 2013 a reverse and in 2018 an underhand. And in 2020 I managed to do this, although the current Reds are weaker than the old ones, but still nice. I also have a 2011 Red, a tougher game than the new one, I also want to bend it with my bare hands.
Question 03:
What do you love about steel bending?
I like to enjoy the way the metal bend under the influence of the strength of my hands. I also feel that my arms are getting stronger with each new bending.
Question 04:
What do you hate about steel bending?
I do not like to lose steel, but it is inevitable. There is always a limit to strength, but there is no limit to spirit.
Question 05:
How does your training for steel bending look like?
Today I focus on barehands, bend when I feel recovered and ready to fight. There is no definite scheme, I usually do a couple of warm-up sets with light bars, then I bend the harder bars. After bending, I finish off the hands with various auxiliary exercises. The best exercise I think is the wrist roller, an old but most effective exercise.
Question 06:
How does your other training look like (strength or other)?
I have been training for a very long time, I started working with weights since 2003, but I started working seriously since 2005. I like to train with stones, kettlebells, barbell, dumbbells. I do various exercises. After all, as the famous strongman Georg Hackenschmidt said: "Real strength is all-round strength", you need to train everything. Running and swimming, wrestling, gymnastics. I have been doing all this since childhood.
Question 07:
What goals have you set for yourself?
For bending, bend Shiny Bastard with barehands. In weights, lift 200 kg with the middle finger. These are the immediate goals. I hope everything works out.
Question 08:
What was the most impressive bend you ever saw (live or on video)?
Gary Hunt, Shiny Bastard Barehand Reverse bend. This is of course fantastic. He bend it in 7 minutes, I will try to do it faster
Question 09:
Rapid stuff – choose one
Bolts or steel?
Steel
Unbraced or braced?
Unbraced Singles or doubles?
Barehands
Chalk or not?
Chalk
Beer or water?
Water
Cordura or leather or both?
Barehands
Short bars or long bars?
6-7"
Horseshoes or flat bars?
Horseshoes
Chips or chocolate?
Chocolate
Question 10:
The last words belong to you. What do you want the reader take away? Let us know your poems of steel!
To surrender with all passion to the work that you love, in this case it’s bending and never despair when something doesn’t work out. Set a goal and go towards it.
All Noble Force.