I call him our bending wizard. When we speak about Tom Morris out of england I am always excited what comes from him next.
The wizard is because of his great forms he can put into the steel. Pictures say more than I ever could, so I added two very good pics from Tom´s site to show you what I mean.
As he said, he is just at the beginning of a great bending journey, so make sure to follow him.
Also a very kind guy, thanks again for the steel exchange. Let´s go!
Thanks Tom for the interview:
Name:
Tom
Year of birth:
1989
Height:
5´7" - 170cm
Weight
81kg
Location:
England
Occupation:
Factory Worker
Relationship Status:
Spoken for
Question 01:
What does steel bending mean to you?
In a very simple way I love the theatrics of man vs steel; the act of it feels very mind over matter to me. I also really love the instant gratification of seeing something physically changed by imposing your strength. In a far broader sense steel bending and the community surrounding it has brought me a really strong sense of belonging and I’m really grateful for that.
Question 02:
When and why did you start steel bending and what does or did your active time look like?
I was a Covid steel bending baby. I stumbled across the idea of it all after watching the Stanless Steel film, did some research and discovered David Horne, then bought a starter pack from him and Elizabeth. My initial training started off as trying to do everything all at once and quickly figuring out that was maybe a bad idea. I then managed to accidentally nestle myself in with the snapping GOAT Dan Dring who used his impeccable coaching skills to teach me the ropes (and then some).
Question 03:
What do you love about steel bending?
I love the way it is so incredibly old school. It’s a very niche, underground sport and it’s such a simplistic form of strength training which has a fantastic history. I feel like we’re continuing a tradition. The physical act is brutal, but there are so many pockets of technique. I also love the notion of progression, where there are always harder “levels” to the steel and more unusual feats to try. The unwavering praise from the community - over beginner or better - bends is also a really lovely thing. It’s also very accessible and something you can do anywhere which can leave you completely exhausted without the need for large weights and machines. I especially love braced bending because it’s your whole body vs a piece of steel. How much force can you generate with your entire being and is it enough to manipulate the steel. The perfect moment for me that I love is when you are giving everything you have and are just about to stop applying pressure and the steel moves a fraction and yields to you instead, letting you know that your physical and mental efforts are not in vain. Nothing compares to that feeling.
Question 04:
What do you hate about steel bending?
I hate that I didn’t find bending sooner.
Question 05:
How does your training for steel bending look like?
I play close attention to how rested I am and what I think I can manage physically based on that. I then look for some inspiration - typically from David Horne or his feats list - and try to choose something I can find enjoyable. I’m lucky that I naturally hyper-focus and end up honing in on my new task pretty naturally. For general steel training I typically do whatever the skin on my hands can manage, but I hope to do something fun 2-3 days a week, and hope to do something big (for me) once every week to two weeks.
Question 06:
How does your other training look like (strength or other)?
I am lucky that I love strength generally and I want to try it all. I like researching and want to experiment so I take a lot of inspiration from things I’m currently interested in. Recently it’s been hammer levering, rock climbing and arm wrestling. I try to do something physical with weights at home most days, typically just to aid my general strength. I’m not strict, I just do what I can to have fun and thankfully for me strength is fun.
Question 07:
What goals have you set for yourself?
I only want to continue to bend harder steel. I’m still very new to bending and I feel as if I haven’t even scratched the surface yet - there are whispers of a Steel Shredder comp I’m meant to place well in… so I better give that my best shot!
Question 08:
What was the most impressive bend you ever saw (live or on video)?
Before I go into this there are so many bends and snaps worth celebrating, I feel like I could go on all day about the bends and feats that have stuck with me.
Dan Dring and his 12.9 snap, his inconceivably fast ‘Giant Killer’ and his 30 second red nail snap. He’s a phenomenon and I’m not sure there will ever be another steel snapper like him.
Hannes Kainz bending is so strong and he was a huge inspiration for me when attempting the unbraced snap a red nail. I wouldn’t have ever thought it possible if it wasn’t for him.
The state of Reuben’s hands after snapping 105 6” nails always sticks in my head.
Every time I see Carl bend a huge bar with seemingly no effort it blows my mind and inspires me to push my limitations of what I think I can achieve. The same with David Wigren and Don Cummings… they are masters of their craft and have all achieved monumentally strong bends.
Seeing Elizabeth bend the 8.8 bolt was also such an awe inspiring experience - at the time it was really hard to come to terms with just how strong she must be.
Shawn Kapusta with his super minimal wrap bends hurt to watch too. Anything that requires that much pain tolerance and mental fortitude really impresses me.
There are just too many strong bends I could go on and on!
Question 09:
Rapid stuff – choose one
Bolts or steel?
Steel
Unbraced or braced?
Braced
Singles or doubles?
Both
Chalk or not?
Chalk
Beer or water?
Chocolate milk
Cordura or leather or both?
Both
Short bars or long bars?
Short
Horseshoes or flat bars?
Shoes
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!
I can only echo Elizabeth Horne’s original words to me that “to believe you can’t do something is a genuine impediment” and David Horne’s consistent mantra of “have fun with your training”.
Thanks for asking me to take part in the interview, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Thanks for everything you do for the community.
Tom
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Pics I took from Tom´s site for showing that he is our bending wizard:
