Destroying the house with baton dvds

Hello, I am Linda in Connecticut, US. I've quietly settled myself in here, but not yet posted because of my fondness for baton, which I understand has a sketchy reputation, and because I know most of my burning questions will be answered with -- do a search-- but here's a go at it.

I've been re-learning baton, but just discovered people spin things on fire too, which I intend to do. I got the HOP staff video, and am working on Volume 2 of Susan Orr's Guide to Twirling. (Someone was asking about baton videos-- these are the only ones I've found so far. Very girly and meant for kids which is nice if you are slow like me, but #2 gets into some challenging stuff, like fishtails, which I think is the same as what you talk about here.)

But now I see the contact stuff, and find my arm length batons and Globaton aren't cutting it. And I'm starting to think a lot of these baton moves I'm practicing won't be possible once I light up, such as switching palm spins from hand to hand at chest level, but I'm not sure. So I sacrificed a broom and I'm amazed how beautifully a longer staff can spin. Now I'm torn on a length for my first lightable fire staff.

The question is, how are you all learning? Especially those of you not in places where there are others? I've already spectacularly shattered my ceiling lamp, just with a short baton, trying to work out a move from a video. I'm sunk for sure if I start up with a long staff, unless I run a very long cord and computer out to the yard, a bit tricky in the snow.
???
linda

If you're breaking things, you're probably doing it right
but the things are in the wrong place
If you keep doing it for a couple of weekes, then everything will be broken and you won't have to worry about breaking them anymore
good luck
Glass

tis true y'know

I learn slowly and with much difficulty. But I reckon that's the best way

Rule of thumb anything valuable and breakable put away when you practise. I have also smashed my light cover and has come down on my bare feet. you will find after a while if you work in a small area it forces you to get cleaner movements.

best of luck

I don't break things, I just tend to hit myself instead.

There's always a choice.

well thats kinda like breaking yourself.

not when you got hair like meg's

its like a crash helmet

best of luck with the spinning wing.

personally it isnt baton twirlers that i dont like, its the fact that they can do fishtails with their elbows.

We love baton spinners, it's just that a long time ago, in a HOP message board far far away, one baton twirler was a bit arrogant, and misrepresented baton twirlers as a whole. (in some ways)

But if you're nice, we're nice right back? What a great deal!

Ah. Well I'm not an actual baton twirler-- never got past basic twirls in baton class, definitely never wore the sparkly costume. I got nothing to be arrogant about.

Alright, not quite the answer I was looking for, but encouraging none the less. The real trouble is when your staff is as long as your room is wide, and then there's always the tv to be hit.
linda

hmmmm, I dropped a tv yesterday, now it only shows blue and green...

I practise next to the liquor collection, it's one way to become teetotal... though I haven't broken anything yet...

my lamp shade gets beaten a lot, and i mean a lot, but its on strange hinges, so it ust twirls its self out the way, oh altho i have broken tho odd cup, and hit my self a fiar bet, but its part of it happening.

FOr first staff lenght, personally id say 1 meter 20 (4 ft) but im bias, every one else would say 5 ft, but im short so :P

Yes, breaking myself a lot, but that's fine.

4 ft is about the broomstick I've got and that is quite nice, I'm 5'4". I've now switched to using a couple 3 foot sticks to work out moves at the computer, once doing that moving outside with the broom. However there's quite a difference-- for instance, trying to figure out a pinwheel, that's easy with a short stick where you can just spin a series of one-handed figure 8s in a big circle. But for all my searching I can't figure out how a pinwheel is done with one hand with a staff. I found:

*pinwheel = When the staff spins in a large vertical circle made up of smaller circles. Most common pattern for a continous BTB move.

So are you fingerspinning here? What is BTB? And where are these Xaeda lessons? Too many questions?
linda

BTB is behind the back, xaeda leassons are under the free lessons link at the top (id in that link you will find em)

on the first question; how i learn.
i first watch videos and try to understand the tricks. afterwards, i go out and swing/twirl. if i can make the tricks from the beginning, thats nice. but if not, i have to figure out by myself what i am doing wrong. i think that gives me more understanding about how the trick really works.

some poi-spinning is after all done inside and I've crashed a lamp or two too. i have a very dark room nowadays.

oohhh breaking things, i thought it was a staffing necessity

I put a staff through the front room window the other day, i now learn dual fishtails outside

Was a very funny moment, why is it you always see things like that happen in slow motion, yet you just stand and watch it happen.......

As for vertical pinwheels, i dont fingerspin much i roll the staff over the back of the hand continously, helps when ya stick is over half inch as the fingers have trouble spinning anything bigger

breaking stuff is not limited to staff

yesterday i nearly broke one of the multi-media projectors at work, when i was flairing with my bottle, trying to get a behind the back to back palm stall throw down, and it smacked staright into the projector

i should check it today, but i dont care

staff has been responsible fro breaking little in my time, its mainly little scuff marks and dents in walls that you wil see at my place

when they say pinwheel, I think they mean you pass the staff above and behind your head to the other hand, it goes down and passes btb low to the first hand and so on... Fingerspinning not-included...

THANKS, for btb, xaeda, pinwheels, etc. MCP, your videos-- very impressive and I'm most grateful.

breaking things = good
linda

This must be my lucky day as I have been looking for baton videos to use with my globug staff. I personally have been learning from Charles video and the free lessons here. I made sure I moved everything out of my living room. I guess now I will definately have to invest in a DVD player otherwise I will have to move the monitor on the computer so that I can see it while trying to practice which can be a pain. Have you hit yourself in the head or face yet? Before I got my short globug staff I was practicing with a really heavy weighted wooden staff that my best friend made me. I was black and blue all over from hitting myself. I work as a Barber and was having to explain why my hands were all bruised up.

I'm pretty bruised too, have gotten a bunch of good sized lumps on the head and nose, have ripped off all my fingernails and pulled a few muscles. The globug is definitely kinder. I took the advice to wrap the ends of my long wooden staff with towels and electrical tape, makes for nice rolling weight for contact, and feels much better on the head.

Video #1 is mostly basic twirling, some of what Charles' video has, with variations for the shorter length. Video #2 has more contact. Haven't gotten to 3 yet. I'm finding it helpful to use all these videos together. The DVD is best for several choices of slow speeds.

breaking yourself = good
linda