Newbie - how do I hold fabric Poi?

Hey I recently discovered Poi and I'm really excited just got my first Poi and was wondering if anyone could help me with how to hold them?
They're just the basic ones without any handles just fabric. I've been watching some tutorials and trying to learn but wanted to know how was best to do it

Any help would be really great thanks ^_^

In short however you find most comfortable...

I put a knot in the end, put that in my palm between my index and mid fingers and have the tether coming out the back of my hand.

Others hold it in a key type grip between thumb and index finger.

It does partly depend on how long they are and how much spare fabric you have to play with.

You could check out the second lesson in Nick Woolsey's beginner series, on this page

http://www.playpoi.com/poi-basics

(in fact I recommend them all, but the second lesson first week is about holding your poi)

hth

I also find that tying a big knot at the handle works the best, it works for whatever grip you use and can just make it big enough so that the poi is shortened enough that you don't have to wrap it.

Or if you're feeling creative, you can sew a loop with it and use that.

I usually use REALLY long poi and wrap them around my middle and index finger, then use a key grip.

You can hold the poi in any way you find comfortable, don't be afraid to play around with different ways to hold them, you might find that the best way to hold them for you will change with your development.

If you want something to think about while finding a comfortable grip, its good to have a grip where you can feel the momentum of the poi and the tension of the cord.

In my grip, I can feel that on my thumb, Jameth can likely feel it between his index and middle fingers.

Have a great time, welcome to hop and don't be afraid to ask questions!

Her, and yes.

If I'm spinning for a long time with a thumb pinch grip I find the muscles between my thumb and the rest of my hand get tired: not so much now as when I first started, but still to a degree. I like to have my hand relaxed and with a big knot for a handle it is, almost as much as when I use a single loop wrapped around my fingers.

I agree it's a very good idea to try a variety of grips and keep experimenting as you gain experience, there's a number of strongly held but different preferences in my group.

! I'm sorry, Jameth!

You say your muscles in your hand get tired, thats why I wrap it round my fingers, the weight is on my middle finger, without having to pinch it and the control is between my thumb and forefinger. ^_^

No worries - male is more common in poi, outside of the Maori. My nic is actually based on a female character but not that many people read PC Hodgell (I recommend her if you like fantasy).

Even taking the weight on my fingers my thumb opposers get tired if I'm spinning for a long time, especially if I'm learning something new - my grip gets tighter the more I concentrate.

I was assuming Freyja is also of the XX persuasion, which is why I mentioned it. She doesn't seem to have been back, I hope the hitting yourself phase hasn't put her off...

@ jameth
"She doesn't seem to have been back, I hope the hitting yourself phase hasn't put her off..." girls get off lightly in that phase, I learned with heavy firepoi at first, think I may be sterile now.....

I hold all my poi in different ways for different things, but generally between my thumb, index finger and middle finger.

@ liquidtrance: oh yes, watching others learn certainly impressed on me the advantages of keeping my gonads out of the way.