wanderinglintonmember
31 posts
Location: Taiwan


Posted:
Hello all, I am new to this site so please excuse me if I am asking things which have been amply covered in previous discussions..

What I am interested in is hearing from anyone who can give me advice on one handed poi.

I am not talking about butterfly moves, but rather taking the poi (one on index and little finger) and spinning them so that their centripetal force keeps them on opposite sides).

I can do a move something like the corkscrew this way but am now trying to do this vertically whilst turning my body. I can tell it is possible as I can do it for a few beats before it gets all tangled.

Also anyone who does any moves with 4 poi at once. This should be theoretically possible as I can control 2 poi with each hand, but I cannot seem to get it together very well.

Wanderinglinton currently in Taiwan.

pozeeBRONZE Member
old hand
887 posts
Location: san diego, USA


Posted:
i saw someone do that once, he had his poi attached to a glove on his right hand, sorry though i cant give you any help...

anyone got a light?


Gruffmember
106 posts
Location: Gloucester


Posted:
It sounds to me as if what you are doing/trying to do is loosely based on meteors, which are a piece of rope/chain that is weighted at the ends and twirled in a fashion that is very similar to staff but also poi moves are possible due to its flexible nature.

As you need to keep them moving to avoid tangles it sounds like you may need to look at staff moves and treat them more like a staff than poi - thus for four poi in this fashion you would be looking at doubles staff moves. (check out woody in the staff moves section for simple stuff or Circles of Light vid 1 & 2)

You might also want to check out the shop for the Meteor handbook, as well as Bec and Elke's staff twirling book. Im sure they will all come in handy.

I tried something similar a while back but found it helped if i tied the two poi together at the handlesand treated them like a staff. Got a few black eyes in the process mind!

Gruff

wanderinglintonmember
31 posts
Location: Taiwan


Posted:
The principle is certainly the same as meteors or staff, but because one poi is on each finger, you have to have your wrist constantly spinning in order to keep the poi moving. With a staff you can bring your wrist back again whilst the staff spins in your hand.

I know I can do this with a bit more practice, but I was wondering if anyone had already mastered it and could give me some pointers.

Celestemember
48 posts
Location: Birmingham, Ala USA


Posted:
I spin four poi at once, the key to it is a lot of wrist flexablity, more of an exagerated movement than just a single. I hold one poi with my index finger and middle finger and the other with my ring finger and pinkey. Spinning four poi is most effective with corksrew type moves because moves like the butterfly cause the poi to twist and make it very difficult to seperate them when you go into a turn or corkscrew. Also if you hold your hands with your fingers seperated in a "v" (think spock from star trek)it makes spinning four much easier. I hope that helped some, don't worry you'll get it. The hardest part for me was actually getting used to all the extra weight of another set of chains. Have fun, it's worth the practice, very effective with fire.

[ 18 April 2002, 10:25: Message edited by: Celeste ]

Life is serious, but art is fun!


Shouden-CrDSILVER Member
Veteran Member
495 posts
Location: Tampa, FL, USA


Posted:
It is possible to do 4-poi moves such as the butterfly. I use two finger straps, I keep one loop on my index finger, and one on my pinky..(I only use one loop when doing double poi) If you emphasize the down-stroke on each hand, you can accomplish diong moves like the butterfly. However it looks as if you are only holding two poi as the two on each hand are next to each other. I would concur on the making a V with your hand by spreading your fingers apart while apinning. Over-exxagerate your hand movements, and remember that one side of your hand leads the other.

-=ÇrazyRaverÐude=-


Jezaddict
642 posts
Location: UK, London


Posted:
I learnt a new move on Tuesday which can only be described as one handed split time horizontal butterfly!

Anyway looks really good, and like all the best moves I discovered it totally by accident.

'Happiness is liking peeing on yourself. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth.'

'If *I* had a hammer, there'd be no more folk singers.'


.Morph.SILVER Member
addict
669 posts
Location: Lancashire, UK


Posted:
wanderinglinton I think I'm having the same prob as you. I can do the forward and reverse weave one handed, but I always tangle when I try to turn my body changing from one to the other.
Has anyone got an enlightened tip?

jonathanenthusiast
210 posts
Location: new zealand


Posted:
i get ya
doing 4 can be a mission aye?
i would recommend getting you feet sussed out so you sure that you know that where they going to will make it easier for the poi not to tangle.

i personally like doing the 4 poi butterfly tho, there are way more moves like crossovers and weaves once the subtle hand movements have been understood, as well as syncopation in the rhythm that can be acheived doing split time, in sync and all the variations possible with two butterflies.

Doing a 4 poi weave is like doing two staffs (i.e., fun!!) so practising with them will help out, dont forget the weaves can be going in different ways and out of time too!!

Shouden-CrDSILVER Member
Veteran Member
495 posts
Location: Tampa, FL, USA


Posted:
wow, I'd love to see some 4poi vid action going. I can do a lil..but it's a pain. I can do great with my right hand..guess maybe I should work on my left hand and maybe both. (=

PLURR
Max

-=ÇrazyRaverÐude=-


audaxBRONZE Member
freelance bum
286 posts
Location: Upstairs, Australia


Posted:
All the poi I make have snap buttons on the handles so they attach together. This makessome one handed moves easier. My staff friend can spin a pair hand over hand like a staff over his head.

UYI wink OLDSKOOL


Jelloambiguous
646 posts
Location: Mpls, MN, USA


Posted:
Are people talking about one handed windmills and such? I tried the over exagerated movements idea and I'm slowing getting their. One handed butterfly wise I'm getting close to having a solid front to behind the head butterfly going. My only problem is when I bring them back to the front they start to spread out and move towards my face.

_________________________________
Fuzzy Dice.......................................


wanderinglintonmember
31 posts
Location: Taiwan


Posted:
hmm .. I see I have a long way to go ..

OK - so here are my questions:

Jez - how do you manage split time butterfly with one hand? I can do butterfly in time, and split time if the poi are moving in the same direction (ie like a windmill - stafflike). Is your hand rocking left and right?? - I cannot really envision how to do this.

Morphster - I had not considered the weave, how do you get this over to the near side of your body? Is your wrist snapped outward, or how do you keep it spinning?

Raver - I have to ask what PLUR stands for - this might be a stupid question, but I have no idea -

Audax - What do you make the snaps from - I am intrigued by the idea of snap-together poi. I had considered how to do this myself but had not come up with any great ideas other than small hooks such as you would have on a dog lead. Can you snap them to gether in the middle of a two handed performance and then break them apart again easily? That would be quite cool I think.

Lots of good discussion - the door is opening on one handed poi for me here - thanks.

wanderinglintonmember
31 posts
Location: Taiwan


Posted:
Oh - just reread the thread:

Morphster - are you saying that you have two poi on one handle and two sets of these to do four on one hand? Maybe I'm being obtuse, but this is the way it reads to me.

Jelloambiguous
646 posts
Location: Mpls, MN, USA


Posted:
Plur = Peace Love Unity Respect Some people add another R, which I forgot what it means cause I am not one of those people.

_________________________________
Fuzzy Dice.......................................


.Morph.SILVER Member
addict
669 posts
Location: Lancashire, UK


Posted:
I wish I could use 4poi in one hand I've only just started playing with 2poi in 1 hand.
It wasn't very clear in my other msg, but I meant I can do the weave in both directions as separate moves, and I'm trying to go from one then turn 180 into the other.

Jezaddict
642 posts
Location: UK, London


Posted:
quote:
Jez - how do you manage split time butterfly with one hand? I can do butterfly in time, and split time if the poi are moving in the same direction (ie like a windmill - stafflike). Is your hand rocking left and right?? - I cannot really envision how to do this.
Exactly right! You do the two handed split time butterfly as normal and you do the same transfer into the one hand as you do for the one handed butterfly but you move your hand left to right instead.

Also to make this horizontal just tilt it slowly stretching to make room for your poi to
make the circles this can be done below you and as I found out last night can also be done over your head.

I hope this helps

'Happiness is liking peeing on yourself. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth.'

'If *I* had a hammer, there'd be no more folk singers.'


wanderinglintonmember
31 posts
Location: Taiwan


Posted:
Feelin' Tres HOPpy....

I got it sussed now!! Woohoo

OK Try this..

Put both poi on your middle finger, but have the straps come inside your hand - one out by your index finger and one by your little finger.

I got forward and backward weave doing 180's between them in about half and hour!!!!!!!

Long chains helps too - I built mine to be completely adjustable and found that having them at a length from ground to elbow gives them plenty of momentum..

Ah ha ha - I love this game!!

Ok - now I have to work out your split time butterfly thing. Thanks for the advice.

wanderinglintonmember
31 posts
Location: Taiwan


Posted:
Oh - I also joined my poi together to make what I suppose are meteors - this is also very cool.

I realised that they are just like a staff in this configuration and am now off to read up on staff moves.

Happy twirling.

audaxBRONZE Member
freelance bum
286 posts
Location: Upstairs, Australia


Posted:
My handles are made from webbing strap and snap buttons from a materials and textiles shop. The webbing (incredibly cheap and durable) is folded into 2 loops, one for my finger and one for the first ring to attach the chain. I melt a hole through the webbing and punch a snap button into each hole, then they can snap together quite easily while I twirl but originally it was for neat storage hanging etc.

UYI wink OLDSKOOL


PeDeymember
189 posts
Location: nevernever land


Posted:
I've been playing with one handed stuff over the weekend, I kinda got the butterfly but a was also woking the poi around my body like you would woth a weave. I also did what I think was a 5 beat by having one handle on my pinky the other on my index, Then bringing the weave over to my right leading with the index poi and then doing a wrist wrap with the pinky poi to get the extra beats in ( just got it that would give me 4 beats ??!! )
I noticed that using your fingers as if they were your arms when doing these moves helps.Ie you can slow or speed up the individual poi as they move around your body

hope this makes sense to someone!!
Cheerz

Spike

ask yourself this??.......... When was the last time you dug a hole you could be proud of???
answers on a post card



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