Forums > Beginner Poi Moves > stuck in endless circle

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
That's a common issue for a number of the performance arts.

some suggestions to help break out might be

1. Write down sequences of moves, with no repitions, say about 6 or 7, and pin it up somehwere to read while you spin.

2. Instead of completing each move by rote, as your body is good at already, try to transition out of the move before it's finished, say 1/3 1/2 or 3/4 of the way through the move.

3. Do stupid silly things, try to (gently) wrap around individual fingers, grab the string halways down with opposing hands, try a mouth wrap, grabbing the string and then doing poi with one hand and one with your mouth etc etc. The sillier the new thing, the faster it is to reak out of established patterns.

4. Get a non-poi friend to watch and suggest new things.

5. Shorten the strings.

6. Lengthen the strings.

At the end of the day, it's all about changing the comofrt zone your physical memory has settled into, and let the conscious mind start dictating what to do again.

hope this helps...

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Posted: 8th Oct 2002
creativity is the fire that burns down the barn of monotony.

Many times, awesome, inspiring music is the matchstick that lights said fire.

no barn animals were hurt in the rating of this post.

(now sing after me, zum zum zum, capoeira mata um!)

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
My first suggestion is obvious. Don't let yourself. I sometimes make rules when I practice to keep myself fresh like "I'm not doing any butterflies" or "I'm doing only butterflies" etc...

My second suggestion is to drive down to New York City and play with us. Every time you repeat a move I'll beat you with a stick.

Trust me, you will learn.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
NYC, it's obvious you're a high school teacher

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
yeah, it's because he's left handed.
:scampers:

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
I'm left handed

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
um, but like they say, the rule does not apply to people whose name starts with 'k', silly!

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 10th Oct 2002
thanks a ton guys. and nyc i would love to come down and meet you all. as for the beating with a stick, it think i'll pass . i will be sure to take your advice and try some new things. i'll update you at a later time. love to all

the music feeds my soul that glows and grows with every spin i take.

Posted: 11th Oct 2002
wow.
Its so cool, all the old names are comming back out of the woodwork.
Hiya Girl for mars.

Have you tried putting on headphones and loosing yourself in poi??
Does it for me, irght up until I smack myself in the nads, which at least is a different move.

yea, and I'm left handed too.

Drew
__________
be

Posted: 10th Oct 2002
that's the only way i love to spin, i have a hard time doing it without music to guide me. i very good and just closing my eyes and going on and on and on without hitting myself

the music feeds my soul that glows and grows with every spin i take.

Posted: 10th Oct 2002
Ok, GFM, I see that its a real problem this one.
1 spin and testicle pain later.

I looked out at the stars while I was spinning and I got these answers to the stuck in a rut problem.

If you're slightly one sided then spin everything in your goofy direction.
If you usually play with one set of poi. then borrow some with completely different character, If you usually play a certain length, play the others, like short/or extremely long.
try to Spin with bad time, just for fun, so that the poi are not parallel, or are not opposite.
work on 2 to 1 and 3 to 2 rhythms, (but I think you might have done aready) and not just in simple at the side circles, but in moves also.

but my best suggestion. is do contact staff.

Glass
__
be

Posted: 12th Oct 2002
heh, try contact staff for a while, and never again will you complain about old familiar moves...

usually after i try, i get so frustrated that the staff wont stick to my body like it does to Nix's in COL3, that i cant wait to pick up my poi again...

:walks off wondering why the staff sticks to Nix:

Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!

Posted: 11th Oct 2002
I think it's an intricate system of subdermal magnets

But there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.

Posted: 11th Oct 2002
You're on the wrong board Rory. This is the poi one. Not the geeky science one.

That's what you get for net surfing with your eyes shut.

Meh

Posted: 12th Oct 2002
On topic though (before you start Charles I do do it sometimes) I've been stuck in a poi rut for about 3 months and have finally cracked it by thinking outside the box. Instead of trying to do specific moves etc I've just been letting it all flow and see what comes of it.

Going to London and seeing some of the most awesome spinners in the country (including my lady love) also helped quite a bit.

I'm just rambling with this post but i hope it helps a little.

Meh

Posted: 12th Oct 2002
Kind of what C@ntus said, but try NOT to think of doing individual moves. Instead, think of spinning within a family of moves (of which there are all of two - same direction and opposite direction). As soon as you feel yourself repeating a move, change to something different in the same family. Don't think too much about where they're going.
It's helpful to be able to transition from any move to any other within the same family.

J

If you're not confused, you're not thinking about things hard enough.

Posted: 12th Oct 2002
I said not doing specific things.

Meh

Posted: 12th Oct 2002
Shit, sounded alright in my head. Sorry, I was just trying to reiterate your point. Damn this inability to communicate emphasis in text form!!

J

If you're not confused, you're not thinking about things hard enough.

Posted: 12th Oct 2002
when i get stuck doing the same things i try to vary them by maybe swinging my arms out further, or one close and one far, crouching, seeing how low i can get horizontal moves to the ground, transitioning from low to high moves, or seperating moves(i.e. corkscrew but do two circles with each hand on top or bottom and vice versa.) try right, left, right, right, left, right, left, left, etc...or when weaving do two circles on each side with each hand. does any of that make any sense?

From the makers of soylent green.

Posted: 13th Oct 2002
Locofly-
When weaving do two circles on each side you may do it forward or backward or do one bigger and one small circle(change the beat) or do the same behind your back or change the rhythm or .....

POI THEO(R)IST

Posted: 13th Oct 2002
Quote
"...thinking outside the box."

Cantus when did you start spouting management bullsh t.

what next, you gonna show up round here in smart shoes and a flashy suit*.

*You know like aerotech would make.

LOL

Glass

Posted: 13th Oct 2002
The problem is 'moves'. Like they say above, don't do them. Do random stuff, put the poi everywhere. Last couple of weeks I've been doing random stuff with each hand, not too related, and playing with different speeds in each hand. Just play with different ideas.

Mr Glass, sometime soon shall we do some poi filming? I know you're heavily into that stick thing, but I've got time on me hands and I can actually do poi!

Posted: 13th Oct 2002
deal, get your best suit out. I'll walm up the super-8
just pesterme to do it and I'll bunk off work.
The boss wont mind, he likes poi

+ I want to tie my new video camera to the end of a poi, to get a pois eye view
a whole new poispective on tricks.
might be a but dizzy though

sorry mars, totally off topic

glass
_____
be

Posted: 14th Oct 2002
now, where did I put that shiny purple shirt and purple velvet waistcoat...