Forums > Beginner Staff Moves > Beginner Staffer Would Like Some pointers and help

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GodlovinSpongemember
125 posts
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada


Posted:
I got some basic questions which might sound kinda dumb, but whatever.. You dont have to answer them anyways if you dont want to winkWhen I do the 360 spin, my hand that grabs it feels like it is "chasing" the staff to put it in the index/thumb groove. Is this how its supposed to feel, or am I doing something wrong?Is there a way to stop your hand from moving down the staff when doing a handwrap? (When I let the staff roll around the back of my hand my hand always ends up away from the middle)Im 5'4 and thinking of picking up some aluminum pipping to use for a staff.. what size would you recommend for two short staffs and a long staff?How long is the average time before most people start with fire and how many tricks should you have mastered before you do?How hot is it when doing the flaming staff?Thanks for your help everyone..Blessings to yaSponge------------------May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.

May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.


CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
Spinning in a big warm church would be fun.Although......*looks slightly sheepih*...........I set fire to a church once.Not through any malice or evil intent.Just a big, stupid candle fell off it's big, stupid stand and set fire to a big, stupid curtain shockedYou should have seen the angry looks I got. Not much other cheek turning went on that day I can tell you.And when i tried to douse the flames with water from the font.......

Meh


GodlovinSpongemember
125 posts
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada


Posted:
Gee.. sounds interesting.. It was probably a boring church anyways.. lol.. those type need some life anyways.. heh heh heh.. :O *I dont think I was supposed to say that but oh well*And candles.. hmm.. my church uses electricity.. amasing eh? wink So the only way I will light the place on fire is if Im doing fire staff (which I wont inside for obvious reasons) or that I throw my staff into a light bulb which ignites.. But I hope God will take care of his church better than to let that happen *smiles*But yea.. its nice to let fly with so much space... The backyard I have has a tree and a camper.. so there is less space there than church.. so its fun. smileBut I didnt get my staff that I wanted today.. :P DUmb Lack of Money!!! :P------------------May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.

May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.


CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
Our church has electrictrickery too. It's just church of England and they're big on their traditionalism. So it's big candles and gothic architecture. But then the church was built before your country was even discovered so you can'tr really blame them for living in the dark ages a bit...

Meh


GodlovinSpongemember
125 posts
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada


Posted:
HA HA HA.. LOL.Funny stuff. I suppose I can forgive them then. wink lol

May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.


[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,749 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both


Posted:
Yo,Warning! Dont use electrical tape, specially with metal staffs, a friend of mines staff really bit someone who was using it. We had cbeen constantly burning for about an hour and the tape melted and stuck itself across his knuckles, the worst burn Ive seen yet. (or ever, touch wood)Bicycle inner tube can do the same and has the added disadvantage of being black, very hard to catch in the dark. I like the PVC tubing best, but dont put it too near the flames. Wood is naturally insulated and grippy. (yeah yeah, ive said it before)Incedentally, cantus, where in england are you? Im in the south west. I wanna see somma that freestyle action.Love ya,Nix

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
I live in the Norh-West. Cheshire to be precise. Northwich to be more precise. Cuddington to be exact.------------------C@ntusIn the past, the fools would pay, to see the freaks of the day. The contradictions of the norm. The bizarre, the wonderful and deformed.No need for the tents and the cages now. The wool is over our eyes. In front the TV circus - a freakshow in disguise.

Meh


CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
Or, do what some people do and don't have a grip at all.If i deliberately let the staff get slippery from a burnoff, I can do palmspins for ages...And I find handles disconcerting when I'm doing wraps and contact moves...my $.02------------------Charles (INFERNO)newdolbel@hotmail.comhttps://juggling.co.nz

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
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* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?


Peregrinemember
428 posts
Location: Mystic, Ct. USA


Posted:
back when i went to church...we set a table on fire while altar serving once. actually it was the spare altar smile(yes we were a progessive church and had girl altar servers)we also caused an incense burner to explode. you know, if they tell you to put one teaspoon of loose incense, only use one. we put one in, nothing happened, so we added a couple more. right in the middle of a relatively quiet part of the mass the whole thing just went up with sparks and a HUGE cloud of smoke, and an audible *WHOOSH*totally not related to anything.. smilepere

GodlovinSpongemember
125 posts
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada


Posted:
Perigrin.. HA HA HA.. funny stuff.I have heard of Gods Fire.. but thats ridiculous. wink hehHey.. this has got me as the starter of this discussion.. if it was normal and not full of stuff that had no reason for being there.. I would be worried! smileI GOT MY STAFFS TODAY>> TOMORROW (or tonite) I get to cut them! Two long, two short.. fun stuff.and once again.. its cold here.. grip is a must since I have a metal staff.WOuld Duct Tape work?------------------May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.

May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.


CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
The best thing to do with regards to grips is just experiment. I spent 3 months looking for a tape that i was comfortable with.You should ignore (well not ignore but dont pay so much attention to) these people who are saying "NO, no, you can't do that..."or"My mate had a really bad experience with...."You need to find what you're comfortable with and you might (or might not) have a bad experience with anything you try. So it may not be best to discount something because someone else said it wasn't good.Makes sense?------------------C@ntusIn the past, the fools would pay, to see the freaks of the day. The contradictions of the norm. The bizarre, the wonderful and deformed.No need for the tents and the cages now. The wool is over our eyes. In front the TV circus - a freakshow in disguise.

Meh


GodlovinSpongemember
125 posts
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada


Posted:
Yep.. I suppose so.Still.. I dont want to burn my nice little hands. wink For now I wont use grip for a bit, cause its too cold for even me to spin in. But I was thinking I might be able to find a liquid rubber substance that I could basically put a nice thin layer on for some grip.. anybody know of anything that I might be able to try out?------------------May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.

May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.


[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,749 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both


Posted:
how about rubber stone gaaurd paint for car bodywork? Dont know how it reacts with heat...N

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


Gruffmember
106 posts
Location: Gloucester


Posted:
You can actually buy liquid latex form theatre make up suppliers. Paint it on and let it do its stuff.Pop along to your local theatre and Im sure theyll be more than obliging! You could try doing a couple of searches on the web.

phuzzzmember
160 posts
Location: saltspring island, bc , kanada


Posted:
i love my fancy ney grip! glowtape, then that tubing used for slingshots(or junkies) cut to a ribbon and spiraled along my staffteehee the glow stuuff alone is slippery and GLOWS! but the clear rubber over it gives it a 'soft' feel. nice cause i dont lose track of it on big throws. really weird to use at night with no fire! all i can see is the handle!

CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
Erm, I've been using liquid latex for several years now (as an fine artist, costumier and mask maker) and I would have to say it is a complete twat of a medium to use. Especially if you haven't handled it before.It never flows where you want or expect it to. It doesn't adhere to certain surface (a lot of trail and error there i'm afraid). It's full of ammonia (so you start feeling faint if your breathing air near it - as so many people have a way of doing. I don't hold with this new fangled breathing myself....)I don't know how you were planning to get it to stick to, what is essentially, a round stick.You could, I suppose, put molds on either side of the stick. ie do one side then the other. But i can't imagine that working very well.My suggestion would be to make a flat mold approximatley the size you want your grips to be. Maybe a little larger to allow for shrinkage (you can always trim it down).This mold should be made of some soft modelling clay (like plasticine. Although Plastolene is better as it never dries out)Press it down firmly, making sure you cover any gaps and holes. Before using the mold, fill it with water to see if you have any leaks. Plug these up and test it again. Dry the mold thoroughly and we're away.Pour a fairly thin layer of latex in (not too deep and definitely don't fill it on the first pour. As it will never dry.Use an old paint brush to spread it out a little (make sure it's an old one as it will be lost to the world of painting from here on in) make sure you fill the corners.If you were supplied with a jar of thickener, don't use it. It's crap. You can never mixing it evenly enough and it makes the latex go all lumpy. In fact if you get the choice dont buy it in the first place.Leave to dry. This may take a while. Go read a book, spin a staff, whatever. When it's set it is clear (ish) and has no white in it. Repeat this process several time until you have the desired thickness. You may have to guess at this (obviously).When it is completly dry. Mix a little washing up liquid with some warm water and paint it onto the latex. This will make it slightly more pliant. Remove the mold and wash the Latex in warm water. Dry thoroughly.Trim off any flash (rough bits around the edges where it's met the mold etc)Now to fixing it to the staff. The choice of adhesive will have to be yours as I am unfamiliar with American products. But I would recommend something akin to superglue.I hope this was of some help.....If you have any further questions feel free to email me.

Meh


[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,749 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both


Posted:
Yo cantus,I read it, and thought that it was so compleate in its content that I simply had nothing to add. I have worked with latex aswell (tho latex is not what I was talking about in the perfious post) and the only thing I could possibly say is dont try doing it in a cold, wet october, outside.LRP really is all about idiots in costumes with rubber sords and muchos beer.Hummm......

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


SickpuPpyNinja Rockstar!
1,100 posts
Location: Denver, Co. U.S.A.


Posted:
Maybe you're all talking about a diffirent type of liquid latex, put I keep picturing the self vulcunizing stuff that they sell in porn stores. I didn't read the book that cantus just wrote above (sorry), but latex aounds like a horrible idea, and if you're sweating hard you might as well coat it with astro glide or ky jelly. I recomend leather.

Jesus helps me trick people.


SickpuPpyNinja Rockstar!
1,100 posts
Location: Denver, Co. U.S.A.


Posted:
Also when latex comes in contact with any petrolium product, distillates especially, like gasoline, kerosine, mineral spirits, it distroys the bond that keeps latex stretchy.That's why the tell you not to use petrolium jelly's like vasiline on condoms. It causes them to break. Since most fuels are petrolium based it's probobly not a great idea, especially if you're like me and use kero. It won't hurt to try, I suppose, but you will, eventually, end up with a gooey, swolen, sticky thing where your grip was.

Jesus helps me trick people.


AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
Good call Charles - don't have a grip at all. None of my homemade dowel staffs have grips - just a line or two painted on the middle (helpful for catching).

GodlovinSpongemember
125 posts
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada


Posted:
Cantus.. I read it.. a little late I suppose.. wink But hey I got it nonetheless. smileI liked the leather grip idea... the latex sounds way to complicated for my taste :PHow would I get a nice smooth surface (as in no gaps) with the leather.. what could I use for an adhesive?------------------May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.

May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.


GodlovinSpongemember
125 posts
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada


Posted:
Nother question to put out there..Anybody here do slow music dances with staff? Or is it pretty much all fast stuff?Does anyone here practice what they do with their feet, not just their staff?------------------May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.

May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.


CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
With doubles mostly I am letting the staffs do the dancing for me at the minute. I move quite a bit with single staff though. Not as much as Joshy I suspect. But still quite a bit.[This message has been edited by Cantus (edited 07 December 2001).]

Meh


GodlovinSpongemember
125 posts
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada


Posted:
Joshy? Why do you say that... does he do a lot of moves with his feet?I feel like the moves are imcomplete without feet movement.. though I dont move much when Im learning the moves. Then again.. I have played sports all my life so moving my feet just is natural when doing something with my hands.------------------May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.

May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.


SickpuPpyNinja Rockstar!
1,100 posts
Location: Denver, Co. U.S.A.


Posted:
Smooth grip (as in no gaps). How do you feel about bumps? The easy way is to do an overlaping wrap. Where you put the lether strip at sort of an angle and just wrap it around. If you want a glazed looking grip you have to use suede strips and just work with the staff utill it looks sort of glassy. As for adhesive I think "Shoe Goo" works the best, but I don't know if they sell that in Canada. Super glue or contact cement should work too. The ends of the leather strip on my staff are screwed down but this may be hard to do on some staffs. If you play with it you'll figure it out.

Jesus helps me trick people.


CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
OOh don't you go calling him Joshy, Sponge. I only do it to annoy him. You should call him Josh. It's his name after all......I'm trying to get out of the habit of calling people Mr whatever as Draevon does that, and he does it with so much more style than i do. So I thought perhaps suffixing a Y to their names might be an aid to this end.Anyhoo from what I can acertain Josh thinks it's dancing and so moves round quite a bit. That said I don't believe I've seen him staffing (do you do staff on COL Josh? I only watch it for Sarah and Kate. I don't watch your bits grin tongue) I've only seen him doing poi. So how would I know.Personally I don't "practice" what i do with my feet. If I feel i need to move I move. If i think I've been facing one way too long I face another way. Go with the flow, feel the rythym, find the beat and play with it.It's all good.

Meh


[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,749 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both


Posted:
I have found that footwork can be inportant when nailing some harder moves. The body roll I just learned becomes 100% easier when you widen your stance and lower your centre of gravity. Being able to turn well is inportant.Today I was stick dancing to a samba band, I love to dance anyway so I was letting my feet do the usual dancing thing, jumping around but letting the stick direct the direction. I suppose Id recoment paying attenetion to your footword when dancing first, and when thats down it should come easily with stick.I really like practicing slow with my stick, seeing what ways the body can follow the motion and try to really dance with it like a partner, rather than an acessory. But hey, maybe Im just getting a little obsessive about stick. Samba is f##king Great stuff tho....n....

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
I try to move my feet most of the time. The way I see it, the interaction between tool (staff poi, whatever) and body is where the mesmerising dynamic is. that said - I'm still a long way off dancing the way I'd like to dance. I'm getting there. on doubles I mainly do turns and varying the height of the staves etc etc...on poi I think I can do a bit more stuff.Josh

CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
Foot movement can be good for things other than dancing as well.I love doing a figure 64 with doubles, and rotating on my heels left whe the right staff comes in front, and rotating tto the right when the left staff comes in front.With my knees bent as well it looks like I'm doing some wierd liquid moves with my legs and torso, but only with the staffs there too, without the staffs it just looks silly.PS, I'm probably the worst dancer I know of, so I need to think 'Feet' a lot more than I do...------------------Charles (INFERNO)newdolbel@hotmail.comhttps://juggling.co.nz

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?


GodlovinSpongemember
125 posts
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada


Posted:
Okay.. so not Joshy.. hmm.. I tend to shorten names.. so.. Joe? J? Osh? Or I could just play with the name.. JahosaPhat or Joe-Shhhhh.Anyways.. enough of that.SickPup.. you mean like the way you do hockey tape grip? Where do you find thin strips like that?Cantus, for me its a dance also, which is why I was askin. I tend to like to dance normally, so when I pick it up I always feel like my feet should move to the beat as much as my staff.Nix, Samba? Isnt that the music that most people use for that Brazilian Martial Arts/Dance (cant remember what its called) thing?Charles, lol. At least your doing something.. even if the staff is doing most of the work.. after all its the overall effect we are going after anyways, right.------------------May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.

May the fire of God burn its impression on your heart.


CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
I know Sponge I was kidding. It was my attempt to goad Josh into posting something as he appeared to leave this thread alone for ages.For me it is also a dance. Not so much with doubles - but i think that will come in time - at the moment i am trying to concentrate on symmetry and flow of the staffs, rather than the dance aspect as such.But with single, I've seen a few others spin lately and they stand stock still and run through the same 4 or 5 moves over and over. It can get so boring to watch. (I wonder if this ever occurs to them).I spin and turn and twist and whatever and change and develop and flow. Never boring never the same. I mean, what's the point?How can you ever hope to grow if you always stay the same?

Meh


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