Forums > Beginner Staff Moves > Odd Stick Things (a cry for help)

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simian110% MONKEY EVERY TIME ALL THE TIME JUST CANT STOP THE MONKEY
3,149 posts
Location: London


Posted:
Dear Aunty Marjorie,

My friends are all into poi, and dance about doing all manner of funny technical swingamabobbery such as hypeduploops, vice-relations and jillycoopergans.

but i like sticks more than poi because when i use poi i resemble a stumbling zombie on ketamine being attacked by two poltergeists.

Are there no odd, strangely technical and surprisingly bizarre bits of jiggery-pokery that i could do with a stick to impress my geeky poipals?

Are the only technical staff moves really just those contact ones that involve wobbling it around on my shoulderblades in horribly shaky and bent horizontal planes?

yours faithfully,
an inquisitive monkey

[ 26. May 2003, 23:52: Message edited by: simian ]

"Switching between different kinds of chuu chuu sometimes gives this "urgh wtf?" effect because it's giving people the phi phenomenon."


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


Posted:
I been thinking about this recently, watching myself on video and listening to other peaple about the movement assosiated with poi and staff.

There are some things in conflict here, One is space, i.e. there is a path around your body that has to be moved around and not interfeered with (the head hit refered to above) and in martial ars stuff the timing and nature of movement is pretty defined for this reason (think of all the work done on stance)

the other is technical, my friend is a begginer but looks pretty good doing stuff cos she lets the poi drag her whole body around, and kinda squirls into her forward weaves and stuff. The thing is that doing this puts the planes to shit, and as you get more technically proficient you realise the the cleanest exicution has the smallist movement. (think of forward weave were the idea is to have your wrists together, making it really clean, but if your body is following the poi, you wrista are dragged apart.)

Therefore, movement starts to bevcome a realm of trickery by itself, I think the best remedy may be a combination of martial arts and dance clases.

I do a lot of dance already, so Ive been working on my footwork, doin b-boy stuff whilst spinning and I find a single short staff is probbibly the easiest thing to dance with, tho i do like poi and music Still feels at the moment like im dancing 'underneith' the toys, not fully integrated.

L*r
T

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


bluecatgeek, level 1
5,300 posts
Location: everywhere


Posted:
quote:
Originally posted by bender™:
for the capoeiristas out there, it looks like a no-hands meia lua de compasso, with the distinctly stiff back and limbs of baton twirling style.

axe!

yup.
thass' the one.

nearly got it now with two...but i lose my balance finishing the second one....


R

Holistic Spinner (I hope)


colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
quote:
Originally posted by +):
...think of forward weave were the idea is to have your wrists together, making it really clean...
if its all about clean as possible parallel planes then a split in the wrists on the crossover is my recipe for neatness. wrists together all the way gives you v-planes like you get doing cross-follow out in front of you with clubs.

but really i'm just being a picky bastard - i agree with everything nix? said there. especially the bit about discovering neatness comes from the smallest controlled movements possible.

in the example above the wrists should stay as close as possible to a line across your body from one side to the other (ie. as little up, down, and forward or backwards motion as is permitted by your body and the necessary crossover of limbs). this gives the two circles common centrepoints which ultimately produces cleanliness.
and having the basics sorted leads to the more advanced moves being neater - a weave from a super-neat centrepoint prduces the best looking fountains, neat reels lead to neat waistwraps and so on.

once the movements have been whittled down to their bare minimum and the move is as neat as it can get, you can begin to play around with it again.
having the technique down gives you the ability to use it wherever the whim takes you.
essentially, it maximises the space tom referred to above that your body is permitted to move within, eventually to the point that you start thinking about how you can fit another body and set of toys in at the same time...

having said all that i still don't move enough most of the time - its what you get for doing most of your practise in a spce a little less than 2x2x2m

i love posting in the staff forum

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


bluecatgeek, level 1
5,300 posts
Location: everywhere


Posted:
aaaaaagh interloper


not really i can't wait to hand you 2 big sticks
R

Holistic Spinner (I hope)


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


Posted:
yeah, mine and Robs

coleman, so nice to see you here, ive posted once or twice in poi moves, novel, is it not?

I was also thinking about the diffrence between danceing with your poi and making poi dance, which seems much more to be the 'nu-school' approach.


L*r

N

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


dwuanosmember
79 posts
Location: Freo


Posted:
use two stix and a couple of chains...

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


Posted:
How to learn more body moves, Bulldozer??

I'd have to say that playing music as often as possible is one of the simplest ways to start the body moving on it's own.

Nix is right about minimal movement making for tighter more regular staff stuff, but is that really what it is all about?

I feel there is a lot more movements that can be done that don't affect the staff's planes.

a couple off the top of my head...

1. Movements underneath a throw while it is in the air. These don't need to be cartwheels or anythign fancy, even a dramatic pose (saturday night fever style), can look great while you watch the staff spinning in the air.

2. Follow the staff's movements with your head neck and chest, like an egyptian. Or oppose it, the visual distinction can be wuite impressive for virtually no demanding work at all,.

Plus heaps and heaps more, but keep playing that music at the start.

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Bender_the_OffenderGOLD Member
still can't believe it's not butter
6,978 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
ahha saturday night fever style
the mental image is priceless!
nice one, charles!

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


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


Posted:
yeah, turning against the stick can be really nice too, try btb passes the wrong way and helecopter turns against the flow, its fun.

N

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


simian110% MONKEY EVERY TIME ALL THE TIME JUST CANT STOP THE MONKEY
3,149 posts
Location: London


Posted:
btb passes the wrong way = wonky
but i know from experience that not even experienced staff peeps notice when you do it

"Switching between different kinds of chuu chuu sometimes gives this "urgh wtf?" effect because it's giving people the phi phenomenon."


dwuanosmember
79 posts
Location: Freo


Posted:
Throw the bloody thing?

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


Posted:
BTB passes the wrong way = wonky IF you don't practice them

As for people not noticing it, thats definiely true, however, to give you a more varied dance style, it important to learn everything backwards, frontwards, sidewards and otherwards.

The more ways you can make the staff move, even in similar patterns, the easier it is to put dance type moves into it.

Another good one that looks like dancing is the BTB double figure8.

To do this, you have to turn 270 degrees every few beats and it lets you walk around in cool patterns like elvis before he got fat...Because of the requirements for it, it kinda forces you to bend your hips and knees a lot.

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


Posted:
waistwrap carry?

first time I saw the bluecat do this I liked it lots

N

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


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
btb passes the wrong way = wonky

Like Xaeda's horizontal, passing hand to hand behind the back, at hip level lesson 2 which is great for going into helicopter moves; or the other way?

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


simian110% MONKEY EVERY TIME ALL THE TIME JUST CANT STOP THE MONKEY
3,149 posts
Location: London


Posted:
i always thought of that un as a BTB carry, and its one of my favourite little spinny manouveres

The one i meant was wonky (which BTW i mean as a good thing) is the wrong way BTB pass with a full rotation at the back, like the forward one. It feels really strange and wonky when you grab it like that, unlike Xaeda's carry which feels lovely and also a bit wonky but in a different way

has that cleared that one up?

"Switching between different kinds of chuu chuu sometimes gives this "urgh wtf?" effect because it's giving people the phi phenomenon."


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


Posted:
yo simian, thats right, also if you do the 'helecopter' to 'weedwacker' transition and turn against the spin it feels really squirly too.

T

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


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


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


Posted:
Like I said, it might feel wonky now, but that doesn't mean it won't feel great after you've practised it a lot.

And, it will improve other areas of your spinning too.

Of course, all in my opinion...

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
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ShadowVmember
6 posts
Location: Melbourne


Posted:
Dont ask why but I thinks its time for a drink!




...well it seemed like a good idea at the time

Cheers

-I dont know if Im alive and dreaming or dead and remembering-


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


Posted:
great, now im brunk...




T

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


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


Posted:
Have you sobered up yet?

Is it time for this thread to get back on topic?

Dang! now I've forgotten what the topic was too...

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?


simian110% MONKEY EVERY TIME ALL THE TIME JUST CANT STOP THE MONKEY
3,149 posts
Location: London


Posted:
there wasn't really a topic anyhoo. it was just meant to be a thread where people chatted about stuff you can do with a stick, cos the staff forum tends to get very quiet. and i wanted stuff to read about sticks while i was at work

i could have just read all the old staff threads, but some of them had started to smell a bit funny.

its good as a thread about beer too, though

ever tried to do contact moves while holding a beer and a cigarette? no?

you should.

its fun

"Switching between different kinds of chuu chuu sometimes gives this "urgh wtf?" effect because it's giving people the phi phenomenon."


BamBamPooh-Bah
1,810 posts
Location: London


Posted:
Can't be assed to spin todya...but the 's look good to me.

Cheers

ME

A kiss blown is a kiss wasted, the only kind of kiss is a kiss tasted.

I'm a woman. We don't say what we want, but we reserve the right to be pissed off if we don't get it. That's what makes us so fascinating and not just a LITTLE bit scary.


simian110% MONKEY EVERY TIME ALL THE TIME JUST CANT STOP THE MONKEY
3,149 posts
Location: London


Posted:
Thats all well and good, but please don't call me Todya

"Switching between different kinds of chuu chuu sometimes gives this "urgh wtf?" effect because it's giving people the phi phenomenon."


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


Posted:
I used to contcat all the time with a beer and a ciggrette, but now I gave up smoking, and dont really drink either, soo I hadda give up contact.


T

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


BamBamPooh-Bah
1,810 posts
Location: London


Posted:
*Ahem*...don't drink did you not help me get shit-faced at the BJC what a good way to meet people

Shall we do it all over again??? Wednesday?

bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam


Simion I'm sooooooo sorry about my spelling....... will you ever forgive me Wruv yooo

A kiss blown is a kiss wasted, the only kind of kiss is a kiss tasted.

I'm a woman. We don't say what we want, but we reserve the right to be pissed off if we don't get it. That's what makes us so fascinating and not just a LITTLE bit scary.


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


Posted:
cool shure yeah.

T

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


BamBamPooh-Bah
1,810 posts
Location: London


Posted:
Hehehehehe nice one bruva

Bammy

A kiss blown is a kiss wasted, the only kind of kiss is a kiss tasted.

I'm a woman. We don't say what we want, but we reserve the right to be pissed off if we don't get it. That's what makes us so fascinating and not just a LITTLE bit scary.


mechBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,207 posts
Location: "In your ear", United Kingdom


Posted:
on eth true subject of this thread, thus being tricky censored to do with one staff, or double, i think dropping at teh right time, can not only look weird, but if treaded rightly can become a very cool trick, for example, if you dropped, kicked forwards and managed to bounce your fire staff off somthing and catch it, a very cool lil trick to be hold, esp if you are doing it for a burn off?

Step (el-nombrie)


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