Forums > Social Chat > Hints to learning Fire???

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AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
Hi, I'm just a rookie at learning Poi but am learning fast. Can't wait to do Fire. Any hints from the pros what 'not' to do when learning and of course what 'to' do. Thanks...

AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
when on fire and your pois are in a tangle spread your arms and spinand that fire blankets are under-rated,

Jessemember
118 posts
Location: Pittsburgh, PA/ USA


Posted:
And along the lines of what arialtetsuo just said: Not only should you practice your steps so that they are all smooth. Practice what to do if you make a mistake. Practice tangling your chains and unraveling them as quickly as possible. Practice wraping a chain around your arm and getting it off without panicing. Practice rolling up in your fire blanket (It would be a shame to discover WHILE on fire that your fireblanket is folded up in such a way that it is impossible to unravel and wrap around you in any sort of expedient manner...) and operating a fire extinguisher. etc.There are several threads on safety practices on this board. I highly recommend reading them. Have fun with it, but remember, it's like swimming! Always have a buddy! (esp. at the beginning...)

gάrbǿaddict
521 posts
Location: Bristol / London / Norwich / Chennai, India (UK) (...


Posted:
1-Don't move on to quick, practice with unlit fire poi as the weight is v.different & they an build up quite alot of speed. Make sure you don't hit yourself in a session then you can light up.2-respect the fire. don't be cocky or try to show off.TAKE IT SLOWLY.3-have water around.4-Have fun. when you do it fore the first time it will be AMAXING (esp. the noise)hope this helps.peace out.garbo tongue

be excellent to each other: safe:


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
Thanks for the info guys, I definately won't be taking it too lightly. All that info has given me the willy's. Of course we are talking about Fire....Thanks for keeping me safeJo

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
This is my personal belief...1) Know your personal limits and don't push past them while using fire.2) Develop a safety regime first. Rehearse it and then try not to use it later.(I agree with Jesse's suggestion to check the safety threads. They have many wonderful ideas from the paranoid like me.)3) Know your body and your moves, the better you know them the less likely they are to cross.4) Know your tools and your fuels. Knowledge is a powerful ally when doing something potentially dangerous.5) Respect the fire but don't fear it. When fear creeps in the door for mistakes is left wide open.6) I agree, take it slow, ease into it.7) And most importantly, enjoy it, for if you don't it will show and you could get hurt.Best of luck.------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
I have read the facts on liquid fuel, but would like to hear from you out there what you prefer to use. Also what were your first experiences like twirling fire?CheersJo grin

crispyxmember
53 posts
Location: Denver, Co.


Posted:
I've been useing Kerosene while learning for the most part because white gas tends to transfer to your clothes easier. I'll probably be switching to white gas now that I rarely hit myself and have been doing indoor shows. I learned the hard way not to use lamp oil for indoor shows, imagine doing poi on ice! My number one recommendation regardless of what you use, SPOTTERS! I've lit myself on fire twice now and both times I didn't know it, if it hadn't been for a good spotter I could have really been in trouble.My first experience lighting up was great until the cops came and made us leave. It was my third night of learning poi and I couldn't do very many moves at all but I wanted to get used to the feel of twirling fire. It was pretty ackward at first because I had been using Zuni poi to learn and so the weight difference was odd at first but I was able to adjust to it quickly.[This message has been edited by crispyx (edited 26 January 2001).]

How is it ever possible to feel safe and secure in a world in which everyone dies?


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
Lamp oil and White gas for swinging.It was a rush.I was told to light them...swing them at my sides very simply, not to try any tricks and to simply hear the music of the fire and feel the heat, then walk away thinking about it.I did just that and have never once questioned the decision to light up.Best of luck to you.------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


spiffspiffmember
52 posts
Location: Boston, MA, USA


Posted:
crispyx - how much did u hit yourself while using kero? And why is getting hit with kero not as bad as getting hit with lamp oil? Were you burned?

AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
confused Hey crispyx / Pele thanks for info, might sound a bit silly but what is white gas? Also what is easier to twirl with fire ie: less accidents, staff or poi?

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
Crispyx,White Gas is the clear fuel that is used for camping stoves and lighters...also referred to as Coleman Fuel, Ronsonol or Zippo Fluid, which are all brand names. It is technically called Naphtha. It is "cooler" burning than Red Gas, otherwise known as Petrol or car gas. It has a bright yellow-orange flame, a bit of smoke and smell but a quick light.Cheers! smile------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
Sorry...meant to address the last one to Smokin' Jo. It's like 3am and I am fruity.I know..I know...when am I not?:PSorry!Pele

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


crispyxmember
53 posts
Location: Denver, Co.


Posted:
I've hit myself a several times with straight kerosene and it never caught me on fire but the only time I've hit myself while useing a 50/50 mixture of white gas and kerosene it caught me on fire. It's always the same move that gets me, damn reverse weave to windmill, if I do it too fast I end up whacking myself in the back. The only other time I caught my clothes on fire was because I was useing towel wicks that started falling apart and a piece landed on me in the middle of a spin.I've never been burned doing poi (can't say the same for fire eating), one of the people I spin with even does a move where he catches the poi heads in his hands and holds them for a couple seconds. However the two times I've caught fire I would have been burned if it weren't for good spotters, both times I didn't know I was on fire and had to be told by my spotter. And something I don't think I've seen mentioned, never wear synthetic clothing while doing fire, I've seen a guy just brush himself with the poi and have a piece of his spandex shirt burning and melting to his chest. You really should approach it knowing you will eventually get burned, catch fire, etc. There are too many variables to say it'll never happen. The trick is to be well prepared to handle whatever may happen and keep a cool head.As far as staff vs. poi. I've just started learning staff and so far I'm hurting myself more with the staff than I did learning poi but it's the staff itself busting up my hands, I don't have much trouble keeping clear of the ends. If you're equally good with both I'd say staff might be safer to start doing fire with since you don't have to worry about things like getting tangled up or ending up with a chain wrapped around a body part.

How is it ever possible to feel safe and secure in a world in which everyone dies?


Charlymember
68 posts
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA


Posted:
Whoa, kiddos - White Gas is NOT the same as Ronsonol or lighter fluid!The latter is naptha - white gas is very different from naptha! They behave similarly, but they are not the same fuels by any means.The biochemist in my life says:"White gas is a complex of various petroleum products, and does contain naptha, among other things. Naptha is a single hydrocarbon molecule."The only tip I have for Smokin' Joe (that hasn't already been mentioned) is:wear natural fibers, especially while learning (this means cotton jeans, long sleeve cotton shirts, etc.)and stick a cotton bandana on your head, to cover your hair. hair is pretty flammable, not to mention smelly when it burns. in my experience, most new fire swingers singe some hair at some point in their career, so best protect yourself while you're still new to it.Good luck!! grinCharlywww.cabiri.org

smittymember
104 posts
Location: Brisbane QLD Australia


Posted:
ive never tried poi so i cant talk, ive only used a staff, how dificult is it to control? i notice people talking about how many months to wait be4 lighting them, it is that hard to control? cause i hope to get one soon and just want to know what i am getting myself into

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
To anyone who doubts or wonders,I received all of my fuel information from three sources.....1) From a highly respected Chemist at the local university and 2) From the source. I contacted the Zippo company, the Ronsonol company and the manufacturer of the white gas I use to ask what exactly is in them (since we had issues with a lamp oil once) and that was all of the information I was given. My Uncle works for a fuel company and they pointed me in the right direction on all of them, including Kero. As for the lamp oil I got the contact info off the address on the bottle. None of the comapnies endorse what we do but they all gave information, upon my statement that this was for safety, since I would use fire anyway.3)The local fire marshall's fuel manual, which lists *lots* of the major fuel's flashpoints, burning temps and ways to put them out. Not that I listen to the fire marshall for much of anything other than the regulations simply because they know how to put fires out and aren't in the business of handling it intimately. I know people who have been burned because of following the fire marshall's advise on what fuels to use. However, I am going to defend my stand knowing that my sources and my research are excellent...otherwise I would think again about what I do. I will say that Ronsonol and Zippo are definately made for wicks whereas campstove gas is made for "jets" (which is what my camp stove has). I can also say that the taste of them is different, but that is manufacturing additives, which each company does have, which is why I contated them. Between Zippo and Ronsonol I choose Zippo, but I would pick Coleman over them all.In further research recently I found there is also a difference between Lamp Oil and Candle Oil. Lamp oil is more smokey...and the one I have actually has a warning on it that states that if used in a candle or non-lamp, there is a risk of smoke damage. This, I found out is due to the purification process and, of course, additives.In the end, the additives are what makes a difference, and while they make similar fuels different, they are not *that* different. The taste changes, the expense changes (alot) but the burns tend to be the same quality. I think length of burn has alot to do with how you soak the wicks and prepare them.That's my piece.------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK



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