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Trippie HippieBRONZE Member
old hand
733 posts
Location: Bewildered state of nothingness, United Kingdom


Posted:
How did you all get in to Poi??
Where did your interest begin??
I can only put my interest down to insanity!!!


Trippie Hippie- Monty Dons secret love child

Fly like a mouse, run like a pillow, be the small book case.

"Last night i met some pixies and we danced around a stone".

Because dressing up is fun.


ishkasallymoBRONZE Member
member
12 posts
Location: galway,ireland


Posted:
Well, I got my poi from my friends who got them in Thailand... Actually I made my first ones, nice shoe lace and tennis ball type of things! My interest first began in Glastonbury two years ago but being of a young and self concious age I didn't actually manage to try them. Then again last year I was at a festival in Wales and I was in awe of the fire twirlers.... But it wasn't until early this year that I actually managed to get enough courage to give it a go myself, and I literally haven't stopped since!

I don't know about the insanity thing though, I think I was insane for a long time before I started poi.....

Bram....member
1,551 posts
Location: the arms of the Ganja Goddess


Posted:
When haven't I been insane is the question. I became interested when I saw my friend spinning in the Rave room at my school dance about a month and a half ago. I got my chains on monday while doing the 30 hr Famine. I started to practice on Tuesday night/Wednsday.

You. Its whats for dinner!

As time passes, you realise all the mistakes you amde and the ones you wish you never did make.

The wave crashing on the beach


Trippie HippieBRONZE Member
old hand
733 posts
Location: Bewildered state of nothingness, United Kingdom


Posted:
Hey ishkasallymo, Sounds classy, Shoe laces and tennis balls!!!!!
But bet they served there purpose, and you had the pleasure of making them your self.
Proberly the best ones you will ever have!!!!!!!


Trippie Hippie- Monty Dons secret love child

Fly like a mouse, run like a pillow, be the small book case.

"Last night i met some pixies and we danced around a stone".

Because dressing up is fun.


Salingermember
382 posts
Location: Southampton


Posted:
Few years ago I had a residency at a drum and bass night in Plymouth and as part of the promotion I invited a good mate of mine who said he was into fire staffing. We put him on the roof of the club so that everyone walking down the street could see it and hopefully come give us some business and while I was up there with him I thought to myself that there was no way I could miss the opportunity to get into this amazing art so I started myself and have never looked back! I taught myself completely by trying out new things and letting the staff go where it felt right. By the time I discovered HOP I was shocked to find out that all the moves I'd developed over time were being taught by Xaeda! I could have saved myself some time but I'm glad I did it the way I did, I still reckon my style is a bit different to everyone else because of it.

A conspiracy of silence speaks louder than words...


Trippie HippieBRONZE Member
old hand
733 posts
Location: Bewildered state of nothingness, United Kingdom


Posted:
I'm still new to poi, how long did it take you so that you looked impressive when twirling????


Trippie Hippie- Monty Dons secret love child

Fly like a mouse, run like a pillow, be the small book case.

"Last night i met some pixies and we danced around a stone".

Because dressing up is fun.


moonwatchermember
14 posts
Location: Newcastle, UK


Posted:
Don't worry about looking impressive if you are new. I am new to poi to but have been doing staff for a while. As such I know that it is quite an ordeal to just feel as though you look ordinary and rubbish (esp as I am used to looking good with a staff). But seriously if you worry about looking cool and doing big showy moves then you will miss all of the early part of your learning curve, the part where you learn control and how to dance with the fire. Just practice alone for a couple of months, slowly picking up moves on this site and ones you make up yourself. If you just forget about being cool for this short time you will be a far better spinner in the long run, I promise!
Your other option is just to practice big moves that you get from this site and try and put them together, if you do this though it will take you longer to become really good and feel at one with the poi and the fire.
If you follow my advice you will start looking impressive after about 10 - 12 weeks.
Good luck!

DarkFairyQueenmember
557 posts
Location: The Underworld


Posted:
I first discovered 'spinning' a few years ago. I'd see people with their Poi's n staffs n balls and be in absolute awe.
But it wasn't untill about 11 months ago that I actually considered I may be worthy of mastering such beautiful arts (sorri 4 the ass talk).
A friend of mine came back from Israel with a couple pairs of Poi, and brought me along to JustJugglers at the Drome.
I usually find it hard to stick to thingz, but I developed a passion for them that hasn't left me since! I'm so in love

Az abouve, So below...


DarkFairyQueenmember
557 posts
Location: The Underworld


Posted:
For me, the best results cum wen I'm in my bubble.

You will need to know a couple basic moves, just to get the flow started. Put on your favorite spinning musick, and have it up loud. Then imagine every spin of your Poi trailing, and creating an energy field around you. This iz your bubble. No on can see you because you're the only one in there. Hear nothing but the beat, see nothing but the patterns your Poi make, and just let go. Let the Poi's swing to the muzik of their own accord. You'll find yourself accidentally pulling off moves, or finding new transitions between those you already know, tis fantastique!
The bubble technique helps block out the paranoia of other spinners judging (they never are tho )
I've cracked so many frutrating combos with this.
If u try it, will ya let me know wot u think?
Good Luk!

DFQ xx

Az abouve, So below...


MikeGinnyGOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA


Posted:
I first saw someone spinning poi during the summer of 2000 while I was in college. We had a party at my co-op where I lived and someone spun poi. I remember thinking that it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. But I figured that there was no way I could learn it because I'm too damned uncoordinated.

A few months later, I went to my first rave. It was at about this time that I first saw someone glowsticking and decided to learn. They kindly gave me a few lessons and pretty soon, I was very good at it. I've always enjoyed entertaining other people, but I never really had a good skill for that purpose and now I did.

I kept on raving and one day at a psy trance club in SF, I saw a guy flagging. He showed me how he made his flags and gave me a few tips. I went home and right away made myself a set of flags. I spent about a week wacking myself with the damned things until I could finally do a forward weave and a windmill (not that I knew that those moves had names at the time). This was in about Feb. 2001.

I started taking my flags to raves and people started asking me if I spun glowsticks on strings. One day, at an outdoor party, someone gave me a pair of glowsticks on strings and in just a few seconds, I had a basic two-beat weave and a windmill down.

Well, it didn't take me very long to realize that if I could spin glowsticks, I could spin fire. So I got my first set of fire pois and started practicing with them until I could play for 15 minutes without hitting myself. In June of 2001 (June 1, to be precise), I lit the pois for the first time.

And the rest...well, you know the rest.

Peace.

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura


Trippie HippieBRONZE Member
old hand
733 posts
Location: Bewildered state of nothingness, United Kingdom


Posted:
DarkFairyQueen wicked name!!!!!!!!
I'm headin home now coz it's half five and time to get "well laggered wit da lads" but first thing that i'm gonna do is try out your suggestion, Sounds like a really good way to feel the kama of twirling. will let you know how it goes on monday.
.Later baby.
TH


Trippie Hippie- Monty Dons secret love child

Fly like a mouse, run like a pillow, be the small book case.

"Last night i met some pixies and we danced around a stone".

Because dressing up is fun.


master sodiummember
536 posts
Location: carson city, nevada


Posted:
my interest for twirling poi started at burning man 2001. it was the night of the burn, everyone was gathered around the man anxiously awaiting his sacrafice. I was getting uncomfortable sitting on the playa so I stood up to see probably hundreds of spinners doing their thing around the man. it was utterly awe inspiring. then when I got back, I made some poi from dead glowsticks and socks, and the rest is obvious.

you can't have a war against terrorism because war IS terrorism.it's not about worshipping fire. its about making the fire want to worship you.


Paddyback from the dead...sort of
884 posts
Location: 43°41'N 79°38'W


Posted:
For me, I was just searching for something else with google and this site turned up in the results. I took a look around, thought it would be something I'd be interested in, so clipped some glowsticks to a pair of keychains and off I went!

MikeGinnyGOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA


Posted:
Master Na,

I was one of those hundreds of spinners!

What an experience it was!

Peace.

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura


ishkasallymoBRONZE Member
member
12 posts
Location: galway,ireland


Posted:
Well I must say that the tennis balls on strings were good until I got my tails, at which point I became unable to use the tennis balls anymore... I think they were just too fast, the tails slow things down and make them so much more graceful... What can I say I'm a tails junkee!

I avait the day I get my fire chains though... The 25th of May, it's gonna be Groovy!!!

Aphrodites Faeriemember
8 posts
Location: Knoxville, TN


Posted:
I actually just started Poi like three days ago... needless to say I really REALLY suck.....but I think I'm becoming a junky for it... as is it's about noon and I've already practiced an hour and a half.... sad that I have no life. I got started because I mastered the whole glowstick in hand thing and decided to try something new when I saw a guy in the club with them on string. So I convinced some messe up kid to give me his shoe laces and tried and wacked my self in the head a couple of times then gave up until I went home. I tried and I tried for the past couple of weeks on the weekends just to get a SMALL figure eight down and buy the time I'd gotten that my best friend had already found this website with visuals and directions which has been VERY VERY helpful!!! Now I'm sorta getting the hang of it.. mainly just trying to get all the moves down..... but yeah it's becoming more of an addiction that Raving.

I get to get one of the little beginer sets with the tails next week. me so excited

***Billee***


DarkFairyQueenmember
557 posts
Location: The Underworld


Posted:
Hey Trippy,
Tried da Bubble yet?

Az abouve, So below...



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