Forums > Beginner Poi Moves > Why sock poi? A rant in regards Infinite Hyperloops and other moves

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i8beefy2GOLD Member
addict
674 posts
Location: Ohio, USA


Posted:
Ok, so this may be random whining, but why sock poi? Every video I see is someone spinning some colorful pair of sock poi. I gave up socks when doing hyperloops because they simply did not act like fire poi during more advanced moves. I now use regular dog chains with tennis balls for heads instead, which is exactly what I spin fire with (thinking being, of course, that its better to practice with what you're actually going to use than with something that I'm not). There is a much finer distinction of how you must move when spinning with chain than with the far more forgiving sock poi. Plus weight distribution, and all that.

I understand the "be able to spin with anything anytime" mentatlity... I CAN spin socks just as well as chains, but chains seem to be harder and thus more challenging (and more frustrating). I also understand that its easier to learn NEW things with sock poi because they are more forgiving.

So why sock poi? And now let me explain my frustration.... Infinite hyperloops. There has been a few videos of these now, always sock poi. Chains just don't seem to lock correctly to maintain them (not ball chain, refuse to us it, too dangerous for the crowd).

So. Can someone assure me that infinite hyperloops are possible with chains... meaning you can DO them, not that they are theoretically possible, so I can stop whining about how much I dislike the profusion of advanced sock poi spinners? For that matter, whip catches, suicides, and others, which require a bit more friction (which sock poi provide) also frustrate me. Everyone seems to oh and ah over these videos that are all sock poi and in the back of my head I'm just thinkin, "yeah, but try it with CHAINS...". Cause with chains most of the videos I see would not be anywhere near as clean as they are with socks, and even WITH socks it seems a great deal of "forgivingness" is necessary for those people doing them to pull them off.

Im not tryin to put anyone down, just my own frustration and observations here. IS anyone doing these cleanly enough to use chains / are the advantages that sock poi give you necessary for them?

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


Posted:
really? whoops... redface

Suibom - i've never really noticed any excessive smouldering on the rope. Probably because the part of the ropes in the centre of the flames are the dipped part. I imagine that some degradation will take place over time, but i'd also imagine there'd be clear visual evidence of that on the rope. If it started looking dodgy then i'd think twice before performing in the middle of a densely packed crowd of children wink

as it stands i've been using them a fair amount since sometime last spring, and they're still good as new
(well, actually there's a bit of a funny mouldy smell coming from the handle knots, ever since they got wet while camping in Falmouth. But nowhere near as bad as Oli's horrific red-rugby-socks-filled-with-mould poi eek Have you thrown them out yet, dude?)

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


Suibomaddict
577 posts
Location: Oregon, USA


Posted:
Thanks for the info..

I might have to give this a whirl if I can ever scrape enough money together for random toys :P

Definition of poi- A Hawaiian food made from the tuber of the taro that is cooked, pounded to a paste, and fermented.

Ahnold discussing poi - "It is naht a toober!"


ducky2108A little bit of a board whore
147 posts
Location: Glasgow


Posted:
Right. I can solve all your problems in one fell swoop.

Set you socks on fire!

Ancient wiseman say "It is very strange person, who, when left alone in room with teacosy, does not try it on"


arashiPooh-Bah
2,364 posts
Location: austin,tx


Posted:
you can do infinite hyps and loads and loads of moves cooler than infinite hyps with chains. just keep practicing, you can do it! ball chain can lick my taint.

-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing
-Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
-When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.


shen shuiSILVER Member
no excuses. no apologies.
1,799 posts
Location: aotearoa, New Zealand


Posted:
yeah, infinite hypes are definitely possible.

they are gorgeous.

i love them.

(whats a taint?)

those that know, dont say. those that say, dont know.


RovoGOLD Member
(the person actually known as Chris Bailey)
544 posts
Location: Austin, TX, USA


Posted:
ubblol

Peace, Love, Circles


Tom_ShillSILVER Member
enthusiast
213 posts
Location: Brighton, United Kingdom


Posted:
It's the bit between your nuts and your arse. Comes from "t'aint you nuts, t'aint your arse"...Apparently. Have a look here Urban Dictionary definition: taint

Will those capable of telekinesis please raise my hand?


pineapple peteSILVER Member
water based
5,125 posts
Location: melbourne, Australia


Posted:
also, fire poi just arent convinient. im constantly all over the place, home, at the train station, in parks, in the city, at friends places, waiting for busses and trams, and can always have a spin, because ive always got my socks in my bag. firepoi just seem to get everything black and dirty, and to have them in a container just takes up too much space.

cheers, pete

"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"

*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*


UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
"It's the bit...."

The name for that should be scruttocks.

biggrin

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


Posted:
fire staves are cool!
ps i've established for myself that that sock poi make me crappier at fire poi.

it's like training on martial arts against 8 year olds - not the best preparation for the day you spar against someone your own size. just ask Jon.

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


shen shuiSILVER Member
no excuses. no apologies.
1,799 posts
Location: aotearoa, New Zealand


Posted:
the bit between your balls and your ar$ehole is called your perineum (dont ask me why, thats just what i got taught...)
its Also the place where three major channels of energy externalise on your body (as in, they leave the interior to travel over the surface of your body, spreading qi all the merry way...). but thats a bit off topic...
thanks, tom smile
why doesnt arashi like ball chains? or is saying that something can lick your taint mean that you Really like them? (i cant imagine many things that i would like to lick my taint, you see... and i also cant imagine why someone would want to rub their ball chains all over it... how weird... :P) smile

those that know, dont say. those that say, dont know.


ducky2108A little bit of a board whore
147 posts
Location: Glasgow


Posted:
Perineum, from the greek.

Peri=around
Naiein= to dwell

In greek, the scrotum was called the perina

But that's getting really off topic.

In Glasgow, I've heard it refered to as the giffnock. Giffnock, as far as I can gather is a place between somewhere which is a load of old b*£$*cks, and the a£$e end of nowhere.

Ancient wiseman say "It is very strange person, who, when left alone in room with teacosy, does not try it on"


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


Posted:
youse are talking about a different type of 'swinging' here.

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


ducky2108A little bit of a board whore
147 posts
Location: Glasgow


Posted:
Well, it does certainly seem to have gone a little off topic.

Ancient wiseman say "It is very strange person, who, when left alone in room with teacosy, does not try it on"


shen shuiSILVER Member
no excuses. no apologies.
1,799 posts
Location: aotearoa, New Zealand


Posted:
without sometimes being off topic, how can we be on topic?

they are polarities on the spectrum of Topic.

one cannot exist without the other.

etc.

those that know, dont say. those that say, dont know.


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


Posted:
that doesn't make sense.
yes, irrelevant matters help define an issue, but that does not overrule the fact that off-topic is not what is on the table.

Non-Https Image Link

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


i8beefy2GOLD Member
addict
674 posts
Location: Ohio, USA


Posted:
LOL, while Im thrilled that Arashi has similar feelings about ball chain as I do, I think the wrong part of that post got carried....

ANYWAY, I do IN FACT mean spinning the handles between your hands to FACILITATE the movement... because these swivel doo-hickys aren't applicable to my design. See I use dog chain, and just tie hankerchiefs onto the rings on the end. I see now that swivels probably would take care of this FOR me. I might consider adding these into future designs now.

As you can imagine, with my current design, my method is sorta necessary to stop the chain from locking up. ** Runs off to hardware store **

Sticksnewbie
7 posts
Location: Vancouver Island


Posted:
Yay.. It seems things had to go way off topic to finally solve what seems to have been the nagging problem..
Please let us know beef, if you're finally able to get those elusive firey infinite hyperloops!! biggrin

Hmm, isn't it about time??


faith enfireBRONZE Member
wandering thru the woods of WI
3,556 posts
Location: Wisconsin, USA


Posted:
i'm running a little late i see, but i still want to put my 2 cents in



socks are good for those of us just starting, and have to make our own, they don't hurt as much when you are hitting yourself frequently, tennis balls definitely hurt, the online stuff is sometimes geared toward beginners, perhaps with homemade poi (nylons and socks) and it is easier to show the moves



hmm maybe uv sensitive fishnets instead of my black nylons ubbidea
EDITED_BY: faithinfire (1138298954)

Faith
Nay, whatever comes one hour was sunlit and the most high gods may not make boast of any better thing than to have watched that hour as it passed


shen shuiSILVER Member
no excuses. no apologies.
1,799 posts
Location: aotearoa, New Zealand


Posted:
how many rotations does an infinite hyperloop have?

like, you light your poi, go straight into a hyperloop and keep it there til the poi go out?

or is 30 enough?

those that know, dont say. those that say, dont know.


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


Posted:
ubblol

great question! biggrin


cole. x

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


Matty_BSILVER Member
veteran
1,314 posts
Location: Blu's Pocket, United Kingdom


Posted:
People spin/juggle stuff cos its fun . . .



Don't try and tell them its wrong



Its all fun ....

Suibomaddict
577 posts
Location: Oregon, USA


Posted:
I gotta say.. I've had 4 burn sessions now, two in front of an audience at a bar, and as exhilirating as it is, I love my sock poi just as much. Even more in some aspects.

Sock poi are great smile.

Definition of poi- A Hawaiian food made from the tuber of the taro that is cooked, pounded to a paste, and fermented.

Ahnold discussing poi - "It is naht a toober!"


DutSILVER Member
lurker
380 posts
Location: Nashville, TN, USA


Posted:
Written by: Matty B


People spin/juggle stuff cos its fun . . .

Don't try and tell them its wrong

Its all fun ....




yeah. telling people they're wrong is wrong... confused
haha. ubbloco

socks make it so much harder to learn some things (clean exits on hyperloops instead of going into infinite/orbitals). i honestly think sock tangling has only hampered my ability to untangle cleanly. frown stupid socks. now i practice a lot more with welded chain. if i can do it with chain, i can usually do it with socks, but not the other way.

-- dut

shen shuiSILVER Member
no excuses. no apologies.
1,799 posts
Location: aotearoa, New Zealand


Posted:
how interesting, dut.
perhaps you are my reflection.
smile

those that know, dont say. those that say, dont know.


RovoGOLD Member
(the person actually known as Chris Bailey)
544 posts
Location: Austin, TX, USA


Posted:
Yeah Dut thats very interesting. You always here people saying socks are so much easier. It just goes to show there is no one right way to do/learn anything with poi.

Peace, Love, Circles


DutSILVER Member
lurker
380 posts
Location: Nashville, TN, USA


Posted:
Written by: Rovo


Yeah Dut thats very interesting. You always here people saying socks are so much easier. It just goes to show there is no one right way to do/learn anything with poi.




yeah, it's weird. i started out thinking in terms of just playing devil's advocate, but now i'm realizing that socks actually set me back i bet. i think it just depends on what you're working on when you get them, but for me it was hyperloop exits, clean isolations, and catches. haha. all of which start out way crappy with standard sock/ball poi.

i can see them helping if you know how to get into and out of shorter hyperloop sequences but get snagged on the chain trying to make orbitals/infinites. what else do people think they're easier for besides "chain" sliding?

the stretchiness messes me up when i try to isolate, when i try to throw, and it's started to affect my wrapping as I assume the poi should have more bounce than it ends up having sometimes coming back around my arms and legs.

with all that said, i still use socks about half the time to learn to work around those issues (and because they're fun!). whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger and all... i can clean hyperloop with them, have found lengths that will let me isolate somewhat consistently, and tied up the handles halfway and managed some okay catches just last week (could add weight if i cared more). i <3 socks, but they definitely aren't any "easier" for most moves, and for me, foul up more than they help with sometimes. i guess that puts me on beefy's team. maybe it is an american thing. lol.

-- dut

bluecatgeek, level 1
5,300 posts
Location: everywhere


Posted:
mmm cone poi

ubblove

Holistic Spinner (I hope)


Sporkyaddict
663 posts
Location: Glasgow


Posted:
Fluffy Pink Cone Poi ubblove ubblove ubblove

Have faith in what you can do and respect for what you can't


KaelGotRiceGOLD Member
Basu gasu bakuhatsu - because sometimes buses explode
1,584 posts
Location: Angels Landing, USA


Posted:
Written by: Dut


but now i'm realizing that socks actually set me back i bet. i think it just depends on what you're working on when you get them, but for me it was hyperloop exits, clean isolations, and catches. haha. all of which start out way crappy with standard sock/ball poi.
-- dut




Who was it that said that if you learn your moves with sparkers and barbed wire, you'll be able to pull em off with socks? or anything? ubblol

To do: More Firedrums 08 video?

Wildfire/US East coast fire footage

LA/EDC glow/fire footage

Fresno fire


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