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Evil_Penguinnewbie
4 posts

Posted:
I haven't got a clue how to spin poi. I have read through tutorials, looked closely at videos, and I just can't imitate. I'm not even spinning a single poi right, I don't understand what motion my wrist should be doing or where my hands should be positioned.

Furthermore I can't even get a good grip on the poi because the loops are too huge for my fingers frown It's all very exasperating. Is it far more simple than I think or am I missing something entirely?

I am sick already of achieving nothing but a ball bouncing off my head and a ton of bruises.

DurbsBRONZE Member
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England


Posted:
smile

It's not as easy as a lot of vids make it out to be - take heart, everyone's gotten bruises from poi smile

The best way to learn by far is from other people, if they've been spinning enough, they'll be able to take one look at you spinning and give you some pointers.
Where abouts are you from?

Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude


Evil_Penguinnewbie
4 posts

Posted:
West Midlands. I go to a lot of clubs and am pretty tempted to ask for some pointers or just be nosy and get a good look at the talented spinners I see regularly!

Have tried some more and think I achieved a butterfly and forward weave... but I can't be sure. It's a bit weird that I can't tell whether what I'm doing is right or not but at least I didn't hit myself and was actually spinning!

drvarietySILVER Member
member
75 posts
Location: Mission viejo CA, USA


Posted:
What I would recommend, since youve been watching lots of videos where your watching in third person, is to get yourself a mirror, or window, that you can see yourself spinning in. That way youcan see what exactly your doing, and if it looks at all like what youve seen.
As far as asking people for hep, its been myy experience that most people who spin poi are very friendly, and are more than willing to help you on your endeavors.
But most importantly keep practicing! Even just randomly swinging things around starts to give you a basic idea of the control you have over the poi, and may lead to you figuring out a fluid way to move. oh yeah, and have fun, this isnt a competiton.

There is nothing to be afraid of. Virtual reality will eventually rehabilitate your mind and eventually your body. Everything will be allright, i promise. Just concentrate. Try some music.


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


Posted:
my ex used to ask me why i looked in the mirror-"i didn't have to do that when i learned devilsticks"
but it helped me a lot to look in the mirror

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


thombreGOLD Member
member
74 posts
Location: Nottingham, United Kingdom


Posted:
West Midlands? Nottingham, by any chance?

Buy gerbils cos you can't spin with hamsters


Evil_Penguinnewbie
4 posts

Posted:
No where near Notts I'm afraid frown

Watching my reflection has certainly helped, but I'm still confused by where my hands should be placed. I can't spin in a circle because the poi just keep bashing into each other and tangling. Could anyone describe what I should be doing to prevent this?

I feel so stupid but once I get this sorted it shouldn't be nearly as difficult redface

StoutBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada


Posted:
This sounds like a basic plane control issue.

Imagine that the path traced by your poi are two circles, and you want to keep them in planes that are flat and parallel to your body. Hula hoops can serve to illustrate this idea. Hold a hoop in your hand, beside your body then slowly twist it so it's at an angle and part of the hoop crosses in front of your body.

This is NOT what you want to have happen with your poi circles.

What's happening is your circles are intersection and colliding together, causing the tangled mess. You may want to try spinning just one poi in order to teach yourself this concept, it's very very basic. but very very important and a common problem when people first start out with poi....don't feel stupid.

As to hand position, it's wherever you feel comfortable...might your poi be a little too long ?

simtaBRONZE Member
compfuzzled
1,182 posts
Location: hastings, England (UK)


Posted:
good idea for when u start is to have your poi the length from your elbow to wrist, i found that when starting out things are generally easier this way

"the geeks have got you" - Gayle


TastesLikePurpleGOLD Member
addict
498 posts
Location: Nottingham, United Kingdom


Posted:
 Written by: thombre



West Midlands? Nottingham, by any chance?





a nottingham spinner eh? not seen you before though, have you ever come down to the fields of fire meets on thursday nights? its a little slow at the moment being winter and all but it should pick up again soon smile





But anyway, poi are really frustrating when you start - i bought a pair of tail poi for about £17 before trying to see if i could actually poi; you can imagine how disheartened and foolish i thought i was after spending three hours just trying to get the two beat weave going! but nevertheless i did it eventually and now i really enjoy poi and have progressed a long way since. My advice is to stick with it as best you can wink and don't forget there are many other spinning toys if poi gets too frustrating - staff is good for letting it out smile

Thoughts arrive like butterflies...


Evil_Penguinnewbie
4 posts

Posted:
Cheers, you've all been really helpful smile Stout you've really helped clarify things. I suppose I'm expecting too much and not getting to grips with the basics. And yes actually, my poi are definitely too long; I'm a bit on the small side and when I hold my arms by my sides they go way past my ankles!

87wt2gxq7 I'm located near Coventry, but the only reason I see a lot of spinners is because I travel a fair bit, I love going to clubs so I see a fair bit of poi action.

BrokenLeavesSILVER Member
member
48 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
 Written by: TastesLikePurple


 Written by: thombre


West Midlands? Nottingham, by any chance?



a nottingham spinner eh? not seen you before though, have you ever come down to the fields of fire meets on thursday nights? its a little slow at the moment being winter and all but it should pick up again soon smile





I am a nottingham spinner too, just progressing onto fire poi....have some..havn't lit them yet :-) although I have never been to fire night was going to go once, but chickened it because I do not know anyone and I am quite a shy person untill I get to know people quite well *sigh*

anyway my advice to the original poster...

You need to shorten your poi for a start!

My advice is just to stick at it. When i first started all i could do was hit myself for weeks, and I didn't understand why my friends had all picked up weaves and butterflys and hip reals and all i could do was hit myself too. I have been spinning for a year now and i guess i would consider myself a more intermediate spinner..i guess..whatever that might be...but eventually things just started to click. Try not to cling to moves you can't do. Practice it a bit daily but don't stick at it over and over for hours if you can't do it you will just fustrate yourself. Also I find if i am trying to learn something now and i can't do it i go back inside and chill out for a while, you won't learn anything while your wanting to chuck your poi very very hard against the wall and scream ...:-)

M33k0BRONZE Member
member
78 posts
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA


Posted:
I was RETARDED when I first started doing poi. Couldnt do jack [censored]. I looked like a jackass. But I slowly taught myself (I still am not that great at all) and after smacking myself enough times... I learned how to NOT do it!

Stick with it... watch others, have others teach you, and just be patient.

I could NOT do the 5bt weave if my life depended on it... and one day, it just happened. Just stick with it, be patient, and go slow at first smile

NollykinGOLD Member
Member
21 posts
Location: Adelaide, South Australia


Posted:
The cool thing about poi, is it just seems to induce friendliness. I've been going to meetings for 9months or more, and I've not met any serious poi spinners with egos or holier-than-thou attitudes. Well, a few, but eh, there's always exceptions.

Most poi spinners are friendly and keen-as-mustard to help out. Hell, I have a tendency to spontaneously hug strangers when teaching them poi.

We want a band, that plays loud and hard every night-
That doesn't care how many people are counted at the door-
That would travel one million miles and ask for nothing more,
Than a plate of food and a place to rest.


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


Posted:
eek

not a hugger, no hugging

smile

well, maybe for poi's sake

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


ERsunshinenewbie
3 posts

Posted:
hey Penguin, I feel your pain.. literally!! My guy's trying to teach me, I guess this is where I find out how patient he is! lol We're hopefully making me my own set this weekend, and then I can practice all week and surprise him when he comes to visit each weekend. =]

I think the lessons on this site, and the help here in the forums, will help a lot!

PhaiGOLD Member
member
113 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
Here's what I find helped getting started (and trust me, I still have trouble spinning the poi straight sometimes : )! )

1. Try spinning on more than one plane. I've had a friend who couldn't spin on a side plane for nuts, then pulled off a reverse butterfly first time with no trouble at all.

2. Put on some music and just start to jump around with the poi. Even doing 'weird stuff' like running and having the poi fly out behind you helps you get a better sense of how the poi move and how to control them

3. Take a 'mock poi' with you where ever you go - get your house keys and tie a bit of string to them. You can stand at a bus stop and whip out your 'poi' and start to covertly spin them. I know that sounds a bit weird, but seriously, your ability to spin straight and pull off these little neat tricks skyrockets if you practise them for a few minutes, and few times a day.

Lastly DON'T WORRY - more you do poi, more you hit yourself. But you do get better - it just takes some patience and ice for some of the bruises.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm nursing a bruise on my face at the moment from my poi. They just whipped back and thwacked me - I thought I had broken my nose. : )

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


Posted:
always have poi on you, when you get an urge to do poi then you can

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


flixfyrePLATINUM Member
Member
9 posts
Location: New Zealand


Posted:
Weight might make a difference too. the heavy-er they are the faster they seem to go!
For my planes...it was always my lazy left arm.....so I would always practise with that side first smile

Beeswax

Though easier to walk in the footsteps of others in soft sand - making your own path does become easier - and at least when you look back you know how far you have come...


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


Posted:
think in poi smile

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


spinningstarletSILVER Member
enthusiast
271 posts
Location: Bradford *rolls eyes*, United Kingdom


Posted:
learn by spinning s.l.o.w.l.y....

i always find that it is easier to learn slow and speed up as you get the hang of a move than to learn fast and try and slow it down. If you learn by spinning slowly also i find it easier to control the poi rather than have them carrering about and having to duck/feel out of control.

I also try to learn the concept of a new move by just learning with one hand/one poi, then the other then combining them (usually through sheer deterimation!) once you start picking things up though it gets easier. once you have the idea behind how you learn the easier things learning the harder things gets easier. if that makes sense?

hope that helped a little.

ElentariSILVER Member
newbie
8 posts
Location: Maine & Vermont, USA


Posted:
Its aweful when youre trying to learn something and are getting absolutely no positive feedback! Its all the pain in the neck and no reward...

If you do see people doing it in person, definitely bug them for help! They all went through the same thing, and Im sure most of them would be totally happy to give you a hand. And its true, learning from a person is remarkably better. They can see what youre doing as compared to what you SHOULD be, and give you personal feedback. I really dont learn very well from reading the descriptions and videos, but if someones teaching me I can do it. It seems like when youre learning a new move, everyone basically goes through the same series of obsticles (ok, so now I finally can get it over to THAT side, but NOW its wrapping around by arm, blah blah.) And a person can see where you are and give you the specific tip thats useful at that point.

Alright, well now Im rambling and just repeating what other people have said...

And dont forget that youre doing this for FUN! Try not to get too discouraged, that just spirals in and makes you more and more frustrated while also making you do even worse! If you find yourself getting upset, take a break. And/or, go back and do something that you CAN do, before you take a break. Otherwise youll just associate poi with getting frustrated beyond belief, and give it up forever, which nobody wants! smile I always find that watching some good videos (not instructional, just performances...) is pretty rejuvinating, too.

Good luck!
Annie

"He had been 8 years upon a project for extracting sunbeams from cucumbers, which were to be put in vials, hermetically sealed, and let out to warm the air in raw inclement summers."
~Swift, Gullivers Travels


upperthongjbSILVER Member
Member
1 post
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
i may be just 12 years old but i can help u spin your poi
all u need 2 do 1st if the loops are 2 big 4 your fingers then try it a different wat e.g put more fingers through it
2nd when u are spinning 1st time just try out the different ways like forwards, backwards, forwards split time (one moving faster than the other ) backwards split time and 1 forwards and then after u have mastered that then go on 2 some actual moves thats what i did and now i can do moves from the buzzsaw 2 the five beat weave

v26newbie
13 posts

Posted:
ok so im a newbie to poi to, but i have mastered spining forward and back , and some other basic strange stuff that im not sure is even a move, but hey it works for me. im getting disheartened though because i just can get to grips with new moves and getting the poi to swing behind my back without smacking mysefl in the head or bottom. thank god for big bottoms, because it doesnt hurt so much. ubblol

aliquigsnewbie
3 posts

Posted:
it sounds like you need to adjust your poi so that the loops fit your fingers!
also: try to spin them so that they almost feel like a pair of wheels on either side of your body, once you have that down, you'll be able to do other things.

Hope that helps!

weavesmiley

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


Posted:
hitting yourself is part of spinning. smile we've all had bruises and burns
try working on the basic plane control. swing straight by sides and in front and back. spin slow and controlled

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


NinaaaSILVER Member
Member
6 posts
Location: Philadelphia, USA


Posted:
Hey EvilPenguin..I'm kinda in the same boat you're in.. I think if you can get your arms controlled first, everything else should kind of come easier.. At first try, my right arm (I'm left handed) was all over the place.. In the past couple of days, I've been able to make it more steady.. I think that if I practice some yoga, that would help even more ! My arms are all red from friggin balls hitting me all day but I think I'm kinda getting the hang of it.. I can do a few things; can't name them because I forget what the hell they're called.. lol.. I really wish there were more people over here that were into this; or at least people I actually knew who could kinda teach me.. I'm in Philadelphia, PA (usa) by the way.. I guess there's not really a big scene over here for spinning.. that should def change!

Ohhh yeahhh....!


elujinBRONZE Member
Member
2 posts
Location: Belgium


Posted:
try attaching some ribons on your poi so you can better see what kinda circkles your making

Filthy_BunnySILVER Member
Member
14 posts
Location: Glossop, Derbyshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
Hi, I'm a newbie myself so not really in a position to give advice! But one thing I've found is that I can only do poi properly and pick up new moves when I'm relaxed. When you get frustrated it can make it even harder. I find the best place to practice is somewhere outdoors with lots of room (so I'm not worrying about smashing into my furniture), and away from people (so I'm not paranoid about them seeing me screw up). Also I have to be physically relaxed and not worrying about hitting myself in the face/ass/whatever. I only managed to figure out the forward weave after I'd had a few beers to loosen me up! biggrin

Good luck with it! weavesmiley

Sealeymember
30 posts

Posted:
I've only be spinning a month but I've learned that you have to be brave- don't fear the poi! And also I found that if you obsessively try to do a particular move for 1-3 days you'll have it mastered before long.

squidBRONZE Member
sanguine
382 posts
Location: sur, USA


Posted:
for some moves, that does work. But I also find that if I continue at a more difficult move incessantly, my frustration level also rises. Sometimes it really does help to set that move aside and come back to it later.

For basic weaving, I actually found a simple staff/stick/broom handle worked to help me visualize how I needed to position my wrists. Im actually using that technique now to prep my behind the back weaves.

You hold the staff with your hands close together and then slowly rotate in the desired direction, trying to aim the ends of the staff to a point close to your shoulders.

be sure to also notice where BOTH ends of the staff are going so you know which way both wrists are bending.

oh, and dont do that with buzzsaws. wink redface

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow


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