Forums > Beginner Poi Moves > Hi I am new and just started Poi!

Posted: 8th Sep 2008
Pele? As in HoP's own lovely moderator, Pele? That should be a fun person to go to for practice and play.

Honestly, I usually avoid tailed poi because the tangling makes learning a tad frustrating. However, since you have them, make full use of the advantages they can give you: plane awareness.

As you are working on the forwards and reverse spinning, try to note how each individual hand is working and what path the poi take. If its at your sides, you should aim for a vertical path that doesn't cross or veer to one side or another. If its in front of you, try and get it to go like its parallel to a wall.

Basically, imagine yourself in a box. Experiment with having the poi travel on all those sides of the box. (even above and below, if you can). Then pretend like you are facing one corner of the box (or pretend you are in a diamond shape) and see what happens when the poi travel at a slight diagonal.

You can use this as a jumping point to weaving and butterflies and all those other fun moves with wierd names. Heck, I still start off my practice sessions with a little warm up in plane control. It helps to loosen up my body as well as allowing my body to remember the motions before I go autopilot and start focusing on more complicated matters.

And welcome!!!!

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

Posted: 9th Sep 2008
The way I taught myself to keep my planes straight was to just practice spinning forwards and backwards in a hallway. I would say the first month of spinning is the most frustrating because even the simple things are really hard but once you get the basics down it becomes smooth and natural. Another trick is when learning butterflys stand facing a wall. That will also teach you how to keep your plane straight.

Also if its the Pele that were all thinking of you have no better teacher in the world.

Posted: 25th Sep 2008
Yea, I found walls and other surfaces being in my way helped me be more aware of my planes.

Also, having just switched to a heavier weight helped me learn things too.

I just traded up my Tennis Ball on Shoe Lace to Juggling Ball in Sock. I don't get hit as often because the juggling balls don't bounce off of each other if they collide, but when I DO get hit, it hurts more.

Like they say, no pain no gain... lol.

Have fun!

Posted: 26th Sep 2008
More weight! Yes, meshunderlay! Try balloons full of sand or rice in socks... if you get much larger balloons than required they tend to mold to the shape of your head, rather than molding your head to the shape of the ball.

Posted: 27th Sep 2008
Yea, That makes sense.

I'll probably try the balloon + (Something) for my next set that I make. Maybe After I buy some better looking socks, heh.

You're 100% though about the head molding to the shape of the ball, it's basically completely spherical. I had a few extra "thud" juggling balls laying around (I have 7, but I can only juggle 5) so that's what I'm using... for now.

On a side note... is there such a thing as a 3 beat TTN? *shrug* I think it looks nifty, but I'm just basically changing the speed of the poi out in front *shrug*.

Ciao 4 Now.

Posted: 27th Sep 2008
Theres a 4 beat TTN... but you're probably doing Split TTN. Examine where the poi are passing one another... is one up while the other is down?

I made a little thingamy about the 4bt TTN I'll edit this when I find where I put the vid.



EDITED_BY: Mother_Natures_Son (1222493687)

Posted: 23rd Nov 2008
Sorry to have to threadjack but I was just going to start a 'Hi I'm new' post.

Guess that makes the two of us. Keep it going!

- -

Posted: 24th Nov 2008
Hi, Fluxusmaximus, the "introductions" forum would be a great place to throw up your "hi, I'm new!" post. if you throw any questions or queries around they'll get answered. Welcome to the forums. : )

Posted: 27th Nov 2008
hey. wazup dudes? just started learning poi. im learning from my cousin. any tips for beginners?

Posted: 27th Nov 2008
Heya, germ. no time to post a real reply now but my best tip is read at least the original post in this thread.

[Old link]

And break things down into nice basic components. ^_^

Posted: 27th Nov 2008
Hey germ, yep read the OP in that thread.

And remember to slow down.

Quite often we try to put that little bit of extra effort into trying to conquer a move and most often that translates to spinning your poi faster, and faster, and faster. Before you know it your swinging away like you're trying to bat down a swarm of hornets.

The slower you go, the more time you have to think about what you're doing and what's going on and once you've learned a move, then tit's time to go faster with it.

Cheers

Posted: 28th Nov 2008
ok. thnx.

Posted: 30th Nov 2008
Quote:Anyone from the Syracuse/Rochester, NY area is more than welcome to respond!

Welcome Captain!
If you are in Rochester, get in touch with [Old link]. He can put you in touch with the spinning and juggling community there. I'll warn you he is one of the geekiest poi spinners I know (and I love 'im for it)

Originally Posted By: Mother_Natures_SonI made a little thingamy about the 4bt TTN I'll edit this when I find where I put the vid.




This is a 4-beat together-time TTN, and it is symmetrical. If you do half a 4-beat and half a 2-beat (the basic one) you get a 3-beat TTN, which is asymmetrical... So there is a left-handed and a right-handed version.

Conversely, if you take your 4-beat TTN and use the same degrees of crossing the wrists but in split-time, then you will get a 3-beat symmetrical TTN. If you do one half with no degree of crossover and half with the 4-beat~ish one you get a 2-beat in split-time... and it's asymmetrical.

So the general rule is:
together-time: even beats symmetrical, odd beats asymmetrical
VS
split-time: odd beats symmetrical, even beats asymmetrical

Weeee, I should probably make a separate post that gets deeper into the theory behind this.
Here's a hint, it has to do with Cyrille's paper about geometric spinning and symmetry, and the differences between central symmetry, vertical symmetry, and horizontal symmetry.

-Alien Jon

+Alien Jon