Forums > Beginner Poi Moves > Alternating Butterfly?

Posted: 25th Aug 2003
Do the butterfly. Then put your right arm over your right shoulder for a beat. Come back into butterfly for a beat. Then put your left arm over your left shoulder for a beat, and back into butterfly.

Best way to practice this is to get butterfly down pat. Then practice doing one beat in front, and one beat over the shoulder with one arm. Then try it with both arms at the same time. Then just put it all together.

Let's turn those old bridges we crossed into ashes.
We'll blaze a new trail,
and torch the rough patches.

-Me

Posted: 26th Aug 2003
yeah i remember when i was learning this move. its scary because i was afraid to hit my head when i reached back. but i got over it and jus did it. its really easy. jus dont think about it. jus do the butterfly.then throw your hands behind your head when the pois are on thier way up, and when you sense them complete a spin and are on their way up again jus put your hands back at their original position. there easy. good luck.

Raving...the answer to all prolems. just put on some music, bust out yer glowsticks and rave...raving...*sigh*

Posted: 26th Aug 2003
I just got the alternate butterfly combination down today! I started by getting the butterfly down inward and outward. Then I went one hand at a time behind the back near the hip (low). Once I was comfortable with that I threw my dominate hand over my shoulder. When the poi are infront of me at the top of the circle my palms a facing toward the ground, instead of rotating my hand for the bottom of the circle I just let if fall the flip my hand back so my palm is facing toward the sky, at the bottom of this beat I simply bring my hand back in front, palm down and continue the butterfly. It took me a while to get the high part down because I kep smacking either my back or my head. But anyway, I just stuck with it and now I can do the full combo.

* buttery fly
* right goes back low
* left goes back low, right come forward
* left comes back forward, right goes back high
* left goes back high, right comes forward
* left comes forward
* rinse repeat

Pay close attention to position of your palms when doing the regular butterfly you'll find a spot where you just have to flip your hands back and forth and the poi will follow.

cheers

Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men. - Seneca (5BC-65AD), Epistles

Posted: 26th Aug 2003
Alternate Butterfly can be tricky, took me at least a week.

Both over the head at the same time:
The trick is that once you've got the butterfly down, then on the end of the downswing/start of the upswing put your hands over your head. Yeah, everybody says it and and it still doesn't help does it?

Well, thats because they forget the one important thing. As your hands go over your head the poi will start to pull them apart. You will resist this and the poi will hit you in the ears.

The trick is to trust the poi. They are going to complete the swing on their own. All you have to do is let your hands part slightlythen bring them back together for the down swing to bring them back in front.

One at a time:

Wear a blindfold. (Looking at the poi cause injury. a blindfold makes you concentrate on the feel of the poi.) At the point where you would bring both hands over your head just move your right hand. This is easy.

Now do the left hand. You will hit yourself in the ear. This is beacuse the left hand hates you and has to be forced into submission over repeat attempts.

Hope this helps.

-----------}:~>ST

Perunt, Si iokum, Non aestimant.

Posted: 26th Aug 2003

quote:

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Now do the left hand. You will hit yourself in the ear.

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Owie, I remember earlier this summer just after I had my ear pierced I hit myself in the ear with a
glow stick learning this move.

Just go slow with it, and be very mindful of your technique. Practice with only one poi if you
have too.

Posted: 27th Aug 2003

quote:

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Originally posted by sicktim:

Wear a blindfold. (Looking at the poi cause injury. a blindfold makes you concentrate on the feel of the poi.)

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Hellavu idea, will do this all week!!! Whoot!

Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men. - Seneca (5BC-65AD), Epistles

Posted: 28th Aug 2003
Stuff that goes behind me I sometimes have trouble keeping the plains straight. I found an easy way to do it for me (Though I've been poing for a while now, so I also know generally the feel Im looking for too, good idea with the blindfold! How I learned a lot of staff moves) is to actually look upward. This way I can keep the plain on the butterfly straight (by checking where they cross above me), and I can guestimate much more acuratly whether Im going to hit myself or if the plain is right behind me, so I am only half blind back there.

Im trying to apply this to my BTB weaves but I still keep moving it into a near horizontal move somehow.... hehe

Posted: 28th Aug 2003
Try learning it in front of a big mirror (or reflective refrigerator!). Then you can be sure to get it right by being able to see what you're doing while you're training your muscles. When you later try without the mirror, your hands will remember what they were doing and it'll still be no problem.

E pluribus unum, baby.