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Xebarsismember
4 posts
Location: San Diego, California


Posted:
Hey, anyone have some random tips for somebody new at poi? Anything works.

Mmm, burnt toast.


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


Posted:
Hold the handles, not the big firey thing

Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude


Mass Destruction Worldwidemember
83 posts
Location: Toronto


Posted:
Haha!

If you happen to have long hair, get used to keeping it tied up while using poi, even if theyre not ready to be lit, just to get in the habit! *and if u happen to have dreads, full of dread wax...wear a toque, dreadwax burns like candles..*

my 2 cents.

educate yourself - knowledge is power


Kinudin (Soul Fyre)veteran
1,325 posts
Location: San Diego, California, USA


Posted:
Woot! Xeb! /cheer! Sup bro?

Heya. Durbs has a good point. The big firey things is a bad thing. Also... major face whacks by glowsticks hurt.

But you're doing well anyway. After all, you learned the weave... *makes that face I had had when I said "DUDE! YOU GOT THE WEAVE!"*

Keep it up man.

*hands you candy*
Kinudin

KyrianDreamer
4,308 posts
Location: York, England


Posted:
Hullo

I was told to say hi, so a big happy welcome *hugs*

have fun with Kinudin, you guys is lucky, what with getting to haev other people to poi with and all....

my personal advice it don't practice with glowsticks until you have moves down. but that's just cause i don't like teh feeling of glowsticks colliding with my head constantly.

Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive

Shalom VeAhavah

New Hampshire has a point....


Dragonflymember
19 posts
Location: Victoria, Canada


Posted:
The vids on this site are great for tips. When I learnt i copied a few moves and then went outside with a walkman on and did all with my eyes closed. Closing my eyes gave me a way better feeling of how the poi worked because i wasn't seeing them fling towards my head. I went slower and felt the weight of the poi better. it totally helped me get into the "rythym of the poi"

Pragmember
17 posts
Location: Bath or Oxford, England (depending on the season)


Posted:
Ummm. Carry them everywhere, twirling as you go along (you can also bump into fellow poisters and it gives you confidence in doing it infront of other people).
Remember the weak side teaches as much as the strong.
Learning forwards first avoids face smacks (but watch out below!).
Agreed, keeping eyes closed teaches feeling. Remember they move at a moment in time, eg: a circle (when say, you spin them by your side - see the poi moves bit on main menu- has many points as it travels through it (sounds obvious but helps when learning more moves).
Bouncing from foot to foot will teach and let you get into the rythem of the poi going out of sincronisation, move the energy up your legs, through the spine and into the shoulders and hence the arms.
It's all in the wrists 1st!
Try to keep things mirror imaged from then you can expand and dance.
Music is a good one to learn to.

...I'll think I'll leave it there but I hope it helps.

Xebarsismember
4 posts
Location: San Diego, California


Posted:
Woah! *blinks* thats alot of tips...Hah, thanks.

Mmm, burnt toast.


MrConfusedBRONZE Member
addict
529 posts
Location: I wish I knew, United Kingdom


Posted:
Dread wax = wax made from the essence of Satan's soul!!!!
So I don't want to work. Just ignore me.

J

If you're not confused, you're not thinking about things hard enough.


FlyntSILVER Member
Intrepid Penguin
5,635 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
hey `
practice your weave with wooden spoons, and you'll get it easy
become double jointed for behind the back stuff
put music on ! the rhythm helps
use tennis balls for practice, they bruise less
when you start getting good, do it with your eyes closed and just concentrate on the way it feels... (i think someone already mentioned this)
try to practice with chain, cos i find wire or cable bounces back alot more than chain or rope `

oh, and remember...... its FUN! even if you do look stoopid the first couple of weeks `

Currently on the right side up of the world.


Mr Miyagimember
13 posts
Location: japan


Posted:
Holding a poi is like holding a bird.

Grip it too tightly and you will choke it.

Hold it too loose and it will fly away...

*goes to fetch ladder to get poi off roof*

Wax on...Wax off.


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


Posted:
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Miyagi:
Holding a poi is like holding a bird.
Grip it too tightly and you will choke it.
Hold it too loose and it will fly away...

That is the most poetic interpretation of poi i've ever heard! mind if i use it, sensei?

my bestest a1 ok supah tip for joo, Xeb, is practice with a good teacher. like learning to drive, first-hand imitation and another person's scrutiny allow for the fastest learning. After the massive learning curve that most twirlers consistently go through, the settling of the style is next. my best tip for that stage is music (inspiration) + meeting new funky fire people's routines(exposure). will ya be Sharply martial arty? slow graceful? Psychedelically slapsticky? all? but most importantly, do you drink your tea with milk or without?

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


TheBovrilMonkeySILVER Member
Liquid Cow
2,629 posts
Location: High Wycombe, England


Posted:
The most useful piece of advice I have is this:

When you're learning the butterfly, keep your hands low.
That way, when they hit mid-spin, they bounce down and hit your thighs, rather than the more sensitive bits nearby.

Once you've got the movement sorted and you can keep it spinning for a while with no problems, then it's no hassle to just move your hands upwards a bit. It's certainly less hassle than rolling around the floor in agony for a while

But there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.


Jade Lynxmember
239 posts
Location: Laguna Beach, but i live in Denver, Colo, USA


Posted:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bender_the_Offendër:
my bestest a1 ok supah tip for joo, Xeb, is practice with a good teacher. QUOTE]

Aaaah, but where does one FIND the teacher?
There are acoupla people in Denver/Spings who are very helpful, but haven't found a teacher/class yet.

My big wish (other than having Jo Derry come and teach me! ) would be for a wallscreen moniter, so i could see the Poi-Lesson clips life size, and spin while i watch the clip...

We got the MikeZ in the house, woot!Glue the ham, hat baby!


Sepamember
184 posts
Location: London


Posted:
Yeah, I'm very much a visual learner to. A full length mirror (or, in my case, a big glass sliding door) works wonders.

I really, really wish I could see what the hands are doing in the reverse 5 beat weave clip... it's just too dark!

catboymember
167 posts
Location: leicester, england


Posted:
variation on a theme... ...sweedish style

"twirling poi is like making love to a beautiful woman... "

not very creative, this afternoon, i think the hayfever drugs have addled my brain...
someone please finish my sentence for me.... Im sure it could be a good one in the right hands (said the actress to the bishop...)

you can take the cat out of the jungle, but you cant take the jungle out of the cat


IdubIHoP Lurker
272 posts
Location: Medway, Kent, UK


Posted:
I'm pretty new to all aspects of spinning/twirling (got my first set of Poi about 18 days ago) so hopefully the way I started learning is fresh in my mind.

here goes,

I started by just watching the Home of Poi videos lots, then I bought some Poi.
I started playing around very badly, doing things like the butterfly with my wrists a distance apart.
I then did figures of eight and tried doing them across one another, then I staggered the timing of them (which I'd practiced at my sides and as a sort of butterfly).
Try some legs wraps and stuff, just play around.

Make it tidy after you can do it badly.

just my 2 cents.

Drew.

*Oh, just for a minute,* my bed said.
"Don't lie to me," I grumbled.
*But you're so tired...*


Fwirl :pmember
76 posts
Location: Wellington, NZ


Posted:
my fav thing eva...
doing poi to drums.....Jambe (Djambe) drums. just get some from somewhere ($$$) and do it to them a....they r the best....personally i think they r beta then techno....get a fire, some fire dancers and some drummers and a new moon ( ) and u'r gonna have a long nite a! its soooo fun. I have been doing poi for about a month and ain't even old enough to hit the bars but n e way, i luv doing poi!
sorry 4 the spew! n e one wanna contact me? especially if u r approx around my age and live in nz? sweet as, rok on guys.
love
lyd's

Neo:Wow, that sounds like a really good deal, but I have a better one. How about I give you the finger and you give me my phone call?



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