Forums > Technical Discussion > Fire Poi 101

Posted: 6th Aug 2003
Hey Maisy,

Alrighty..

First, the Search function on this board can become one of your best friends. It's under the reply/new topic buttons. CLick it, enter in a topic..."wicks", "fuels", etc...and it will bring up so many threads you won't know what to do. Read through them and if you feel inclined, post in one and it will pop right back to the top of the list.

The Events, Performances and Gatherings usually chronicles all of the big events globally. Burning Man is the big one for the US, but it is not really a poi meet. More like an artistic woodstock instead of a sheerly musical one.
For a better idea of if there are people in your area there is the Meet Others function. Type in your area and hopefully someone nearby will pop-up for you to email.

There are also FAQ's on fuels, and many incredible articles. Just peruse through the home page. There are articles about which clothes to wear, fuel differences, etc.

For advance moves that make your head hurt...just look through the poi moves section. If you can do all the moves on the site, the poi spinning books are a good resource for technique approach and style creation, but not advanced moves, I feel.

Wicks, chain length, fuel preference is actually all up to a matter of personal preference. Most people here have their own "formula" for success.
Best of luck!

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK

Posted: 7th Aug 2003
you want scoop?! i give scoop!
1. What are the best wicks to use?
cotton-kevlar! it's more expensive in the short term, cheaper in the long term (lasts longer)
2. How long does an average burn last with kerosene?
Your garden variety cotton-kevlar 4" tube wicking will last you 3-5 minutes, your mileage will vary.
3. What are the best videos and books available to learn advanced tricks (Any recommendations on the Poi Spinning book?)?
Strictly instructional: Bec & Elkie's Book and Michal Kahn's book both have alot of fans here at HoP, though i aint never read them to be honest The video that those lessons you've been growing from are excerpted from the Art of Poi
More inspirational: A mirror! or the COL series
4. Are there any large Poi conventions,gatherings, etc. in the US?
Yes there are, but you have to come to Edinburgh Gardens, Melbourne to get there!

ps, WELCOME to your new family, Maizy!!

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 7th Aug 2003
Everyone seems to be learning poi faster then me. I've been at it for 5 or 6 weeks and I can do alot of what's in this sites free lessons part. No that this is a problem, it just gives me an excuess to do more poi.

Is there any diffrence between the length of the burns on the cathedral wicks and the monkey fist wicks?

Posted: 8th Aug 2003
You all are great! Thanks so much for your input.

bender - you gave me a ton to chew on so THANK YOU especially!!!

Poi is too much fun. I saw a performance 5 years ago and was mesmerized. It's so awesome you all actually have a BBS for it. I checked out this site a few years ago and it has grown so much! Wish I started then!

Try not. Do or do not. There is no try. Yoda (Jedi Master)

Posted: 8th Aug 2003
yeah too true mate! I personally reckon that twirling has a pretty high return on your time practicing. As a crap juggler, i spent too much time learning too few tricks - as a twirler i get to practice almost all my moves at every sesh! maybe i'm just cross eyed..
and yes, HoP is an ace place to learn neat stuff, like *cough*vegemeite*cough*...

Achluophobia, in response to your monkeyfist/cathedral wick burning time comparison question, it large depends on the wick type and length/thickness of the wicking used per poi head. These thicker poi head styles soak deeply and last noticeably longer than the 3-5 minutes you typically get from kero on a 4" wicked poi. They are also heavier, so stamina will definitely improve after the initial 'can someone gimme a massage i just twirled monkeyfists' stage If you are worred about the burn time initailly outlasting your staminia, try only half soaking your wicks. I do this for me fireswords when i I'm twirled out at the latter half of a fire sesh.

have fun firey peeps and remember to bring water, cus i get thirsty big time during a twirl

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always