Forums > Beginner Poi Moves > Horizontal butterfly?

Posted: 15th Mar 2001
Horizontal butterly?Yep, it's possible. I don't know how to describe how to get it, but you need to give the poi a bit more "oomph" then for the normal butterfly.Also, you can do the behind the back butterfly and lean forwards and have it horizontal behind your back.Apologies if my terminology is crap, I come to poi from club swinging and it is hard remembering what the different names are...Dott .

Posted: 15th Mar 2001
Yes, you can do horizontal overhead butterflies. While it is possible to just sort of creep up from a normal butterfly, I actually prefer to start doing reverse side-circles, then whip up, out, and in to go into an overhead. This is a little tricky--you need to move your hands together very quickly to avoid tangling your chains.It's also possible to do behind-the-head, behind-the-back, under-the-butt, etc.

Laugh while you can, monkey-boy

Posted: 15th Mar 2001
yes it is entirely possible...i can do it above my head standing up ...it looks like a helicopter, then i get on my knees, and lie on my back while i am doing it..This is with glowsticks, so i dont know how it would work with POI. Plus 90% of this is self taught so the way i throw the strings is a little unorthidox. My style is very odd, thus sort of hard to discribe sometimes with text.s)trings are wrapped around my palms, then i pinch the strings tight with my thumb againt my index finger)Plus i do the hand movement a little different. I start spinning in reverse at my sides, with them alternating, then i angle them inward to where the string are crossing flat in front of me. my hands are almost touching at this point with my palms facing in. (your hands look like your holding a playstation controller if that helps)Now i actually put knuckles to knuckles, and thumb to thumb. I keep the strings going my just moving my arms about 4 inches to the lsft and right very fast. From here i can raise it above my head, or lie on my back and even get back up.The butterfly motion is going from left to right, not up & down though.Ive never tried a standard butterlfy horizontally...something to try tonight.Super'------------------"Only the warrior that hears the call will know when to leave, Where to go" -unknown

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--not absence of fear.


- Mark Twain

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 16th Mar 2001
You can do horizontal above your head, or in front of your body (depending on chain length). An easy way to get into it is to go from a horizontal windmill then on the down stroke do a single leg beat, then on the upstroke go straight into an above head horizontal butterfly Look at and earlier thread where Adam and I were discussing horizontal leg beat direction changes...Josh

Posted: 15th Mar 2001
You can also do a horizontal butterfly over head, drop it down in front of you (keeping it flat the whole time), switch so that itgoes from above your arms to under your arms and then bend to do it at knee level...it looks very nice...though I advice short chains on this one all. Off of this if you stagger them and start one over your head and one at leg level (yes it's a stretch) and get them to pass at midrift level so they switch up and down it looks very springy like. A continuing up and down spiral.Anyhoo...Horizontals can be done on any plane, and if youlean over far enough (with short chains) you can jump over it. and bring it up in a butterfly behind you. It's tricky and I still need to work on it but it can be done. Hadn't thought of behind the back horizontal...wouldn't that end up somewhere over waist level then? It'd prolly be easiest to get on the knees and lean forward, forehead touching ground to do this, eh? Then you could move the poi to the sides and go into a forward roll.Hmmmmmm...thoughts.....gotta go play now! ------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir..."I prefer not to go where there is a path but to blaze a new one!"

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: 15th Mar 2001
I got the over-the-head horizontal butterfly figured out now ^__^ [i never tried doing it with a reverse butterfly, i think it has to do with how far back you can bend your wrists]. I also learned thread-the-needle while i was goofing off with split timing my butterflys [oh joy lol]. Now what is this you're saying Pele? Sounds cool, but i can't seem to picture it in my head.------------------"Happiness is not a destination, but a method for life"- Burton Hills

The reason communism doesn't work is because people like to own stuff

Posted: 15th Mar 2001
For which Taiguy? I tend to talk alot! ------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir..."I prefer not to go where there is a path but to blaze a new one!"

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

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 15th Mar 2001
I like the springy combo Pele!!!hmm )Josh

Posted: 16th Mar 2001
Pele : "Hadn't thought of behind the back horizontal...wouldn't that end up somewhere over waist level then?"Yep. Your hands should be (almost) touching your waist when you do this, head down quite a lot (although I don't touch the floor) . I'm trying to get myself to kneel down and do a forward roll from it but being crap at gymnastics it's a bit hard!Dott .

Posted: 18th Mar 2001
I was at a club and I saw this guy do a horizontal butterfly that looked awesome... he started it vertically and then dropped onto his knees, then while doing it leaned back all the way onto his back so his knees were still bent and his head and back were on the floor and the butterfly was horizontal over his chest... im not really that flexible but it looked really cool and its worth working on.

Posted: 30th Mar 2001
Hi TaiGuy, Yes you can do it, but it is even more mysterious and entertaining to drop down on your knees and do it over your head and in front of your face! You can also do the behind the back butterfly on your knees!(your nose touching the ground) Then you can switch from one to the other. Good Luck

FIRE IS ALIVE!
IT LIVES AND BREATHS!
IT CONSUMES, AND DISTROYS!
BUT WE CONTROL IT,
AND DANCE WITH FIRE!!