Forums > Technical Discussion > Flags

Posted: 1st Jul 2005
It depends what type you have. Flags with handles are a lot more versitle than flags with no handles. If your flags don't have handles then remeber that you can't do most tricks for more than a few beats as the flags will twist up, best solved by doing a trick for a few beats in one direction and then doing it in the pther direction to untangle. You don't really need to do this with handles.

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and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

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Posted: 2nd Jul 2005
Also, If you have poi with handles, once you get fairly proficient at it TAKE THEM OFF!!!!
Almost all pro 'flaggers' will tell ya that it's against the principals of flagging to use handles. Plus the patterns that no handles will force you to make look very perdy :P
The great part about flagging is that if you're not too big on spinning you can still get heavily involved in the design and construction side of things. I made my two sets of flags and wouldn't trade em for the world
In terms of new tricks, take the handles off and see what the flags'll let ya do. Oh, also note that the slower you spin flags the sleeker they look and the more direction change moves you can do :D:D
Good luck and Welcome to the wonderful world of Flagging

The eternal question, which came first, the spinner or the juggler....

Posted: 2nd Jul 2005
Some good ideas here. I prefer handles myself, so it's more like poi. You can do most of the butterfly variations with them but you need to exaggerate the distance you hold them apart. Obviously hyperloop type moves are no good but you can get away with simple wraps. If the flags are short enough you can also do inside stuff like buzzsaws.

One thing I like to do is add weight to the base leading edge of the flag which allows me to do quite a few isolated moves. Isolated flags are a beautiful thing.

"My skin is singed but it heals my heart and with glowing pride I'll wear my scars." -Davey Havok

Posted: 4th Jul 2005
I have now had a bit of a play and fallen compleatly in love They make even the most simple tricks look wonderful (like angle wings for example!) And the sound mmmmmmm! Thats good cause my boyfriend says i can't have fire yet as i will be a danger to myself and others!

Can you point me towards a web site which shows some isolated moves. I gave it a go but ended up feeling like i was just failing about!

Posted: 4th Jul 2005
try www.contactjuggling.org

Posted: 5th Jul 2005
hmmm...


Flags are like poi, right?





Contactjuggling.org?

I don't understand the connection...

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Put Water into a cup, it becomes the cup, put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Water can flow, or it can Crash.
Be Water My Friend.

Posted: 6th Jul 2005
i think he put it on cause contact has a lot of iso's. but they are totally different for flag poi iso's. hmmm... mumble mumble. whisper *random hand movement* does that explain most of it :P

Im a Thespian, But I'll Act Normal Around You Guys

Posted: 12th Jul 2005
Big circles with one arm stretched right out, the other closer to you.

Big circles again, start swinging from 9 o clock, get to 3, then give them a quick flick and go back again. Like waving your arms from left to right, only with flags. Good for a beat or two.

Speed changes. As said before, the slower it is the better, but because flags are so much easier to change speed with, play with that.

Butterfly family moves, play with stretching one arm, then the other, then both.

Split time butterfly is great fun, no need to avoid the trailing flags as they never try to occupy the same space. Got a reveller tripping his nuts off at Glasto just doing this right in his face over and over..... hehehehe

Thows. Difficult as the flag tends to wrap around the handle, or you grab the flag and not the handle, but is a really nice change of pace.

Credit to Mags the Jedi for this one... Buzzsaw. Juuuuust before you turn them inside your arms, grab the very edge of the material by the handle, spin into buzzsaw. They will wrap up into boring baton-looking things. Then do a buzzsaw turn, let go the material and they unwrap. Alternatively play around with the furled flags for a while, before unfurling them.

Anyone got any other ideas? My HoP flags are my pride and joy, and it's the only toy I have that I feel I can spin to Mags and Brads level of Jedi-Ninjaism, so I must surpass them!

On the subject of handles, barring flag-spinning purists, winterguarde/colourguarde and boyscouts sending messages, handles kick ass! Who wants a flag that tangles around itself?
It's almost like making normal poi with great long bits of ribbon hanging off, tailor made to tangle up. Now who would do that? Hang on...

They are guides. They are teachers. They are like Yoda, only smaller and on strings.

--Meenik on poi

Posted: 2nd Aug 2005
"....it's against the principals of flagging to use handles.

....course it is

Throws Just practice
hyperloops/barrell rolls etc ditto
flowers/extensionsdouble ditto!

There's nothing you can do with poi that you can't do with flags, either with or without handles (personally I'd say swivel handles are best for flags even tho I don't use them for poi but it's all preference really) You can even break out butterfly hyperloops if you want and depending on the flag design it'll still look all purdy and confuse your audience no end!

Let's relight this forum