Forums > Beginner Poi Moves > how do i get more movement?

Posted: 1st Jan 2003
you should learn weave and turning thats the easiest move to move to. just try stepping around while your doing moves and twisting your body.once you get it going you can move around a lot easier

Posted: 2nd Jan 2003
Spinning in the same direction that your corkscrew spins is an easy way to get some circular movement in. If you're twirling to music then just dance with the beat. Sway your hips/body side to side in time with your weave or bring up your feet/bob your head in time with your butterflies. learn how to walk around (any direction you want) while doing basic moves and you can then learn to do moves while dancing around. It's much more fun.

~And when the day arrives I'll become the sky, and I'll become the sea, and the sea will come to kiss me for I am going home. Nothing can stop me now.~

Posted: 2nd Jan 2003
moves are combinations of one simple move, thats as simple as poi gets if you ask me. the one move is you are swinging 1 poi in each hand making a circular patern with that poi.
Moves become easier, the more you practice and the thought processes that come with, see the next moves are inside of you, they just seem hard at the time, it doesnt matter how dialed your moves are either, if you can make it what you want it to be, what does it matter.
so my advice to you is to carry on learning and playing with your poi and learn to create motion with your body in anyway that you suffice.
As you become more adapt with you poi you will learn every motion of your poi and where your poi are at any point when you are spinning and be able to explain what parts of your body need to go where for what move at what time during a move and so on. so as you become adapt you will be able to move, dance or do ballet with paper dolls between your toes.
there isnt really any way that any of us can explain how to gain more dance with your poi, that comes from within you and only you.
Also when you learn more moves from lots of different people that you will pick up certain styles but eventually coming accross your own style cimbined, that in turn makes you singular, one of a kind, your very own unique style, all of your own, created by you alone.
wishing you a happy new year, and hoping that this post is of use to you.

Posted: 1st Jan 2003
Well said PK.
I second that

Posted: 1st Jan 2003
hey splorange, is that bradford near leeds? if so ur local to me man.

Posted: 1st Jan 2003
Here, Here PK I third that!
Practice makes perfect!
Also remember that you are a sphere when your spinning.
You have four directions in that shpere, a North, South, East, and West. Every direction has many moves you can do. (Turning 180* from forward (North) will bring you to Backward (South) East and West are moves like The Windmill, and follow the sun.)
I suggest getting a few moves in each direction down so you can turn and always have something to do.
Also Opposits! (one poi going forward, one going backward) There are many moves you can do in each direction doing this as well. Ex: Mexican Wave, to thread the neadle, to Large satilight. is all in the Eastern direction.

Have I lost you?

There are also plains in the sphere, like vertical and horizontal. But I won't get into that.

I don't know, I think I am just confusing you.


Just remember that you are the center of the sphere, everything is flowing from Your Center. You just need to find that center.

One day It will Click, and you will be esthatic, and glowing! B/C you will see that every move will connect with the next, because it is all one circle! Or Many Circles connected in one Sphere!

Good Luck,

~Fire Spirit

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

Posted: 1st Jan 2003
another way i normally expain is, not as a sphere but as a box box as in it has 6 sides , so imagine ur spinning inside of this said box, you can spin on every plane within, with your hands in many different possitions, it doesnt matter what the moves are, their all just a combination of that one move.

possibilities are endless with poi it just takes practice.
be kewl....

Posted: 1st Jan 2003
dont know what type of movement you are looking for, but i say just get out there and dont focus on perfect technical moves. get out there, learn to move your body first, swing your poi, try to do the moves too. but move your body however it wants to take you.

youll hit yourself, come out blackened at the end of the night maybe, have some bruises probably. eventually youll be able to do both.

but it all depends on what you want out of your dance. it doesnt take extravagant movements to be interesting, or to have it feel right for you. it takes a communion with the poi or staff. that will come, but probably when you are not concentrating so hard, but simply letting them move, and letting yourself move.

your body will get its groove if you let it. dont worry about the poi hitting you. bruises heal, and something in hands wrist arms blood will eventually learn the control to stop hitting yourself

Wow

Posted: 2nd Jan 2003
I think everyone's (especially PK's) covered most things I would have said.

However, if you still have trouble, try writing down a list of different body moves and forget the poi for a while.

Even simple stuff can make a huge difference...eg

1. bend each leg seperately
2. move your head and neck with your arms
3. crouch
4. crabwalk
5. foxtrot
6. kneel
7. kneel and spin on knees
etc etc etc

Most of these can be done by everyone, regardless of flexibility (even me!)

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Posted: 2nd Jan 2003
I had the same problem when i first started but once I learned how to do most moves in both directions and was able to start spinning around that helped a lot.
If you want a good example of moving around you should go to the videos section and watch the videos of Jo Derry.That guy is amazing!

Posted: 2nd Jan 2003
poiaholic put it simplest, think of all the moves you do, and remember you can do them the opposite direction, if you can do this your transitions will be smooth and effortless whilst you move.

Posted: 2nd Jan 2003
thought process= self control= control of mind, body and poi, together create unity overall and uniqueness of ones abiities, practice makes this eventually all seem easy and fluid.
shibaki moves like the wind, you can see this from his COL3 entry video, sage in COL1.
The more moves you aquire the more diverse you will become and be at one with your poi.
these are just simple points from replys to this thread, every one posted some thing different which is good not every one will post what you want to hear but sifting through and picking out what you think you need to know and learn from is what matters most to you.
it all boils down to time, time spent to better your self the rest will come with.

Posted: 2nd Jan 2003
thanx folks. that sphere thing really made snese.

now for the induvidual replies:

PK: very eliquent. so i guess your main advice would be practice more and get used to all the moves so i can be free to move around. also, i think im in a diferent bradford.

FireSpirit: the sphere thing makes alot of sense. in Aikido there's a sphere around you, the outer limits are as far as you can go at full extension and you can move in any dimension in the sphere.
i dunno, it made me think of that

Shibaki: black and bruised i most definetly am. broken nose, burns and bruises. i have my share of battle scars. but it was all worth it

Charles (INferno): hmm, never realy thought of crouching down or kneeling. good call.

PK (again): i got the idea for putting more motion into my sets from watching clips of sage. i was sitting there thinking about the moves (most of which i can do) but they dont look half as amazing when i do them. then i realized it's because of the movement, she isnt just stationary
the whole time

fire always makes it better ~ The offspring

Posted: 2nd Jan 2003

Posted: 6th Jan 2003
Well as somebody who now recently describes his poi style as "dancing around like a drunken pixie" I can suggest two things:
1. Move in the direction of the move you are doing (that way you don't get whacked)2. Bring all of your movement from your hips, they generate the most energy with the least amount of effort. (ask the dancers and martial artists out there)

A wise man once said to me, Hey! You! Get out of my wardrobe! and in a way, I guess he was right.

Posted: 9th Jan 2003
the long story short is "SHAKE YO BOO-TAY!!!"

even if it is just moving you hips back and forth (or front to back if you wana get kinky) it will still look good

we eat and we drink and we smoke and we try!

Posted: 10th Jan 2003
GET DOWN WITH IT!

I like the sphere because i see it as a fire aora.
Its all energy, you can make the sphere small, or go large with it!

I see what PK was saying about the box though. You do have 6 sides with 2 planes. I see it as Directions though: North, South, East, and West, with Above and Below in a diffrent plane.

A box is too constricting for me, as a sphere is infinite.
(not to say that what works for you is wrong, this is how I see it)

Charles has a good point! Get down with your boogie! Its a dance! So Dance!!

~Fire Spirit

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