Forums > Beginner Staff Moves > Warm Up

Posted: 11th Aug 2002
I think unicycling to Aotea Square, while carrying 3 staffs, a stool, my red and black busking box, fire-extinguisher, fire-blanket, foreign coins, towel, dunking tin, plastic bags, aloe vera gel and 15 litres of kero is enough of a warm-up.

but that's just 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: 12th Aug 2002

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Staff of Ducttape:
This probably makes me sound like a tosser, but what can i say, I'm new...

---

far from it man, stretches warm up the body and prepare muscles in such a way that the mucles are loose and supple enough to prevent injury to all but the most ludicrous actions you ask of them. It's an insurance policy and a first line of defense especially for vigorous twirling - i.e. a heavy fitr toy or very acrobatic style - or both.
I twisted my knee good for months earlier this year while all these cool ideas came to my head and the COL3 submission deadline was closing in...
please learn from my annoyingly painful and developmentally disruptive misteak.
firetwirling is a dangerous pursuit, by anyone's definition.
yoga and gymnastics stretches, 10 in each direction, on each side of the particular area of the body that you typically make sore or overstrech during your twirling sessions. Only stretch what you need to, cus you'll lose your excitement - and as Austin Powers would say, it's all about the excitement baby, yeah!
for me, I have to prepare my body for lots of acro, kicking, with less emphasis onspeed over stregth (most of my firetoys are hollow aluminium) hence, my streches are typically:
horizontal circling of the knees prevent more hurt from twisting landings/take offs strain on my kneesshoulder stretches so that my upper torso becomes more agile for high double staff routines.hamstring stetching leg hugs so that there is a wider axis from which my legs can kick me into the air.
I am sill tho for generally stretching at the first half of my fire seesions rather than just before them, but hey I just have to get that first twirl outta my system before any slow stretching can be done ...
The more frequently and regularly you stretch, the better agililty you have avialable to make the difference between a laboured or fluid performance, not to manetion the advantage of a minimised risk of injury. you will reach farther, if not mother. it will allow for the more challenging moves possible, and make already mastered moves appear more fluid.

rant continues over to next post...

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 12th Aug 2002
....stretches should push your limits. don't just go through the motion - be conscious of what you are trying to stretch and push/twist that body part *until* you feel it, otherwise it is no stretch at all. you should note how far you stretch each time, (not necessarily with pen and ruler you can trust your judgement as time goes by) so that you can guage you newfound ability
for your own style, my suggestions are that if you frequently:
neckroll - stretch with slow, gentle circling movements with your headBTB stuff - criss-cross your arms diagonally down-across your back with out-facing palms snaking as far as you can across your waist towards your front. stay for at least 30 sec each at farthest not-comfortable extension.
overhead moves - flailing your straightened arms in circles as clocks do, slowly.I am iffy about waist twists and bends cus they really friken hurt and generally don't help me in terms of added agility or muscle suppleness.
I dunno Qigong or Taichichuan (the pretentious name for tai-chi *sniggers*) so I wonder if anyone can be kind enough to share the stretches for those systems...
I must give credit tho, to Josie and Dave from Naked Flame firetwirling instruction, as they introduced the pre-twirl stretching concept to me and directed me to the gymnastics instructors where i train silly shit to do with metallic inflammable objects.
oh yeah, and if ya hurt youself, Australia does not respect extradition treaties unless ya name is Carmen Sandiego. so nyah!

fear is a supple behind
(this is the first time I've had to fit a rant across 2 posts!! yay for sharing knowledge!!)

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 13th Aug 2002
Smoke a Fat One.

N

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti

Posted: 13th Aug 2002
i agree with nix. smoke a big old doob and then go have fun. my only problem is that i just start going and do all sorts of awsome shit, but i cant remember it well enough to do it when im practicing, so my staff routines are completly random now

~A Soft Rubber Bodybuilding Smurf~

Posted: 13th Aug 2002
My poi and staff routines were always random. I never really thought them out. And no drugs were included

Posted: 13th Aug 2002
Maybe I'm doomed to be a loser all my life but for some reason drugs and certain activities have never gone together for me. Fire is one of them. It just doesn't feel right, but then again thats just me.

What's the worst that could happen?

Posted: 13th Aug 2002
If you smoke, smoke.

If you dont, dont.

I bet it feels the same.

M

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti

Posted: 14th Aug 2002
dude, don't you dare say ur a loser b/c you think fire and drugs don't go together for you. eeesh. personal choice, personal responsibility.

and stretching us good for you

(i need to do more)

peace & love, kyri

Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive

Shalom VeAhavah

New Hampshire has a point....

Posted: 15th Aug 2002
umm, I kneed more too. But there is some evedence that streaching dosnt prevent injury. coupla years ago they did tests with soldiers, putting two sets through a pt thing one with streaching, one without and found no diffrence with injury rates. mind you, try telling that to a trainer, and their are other avanteges to streaching...

N

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti

Posted: 16th Aug 2002
I've always found that a cool down does more to prevent injuries like soreness and what not than a warm up. Not to say warm up isn't important, but i've found you need more than just streching. I ran long distance, coached swimming and what not and i've found performance was always improved with some actual light activity included in the warm up... but thats just what i've noticed.

What's the worst that could happen?

Posted: 15th Aug 2002

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nix?:
But there is some evidence that streaching dosnt prevent injury.

---

then it's one study of one set of subjects from one military background vs. hundreds of years of practical experience. I'll let your taste decide (I'm for Coke, personally)

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 15th Aug 2002
I dunno man, do you think navies (Irish labourors who would shif 30 tonnes a day, per man) warmed up and down first? what about all the backbreaking work we been doing for millenia?

im not actually disagreein, just inna argumentative mood.

N?

(pt devils advocate, pt couch)

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti

Posted: 15th Aug 2002
heh heh and i was only kidding about the coke. I drink pepsi sometimes when it's all there is (like at KFC)
mmm foood...

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 15th Aug 2002
Nix...yes the navies did do a lot of back-breaking type work...True enough.

Do you know what the average life expectancy was for them, or, rather, for the whole village at the time...Lets just say it wasn't even close to hitting 60...

Not that warming up or down is a major factor when your work is bad for you no matter what you do...Just look at athletes list of problems...too much of anything is a bad thing.

In my opinion of course

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: 15th Aug 2002
I just would like to say that streching should be an important part of any twirlers routine...

You can get repetetive stress injuries if you dont warm-up AND strech... Two very important parts of excercise which in essence is what you are doing when you twirl.
It is actually quite bad if you dont... Your muscles will be overworked and tired which can cause even worse problems if you twirl in that condition.

Much love to all, drome

JUGGLEwithyourmind!