Forums > Advanced Poi Moves > Body Poi and Head Poi
Login/Join to Participate110% MONKEY EVERY TIME ALL THE TIME JUST CANT STOP THE MONKEY
3,149 posts
Location: London
3,149 posts
Location: London
Posted:
i was watching oli's "not a sock in sight" video the other night. The bit inbetween 2:05 and 2:10 blew me away, and i couldn't work out what the hell it was. So i asked him, and found out it was an antispin weave.
i'd seen antispun weaves done with cone poi before, but fire made them look totally different. The invisibility of the chain made them look super unnatural and magic.
That got me to thinking. Some moves seem very different when performed identically with different types of poi. The main difference being whether you're watching the poi head, or the whole of the poi.
i've mainly given up outside-outside hyperloops with fire after watching some video of myself doing loads of them. It looked pretty identical to a weave, even to my trained eye, so expecting an audience of non-poiers to notice them would be silly.
This isn't a rant about fire vs non-fire moves though. It's about seeing the strings, and what moves are affected by that. So we have poi where you focus on the poi body (Body Poi), poi where you focus on the head (Head Poi).
Body Poi:
Cone poi
Socks
Fire ropes
'full length' glow poi
poi with brightly coloured strings
Head Poi:
Fire poi
glow poi where only the heads glow
tail poi
poi without brightly coloured strings
(i suppose there's also a third category: Invisible Poi: black poi at night, no poi in your hands but you're doing the moves anyway.)
So has anyone got any thoughts, or examples of moves that look better, worse or just different with either type?
i was watching oli's "not a sock in sight" video the other night. The bit inbetween 2:05 and 2:10 blew me away, and i couldn't work out what the hell it was. So i asked him, and found out it was an antispin weave.
i'd seen antispun weaves done with cone poi before, but fire made them look totally different. The invisibility of the chain made them look super unnatural and magic.
That got me to thinking. Some moves seem very different when performed identically with different types of poi. The main difference being whether you're watching the poi head, or the whole of the poi.
i've mainly given up outside-outside hyperloops with fire after watching some video of myself doing loads of them. It looked pretty identical to a weave, even to my trained eye, so expecting an audience of non-poiers to notice them would be silly.
This isn't a rant about fire vs non-fire moves though. It's about seeing the strings, and what moves are affected by that. So we have poi where you focus on the poi body (Body Poi), poi where you focus on the head (Head Poi).
Body Poi:
Cone poi
Socks
Fire ropes
'full length' glow poi
poi with brightly coloured strings
Head Poi:
Fire poi
glow poi where only the heads glow
tail poi
poi without brightly coloured strings
(i suppose there's also a third category: Invisible Poi: black poi at night, no poi in your hands but you're doing the moves anyway.)
So has anyone got any thoughts, or examples of moves that look better, worse or just different with either type?
"Switching between different kinds of chuu chuu sometimes gives this "urgh wtf?" effect because it's giving people the phi phenomenon."
GOLD Member
Pooh-Bah
2,109 posts
Location: Philadelphia, PA - USA
Pooh-Bah
2,109 posts
Location: Philadelphia, PA - USA
Posted:
Isolations look better with body poi IMO. As do most throws. I think tangles look a little better with head poi along with wraps, and between the leg stuff.
Isolations look better with body poi IMO. As do most throws. I think tangles look a little better with head poi along with wraps, and between the leg stuff.
Let's turn those old bridges we crossed into ashes.
We'll blaze a new trail,
and torch the rough patches.
-Me
veteran
1,376 posts
Location: London, UK
1,376 posts
Location: London, UK
Posted:
Half isolations in weaves with head poi look cool - the first time I ever saw Dom do them it was with tail poi and I was like "woah, how did he add that little circle in the middle of that weave?!"
Half isolations in weaves with head poi look cool - the first time I ever saw Dom do them it was with tail poi and I was like "woah, how did he add that little circle in the middle of that weave?!"
"Moo," said the happy cow.
GOLD Member
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom
Posted:
Wow Sim, that's exactly my thoughts summed up by you, get outta my head you little sneak!
I like your terms.
I reckon nearly all moves are better with focus on the body of the poi.
Wow Sim, that's exactly my thoughts summed up by you, get outta my head you little sneak!
I like your terms. I reckon nearly all moves are better with focus on the body of the poi.
Let's relight this forum 
addict
406 posts
Location: Oxford, UK
406 posts
Location: Oxford, UK
Posted:
I pretty much totally disagree with you ICoN
Head poi are all about the isolations and anti's. Body poi are all about the tangles and stalls. IMO.
The nice thing about head poi with isolations is that you can never quite figure out where the chain is - the heads just float about.
Written by: ICoN
Isolations look better with body poi IMO. As do most throws. I think tangles look a little better with head poi along with wraps, and between the leg stuff.
I pretty much totally disagree with you ICoN
Head poi are all about the isolations and anti's. Body poi are all about the tangles and stalls. IMO.The nice thing about head poi with isolations is that you can never quite figure out where the chain is - the heads just float about.
"Take that, math!"
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
Pretty much anything you do looks like some weird martial art. My friends actually spar with it, although the best you can do is slap someone's arm.
Although this only applies to things without major wrist wraps (5bt etc) which make you look like you're having a fit.
Written by: simian
no poi in your hands but you're doing the moves anyway.
So has anyone got any thoughts, or examples of moves that look better, worse or just different with either type?
Pretty much anything you do looks like some weird martial art. My friends actually spar with it, although the best you can do is slap someone's arm.
Although this only applies to things without major wrist wraps (5bt etc) which make you look like you're having a fit.
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
member
43 posts
Location: Bexhill england
43 posts
Location: Bexhill england
Posted:
i am just learning but i think to mix it and match it.
i am just learning but i think to mix it and match it.
GOLD Member
Pooh-Bah
2,109 posts
Location: Philadelphia, PA - USA
Pooh-Bah
2,109 posts
Location: Philadelphia, PA - USA
Posted:
I like how isos with body poi look like a rotating rectangle. I agree, anti-spin are better viewed with head poi. Stalls are kinda dumb with body poi though. At least with fire, stalls allow the flame to get big for a second and look pretty neat just swinging there.
Written by:
I pretty much totally disagree with you ICoN Head poi are all about the isolations and anti's. Body poi are all about the tangles and stalls. IMO
I like how isos with body poi look like a rotating rectangle. I agree, anti-spin are better viewed with head poi. Stalls are kinda dumb with body poi though. At least with fire, stalls allow the flame to get big for a second and look pretty neat just swinging there.
Let's turn those old bridges we crossed into ashes.
We'll blaze a new trail,
and torch the rough patches.
-Me
GOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland
Posted:
I like moves with cone poi one head in the other hand making it look like on double long poi. I usually go into it from parallel straight arm pendula. From this you can lock the arm holding the other pois head and have the other pio spin normally.
Similarly try holding a poi head in the other hand in wheel plane perfect 50% isolations with the poi held at each end and have the poi doing normal weave type motions.
These suck unless you can see the body.
I like moves with cone poi one head in the other hand making it look like on double long poi. I usually go into it from parallel straight arm pendula. From this you can lock the arm holding the other pois head and have the other pio spin normally.
Similarly try holding a poi head in the other hand in wheel plane perfect 50% isolations with the poi held at each end and have the poi doing normal weave type motions.
These suck unless you can see the body.
I live in a world of infinite possibilities.
Similar Topics
Using the keywords [body poi head poi] we found the following existing topics.
- Forums > Glowing poi- any body who knows anything [18 replies]
- Forums > Body Poi and Head Poi [8 replies]
- Forums > Isolated propeller [15 replies]
- Forums > Bow & Flare [37 replies]
Show more..
© 1998 - 2025 Home of Poi
All prices converted to United States dollars using XE.com