Juggling

[Schnure]

I'm learning to juggle and so far the best I can do is 30 throws with the balls in the air. That's not bad, but my arms start getting tired after that and I drop them. Any other jugglers here?

[RecoveringYuppy]

Took it up about a year ago. 30 throws still beats my best.

[Schnure]

One of my friends has been coaching me. He can juggle endlessly and knows so many tricks you just see an insane blur in the air while he juggles behind his back, bounces them off parts of his body, and throws them at unsual height and angles. He is awsome. So 30 throws really isn't that great.

[RecoveringYuppy]

Better than not trying at all.

[Brown]

Been juggling for over 30 years. The secret to becoming proficient is ...... practice.

Really.

I especially enjoy practicing to music, especially music with a good beat.

And don't get discouraged.

[DiskoVilante]

I'm a juggler. I started this past summer. I can do three forever and I can do two with one hand for about 300 throws before my arm dies.
PRACTICE!
It's Crucial (with a capital 'C') that you learn how to aim the throws. You want to throw it so that you don't have to move your catching arm in order to catch it. That'll help prevent you from getting tired quickly.

DAMN! I just noticed Shnure was banned...oh well.

[Azrael 5]

thatguywhojuggles is the man to talk to on here.
Best juggling act I've seen was the Fackellis.Can't find any footage of them sadly.

[Calcas]

One word. Vova.

I love this video...great song by Fatboy Slim.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aEb3YknGUks

[Brown]

One word. Vova.

I love this video...great song by Fatboy Slim.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aEb3YknGUksThis video demonstrates another secret important to the success of budding jugglers:High ceilings!

[RecoveringYuppy]

I sit on the floor when practicing to make it easier to pick things up again.

[DiskoVilante]

I sit on the floor when practicing to make it easier to pick things up again.

This reminds me. When practicing, throw the balls and just let them drop so that you learn not to freak out/tense up when the balls don't hit their target.

But I don't think sitting on the floor is a good idea. It's important to be able to move around. The hardest part of juggling is the starting. Keeping it going is easier I think.

[Yawn]

Keep wrists low, let the balls fall

Keep your eyes on the top of the ball arcs, your eye/brain/hands have an inbuilt 'catch' mechanism, you don't need to see your hands or watch the balls all the time.

Relax, put some good music on, chill out

Kneel on the floor (or if you start clubs, do it over a bed), but as I see you're past that stage then stand up with knees very slightly bent, forearms parallel(ish) to ground.

Concentrate on the THROWS and the catches will look after themselves

End a session on a HIGH note, remember what it felt like

Swap circus skills regularly, take a break and do something else now and again, regain the 'beginners mind' (if you're into Zen)

SMILE (it can be an advanced trick, usually lolling mouth open style to start with)

Warm up first with 2 in one hand (both hands) if you can do it.

Start trying tricks (one over top, reverse cascade, windmill (both sides!), millsmess) early, it'll take your mind off the 'pre-trick' juggling a bit.

Usually people start off concentrating on each individual ball that is thrown, try to sometimes look 'through' the juggle and imagine the 3/4/5-13 objects as one prop that you're 'balancing' (sorry I can't explain this better, when you get to 5 you'll know what I mean)

Join a juggling club and learn to rola-bola/unicycle/diabolo/devilstick/acrobalance/erm... poi (maybe) then you've got more stuff to 'take a break and do' when you have those 'juggling breaks'

Take up clubs as soon as possible - they're much more expressive and
once you learn 'passing' (which can be taught in a couple of hours) you
can chill out with others at all sorts of festivals and play silly games with them :)

[Yawn]

Too tired arms is usually = too tense when you're doing 3,

Try doing some simple tricks, hopefully you will tend to concentrate less
on the standard juggling pattern and learn more about just the rythm of the juggling
excercise itself, a lot of juggling is subconscious, music seems to help a lot for me

also... some universal anaesthetic sometimes helps.

It's a bit like playing pool in this respect.

Hope you keep up with it Schnure, it's a wonderful meditative pastime,
and a nice bit of excercise (for body and brain).

[DiskoVilante]

Has anyone ever juggling underwater?
Yawn's above post "It's a bit playing like pool..." made me think of juggling in a pool. Heheh :D

[Yawn]

I know they're big downloads but for some inspirational stuff check out

http://www.jugglingdb.com/videos/index.php?performer=309


I recommend 'The Make Up Show'

Erin Stevens - wonderful stuff, what a girl :)