When I started writing the, “You do WHAT???” post, I came up this idea. As fire spinners we get a ton of questions and surprisingly not all come when we first meet people. Some people who have known about it for years still ask questions once and a while. So, below is a Q&A of questions we have collected and of course we had to throw a few pictures in too (I couldn’t resist).
Q: Is it dangerous?
A: Well anything dealing with flammable fuels is dangerous. We do not recommend trying this without a safety always present. It’s also a good idea to have an experienced spinner as a mentor. Most of us started with either glow poi or tennis balls on rope.
Q: Does it hurt to get hit with the poi?
A: A tightly bound piece of fabric spinning rather fast doesn’t feel like being hit by a feather but you will survive. We try to spin with items that are comparable in weight this makes transitioning into the fire poi a little easier. A wick holding fuel (which is a liquid) tend to be heavier then a tennis ball. When spinning at a high rate of speed it tends to leave a mark.
Q: Is it dangerous?
A: Well anything dealing with flammable fuels is dangerous. We do not recommend trying this without a safety always present. It’s also a good idea to have an experienced spinner as a mentor. Most of us started with either glow poi or tennis balls on rope.
Q: Does it hurt to get hit with the poi?
A: A tightly bound piece of fabric spinning rather fast doesn’t feel like being hit by a feather but you will survive. We try to spin with items that are comparable in weight this makes transitioning into the fire poi a little easier. A wick holding fuel (which is a liquid) tend to be heavier then a tennis ball. When spinning at a high rate of speed it tends to leave a mark.
Safety Tip: If you are able to practice the trick without hitting yourself you might be ready to try it on fire.
*** Please use your own judgment and always practice safe fire spinning! ***
Q: How long did it take to learn how to spin?
A: The time it takes to learn really depends on the person’s patience and dedication to learning it. You will find some tricks come really easy and then others seem to take forever to learn. You will really notice this if you spinning with a group of people or decide to learn with someone else. Don’t let this frustrate you or keep you from practicing. Your turn will come! I can almost guarantee you will learn other tricks faster then people you spin with. Repetition is good, never rush thru a trick be thorough about it.
Q: How often do you practice?
A: When we started we faithfully practiced twice a week for several hours and did that for years. Nowadays we don’t practice as often but anytime we have a chance to get together we do. Obviously the more you practice the better you get. If you are luck enough to find a place that has mirrored walls like a dance studio you have the advantages of being able to see your moves. This will be immensely in improving your performance.
Q: What types of things do you guys spin?
A: We have standard poi with several wick types (i.e. cathedral, monkey fist, gorilla fist, moon blades, and cores). We also have staff, double staff, segmented staff, rope dart, whip, fire snakes and fire fingers. There are also a couple of fire-eaters and a fire breather in the troupe.
Q: Where does fire spinning originate?
A: It originated with the Māori people of New Zealand (the word poi means "ball" in Māori). Women and men used it to increase flexibility, strength, and coordination and in particular the dexterity of the wrist.
Q: Is spinning difficult to learn?
A: Just like anything else you have to practice, whether it be piano, drums, guitar or fire spinning. Basic moves can seem difficult at first, master those and you will find the more complex moves easier to grasp. When watching a practiced fire spinners, pay attention to body movements, hand placement and timing. These are keys to becoming a fire performer. Start with one poi and practice spinning in each hand, both directions (spinning away from you and then towards you). Learn your planes and practice your timing. Once you have those mastered you will find poi/fire spinning a bit easier. Then it becomes an object of creativity.
Q: Where is a good place to find more information or training on spinning?
A: http://www.homeofpoi.com/ is a company based out of New Zealand. They have a good selection of training information, equipment, and have a good system for finding other spinners in your area.
If your from the Chicago area Krimzen does private lessons and sells sock poi (practice poi), her website is listed in our links of interest.
Well that is it for the questions for now. If you can think of any more questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments of this post and we will add them to Part 2.
--Angel & Screwy
2 comments:
Woa. This is really incredible stuff!! Great start to your blog. :)
Thank you. It's nice to hear people actually enjoy reading and seeing this stuff. We enjoy it but we don't always get to hear feedback from people.
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