Contact Jugglers itP

[DeadManSleeping]

Hi, playground! Your most/least favorite corpse of a man has entered into a new hobby: contact juggling! The hypnotically fascinating art of making a ball (or multiple balls) rotate around your body like you had gravity manipulation powers. I've been doing it for a few days now, and while I suck as much as you'd expect someone who's only been doing it for a few days to, I can't stop completely geeking out about it. It's my favorite new thing.

So, who else here likes to do this? Here's the place to tell stories, debate techniques and types of balls, and be a community!

And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, you'll probably recognize it from this clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_IcWf8EVjU).

Also, if you want to become a contact juggler, or are one but haven't found any sort of community for it whatsoever, you NEED to check out contactjuggling.org (http://www.contactjuggling.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page). Intuitive layout, efficient use of space, and still chock full of info for everyone from beginners to experts.

[Icewalker]

Unfortunately, I am not. Yet. It's on my more or less infinite list, although it's very high on the list, considering that the list is nigh infinite.

In other words, I want to be, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Any suggestions for where one might start? Are you taking lessons, or just totally winging it?

[Rettu Skcollob]

Show us videos of you showing your skills so we can point and laugh give gentle encouragement! :smalltongue:

[DeadManSleeping]

Sadly, there is absolutely no way for me to take videos (at least, not without spending plenty of money that I need for other things). It should suffice to say that I am still very much a danger to those around me when I practice. Mostly because I'm forced to use a lacrosse ball ($3.00, but harder to use than actual contact juggling balls) until the practice ball I ordered comes in.

As far as how I'm learning, and where you should start, they're the same thing! I linked to contactjuggling.org in the main post for all you hopefuls out there.

[shadow_archmagi]

I always loved how David Bowe says "If you turn it this way" as he does those completely silly hand movements.

[Icewalker]

Woo! Guess I should get a practice contact juggling ball. Or maybe I should focus first more on getting at least moderately good at regular juggling, or sleight of hand...

[rakkoon]

I know the basics of juggling (pegs, balls, scarves,rings), devil sticks, acrobatic stuff and stuff like that but it's like my whistle playing, I just don't put the necessary time in it. Other stuff always takes precedence , but one day...one day

[Heliomance]

I always loved how David Bowe says "If you turn it this way" as he does those completely silly hand movements.
That's not actually David Bowie's hands :P That's a professional contact juggler just off shot.

[rakkoon]

That was real? Always thought it was some computer stuff.
I really have to watch that movie again soon...

[DeadManSleeping]

Uh, yes, that was real. In fact, that was the founder of contact juggling, Michael Moschen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moschen), sticking his hands through Bowie's armpits (because contact juggling is so tactile, many moves can be performed completely blind). And the stuff he does is really, really basic stuff. Advanced contact juggling looks more like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX7xruR12YA).

Also, as far as relationship to regular juggling: they're not related skills. I am, in fact, essentially incapable of what most people think of when they hear "juggling". I tried for a good while and was still never even able to get through one basic toss. That is, in fact, the reason I first tried to contact juggle. I just picked up one of the racquetballs I was practicing with and spent a half an hour learning to butterfly it (butterfly is the thing in the Labyrinth video with one hand). I sucked, but I had so much fun sucking that I did my research the instant I got home. I still get giddy every time I successfully perform some trick, and I'm improving quite rapidly.

Also, practice balls are great, but go ahead and start on any old (non-fragile) ball. It will be much harder, but you'll get an idea of the sort of things you'll be doing. Then, when your practice ball comes in, you'll have an appreciation for how important ball quality is :smallamused:

[rakkoon]

too many puns AAAAARRRGH

That guy isn't too shabby. Could make a living out of that :smallwink:

So deadman....do you have THE suit yet?

[DeadManSleeping]

Do not make ball puns in the presence of contact jugglers or any other sort of juggler. Not because they'll be offended, but because when you least expect it, they'll make one better than you ever could and you'll feel inadequate forever.

And I have no idea what suit you're talking about. I have some two-piece suits?

[rakkoon]

And the stuff he does is really, really basic stuff. Advanced contact juggling looks more like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX7xruR12YA).


That suit.

More to the point I've seen it done by some travelling punk/goth types and it looks really cool. I'm very close to a circus school around here and when I go home through the park there are always some twenty people practising some kind of juggling. Always impressive.

Be sure to post some when you feel confident enough!

[Heliomance]

That was real? Always thought it was some computer stuff.

Well, except the bit where it turned into a snake, yes.

[Dvil]

Wow, this looks so cool! I've gone on to that website you said, and I'm now going through the first five steps (http://www.contactjuggling.org/wiki/index.php/The_first_five_steps).

[DeadManSleeping]

That suit.

More to the point I've seen it done by some travelling punk/goth types and it looks really cool. I'm very close to a circus school around here and when I go home through the park there are always some twenty people practising some kind of juggling. Always impressive.

Be sure to post some when you feel confident enough!

The day I wear a skintight black jumpsuit is the day I spontaneously morph into a ridiculously attractive woman, and even then, that'd only be for me and Mr. Mirror :smalltongue:

But, really, it's not a confidence thing. I'd totally show y'all videos of me failing horribly if I could actually take videos.


Well, except the bit where it turned into a snake, yes.

What? No. Every contact juggler knows how to do that. :smalltongue:

[Ranger Mattos]

I'm trying to learn. I got interested in other things fairly recently, like bugging my mom to buy me a historically accurate Scottish claymore, but I'm trying to get back into it.

[Xuc Xac]

That was real? Always thought it was some computer stuff.


Well, except the bit where it turned into a snake, yes.

Even when it turns into a snake, it's not computer stuff. Computers couldn't do those things back then. That was "trick photography". It was done with some quick editing (by physically cutting and splicing film together) and drawing directly on the film to add the brief glow effect (the same way they made lightsabers glow in the first Star Wars movies before CGI).

[Cyrion]

If you're looking for something to practice contact juggling with, I recommend a hard softball. It's hollow, so it's not heavy for its size, and the size and weight combination give it a good speed for learning.

Another good beginning option would be juggling stage balls (http://www.dube.com/balls/stage-juggling-balls.php). These are also fairly good weight/size combos. It's also really good for a juggling tricks called the butterfly- putting contact juggling into a 3-ball juggling pattern.

Avoid racquetballs, handballs, tennis balls, etc. as a beginner since they're so light you don't get a good feel for the contact. As a beginner, I'd also wait on the lucite balls (http://www.dube.com/balls/contact-juggling-balls.php)specifically designed for contact juggling. They look awesome, but they're heavy, and they're fast. They take a lot more effort to control, and you really don't wan't those flying off your hands around breakables.

[Shyftir]

Of course contact juggling is more than just balls. Pretty much all object manipulation that doesn't leave your hands qualifies. Like contact staff, and baton twirling.

I'm interested in the balls-type though. I'm a mediocre devil-sticker and have messed around with poi and nunchaku, as well as diabolo. I've pretty much spent my whole life spinning just about everything I can get my hands on around.

[Juggling Goth]

I learnt some basic tricks years ago when I was in my university's circus group. (Also juggling balls and clubs, poi and fire poi, rola bola, some utterly rubbish devil sticking, and some stretching with an eye to contortion that never went anywhere.)

Out of all those, contact juggling was the one where I got injured the most. Pulled a couple of muscles stretching, sure; hit myself with fire poi more times than I can count; got a normal poi wrapped around an earring and nearly yanked it out; nearly did the splits falling off a rola bola. Okay. But contact juggling is the only one where a rock-hard acrylic ball has hit me in the eye, teeth, delicate hand-bones... And I learnt to practise outside the day the ball flew out of my hands and nearly hit the cat.

I really must dig out my acrylic and have another go at that. Thanks for reminding me!

[DeadManSleeping]

Of course contact juggling is more than just balls. Pretty much all object manipulation that doesn't leave your hands qualifies. Like contact staff, and baton twirling.

While the contact juggling community is anything but snobbish/exclusionary, the term 'contact juggling' is just another word for what is also known as 'dynamic manipulation', 'sphereplay', 'orb rolling', etc. It just means the balls. While the types you mention are indeed juggling that is contact, you will find no information on them among contact jugglers who practice only one form of object manipluation (like me, because it's the only one I seem to be able to do).

But the object manipulation community found here (http://www.ministryofmanipulation.com/) is happy to give love to staffs, batons, and lots more.

@Juggling Goth: Love the username. :smallamused: I'd recommend getting ANYTHING other than an acrylic. They're horrible for practice. A decent practice ball is a nice investment, but if you can't be bothered, a lacrosse ball is cheap, and it doesn't matter if you ruin it through volatile mistake-making. There's a reason I don't have an acrylic yet. They're hard!

[Juggling Goth]

I like my acrylic. I got it second-hand; I'm not spending ridiculous amounts on a shiny new ball and then ruining it the first time I drop it. This turned out to be a good choice when I dropped it on concrete...

I dunno, I just feel more inspired to practise when it's pretty. I've got a practice ball, but it's a bit big for my hands and I don't like the way it rolls so much.

[Nameless]

I used to contact juggle. I still have mine, but I haven't used it in quite a while...