Page 7 May 1981
Give your stick some personality and spice up your balancing act By James Clayton - Lakeland, FL If
you've decided to add some stick tricks to your juggling routine (see Newsletter
Vol. 32 No. 6), here are a few comic possibilities you may want to
include. First
of all, give your stick personality by adding a face to it. This
will not only give you a slicker looking stick, but will permit you to
carry on a conversation with it and, best of all, allow you to blame the
stick for any mistakes you might make in doing tricks. (i.e. "You
stunted, stumble-bum! Get up here and do it right!") Next,
make some comic props. Fix the handle of an old plumber's friend to look
exactly like your stick. This prop can be used to threaten your stick
when it doesn't do things right. (i.e. If the stick falls to the floor,
grab the plunger, shake it at the stick and say, "There are other
things you could be doing, you know!") For
another prop, get a three-foot piece of poly plastic. This is the
flexible, semi-rigid kind used in sprinkling systems. Hold it under hot
running water until it becomes soft and flexible enough to tie into a
knot. Then apply tips and a face to make it, look like your stick. (i.e.
"You remember what happened to your cousin, don't you?) Next,
make a "blindfold" for your stick. Here is a sample routine to
use with your blindfold: "Step
right up folks and see Sir Slick Stick do the half-turn toe flip! This
is where he balances on my toe (do a drop toe balance), then flips over
and lands on my toe again (go through the motions--holding onto the
stick with your hand). "And
to make this trick even more difficult, we're going to do it
blindfolded! (Reach in your pocket, pull out a black handkerchief and
carefully fold it as if you are going to blindfold yourself. Bring it up
to your eyes but instead wipe your forehead, saying...) Irs certainly
warm today, isn't it? "Now
what did I do with his blindfold? Ah! Here
it is! (Pull out the stick's blindfold and place it on the stick) Now,
can you see anything, Sir Slick Stick? (Twist the stick between your
thumb and fingers as if it's shaking its head no.) He says he can see
nothing. O.K., folks. Here's Sir Slick Stick with the half-turn toe
flip...blindfolded! "Now
when I say, 'Jump,' (talking to stick) I want you to flip over and hit my
foot again. Ready, set... (at the same time you say this, push your stick straight up with the foot and grab it with your hand) Keep in mind my friends, and this is simply put, it's far from a facile feat to flip and find a foot! That is, if you're blindfolded! Here we go again, the half-turn toe flip! (etc., etc.) |
![]() Balance it on your toe. |
![]() Flip it 1/2 turn from a hand balance back to a hand balance. |
![]() Flip it 1/2 turn from a toe balance back to a toe balance. A REAL CHALLENGE! |
Motivation while sleeping. . . By Ira Mullin - Arleta, CA This
article pertains to SLEEP LEARNING, and how jugglers can use its
motivation to practice and improve. First
of all, whatever it is you want to motivate has to be a highly
concentrated thought on the conscious level. Using sleep learning
techniques can motivate one to go into high gear with persistence and
sincerity. You need either a self-repeating record player along with
self-made record, timer and pillow speaker or a tape recorder with
selfrepeating tape (eight-track type) or cassette recorder with
similar repeating ability. In
eight hours of sleep, the first and last are periods of lightest sleep.
Psychologists advise that these are the best times to condition the
mind. Thus, you should adjust the timer to begin the tape or record about a half-hour after you go to bed and run for an hour. Until you are conditioned, the sound may wake you, but you should get used to it as people living by railroad tracks aren't disturbed by passing trains. So, if you think this type motivation might help you, be persistent. Here
is a universal message you can use on your tape or record: "(your
first name), juggling deals primarily with one's ability to concentrate on
his goal, generate enthusiasm for the activity and utilize a technique he
can call his own. "One's
ability to concentrate is focused upon the understanding of the two main
senses involved, sight and sound, both of which are connected to the
autonomic, involuntary, center. This involuntary response triggers the
ego center, which in turn generates an excessive flow of Adrenalin. This
overage of an energy potential accelerates keen control which produces
total concentration. "When
one has a gimmick or knows of methods which are on a higher brain wave
level than his opponents he thus has controlled enthusiasm for his
activity. Enthusiasm being generated because he knows what the outcome
will be. This ability to utilize a technique which is truly yours is the
trick and track to keen results in juggling." The
above message is about two-and-a-half minutes long and should repeat
itself over and over during the hours of listening. The key word is
repetition. |