DIABOLO

BY MARTIN FROST

 

The Spring 1993 Juggler's World contains a review of Brendan Brolly's Book of Diabolo. With the kind permission of the author, we reprint here portions of the book and of its upcoming sequel. To obtain these books, contact Infinite Illusions; Tallahassee, Florida.

 

The Diabolo

The diabolo started out in China centuries ago, as a child's toy. The original ones were made from two bamboo cylinders joined in the middle, forming an 'I' shaped diabolo.

 

It came to Europe a few hundred years ago and became a popular toy. It was redesigned a couple of times eventually resembling the familiar eggcup shape.

The diabolo works on the same principle as a spinning top or a gyroscope, the fact that it is spinning makes it more stable. Anyone who has played with either of the last two will realize that the faster it spins the more stable it is and this is also true of the diabolo.

 Getting It Started

All the instructions in this book are described for a right handed person. However, if, like me, you are left handed, then just swap right and left over.

 

Place the diabolo on the floor as shown and pull it to the left slowly to get it spinning. Lift the diabolo off the ground when it is spinning and start pulling up quickly with your right hand and slowly with your left. The movement is very uneven, the quick jerk with the right hand and then the slower movement with the left. While you are pulling up, try not to let the diabolo move up and down too much.

 

Try to imagine a line going through the middle of the diabolo, about which it spins. You must always keep this line pointing towards you, if it moves round then you move round to compensate.  

 Once the diabolo is spinning you may notice that it begins to tilt and fall off the string. This is fairly easy to correct.

 

If it is tilting away from you pull back with your right hand, i.e. keep your right hand nearer your body than your left.

If it is tilting towards you, push forwards with your right hand.

 

If the front bell is up, move your right hand forward. If the back bell is up, move your right hand back.

Throwing and Catching

Now that you can keep the diabolo spinning, it's time for the impressive stuff. A high throw is the easiest yet most impressive trick you can do (as long as you catch it).

 

 

Bring the hands ticks together in the middle. Pull the sticks up and apart.

 

 

This should ensure that the diabolo goes straight up.

To catch it, sight the diabolo by looking at it along the right hands tick as it comes down. As you catch the diabolo bring the right hands tick down to waist height to take some of the momentum out of the di­abolo. It is easier to catch a high throw than a low one.

 

Sideways Around the World

Move round so that you are looking at the diabolo from the side. Hold the handsticks about four inches apart with the tips pointing inwards. Swing the diabolo towards you and up so that it swings in a big circle. Make sure you don't hit yourself in the chin!!

Over the Stick

Very similar to the previous trick except hold the handstick nearest to you higher than the other one so that the string is as shown.

 

Swing the diabolo in a circle towards you and up.

 Turning the Diabolo

After a while it gets really frustrating having to move around all the time and it's much easier to turn the diabolo. Catch the diabolo with your arms crossed, right arm over your left arm. Uncross your arms, bringing the string over the left handstick, as shown below.

Using the butt end of the handstick, turn the diabolo as shown.

Remember, the diabolo will tilt when you turn it, you must compensate for this by pushing the diabolo up or down.