Half Stealing

For starters, try this half-stealing pattern. Stand to the left of your juggling partner. Moving in very close, reach in with your left hand and catch a club that's coming to your partner's left hand (see Fig. 1). Catch it higher than normal, before it reaches your partner's hand. Just before your partner's next left-hand catch, throw your club under the catching arm and back across to the right hand in a normal cascade throw.

 

You've stolen and returned a club in your partner's pattern. Try stealing and returning every third club, then every other and finally every club, all with only your left hand. When you're stealing every club this way, you and your partner are each half juggling. Now try the same thing from the right side with your right hand.

 

While you're half juggling, you have a free hand to do whatever you want. Scratch your head, adjust your hat, put on sunglasses, scratch your partner's head, steal your partner's hat, maybe give it back, etc.

 

Side to Side: Slow or Fast Steals

There are two principal modes of stealing: the slow steal and the fast steal. In the slow steal, you steal with only one hand (say, the left) although you end up with all the clubs. In the fast steal, you take clubs alternately with both hands. The fast steal is a little harder to learn, but once you understand it, it really isn't very difficult. The slow steal starts just like the half steal above. Move in close to your partner's left side, reach in and up with your left hand and catch a club before it gets to your partner's left hand

(Fig. 1). As the next club comes to the left hand, throw your first club to your right hand and catch the second club in your left. As you do this, step slightly in front of your partner, maybe pushing a little to make the steal dramatic.

 

To let your partner throw the last club from the right, you should catch your first club in your right hand with your right arm reaching far to the right and a little high. Your partner can then throw the last club under your right arm in normal cascade fashion. You of course catch the third club in your left hand as you take over all the juggling.

 

The fast steal starts the same as the slow steal. Take a club coming to your partner's left hand with your left hand. But as you do that, quickly step in front of your partner and reach out immediately with your right to catch the next club that was going to your partner's right hand. As in the slow steal, keep your right arm high enough to let your partner throw the last club under it from the right. You start throwing to yourself as you catch the third club from your partner in your left hand. Now you're in front and have all the clubs.

 

This steal is twice as fast as the slow takeaway, since you're stealing with both hands. While you're learning the fast steal, it may be helpful to have your partner juggle a little slower than usual.

 

Don't Be Faked Out

As you learn either the slow or the fast steal, and especially while your partner is learning to have the clubs stolen, avoid accidental faking. A false move is likely to end up with a club on the floor as your partner doesn't bother to catch a club you appear to be stealing. Don't move your arm in for the first steal until you're sure you're ready. Pick a particular club, watch it go around and when it heads for the left hand, jump in and start the steal.

 

On the other hand, learn not to be faked out. When you're learning to have your clubs stolen, practice totally ignoring the stealer until the clubs have been taken.

Just keep your pattern even. The stealer shouldn't require any helpful throws from you.