46-4,p12

Club Jugglers With the Big Numbers

BY BEN SCHOENBERG

More numbers juggling fiends! This list is the sequel to the list of nine ball jugglers which appeared here two issues ago. Since then, I've received much positive feedback, and many updates and additions which I still plan to write about. Also on the way are similar lists for rings, and for passing.

These lists are not meant to promote competition, but rather to encourage readers to keep pushing their own records in a cooperative sense. Even if you don't find all the details fascinating, you probably at least have an appreciation for the work that goes into numbers juggling. But for the numbers juggler, there is much joy and satisfaction when that work results in a new pattern with ever more objects in the sky!

And remember, a "flash" is as many catches as objects, while "qualifying" is twice that many. Keep me informed of your progress and reactions! Ben Schoenberg; Portland OR.

Current Jugglers Who Do Seven Clubs

Demetrius Alcerese-is mentioned in JW 34.2, Feb. '82, and on p. 8 of "Juggling

with Finesse," by Kit Summers.

Toby Ayer-is working well on it.

Yevgeni Bilyauer-does 7 in practice, according to Popovich (JW 37.4, Win. '86, p. 10) and Michiel Hesseling (JW 40.4, p. 11).

Jack Bremlov is listed in Guinness for 7 clubs "currently" (in the '87 edition), and has performed it publicly (JW 34.2, Feb. '82). A photo (on one knee) appears in "4000 Years," Vol. II, p. 133.

Ken Burke-13 throws.

Ken Falk-made some decent attempts in the '86 lJA Numbers competition.

Viktor Filipovich-14 catches while at the '89 European festival. See also JW 41.4, Win. '90, p. 8. Handmade clubs.

Jason Garfield has qualified it in practice. Jugglebug American clubs.

Anthony Gatto - 230 catches in the '91 lJA Numbers competition, and 2 minutes in practice (JW 44.2, Sum. '92, p. 24). Renegade clubs. Also see the '89 lJA video for 7 torch juggling.

Steven Geddes-(Australia) is working well on it.

Jay Gilligan-7 catches (on video). Renegade clubs.

Stephan Gruss - does 7 in practice (Kaskade 29, March '93, p. 28). European

clubs.

Morten Hansen -7 catches.

Jack Kalvan - close to qualifying in practice. Todd Smith Americans.

Albert Lucas - is listed in Guinness for 7 clubs in 1985. Some attempts of his can be seen on the '84 lJA video. Raynolds clubs.

Haggis McLeod - is said to juggle 7.

Sorin Munteanu - is in Guinness for 7 clubs in 1975, and was first to perform it publicly with a pole balanced on the forehead ("Juggling: The Art and Its Artists: p. 354, and in a photo on p. 115 of ''Juggling with Finesse," by Kit Summers).

Anatoly Myakhostupov - is working well on it, and is mentioned in JW 41.4, Win. '90, p. 8. Handmade clubs.

Mark Peachock - 7 catches at IJA Winter '93.

Albert Petrovski - is listed in Guinness for 7 clubs in 1963.

Scott Sorensen - showed a good pattern at Fargo II ('93 lJA fest).

Claudius Specht - (Switzerland) was working on it at Leeds ('93 European fest).

Kit Summers - 30 throws ("Juggling .vith Finesse," p. 8).

Jeff Taveggia - juggles 7 in practice, ac:ording to Kit Summers (JW 39.4, Win. 87-'88, p. 6.)

Bruce Tiemann - 28 throws (not to mention longer runs that weren't being counted.) Renegade numbers clubs.

Dana Tison - 11 catches in the '87 IJA Numbers competition, but has worked on it since then. American clubs.

Rob Vancko - 1O catches.

Mitica ViIjoaga - (Romania) juggled 7 in practice ("Circus Techniques" by Hovey Burgess, p. 46, reprinted in '89).

Jian Ping Qian - performs a 7 badminton racket flash (8 catches when I saw him) many times per week with The Qian Brothers. See "eight clubs" below.

Jugglers of the Past Who Did 7 Clubs

John Breen - 35 throws in practice. He died in 1912 aged 21. Clubs were all wood then, and very heavy! (JW 37.4, Win.'86 back cover)

Historical note - From "Chinese Acrobatics Through the Ages," by Fu Qifeng (p. 8): "The Book of Lie Zi," a philosophical work attributed to Lie Yukou of the Warring States Period (475 - 221 B.C.), records that in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.), Lan Zi, of the state of Song, presented a performance for the ruler. He could run to and fro on very high stilts and could also juggle seven swords (Figure 5). Pictured is a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) woodcut of Lan Zi in flowing robes juggling seven swords extremely low. This ancient routine is later described in the book as "Seven Swords Pile Up and Leap High" (p. 124).

Current Jugglers Who Do Eight Clubs

Anthony Gatto-Reports in a recent conversation that he can qualify it "without too much trouble." He has also worked with nine, catching the first eight of the nine. He said, "It's kind of hard to catch that fifth club in one hand when it's coming down so fast."

Jian Ping Qian-has performed an 8 badminton racket flash with The Qian Brothers around 1989.

Jugglers of the Past Who Did Eight .

Enrico Rastelli-juggled 8 sticks (JW 38.4, Win. '86-'87, back cover). "He used wooden sticks, evenly balanced with one end designated as the handle."

Historical note - The Talmud Oewish scholarly commentary) reports that 1900 years ago Shimon ben Gamaliel juggled 8 torches (Kaskade 30, 6/93, p. 24, By Raphel Harris.) Craig Steinberger has tracked this down in Tractate Sukkah, page 53a, where it says that the Rabbi would "take eight flaming torches and throw them in the air, and catch one and throw one and they did not touch one another." A little later on it says that "Levi juggled before Rabbi with eight knives."