Practice

When practicing poi, I always run into people who ask to try them. After spinning them for five minutes and hitting them selves once or twice they say "i can't do it". Well no one can just pick up something and become a master at it first try. Everything requires practice. So don't get discharged if at first it doesn't work. If you can't figure out a move try a different one. Getting stuck on one move is very frustrating, and it's all about having fun! Also, don't practice the same move over and over again. You will start to developing muscle memory and learning new moves well become even more difficult. So when practicing never spend to much time on one move and learn it both ways!! you will be happy when you don't have to go back and learn the same move in the other direction. Here is a video of what i have learn with lots of practice.=]

Puppy Hammer 

Puppy hammer is a mix of a rope dart, poi and meteor. A puppy hammer is as long as a rope dart, one piece like a meteor, can be held like poi and in many other ways. Puppy hammer is simple to make at home and cheap. Puppy hammer dose take up a lot of room so it is best to practice outside.

Double Staff

One of the many staff arts. Many people that have already learned poi have an easier time learning Double staff, or vice versa, because a lot of the moves translate over. Double staff is also similar to poi because they are very easy to make at home. The video below goes over how to make them.

After making your own double staffs. Watch some inspiration and get outside and start practicing.In this video there are many tech and contact moves. Also some poi!

Diabolo

Diabolo Is a juggling prob consisting of a spool which is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks held one in each hand. Diabolo has been around seance the 12th century and still people are creating new moves and styles. recently contact diabolo has been becoming popular. Diabolo is scene all over the world and the web, so it is easy to find how to videos to get started. Also they are not to expensive. Starting as low as $15. Here is what you could do with enough practice.

How to Make a Contact Ball

Step one
you can't make a contact ball. You could try but it is very difficult to make a perfect sphere.  This is OK because we leave in a world with many spheres. For example, a simple orange can be use to learn some basic contact moves. An orange is not the best option but dose work. local pet stores sell balls that can be great for contact juggling. When looking for a ball it should be from 300-500 grams and be bigger then a tennis ball. It is easier to start off bigger. Basket balls can be great practice. Overall the best option would be to find a random ball and try to learn some moves. If you feel like you could dig contact juggling buy a real contact ball. There only about $10-25 depending on what kind of ball you get. The Sil-x ball is great for beginners and not a bad price.

How to Make Poi
Making poi is super easy and cheap! All you need is water balloons, rice, and knee high socks. Colored socks are sick but any sock will work.

Step 1
Stretch the balloon by blowing it up and letting it deflate.

Step 2
Take the rice and  pour it into a balloon (a paper funnel can help) you want the balloon to be filled so it is around the size of a tennis ball. If you have a small water balloon you may need to use a pencil to push the rice down and then blow it up to make more room. Once the balloon is the right size tie the balloon.

Step 3
Repeat step two so you have two balloons of rice.

Step 4
Put rice balls in socks.

Step 5
Tie knots at the end of your socks. you may need to cut off some sock if there to long. Poi should be around the length of from your wrist to your shoulder.

Step 6
GO SPIN!!! and have fun.
If your having trouble getting started try watching some How to videos.

Contact Juggling  

Contact juggling is a form of object manipulation that focuses on the movement of objects such as balls in contact with the body. It is Awesome. Here is Cyrille Humen throwing down.

As you can see it's not as upbeat as poi, but what is great about the flow arts is they all connect in some way. When you learn how to contact juggle you are actually practicing for many flow arts. In my last post i shared with you glow sticking and fire poi. Well many of you would say that contact juggling and poi don't relate. So how could learning contact juggling help me spin poi? CONTACT POI, is it possible? Yes and Cyrille Humen is amazing at it! Here is Cyrille Humen throwing down again....but with contact poi.