Everybody wants to know how to juggle.
They don't know how to get started.
This series teaches you how to juggle step by step.
We start with the easiest kind of juggling of all, nylon scarves.
The nice thing about scarves is they move very slowly.
After the scarves, we move on to bean bags.
Bean bags are very forgiving.
If you drop one, it just stays where it lands and doesn't run away.
All you have to do is throw one from hand to hand, then you can switch to, and then
you can juggle three.
It's just as easy as walking or swimming or riding a bicycle.
And once you learn how to juggle, you'll never forget.
After you learn to juggle with bean bags, everything else is simple.
For instance, juggling balls.
You start with one, then move on to two, and then to three.
One of the attractions of a nice colorful juggling ball is that it'll bounce back up into the
pattern if you drop it.
Another thing you can juggle with is juggler's rings.
And again, you start with a single object.
Throw it from hand to hand.
After you can do one, you can switch to.
After you can switch to, you can juggle three.
Right, left, right, left, right, left.
It's that simple.
Then we move on to other objects that are linear.
For instance, juggler's clubs.
With juggler's clubs, you have to learn a special throw.
With a nice scooping underhand motion, it flips once on this side and once on that side.
Then you can do two clubs and then three.
Right, left, right, left, right, left.
Now after you learn how to juggle with clubs, you can move on to other linear objects.
Until recently, every juggler had to build his own juggling equipment.
But now commercially available juggling clubs in many different styles are available.
After you learn how to juggle with clubs, you might even want to move on to flaming
torches and we'll demonstrate that later on.
The torches are dangerous, however, and you should learn the other equipment first.
Then there are other things that jugglers like to manipulate.
For instance, the Chinese diabolo.
The diabolo is a top that spins on a string.
There's also the devil stick.
The devil stick consists of two hand sticks and a central spindle-shaped stick that's
hit back and forth.
Jugglers like to remember the great jugglers of the past.
And of course, one of the great jugglers was W.C. Fields.
He liked to manipulate cigar boxes.
He took three boxes and turned them like this and even pulled one out of the middle
and stuck it on the end.
We'll show you more about that later.
And of course, we'll teach you all the different things on this table step by step, starting
with juggling scarves.
Start juggling with one scarf.
Throw across, catch down, throw across, catch down.
Now you can get out your second scarf.
Throw across, throw across, catch down, catch down.
Throw across, throw across, catch down, catch down.
Don't reach across to catch.
Remember, claw like a lion.
Come straight down to catch.
Another thing that a lot of people do is hand scarves across.
In juggling, both hands do equal work.
First one, then the other, catch down, catch down.
But remember, catch them in the order that you throw them.
The first one you throw is the first one you catch.
Now you can move on to number three.
Put it on the fingertips.
That's the first one you're going to throw.
When it gets up, throw the second.
When it gets up, throw the third.
Remember, juggling is like walking.
Right, left, right, left.
Now you can keep going.
Every time one gets to the top, throw another.
Look at the top and don't stop.
You can even juggle by throwing over the top,
or throw two and one, two and one.
Here, I'll let an expert show you how.
With one bean bag.
Scoop it under and catch.
Scoop it under and catch.
It should peak about a foot and a half or two feet
above your shoulder on each side.
And you can bend your knees if it helps.
The bean bag follows a figure eight path.
First up on one side and then on the other.
Look at the top.
Now you can get out three bean bags.
Make a nest on your fingertips on the hand you like the best
and put number one, the first one you're going to throw,
on the fingertip nest.
Make a similar nest in your other hand
and then throw that one bean bag from nest to nest,
from fingertips to fingertips.
Look at the top and keep doing it.
The more you practice, the better you'll be.
Scoop it under and scoop it back.
Now roll the one on your subordinate hand
to your fingertips.
Throw the first one and then the second, catch and catch.
First and second, catch and catch.
They make a big X in the air.
When the first gets up, you throw the second,
but throw it equally high to the first.
Now you can move on to number three.
When the first gets up, throw the second.
When the second gets up, throw the third.
You have to roll it to your fingertips
in order to throw it.
Watch where number three ends up.
One, two, three, stop.
It ends up on the fingertips in your other hand.
One, two, three, stop.
But you don't have to stop.
You can keep going.
Every time one gets to the top, throw another one.
Look at the top and don't stop.
Then bring it down below your eyes.
Once your shoulders are relaxed and you're
juggling below your eyes, you can do tricks,
like the reverse cascade, or two and one, or two in one hand.
If you drop, turn it into an opportunity for a fancy start.
There's so many different patterns,
I guess we'd better show you a few of them.
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Four.
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Juggling with three bouncy and colorful rubber balls is just like juggling with beanbags.
You do the same patterns, the cascade, the reverse cascade, and columns.
You can do a few others, of course, like the yo-yo, but the greatest thing about balls is
that they bounce, so you can bounce them in and out of your pattern.
Bounce one, bounce two, or bounce all three.
That's the cascade on the floor.
One of the people who's best at juggling on the floor and juggling with balls in general
is Andrew.
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Whenever you start juggling something new, start with a single item.
In this case, a juggling ring.
With rings, you can throw a good deal higher and can reach up to catch.
Your fingers point up at about a 45-degree angle.
And you catch by closing your thumb to your fingers, like a lobster claw.
With two rings, you make a nice high letter X, just like beanbags, only a little bit higher.
One, two, catch, catch.
You can reach up to throw, and you can reach up to catch.
Look at the top. When the first gets up, throw the second.
When you move on to three rings, it's just like three balls.
The one on your fingertips is the one you throw first.
Look at the top and keep going.
Every time one gets up, you throw another.
You can start doing tricks, like pancake flips.
You can spin a ring on a ring.
You can change colors on your rings.
You can do all the tricks with rings that you do with balls and beanbags.
It's also a lot of fun to pass rings with a partner.
Amy can show you all of this, plus four and five rings.
And that's it.
Thank you for watching.
See you next time.
Bye.
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Now watch that last move in slow motion.
Look at my right hand.
I catch with my palm up and thumb pointed toward the outside.
Let the ring flip down, and it changes color.
Everyone that comes out of my right hand changes color.
Clubs are just like balls, beanbags, or rings.
They start with one.
Choke up on the club and throw it with a single flip from hand to hand.
Scoop it under and scoop it back.
It starts at a 45-degree angle and ends up at a 45-degree angle,
pointed in the other direction.
Now you can move to two.
When the first peaks, throw the second.
Look at the top and get good scoops.
When you do three, the first one goes on your fingertips.
Right, left, right, left.
Every time one gets to the top, throw another.
Then you can bring the pattern down below your eyes.
Now stand up straight.
Get good scoops from side to side.
Look at the top and keep going.
This is the cascade.
It's just one of hundreds of juggling patterns that you can perform with clubs.
John is a great club juggler.
He'd like to show you a few of those patterns now in fast and slow motion.
Here's John.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Cigar Box Manipulation
Cigar Box Manipulation was developed by that late, great vaudevillian W.C. Fields.
Amy will demonstrate.
Bend your knees.
Drop the center box.
You can wrap it between the two end boxes with a quarter turn or with a half turn.
You can do that on both sides.
Then drop and re-grasp.
You can twist both at the same time.
Alternate the sides.
Flip, reach down through, reach down through, or reach down but pull it over the top.
Drop, catch, drop.
Don't throw.
Now we'll do it again in slow motion.
Your back and knees do most of the work.
Twist a quarter turn.
Drop at the top.
Catch at the bottom.
After you can do a quarter turn, try a half turn.
First one hand and then the other.
Then you can let go and re-grasp the box on the top.
Let go and re-grasp.
Now twist both hands and let go and re-grasp.
Twist both hands, let go and re-grasp.
Twist both and back again.
First one end, then the other.
That's an alternate pattern.
Now you can reach down through and pull the box straight down.
But first, a fancy flip.
Down through and trap, down through and trap.
And the other side.
Remember, work both sides equally.
See how she bends her back and uses her legs?
You can go down through or you can go up over.
Trap the center box.
Pull down and trap, pull down and trap.
You can even cross your hands and pull down on both sides.
Cross under and trap the center box for a big finish.
Now Amy will show you how to manipulate cigar boxes to music with a little help from one.
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The devil stick is manipulated with two hand sticks.
Held straight out in front, parallel to the ground.
Gently toss the central stick back and forth.
Don't hit it.
Practice this on the ground until you can do it smoothly.
The central stick should go back and forth in a vertical plane, perpendicular to the ground.
Don't let it tilt forward away from you or backward toward you.
Keep it straight up and down.
Now lift the central stick with every throw.
Remember to keep your hand sticks straight out and toss gently.
Don't hit.
Gradually lift the central stick off the ground and stand up.
Eventually you can shift from double sticking to single sticking.
Touching the central stick with just one hand stick on each side.
Now try a half flip and a full flip.
There are countless devil stick tricks.
Todd and Andrew can show you a number of these.
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Here we see Rich, a master if there ever was one.
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In order to pass clubs with a partner, you start with three.
Throw back and forth from yourself to your partner.
Follow a rectangular path.
The club goes from your right hand to your partner's left.
From your partner's left to right, then back to your left and back to your right.
If you follow this path with three clubs, you can do it with six.
Let's watch John and Robert as they throw three clubs back and forth in a classic run around.
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In order to pass with your partner, start with the club that's in your left hand.
That's the third club.
Raise your hands, right, left, right, there's number three, pass it across.
There's number three again.
It's coming out of your right hand.
Now throw every other club.
We'll do it again for you.
First, every third club.
And now every other club.
And finally, every club goes flying across.
Every throw from the right hand goes across to your partner's left.
In order to see the pattern a little better, we'll slow it down.
All your left hand throws go across your chest and you catch them in your right hand.
Your right hand throws go over to your partner's left hand.
You're making a rectangle from your right to his left, his right to your left.
Just follow the blue club.
It looks a lot more difficult than it is.
If you can juggle clubs, you can pass clubs.
This is called a feed.
I'm going to pass every one.
Amy and one are alternating.
First I pass to Amy, then to one, then to Amy, then to one, then to Amy, then to one.
You can feed any number of people.
The person in the center is called the post.
The post looks from juggler to juggler.
The person he looks at is the person he's passing to.
Concentration is important.
It's also important to be able to adjust your throws and to be able to catch what we call garbage.
Quite often you'll get a throw that's very difficult.
But you can still readjust and get back into the pattern.
The hardest job is the job of the post.
Post must throw every time.
In this case, the other jugglers throw every other time.
This is true Las Vegas style or circus style juggling.
In order to pass seven objects between two people, one person has to start with four.
The person who starts with four throws a little in advance of the other.
But it's the same pattern.
Alternate your hands, right, left, right, left.
The rings go from my right hand to my partner's left, from her left to her right and to my left.
It looks a lot more complex than it is.
It's really just like passing six, only it's a little higher and a little faster.
The start is the most difficult part.
Practice that and you'll be able to do it.
When you want to finish, one person can collect all the rings.
That means they catch and you throw.
That's it.
With seven clubs, it's very much the same.
You can do double flips or you can do singles.
It's easier to start the doubles.
And again, one partner can collect them all.
Here's John starting.
Robert followed.
Your throw to yourself is a single, but your throw to your partner is a double.
And now they're all singles.
And back up to doubles.
This move requires tremendous concentration and lots of practice.
And here comes the last club.
Voila.
To pass eight, each person starts with four.
Now you're going to have to throw higher and faster.
Your hands almost throw simultaneously.
That's it.
That's it.
That's it.
In order to pass eight clubs, each of you takes four.
The first throw is critical, nice and high, and the second one right behind it.
It doesn't last long.
And here we go again in slow motion.
First throw, and then to yourself, and then second throw.
It's still right, left, right, left.
Four clubs are simply two in each hand.
You learn how to do doubles and circle toward the outside so that the club goes up the center, arcs over, and comes out toward the outside.
Then throw simultaneously.
You're throwing doubles with your right and left hands at the same time.
After you can throw simultaneously, you can throw alternately.
Right, left, right, left.
The pattern is the same, however.
You're arcing out from the center toward the outside, and each hand is working with two separate clubs.
Notice that the clubs do not change hands.
The clubs in the right hand stay in the right hand.
The clubs in the left hand stay in the left hand.
Accuracy is extremely important.
Throw to the same height every time.
You get the feeling for a double.
Once you have four clubs under control, you can even throw columns and singles, and then go back into doubles.
You can even cross the clubs by throwing a high triple with your right hand.
The left hand throws singles.
Here we are again in slow motion.
Triple with the right, single with the left.
And now that same pattern while executing a turn.
Accuracy is extremely important.
That's a back cross, first with the right and then with the left.
And now a series of back crosses with triples.
Now columns and a pirouette.
Column, pirouette.
And columns with great separation.
In order to throw five clubs, you first have to learn how to throw one club with a good consistent double.
Now with three clubs, you throw from one hand and catch in the other.
One, two, three, one, two, three.
All the clubs cross your body and they all follow the same path.
This is like five with two empty spaces.
And now for five clubs.
Good separation is important.
It goes without saying that you must have excellent concentration.
And every club goes to the same height.
And here's the finish, a high throw, pirouette.
Notice that John catches the clubs down on the handle near the knob and throws from the same position.
There's no time to readjust.
Notice also the two peaks, right and left are exactly the same height.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
And here's the finish, a high throw.
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This is part four of the series, juggling step by step.
In the previous segments, you learned the basics.
It's assumed you can now keep three balls going.
And also that you've learned the most important thing that you can learn as a juggling student.
And that is how to put together a new move.
First, look at the move that you want to replicate.
Then, break it down into the smallest possible steps.
Practice each step, and then put it back together again.
After you've done this, you can create your own moves.
Pay close attention to what other jugglers do, but don't copy them.
Instead, develop your own style.
From now on, you are your own best teacher.
We'll give you some pointers and tips and help you to learn the basics of style
and also how to go on to four, five, six, and even seven objects.
But the details are up to you.
Pay close attention to body position, methods for catching and throwing, and where you look.
Then you'll be able to use these clues to create your own juggling patterns.
Let's watch Andrew, a champion juggler.
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In order to juggle four balls, you first learn to make a circle with two in each hand.
Make the circle out from the center toward the outside, and then try both hands simultaneously.
Now you can alternate your hands, right, left, right, left, and keep going.
The balls stay in a plane parallel to the front of your body.
After you can make your circles to the outside, you can learn to make circles to the inside.
And then, straight up and down, we call that elevator shafts.
Now circles to the outside, circles to the inside, and elevator shafts.
Once you have these simple moves under control, you can move on to more complex four ball routines.
For instance, you can throw simultaneously with one hand throwing over the other and cross the bean bags.
This is a shower, where the right hand does all the throwing and the left hand does all the catching.
The left simply passes across to the right.
The shower is a great way to build up your speed as a juggler.
This is a multiplex pattern, throwing and catching two objects in one hand.
Back to the high shower and pass behind the back.
Now we'll watch that same routine in slow motion.
Notice that the right hand bean bag is arcing over the left.
Now here is four balls in one hand, a big circle toward the outside, up the center, and out toward the side.
In order to learn five, it's best to use bean bags and get a partner who's at about your level of ability.
Face one another and throw from hand to hand, right, left, right, left, right.
First you throw and your partner catches, then your partner throws and you catch.
Look at the peaks. They should be about the same height on both sides.
Then build up your speed gradually until you can throw quickly.
The last bean bag should be leaving your hand just as the first one comes down.
The rhythm is critical. You should get the same space between throws every time.
After you can do this with a partner, you can do it by yourself.
Now it's simply a matter of keeping going.
Your cue for throwing is no longer the peak. You have to be able to see the entire pattern.
Run the whole pattern in your mind. You can even do this while you're not juggling.
Then there are plenty of moves that you can execute with five balls.
For instance, multiplex where you throw two at a time or the famous five ball shower.
Very difficult move requiring extreme skill, timing, and accuracy.
Now let's look at five again. Peaks are the same height on both sides.
It's good and wide with plenty of separation.
Here's multiplex. You throw two at a time.
We'll give an explanation of multiplex later and take you through it step by step.
And now into the five ball shower.
Notice that the right hand does all the throwing, the left hand does all the catching.
And the beanbags peak at the same point every time.
Now drop the shower down and peak much lower.
And higher again.
And then lower.
Now a move you don't often see.
It's the same pattern, but Leandro's looking straight up.
And clawing five. A very difficult move.
Catching and throwing with the palms down instead of up.
You almost don't have time to grasp the beanbag at all.
Six balls are easiest to learn if you cross them with your dominant hand,
in this case the right, throwing over the subordinate hand.
First throw one, two, catch, catch.
Now throw one, two, three, catch, catch.
Now you can keep going. Right hand goes over the left every time.
Notice the hands throw simultaneously.
And your right hand peak is a little higher than your left hand peak.
This is a shower with six, a move you rarely see.
Every beanbag goes to exactly the same height.
It doesn't last long, even for an expert like Andrew.
Now on to seven. Put four beanbags in your dominant hand.
The first thing to do is define the path that the objects will follow.
So you throw three. And then you can go for it.
Throw all of them and try to catch them all.
Once you can throw them all and catch them all, you can build up,
until you can make a run with seven.
A run with seven objects can't last very long.
Think of a fancy catch. Here we go.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. And that's in slow motion.
Throw the last one extra high and down for a neck catch.
The easiest way to learn five balls is to learn multiplex.
In multiplex, you throw two or more at the same time from the same hand.
Start with two balls. Learn how to split them.
That means one comes down in the same hand that threw.
Now throw one and two. Split the two.
Throw one and two. Split the two.
Now you can throw one and two and one and two.
One goes between the two.
Now let's do the same thing in your opposite hand.
First learn how to split. Then throw one and two. One and two.
And now we can move on to four bean bags.
One, two. One, two. Just like the other side.
After you can do this on both sides, you'll be able to do five.
Throw the first one and then start throwing two from each hand.
They always split and you always throw two from each hand.
Now Amy will show you how to throw a split of three.
They form a triangle. Two come down in the same hand that threw.
It's one and three.
Now three and two and three and two.
Looks difficult, but you can do it.
Now seven, the easy way.
Throw splits of three. First with one hand and then the other.
Juggling and balance go together.
One aspect of balance is ball spinning.
In order to spin a ball, you hold it on your fingertips and turn your hand rapidly toward the inside.
That means the ball is moving in a counter-clockwise position if seen from the top.
The ball comes in toward you and you focus on the top.
As long as you keep your eye on the top of the ball, your finger will make minor adjustments.
Keep your arm relatively rigid. The gyroscopic action of the ball will keep it in position.
Most of the adjustment is done with your finger.
Notice that the ball stays on the fingernail.
This is a very sensitive move requiring delicate balance.
Now you can try a curl.
In order to curl the ball, you must bend your arm and also bend at the waist.
It may help if you do a half turn while you're executing the curl.
Now the most difficult of ball spinning tricks, a ball on a ball.
First, spin the big ball and then place the small one right on top.
Now you can try a backspin.
First, spin the big ball and then place the small one right on top.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
Now you can try a backspin.
The biggest danger is the fuel source.
Use gasoline or Coleman fuel.
Keep it in a tightly capped container.
Transfer to a can and then cap your container again.
Now dip your torches one by one.
Thoroughly soak the torch.
Be careful of your fuel source.
Don't let it spill, and if it does spill, change locations.
After you've dipped all three, it's time to put the fuel as far away as possible.
Most accidents don't come from the torches themselves, but from the source of fuel.
While you're juggling, your fuel can may get tipped over, so close it tightly.
Now shake out the torches one by one.
Shake them violently to make sure you get off all the excess fuel.
It helps to have an assistant stand by with a fire extinguisher.
No, you don't have to wear protective clothing in order to juggle torches.
Once they've started, just stay a good arm's length away.
If you have long hair, tie it up.
Torch juggling moves are identical to club juggling moves.
If you're going to throw under your leg, you have to raise your leg good and high so you don't burn your cuff.
Also, make sure the clothing that you wear is non-flammable.
Multiple spins, doubles, and triples are particularly hazardous.
If you do catch the wrong end, simply let go quickly.
If you throw behind your back, make sure you clear both your shoulder and the back of your head.
Torch passing is identical to club passing.
Accuracy is important. You want to give your partner the best possible throw.
Music
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