I want to learn juggling!

[MrsFix]

I want to learn to juggle, but I am so clumsy that I don't know if it's possible. Even if it is, I don't know where to go to learn.

Any help is appreciated!

Oh, I can juggle: ONE BALL, and that's if I'm lucky!

[noname]

Originally Posted by MrsFix

I want to learn to juggle, but I am so clumsy that I don't know if it's possible. Even if it is, I don't know where to go to learn.

Any help is appreciated!

Oh, I can juggle: ONE BALL, and that's if I'm lucky!

It is not impossible, and just remember juggling encompasses more than just balls, if you are no good at "traditional juggling," you might look into Diabolo, Devil Sticks, or Poi. Most people will suggest using scarves, I don't agree, because though they are slower they do not teach the cascade the way you can with balls.

[Fitzwilly]

There are a few pretty good teaching videos that are fairly inexpensive. And I agree with Noname on the scarves. Unless you really determine that you can't juggle then pass on the scarves.

[MrsFix]

Well, I was playing w/a not-quite-empty Gatorade bottle the other day while on a walk. I just kept flipping it up and catching it with the same hand. It took a few minutes, but I got it so it would hit my hand at the end I wanted (usually the cap end).

Is that the kind of thing you're talking about?

I looked through a couple of the links noname posted on the resource thread. What about rings? Are they harder? Easier? What about beanbags? I'm determined to learn. ;-)

I tried devil stick at the Renn Faire (Bristol, WI). I could almost do those just standing there playing around.

[tim]

Get some beanbags. Or if you don't have beanbags, use some pairs of rolled up socks. Start practicing over a bed or sofa (so when you drop it isn't so far down to pick up.)

Take a ball (i'll call them balls form now on, no matter what they actually are) and toss it to a point slightly over your head and to the opposite side of the body. So, basically, it ought to be proceeding up at an angle, sort of like if you were drawing a triangular line from your hand to that point. Allow it to fall and catch it with your other hand. Now repeat the exercise by throwing it from that hand to an equal point opposite as in the first attempt. Kind of the mirror reflection now. Again, let it fall into the other hand from that which you threw it.

Alright, so now you have the hang of it. The idea is that you have two distinct points to which you are consistently throwing the ball in order to transfer it from one hand to the other.

Now, you add a second. The temptation here is to throw one ball up and the other directly across to the other hand (just to get rid of it.) Don't do that! It is a more complicated maneuver (which you'll learn later.)

Instead, toss the first ball up to its proper point. When it reaches it's climax and just begins to fall, you throw the other ball up to its proper point. (Just like before, but with two balls, now, instead of only one.) So it's toss, toss, catch, catch. Just try it in "sets" like this until you have it solid.

Once you can handle that, you're ready to add in the third. Start with two balls in your dominant hand. Toss one up, then the one from that other hand as that first ball starts to fall, and finally the third as the second is about to fall. Catch each in order. One time through is called a "set." If you can do it, then you can just keep going.

Once any ball reaches its climax and starts to descend, you throw a ball from the opposite hand (thus making room to catch the one which is falling) to the opposite point. Forever and ever (or until you decide to stop and just catch them all). Amen.

[OkiDoki]

When you don't get the juggling rythm into your system scarves can be very helpfull. Is it the actual throwing and catching that gives the hazzard scarves are in my opinion totally useless as startingpoint towards balljuggling. The throw/catchtechnique of scarves is totally different then that of most other objects like balls/rings/clubs etc.

The best thing to do when you have a dead point in learning to juggle, when you have the feeling there is no progress is trying to make it into smaller steps. I put some add ons in Tim's story for when you have difficulties in going from one step to the other. How you could make the steps smaller:

Originally Posted by tim

Instead, toss the first ball up to its proper point. When it reaches it's climax and just begins to fall, you throw the other ball up to its proper point. (Just like before, but with two balls, now, instead of only one.) So it's toss, toss, catch, catch. Just try it in "sets" like this until you have it solid.

A good toss,toss to the proper point is far more important than a good catch,catch. So when your tempted to throw the second ball directly accross STOP just do a few catch,catch,drop,drop. See where the drop is. It should be about 5-10 inches away from your toes. Of course when the ball wants to drop in your hand do catch!

When you try in "sets" you will notice that you will probably constantly throw the first ball from your dominant hand. I would suggest to do the same practice but now starting the "sets" with the other hand. When this is solid start to do the "sets" quickly after eachother by which you start in turn left and then right and so on. After that you could try to after each "set" to clap with the startinghand to clap on your topleg. This clap is where your third ball will come.

Originally Posted by tim

Once you can handle that, you're ready to add in the third. Start with two balls in your dominant hand. Toss one up, then the one from that other hand as that first ball starts to fall, and finally the third as the second is about to fall. Catch each in order. One time through is called a "set." If you can do it, then you can just keep going.

Again the throw is far more important than the catch. So when the balls go all over the place. Start focussing on your toss not on the catch. You can even just only do a few toss, toss, toss, drop, drop, drop and see were the balls are laying on the floor. Try to get them all in the area of 5-10 inches away from your toes. Then slowly start to first try to catch only the first trown ball and slowly build this up towards a toss, toss, toss, catch, catch, catch.
Your finished now with one ball in your dominant hand and 2 in your none dominant hand. Bravo! You could try now to do the same from there on sarting with your none dominant hand or go to the next step.

Originally Posted by tim

Once any ball reaches its climax and starts to descend, you throw a ball from the opposite hand (thus making room to catch the one which is falling) to the opposite point. Forever and ever (or until you decide to stop and just catch them all). Amen.

Amen

[Saxlampouxlas]

Anybody can learn juggling provided that he likes it so much that can handle learning the very first steps till he achieves to do a normal,with nice flow, cascade.

If you give up practising before learning the basic three ball cascade, that means that you didn't really liked juggling so much.Someone who is really interested in something tries hard and has some kind of result.

Here is a thread that has some useful links for juggling practise.Hope it helps. http://www.clown-forum.com/juggling/...ing-skill.html

Greetings form Greece!

[Happy Chappy & Daisy]

I've always been fond of "Juggling for the Complete Klutz." It's a great way to get started, and even comes with beanbags.

[noname]

Originally Posted by Happy Chappy

I've always been fond of "Juggling for the Complete Klutz." It's a great way to get started, and even comes with beanbags.

Yes.

[Pickles]

My little sister is an elementary school teacher, and she told me that every kid in the school learns how to juggle before they "graduate." This makes me think it's possible for anybody to learn how to do it (although I haven't been able to yet) .

Is juggling like learning a language, in that it's easier to learn when you're a child?