how to hold yourself horizontal on a lamp-post??-Help

[pukey]

After seeing a few other street performers doing this trick and seeing it on the VW Golf advert (singing in the rain) does anyone have a guide on how to do this. I have been on google trying to find out how for over 2 hours now.

Im sure its all about trying to pivot as much as possible and pulling with your top hand which pushing with your other.

Anyway, any help would be apreciated

Thanks

[mrbill]

Andrew Mayne has an explaination in his book Body Morphin

https://www.weirdthings.com

[zoobie]

Only $30, eh? Such a deal.

The tv commercial is just a computer graphic also featured in an Oreck vacuum cleaner ad. I have a pic of a busker in Zurich doing it...but I'd have to dig it out.

Basically, you cannot have both arms straight like in the ads....rather, the bottom one is wrapped around the pole vertically to support your body. The top arm just kinda hangs on to the pole. It helps not to weigh too much with some upper arm strength.

Rather hard to explain...but a pic is worth a thousand words here.

If I run across the pic, I'll post it here.

Without a pic, the next best way to discover this is to just go out and find a pole to practice on. You'll soon find out there's only one way to do it.


PS - Anyone here ever notice that the posts start with the latest...which is why they don't make much sense. If a thread is 4 pages long, you have to start on page 4 to see the OP.

[circusboy90210]

are you retarded???

grasp pole tighten stomach muscles and flag stance... teenagers who are not performers can do this... never been to a circus and seen the chineese acrobats/??

[pukey]

It was in Christchurch, New zealand where i first saw this trick. Although i was impressed at the extream strenght that must be required to do it, i belive it is more of an illision and can be perfored as long as you are slim with relative upper body strenght. It's all about the arms.
i have been trying to figure it out with only the help from this thread outside my house but am having little success and have tired myself out.
i definatly remember the arms where in a rather strange posistion.

is there a particular name for this trick so i can search for it on google?

thanks

[Steven Ragatz]

I believe the trick is called a "flag". There is a pic next to me at the homepage of http://www.birdhousefactoryshow.com/

The pole is prepared with glue so it is VERY sticky. No illusion, just strength and balance. Note that the top arm is straight and the position of the lower hand.

Steven Ragatz

[Stephon]

An alternative

Now that I've seen the picture, I realize you're talking about something different that I thought.

When I was a kid, we used to do a similar stunt; it wasn't quiet as impressive, 'cuz the arms weren't straight, but it still might be enough for what you need.

It's been decades since I've done this, but I'll so my best to describe it:

You stand next to a pole (like you'd find at a playground). Let's say you're standing with your right side nearst the pole. Turn your right hand over so it's palm up, and grab the pole at waist height. Place you right elbow against your right side, between your hip and ribs. With your left hand facing you, reach over your head and grab the pole. Push with your right and pull with your left. With a little experimentation on placement and the relative force you apply with your hands, you should be able to support you body about 90 degrees to the pole.

Like I said, I haven't done this in a long time, and my memory of some of the details may be off, but perhaps this'll give you a place to start.

~Stephon

[scot]

You can do the flag as ragatz illustrated. If you're doing it a lot without warmups, it's really bad for your shoulders because you're pulling on one and pushing on the other while you roll in and out of the position.

or this position which is much easier.

http://www.imaginationent.com/newsroom/CdlMMagAd.jpg

Use two hands if you're not as strong, or if you're stronger, you can do it with just your arm pit by pressing your palm against your thigh. The man illustrated here can do that position, but it was probably too hard to hold for the photo session.

Also, you can stand with your back against the pole, lean backwards and slide down until your shoulder is about waist height. Put one shoulder against the pole and reach up about a foot to grab the pole with your hands. kick your center of gravity up above your shoulders, and you'll be cannonballed back facing down. Then, you can straighten your legs.

There are lots of other ways including flag with the feet. You don't need glue, but you need friction.

[zoobie]

I guess there's another way, too. Just make sure you weigh 75 pounds. Ha ha

Interesting pics. The pole will have to be small enough to grasp of course. A regular street lamp post would be out of the question.

I'm busy editing video but I'll still post the pic once I run across it. May be a while...

[circusboy90210]

look at me I'm retarded...

ok let's go back to circus kindergarten.....good morning children.... (children yelling) good morning teacher.... now class today I will teach you too look like a moron in public ok????? .... yeas teacher.... ok first lean over and grab the phone pole... yes teacher.... with the left hand place the palm of the hand about waist high and brace your body with your elboww ok... teacher bobby' keeps grabbing my pig tails.... bobby you go sit in the corner and think about it... wrap the other arm around the phone pole and tighten your stomach muscles and llift the legs... wow teacher I really do look like a moron in public .. yeahhhhh I"ma retard

[Doctor Eric]

"wow teacher I really do look like a moron in public..."

... well, at least on a public forum.

Hey circus boy, do yourself and the rest of us a favor and shut the !@#? up. There has actually been some fun, useful information in this thread, but so far none of it has come from you. I realize that after 13 posts total that you must have contributed so much that you feel you have a right to condescend on a subject that you obviously know at least as much about as spelling, grammar, the English language, and putting the toilet seat down, but please, leave us poor slobs to our ignorance.

It's bad enough that we have to consistently listen to the psychotic ramblings of a geriatric mime, but at least Martin's IQ occasionally pops over 110, and his signature remains infuriating and hilarious at the same time.

I refuse to listen to condescencion from an illiterate balloon twister from the back woods of North Carolina if you'll pardon me.

[circusboy90210]

sorry ...

I"m such an A** can you forgive me it's been real stressfull since the rv got demolished, I'm stuck in a town for the moment and am really hating stuff .......I apologize again ... thankx ......

[scot]

I accept.

Jim, please get rid of the jester smilie.