Should blokes do Poi?

[jester]

This was a poll on uk_jugglers.

"Should blokes do Poi?

Poi could be described as cheating at juggling.

Basicly, somebody swings two bits of rope around with juggling balls on the end.

First of all there is only two of them
2nd they are tied on so you can't drop them

This trick in itself has to be applauded, especially when it's done with style.

I think "Poi" is short for "Pointless" which is the same as juggling.

Some real morons think it isn't macho enough for men. How people in purple tie dyed baggy trousers can assert their flimsy sense of masculinity upon the rest of us is beyond me, but ho hum.

Any way. I've tried it. Can't do it very well, can't be bothered to practice and can only applaud those that do.

What do you think?

[Dan Tastik]

speaking on behalf of New Zealand, where everyone and their auntie has a set of fire poi, the answer is no.

infact no-one should do poi.

unless you're Loki.

[jester]

Dan I sympathise with you.

I have not met a NZ backpacker for over 2 years who didn't own fire poi. I knew that there were lots of them, but since the invention of fire poi they keep coming up to me and asking if they can do some in my show.

"Hey look, you and I are kindred spirits. Look I can do Poi? Can I be in your show?"

NO! It's for kids. Mums and Dads can possibly be excused for doing poi with their kids, but that's as far is it can go in my book. But why do people who do poi ask to be in my show.

However, I can't do it myself so I shouldn't knock it.

[Magrat2005]

theres someone called Loki here do you know him? is he a fire juggler?

[UCO]

All about the presentation right. I have witness some really hot poi numbers not done by kids or bliss ninnies:
I too come from a place where you cannot swing a dead cat around your head without hitting a poi swinger or fire staff or fire fingers, Whatever:
The place is called Burning man and in my opinion the craziest festival on the planet ( at least that week)
People swing alot of shit a poi, and staffs, because most people think that they are limited and or easy and seen. It is just popular at the moment. but what if everyone started to get let say POLES would all the poles out ther be discredited. Hope not
No Jester they should not be in your show but maybe that is another thread. intitled
Do Hippies have the right to play in you show and take half your hat because you are a team now.

[Butterfly Man]

it has a pretty high fag factor but ...

I had been a club swinger (and instructor) for about 20 years when poi came into vogue ... I didn't try it for years ... then I took a class (with all girls) and became enamored with it as an art form ... one day I tried a one handed move called "the butterfly" and I hit myself in the nuts very, very hard ... I do mostly staff twirling now.

[Stretch]

Testosterone

At the Denver Busker fest a while back a performer told how he had been talking with the CdS diablo artists, all Chinese girls. When he told them he did diablo, they all laughed because it was considered a girls' art in China.

So . . . he then produces spiked poi. Looked like something from medival europe! And proceeded to spin them behind his back and under his leg, etc.

Beter him then me!

[Ivan Bellari]

loki...

ummm i think the loki dan is refering to is here
loki
he may be on the jugglers page but maybe not... he is quite good with poi, and rope torch...

ummm i'm biased.. he stands on my shoulders and pops a baloon out of my mouth with blade poi.. the last time i said something bad about him... he cut me

loki is really good
<whimper>

[Butterfly Man]

we are men ... do we have to tell you again

Interestingly enough, club swinging was considered very manly (up until 1932 it was in the Olympics) ... it is considered by some to be the best excercise you can give your chest ... I don't know much about the history of poi but I first saw someone doing it in New Zealand ... it was a guy ... and although his technique sucked he sure attracted a lot of attention ... I tried it and I kinda sucked at first too ... it took me awhile to figure out the moves ... I'm still no expert but I'd like to learn more ... besides, I wore tights, lived in San Francisco for 14 years and called myself The Butterfly Man ... you really think me doing poi is gonna make people think I'm anymore faggy than they already do?


Anyway, I love women, I only like poi.

[Magrat2005]

what about us?

what about women? are we aloud to 'cheat' and do this poi thingy....or is it just for men?

[le pire]

I kind of think of poi as "club swinging for wimps" because they are a LOT easier and you can cheat on the technique, but I'll happily admit to being wrong on many, many occasions.

What bugs the shit out of me is all the self indulgent hippies who content themselves with swinging cross-follows or wrist circles and then just writhe around, staring at the ground like they're having some profound spiritual experience. Maybe they are.

Back when I was a kid, hippies were all into devil sticks, or more precisely the much easier flower sticks, so I've avoided both.

I don't think the problem is poi (or devil sticks), but stinky hippies who suck.


etienne

[Stretch]

If you want to learn more . . .

http://www.homeofpoi.com/

Malcolm is a friend of mine and a very upstanding guy. Tons of video and instruction on this site. If you order the LED beaming poi, excellent for indoor or non fire venues, I suggest you invest in a batters helmet and athletic cup as well.

If you REALLY want to give your chest a work out, and damn near everything else, then I suggest the mega poi on or off the stilts. Ted at

http://www.kites-rainbowflight.co.nz/

makes mine. Sadly, I'm too lazy to practice much, but they are impressive non the less.

POI were/are a native - indigenous NZ substitute for the drum. The show at the Auckland Museum is quite impressive. The sound is made by a "chorus" of women using short poi, and striking the body with the poi. I believe you can order a video from the museum.

[Eveish]

Actually there is a thread about this very topic on the forums at home of poi!

I think club swinging and poi are TOTALLY different, you can translate the moves easily but they are two very different fire arts! And I have ner even thought of it as checting at juggling... what???? I am more of a staff twirlier and don't do alot of poi, but it is just another toy to play with, like clubs, fans or any other fun stuff with fire


As for the original question of this thread.. YES!! Guys can do poi!! I have seen some AMAZING poi spinners that are guys, in fact there was one in my last show. I think what makes the art masculine or feminine is more the style that you spin them. You can definately spin poi in a blokey kind of way... its quite yummy to watch

[Eveish]

on the topic of hippies...

Le Pire.. maybe you should consider being slightly less judgmental.. There is nothing wrong with hippies, if they want to be spiritually emersed in their poi, then let them, they are probably having a wonderful experience that you are not able to understand. Some of the nicest, most wonderful people I have ever met have been 'stinky hippies'

Yay for stinky hippies! the world should be full of them! (and ferels and greenies and all other such alternative wierd and wonderful characters!)

[Ivan Bellari]

it's not so much about the hippies...

but my problem with poi is about the same as my problem with juggling, mime, musicians... and lots of stuff that is done on the street by buskers who claim to be professional....


a saturation of bad performers.

the base skills of almost all of those things are so easy to grasp that once some people have a few basic they think they should be out hustling for a buck!

so there are some bad performers doing bad performances... and a lot of them...

i have seen some bad juggling... enough of it to cringe whenever i see juggling.. the same with mime .. and those tired musicians playing the same crap over and over...

and i've seen people doing lame poi routines...

it's not the hippies that re the problem but the scam-hippies.. essentially people who dont want to make any effort in any way... it's pretty easy to confuse good 'ol hippies with .. the scam-hippies until they open their mouths.. scam hippies are always doing something huge when they get money... always ooking for a free hand out, free meal, anything free... or they have a plan to seperate you from what you have earned ....

scam-hippies see street performers doing a show and they think " wow, man, i can umm totally do that, man, and make somecash..." and they get together a lame stock act and try to work the street... but they don't make an effort to get better, wont spend any money or time to make an original professional show....and then they get lumped in with the rest of the other street performer..

it totally brings the curve down.

i'm with alice, hippies can be good people, hell my best friend is a hippy... but i'm also with ettienne.. stinky hippies suck!

just like all groups of people, there are good and bad.. the bad ones tend to be more obvious...

i hate watching any bad performance... bad juggling makes me ill, stock jokes make my skin crawl, and lame poi routines make me angry...

but baby steps towards enlightenment....

it helps that there are some excellent performers out there doing good performances.. excellent juggling, even good mime.. and in this city there are two really good musicians...

lets see loki, flaming butterflys, pyromancer, amber... all do poi in their routines and it's always amazing, fun, entertaining...

don't think it matters what sex you are...

just how good of a performer you are..
thats my bottom line.

sigh