Juggling trick

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3b - Mills Mess.
Siteswap: 3, like the cascade

A juggling trick , also known as a juggling pattern and juggled figure , is an artful or skilful, repeatable sequence in juggling objects.

It can be, for. B. throws, swinging objects or rolling them along the body. Balls , rings, clubs , swing clubs, burning clubs, poi , diabolo , sticks, devil sticks , cigar boxes and other juggling equipment or any unusual objects while juggling in a wide variety of hand and body postures and movements.

Body throws with, for example, elbow, knee, foot, back, neck or head are included. The entire body and the air space within reach are used to e.g. B. to knock over, roll over or swing around the back, neck, head, hands, arms, legs or torso. Delays, even small pauses, and accelerations between the throws also allow clock and rhythm changes. A single juggling trick can already count as juggling, but juggling is more a performance with several tricks or show components. Just like with the exercises in gymnastics, the jumps, lifts and pirouettes in figure skating, the jump types in tower diving or the elements in rhythmic sports gymnastics, juggling tricks can be carried out freely under the above guidelines. Interpretation and the type of execution are up to the artist and, in the competition, the judgment of a jury.

Juggling tricks and siteswap

In contrast to the siteswap , which logically handles and defines the throwing sequence (s) of a juggling trick in the form of an alphanumeric notation, juggling tricks are popular, world-famous juggling patterns or figures that have been given their own name and e.g. B. were named after their inventors. Usually a siteswap can be assigned to a juggled pattern and with a little practice you can read out the underlying siteswaps while juggling or clip them out when you watch a video several times. Especially siteswaps that are difficult to vary because they are more difficult to juggle themselves (e.g. Ss: 531, 441, 336) can in turn be considered a juggling trick themselves. Whereas 3-ball juggling with the simple siteswap “3” has countless independent, well-tried variations, many of which have been given their own names as juggling tricks.

While the number of objects is clearly defined in a siteswap, you can use a juggling trick as a pattern on different numbers of juggled objects (e.g. Mills Mess on 3, 4, 5 or more; the basic form cascade on 3, 5, 7, 9 , 11 objects and more). In order to expand or shrink a siteswap to a different number of objects, it must be changed - possibly mathematically - to a similar, related siteswap, i. H. adapt so that it remains juggled (e.g. 3b-531 to 4b-7531 or to 5b-753). Also, some juggling tricks can be used as a juggling style on siteswaps or some other juggling patterns, e.g. For example, juggling the siteswap of the 4-Ball Halfshower, 53, “ as Mills Mess ” / “ in the style of the hand postures of Mills Mess ” or “ as Windmill ” by throwing on the other side - that's how it is with the bare Siteswap litter sequence not possible. Siteswaps are, so to speak, an underlying framework, a sequence to be followed. Juggling tricks consciously or unconsciously make use of the siteswaps and vary in many ways by using them in 3-dimensional space, e.g. B. realize the actual course of the necessary trajectories and freely choose the throwing and catching locations of the hands involved (or diabolo cord, devilstick handsticks, etc.), as well as - within the throwing sequence specified by the juggled siteswap - the time between the throws or Adjust the tempo, play it out or distort it in time by throwing differently high or holding hands. You don't need to know the siteswap of a juggling trick in order to juggle it, and you can logically develop jugglable siteswaps without knowing how they will look juggled.

Juggling tricks

Different types can be distinguished: synchronous (simultaneously, in parallel with both hands), asynchronous (alternating), thrown; symmetrical and asymmetrical in the trajectory described. They can be combined in each case.

basic forms

Siteswap: 3 - 3 balls
  • Cascade : Balls cross each other alternately from the inside in front of the stomach to the side outside to the other hand.
  • External cascade (also called backward cascade): Balls are thrown from the outside in.
  • Columns : Balls are thrown vertically alternately while one or two balls are still in the air.
Siteswap: 51 - 3 balls
  • Shower : Balls are only thrown from one hand and only caught and handed over by the other.
4 balls
  • Fountain , siteswap: 4. Both hands throw two objects each to themselves. Throwing synchronously in 2-stroke; or alternately asynchronously in 4-cycle. Circling with the hands, throwing rather steep parabolas; or as pillars. So in any case two one-handed juggling sessions with two objects each.
  • Wimpy , Siteswap: (4x, 4x). If there is an even number of balls, both hands always throw a ball to the other hand at the same time (synchronously). So that the balls do not meet at the highest point, the trajectories have to be juggled slightly (slightly higher / lower; slightly further forward / backward).

Common tricks

Many of the common tricks are based in part on these basic patterns, but there are a variety of grips, tricks, body parts, hand and body movements, postures, delays, accelerations, catching and throwing techniques, original, curious or confusing things:

Siteswap: 3 - 3 balls
  • Tennis (English: "juggler's tennis"): A ball from the cascade is constantly thrown from the outside over the whole figure. In order for this higher-flying tennis juggling ball to stay in rhythm, it must be thrown higher and caught or the higher trajectory made possible with a faster throwing movement (shorter hand holding time).
  • Arches (in German: "Arches"): Trajectories no longer cross each other - all three balls are thrown back and forth at three heights in tennis style.
  • Windmill , syn .: “False Shower”: all balls are thrown exclusively on one side , exclusively caught on the other with an arm that alternates between throwing under the other arm and catching over the other arm. Element and preliminary exercise of the Mills Mess.
  • Mills Mess : Windmill with side change every three throws. Juggling with crossed arms, the flying objects describe a lying figure eight .
  • Carry (also: Waterfall, Inverted shower): a ball is caught at about head height, and instead of being thrown, it is carried over and dropped. So this hand always stays up. Element and preliminary exercise for pendulum and robot.
  • Chops
  • Slam : from the cascade a single throw of the outer cascade is delayed, then thrown over from top to bottom.
  • Statue of Liberty (also: Statue of Liberty ): One arm is stretched out high and allows the balls to drip off that are thrown from the other hand in a normal position. Or the high hand throws just over the incoming ball.
3 objects - other siteswaps
  • Eating an apple (also: Eating the apple): although you are already juggling three objects with just two hands, while you are eating an apple with another hand, this is the illusion. Siteswap: 423
  • Jojo (English: "Yo-yo"): During a one-hand pillar juggling with two balls, the other hand, with the ball clearly visible to the audience, goes with one of the thrown balls - in variants e.g. B. next to it, over, under or in the middle. The illusion of a magnetic effect or an invisible rubber band is created. The yo-yo hand can change at any time by throwing to the beat from below instead of holding along. By remaining motionless for one beat, she changes 'her' ball that is apparently carried along. Siteswap: (4,2).
  • Chase , syn .: "Snake": Three balls are thrown one after the other from one hand over to the other hand. Only after the last ball has been thrown, the first thrown ball is allowed to land, and this is immediately thrown back again, thus starting the chase or snake pattern again, mirrored sideways. To do this, depending on the agility or the controlled height of the juggler, about two to three times as high as the 3-ball cascade must be thrown ("5" s). Siteswap: 50505.
  • Weave (also: "the weaver"): two balls with one hand, alternately under the other arm, which in between with the ball held in front of the highest flying ball in an S-movement dips under it to normal posture. Then the arms change this movement so that it was performed once on both sides.
  • Box : Thrown synchronously (simultaneously with both hands). Ss: (4.2x) (2x, 4). The high columns, “4-s”, alternately create a gap on the right, then left, then right again, etc., in which the low ball can swing back and forth in good time. For comparison: 441 (juggling trick ) - same pattern of trajectories overall, but different, asynchronous throwing sequence.
  • Pendulum (also: Exchange, Drop): In the carry, a hand throws itself to itself once, which gives the carry hand time to make another pendulum movement.
  • Robot (also: Factory): one hand A throws itself twice in a row, only with the third throw over to the other hand B. This gives this other hand B two throws to pause with the ball held, then early (from the second throw by hand A), first going up vertically, then carrying her ball horizontally over where she drops it before catching the third throw by hand A in the normal position again. Siteswap: 242334 (Ken Matsuoka, jugglemaster), (4.2) (4x, 2) (4.2x) (Matt Mangham).
  • Burke's Barrage : Variation (s) of the siteswap: 423
  • Rubenstein's Revenge : Variations of the siteswap: 52233

Body throws, catching, throwing techniques

  • Claws : With the palms facing down, the balls are caught from above. When throwing, the hands can be folded up, palms facing forward or constantly pointing down.
  • Back of the hand : You catch or brake the balls in the hollow that is created when the middle finger is put on when the middle finger is overstretched. Since the wrist has less room to move, the whole arm is more involved when throwing or pushing up.
  • backcross : Balls are thrown from behind the back over the other shoulder and land in the catching hand in a normal position. Individual backcross throws fly a little longer in the learning phase and can be compensated for by throwing the balls thrown in front slightly higher or by delaying briefly. Thrown backwards (“reverse backcross”), you catch them blindly behind your back.
  • Behind the back : The whole throw takes place behind the back. Ideally, completely blind, or - when learning - thrown a little further to the side so that you can still see the falling ball just before catching it with a brief look over the shoulder. Penguins thrown a little further back over the tentacle are a good preliminary exercise.
  • Shoulder throws ("over the shoulder"): You throw from back to front over the shoulder of the limb, where the throwing hand catches it again. Thrown back from front to back, you catch largely blind, if necessary with a brief glance over the shoulder.
  • Penguin : Balls are caught with the arm hanging down with the wrist bent and turned away from the body and thrown normally, or even thrown over the tentacle as a penguin.
  • Throat throws : From behind the neck, the throat is thrown over the other shoulder towards the front. The previous throw can fly to the other shoulder and neck area in preparation. Conversely - as if thrown back in a prisoner - one can get caught behind the neck.
  • Reachover / -under : A throw to the same hand is thrown over, apparently to the other hand, but is then picked up by the throwing hand (e.g. a "4" looks like a "3" or "5") ). Or z. For example, instead of being thrown over, a “3” is thrown up as a column (looks like a “4”) and has to be picked up there by the catcher. It can be caught either over the other arm (reachover) or under the other arm (reachunder). Please note:the flight altitude physically determines the flight duration, not the length of the flight path . You don't have to throw a "3" as a column higher (intuitively) despite the shorter vertical trajectory. It can even be thrown a little lower in order to gain the time needed for a nimble reaching over and the next throw.
  • under the arm : From further down, the throw is thrown under the other (catch) arm in a flat arc(not - as with reachunder - only caught there ) and the throw lands a little further out, for example at hip height. It can be clawed there by catching hand or easily caught as a penguin despite its low trajectory.
  • Overhead ("above the head"): You push or push the balls up with your hands pointing overhead backwards, or with your hands pointing inwards and throwing away swimming movements.
  • Alberts : You crouch down and juggle up between your legs from behind.
  • Contortion : One reaches over to the other side with one arm behind the back and juggles in this position. Quite a dislocation in ball, club, ring juggling, therefore a more common element in diabolo or devilstick juggling with an arm that is more or less extended by handling sticks.

Siteswap tricks

Unlike z. For example, the siteswaps "3", "423", which are based on a wide variety of juggling tricks with their own names, are many siteswaps themselves already the "trick", since the specified throw sequence is the main motive of the trick. Siteswap and juggling trick are the same in this case or the juggling trick bears the name of its siteswap, or the siteswap has or does not need a separate name as a juggling trick to distinguish it.

3 balls
  • 441 : Due to the thrown 4's - with only three balls - every two throws a gap is cleared into which the last ball caught can be quickly passed. Compare with the box , in which the same trajectory pattern is thrown synchronously in two beats - with the low ball bouncing over in every beat.
  • 531 : A high throw, the "5", is overtaken by the next ball from this throwing hand (ie the ball after the next) in the pattern, in that the latter is thrown or passed quickly into the gap as a "1".
4 balls
  • 633 : The high “6” columns each land in the gap that the other “6” created in the cascade pattern of the “3”. As a preliminary exercise with 3 balls, Ss: 633033 or Ss: 63303 are suitable.
  • 534 : In step pattern 345 three throws are thrown one after the other to the same side (the hand on this side therefore throws “4” to itself once). As soon as the lowest ball, the "3", has landed, it continues to change sides while the higher balls are still in the air.

Throughout this section, for the sake of readability, “balls” means juggled objects of all kinds.

Juggling tricks, numbers, speed juggling, endurance

Various basic currents can be distinguished when juggling. Juggling an increasing number of objects can be tedious and hard work and sometimes lead to acts of strength to throw yourself the necessary heights. Naturally, only the simplest patterns are used, mainly the cascade for odd numbers and a fountain (synchronous or asynchronous) or the Wimpy for even numbers. On the other hand, there is the creative discovery of the variety of juggling patterns with just a few objects. Speed ​​juggling is much less practiced. "Endurance" is the long-lasting, record-breaking perseverance of a juggling or a certain juggling figure without dropping an object, measured in throws (or catches) or in time. Doing everything synergistically fertilizes the other skills. Juggling tricks with few objects are probably the most popular, because if you juggle more objects, the ability to vary greatly decreases.

Web links

Commons : Juggling Trick Animations  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Commons : various ladder diagrams, trajectory patterns for siteswaps and juggling tricks  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Weave" on www.libraryofjuggling.com
  2. ↑ Rick Rubenstein juggles Rubenstein's Revenge, which he invented (video rr01.mpg).
  3. ↑ 3 Ball above the head ( Memento from February 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) on: kingscascade.com