Poi
A poi ( Māori : "ball", plural: poi ) is a spinning element that is used within artistry for the performance of movement art. It consists of a ball that is held on a string and swung in a circle. Poi spinning is kinesthetically related to rod spinning or pen spinning , as the manipulation of a rotating object around its kinetic center is in the center, in front of and next to both halves of the body, and not the throwing and catching of objects. The traditional poi game is around a thousand years old and is still considered a cultural tradition by the descendants of New Zealand's natives .
In the "poi game", a poi is usually swung around the body in each hand using centrifugal force in varied, circle-like paths. For many players it is a declared goal to combine the trajectories of both poi as artfully and variedly as possible, up to and including playing with two poi in one hand, with both feet or with the mouth. Spinning with fire poi is compulsory for the majority of poi players after a practice phase without fire. Some artists appear regularly in front of an audience, very occasionally as a main source of income with self-developed choreographies and in connection with dance or acrobatics.
history
“Poi” as an art form originated from the Māori in New Zealand . The origin of poi has been relatively little researched as it is mostly oral traditions. The original poi were an invention of the Maori women and consisted of two branches of equal length, which were connected at their ends with flax. The other ends were placed in the fire and burned to achieve an effect in the dark. The poi dance was originally used by Maori women to maintain mobility of their hands and by men to develop the strength and coordination required in a fight. Poi were also used as a training tool for other old weapons, such as Mere or Patu (short club). Poi was constantly evolving and over time it got decorations made of animal hair or feathers that were attached to balls, which is where the name ( Poi "ball") comes from. The traditional Māori style has relatively little to do with the contemporary styles.
An essential difference to the poi as we know it lies in the presentation of stories, which are usually sung by the women in choir to the poi. The themes of the chants vary between glorifying descriptions of the village's history and drastic experiences of the village community, reports of bereavements and disasters, to humorous performances in which one or the other person from the village is lovingly teased. Of course, it should be noted that the traditional poi exercises of women were not infrequently taken as an occasion to show the bride, in which the women demonstrated their motor skills.
The importance of Maori culture is currently taking on a higher priority again in New Zealand and in addition to the Maori language as a subject, many schools have now included Poi as an AG in the curriculum in order to keep the old traditions alive. In contrast to the long poi known in Europe, Asia and the USA, the Maori traditionally play a lot with short poi to this day, in which of course other figures are also played. Many stop moves with body contact on arms, legs and on the back are played here. But also the modern variant of the Poi with a long string, fire and the many variants in same-time, split-time, in-spin and anti-spin as well as hybrid have found widespread use and are equally popular with Maoris and Pakehas (whites, resp. Non-Polynesians). In this way, poi-playing has taken the path from the traditional to the present day and our modern conception of poi.
In Shaolin Kung-Fu there is the nine-part whip , which is very similar to the poi , which has been used since the Jin dynasty (approx. 300 AD) and, in the form of the double chain whip , has strongly influenced modern poi and its spread, initially in Asia, but at the latest since the boom in Asian martial arts in the 1970s in America and Europe. The widespread misunderstanding of a relationship between poi and Japanese nunchaku can be stated that the nunchaku was one of the traditional peasant weapons in the Kobudō and in Okinawa (Japan) from a flail, i.e. a peasant everyday object that could be dangerous to an armed Satsuma samurai was developed. According to an old Chinese legend, the Emperor Chao K'ung Yin / Zhao Kuangyin (Taizu) is said to be the forerunner of the .Song Dynasty, founded around 960 AD (and thus actually at the same time as the invention of poi in New Zealand) Invented nunchaku. However, both cultures developed independently of one another and no historical parallel can be established for Poi. A relationship with the so-called morning star, although it also emerged around the 11th century as a descendant of the ancient club or the flail for the defense of the peasants in Europe, has no historical parallel.
present
Poi has found many followers in all countries of the world. The leisure game with poi became popular in Thailand ( Rai Leh Beach in Krabi , Haad Rin on Ko Pha-ngan ) and in Australia ( Byron Bay , NSW) at the latest in the 1990s . Today there are poi players all over the world who play with both the exercise variants and fire poi. They often meet with other fire artists ( devilstick players, fire-eaters , club swingers, stick twists and "classic" jugglers ) at parties, juggling conventions (such as the European Juggling Convention ), at medieval festivals or festivals and swing their poi electronically Dance music at Goa or Tekno parties . In larger cities in Germany, such as Berlin , Hamburg or Munich , there are regular meetings and workshops as well as so-called conventions .
Playing with fire poi, which was already known in New Zealand, is of particular importance in the poi community today. Experienced fire artists also set up play areas for fire players at national festivals and conventions and are available to the organizers there as a point of contact for integrating fire artistry into the event process (cultural approach).
In addition to the already established show areas such as circuses, ancient markets and festivals, there are now a few poi performers who practice certain dance styles, such as B. Tango or belly dance , combine with playing poetry. You create a symbiosis of movement, stage design, artistry and role. Over time, two basic creative trends emerged: on the one hand technical poi spinning (as many and more complicated tricks as possible) and on the other hand dance poi spinning (integration of the figures in dance presentations). This style is also increasingly used in shows that are similar to cabaret . The demonstration combines spinning with shows and places the poi game itself less in the foreground than at the turn of the millennium. Poi are used here as style elements and accessories and are no longer the only main focus.
In addition, there is a third methodological approach, Poi as an aid in child and senior care or in the clinical area as an aftercare instrument e.g. B. to be used for rehabilitation patients ("Poi as a method"). The social aspects of a non-competitive community game in mother-child facilities, with young people in social work or in the penal system with jointly developed performances are occasionally taken up. The former professional association in Europe, Poi & Feuerartistik e. V , based in Berlin, represented these approaches and endeavored to achieve a broader public perception of the poi game, also in the non-art-oriented area.
Categorization
There is no clear scientific categorization of these objects within the artistry or street art. Since sports science has not yet approached the topic, there are no scientific sources for referencing this small and street art. In practice, however, there is no classification or subordination to juggling, since the classic throwing juggling is still widely understood as juggling. As the undisputed main category, poi is certainly one of the so-called movement arts. In addition to the art of balance (equilibrism or balance acrobatics) and sports acrobatics, this also includes juggling, spinning and, in a broader sense, eurythmy. In this way, a solid opinion is emerging among artists and players that poi is an independent discipline due to the methodological equality of a cross movement with throwing juggling (right / left body halves cross each other) and the technical dissolving boundaries between throwing juggling and spinning to be considered within the movement arts, but not to refer to poi directly as juggling. In spinning, it is less about throwing and catching, but much more about involving the entire body as a moving center of rotation, which is not the case with juggling. With increasing skill, as well as with throws and partner figures (similar to passing in juggling), the disciplines then merge again more and more, which ultimately leads to a clear sub-classification or classification ad absurdum.
A categorization of the play equipment results from the dealer offers on the Internet and individual literature. The product name Kiwido , used by the company “Active People”, has established itself as a generic term for exercise poi with a dragon tail (comet tail) . Another name for poi is the term Cariocas , which is particularly common in Spanish-speaking countries . Very occasionally, especially for playing with children or elderly people in German-speaking countries, Germanized terms are used for the characters.
General categorization
| Sock poi | Rice, pea, corn, granulate bags in a fabric tube |
| Cometpoi | Tennis balls or similar with a long cloth flag (often fluorescent) |
| Medusa poi | Wrapped rubber core with a short cloth and / or bells |
| Maoripoi | Flax or paper balls in a light fabric cover with a short cord |
| Rope poi | Styrofoam floats that are drawn on a string |
| Flag poi | large, specially sewn cloths with round corners and handles |
| Contactpoi | larger hollow rubber balls with cord and small retaining ball |
| LED poi | Semi-transparent balls or tubes with LED electronics and battery |
| Fire poi | Burning heads made of wound or braided Aramid / Kevlar |
| Fire ropes | Multiple braided Kevlar strands with rather short chains |
| Spark poi | Wire basket with glowing charcoal or steel wool |
| Pyropoi | Improper use of small fireworks as poi * |
* Class 2 New Year's Eve fireworks for sale are traditionally used. It is only allowed to be bought by people over 18 years of age from December 28th to 31st, and only in the approved form (standing) by them on December 31st and January 1st. to be burned down. Only state-certified stage pyrotechnicians are allowed to create and use such effects.
Non-fire practice poi are available in various designs (see table). The design ranges from its traditional form from New Zealand (short poi) to poi with a long string, with and without dragon fabric (also known as dragon tail or tail, often made of fluorescent material that is played with in the black light decorations often installed at Goa parties ) up to LED poi. These are used in spherical form, with or without a fiberglass tail, as crystal-clear rods with interior lighting or as modified decorative equipment. At the upper end of the rope, chain, cord or hose there are often handles in the form of knots, finger loops, wooden or rubber balls.
Fire poi
The versions with wick tape at the ends, which are set on fire with burning liquids such as lamp oil or petroleum and are used at events, are referred to as fire poi or fire chains or fire ropes . The wick tape often consists of aramid-containing fabric (such as the "Kevlar" manufactured by Du Pont). In some cases cotton is also used, which leads to a higher risk of fire because, unlike aramid, the carrier material itself is flammable. The poi are dipped in lamp oil or another flammable liquid and then lit. Responsible artists pay attention to a high degree of purity of the kerosene and throw out excess kerosene before burning with the help of a swing-out container, a kind of vessel with a string (can or similar). This prevents uncontrolled splashing into the environment. The use of fuels other than petroleum (highly purified lamp oil) is avoided by experienced fire players due to the higher dangers (faster outgassing, low fire point, risk of self-ignition) and the greater wear and tear of the burn heads.
characters
Basically, the number of possible figures with two poi is almost unlimited. There are six established levels to play at. Depending on where the poi swing, there are two wall levels (in front of or behind the player), two wheel levels (on the right and left side) as well as the floor and roof level (poi swing parallel to the floor or to the ceiling). There are also inclined planes and an infinite number of planes parallel to the above ...
Furthermore you can swing the poi in the same time or in uneven mode ( split time (offset by 180 ° to each other) and quarter time (by 90 °)), as well as play each figure forwards and backwards. In addition, they can be in opposite ( opposite direction ) or in the same direction ( same direction play). If you also let your arms circle, the respective poi can either “spin” against the direction of rotation of the arm (antispin) or in the same direction (inspin). You can then work with different tempos for arm and poi and thus achieve as many rotations ( beats ) as you want . With additional poi rotations, you can add so-called petals to the inspin and antispin figures, sometimes also called "flowers". If you now make different movements with each hand, you can play “hybrids”. Hybrids are patterns in which both hands are linked to moves from different categories (e.g. extensions and antispin). As a result, the actual number of so-called moves is limited not only by the skill and coordination skills of the player, but also by his creativity when discovering new patterns.
Beginners can learn the basic parallel turns in front of and next to the body in one direction with a simple symmetrical criss-cross pattern in a matter of hours. The learning success is therefore greatest at the beginning. After about 40 hours, more complicated movement sequences, e.g. B. parallel behind the body, can be controlled. Combining individual swings in any combination in front of and behind the body in an asymmetrical design requires months to years of training. Snap and stop movements, e.g. Sometimes with conscious chain entanglement and one-handed performance of both poi in opposite directions, is possible for advanced poi players, mostly in the context of artist groups or as a trainer.
Weave
The simple weave (two-beat or three-beat weave) is one of the easy-to-learn figures. The poi are first swung split time in the wall plane . Then a poi changes over the arm to the other side and rotates in the process. At the same time, the second swings under the other and turns once (first beat) and you are back in the starting position (with the two-beat weave there is a turn, i.e. beat number 2, and then everything repeats.) The first goes this time under the arm and turns (second beat), now the hands are crossed. So both turn again and change sides and are back in the starting position (third beat). Now the same thing starts over.
With the Weave, it looks from the side as if both poi are forming a line that rotates around its center. There are many variations, with the most common being the two-, three-, five-, seven-beat weave in front of the body and behind the back, forward and backward. A beat counts with half a turn on the same side. The human anatomy allows up to a maximum of eleven beats.
Stalls
Stalls cause the poi to stand still and are usually continued with a change of direction. There are up, down and sidestalls. In a stable you follow the circular path of the poi with your hand and slow down the movement so slowly that the poi stands still and can be swung in the other direction.
butterfly
The difficulty of the Butterfly is slightly higher than that of the Weave, but in the basic form before the body it is still beginner level. With the butterfly, the poi are opposite in a plane in front of or behind the player. The hands are close together, so that the resulting pattern can be compared to the symmetry of butterfly wings (hence the name). For beginners it often seems a problem as the poi often collide, but after a while this becomes the exception. With the large butterfly, the arms go wide apart (it is played with outstretched arms, i.e. extended ) and the poi act as an extension of the arms. The butterfly can be varied with the most versatile. Advanced figures that are based on the butterfly run alternately in front of and behind the body or offset to one another.
The most popular variants for advanced players (played in combination):
- Butterfly over head
- The normal butterfly is carried over the head and played there.
- Alternating Butterfly
- The poi are passed alternately over the head and / or behind the back.
- Butter weave
- The butterfly is carried next to the body and, as with the weave, the sides are alternately swapped.
- Threading-the-needle
- The hands go alternately forwards / backwards.
- 90 ° butterfly
- The hands are moved so that the pattern is offset by 90 °.
All of the above-mentioned figures can also be played backwards or partially offset and with one stroke more on each side.
Windmill
The windmill as a basic figure can be compared to the butterfly in terms of difficulty. The poi are swung in front of the body in the same direction. Now a poi changes behind the head or back. This now happens alternately.
The most common variants are:
- 3-beat windmill
- 3-Beat Weave as Windmill.
- Giant windmill
- The arms go wide apart and the poi act as an extension.
- Weave-to-Mill
- With the Weave, a 90 ° turn is made and then continued in the Windmill.
- Cork screw
- Windmill in the horizontal plane.
These moves can also be played backwards.
Flower
Flower figures are not easy to play. The arms are slowly rotated vertically with or against the direction of play, while the poi continue to swing in the same direction or in the opposite direction. The double circular guidance creates a beautiful figure, especially with light sources. Flowers are often played as intermediate movements and require a high level of fine motor control, since the circles have to be constantly re-stabilized in other places and, especially in the so-called antispin mode, the double counter-rotation of arm and poi rotation direction requires a high level of concentration.
Wrap
Wraps are also a way of changing the direction of the poi. The player brings one or both poi to the arm or leg in such a way that they briefly wrap around and turn back with enough momentum in the other direction of play. With so-called airwraps, an intersection of the cords forms the center of rotation of the circular paths. The radius of the circles is reduced, but the direction of travel does not change. With fire poi, these types of tricks generally run the risk of causing severe burns in the event of unfortunate entanglements by wrapping the extremities.
Others
- Buzzsaws
- Movements in which the poi are rotated parallel to each other between the outstretched arms.
- Hyperloops
- Certain airwraps in which the cords or chains of the poi twist into each other while running in the same direction and then dissolve again.
- One-handed butterfly
- The butterfly is played and held in one hand (rather seldom).
- Isolation
- By anticipating the rotation, the pivot point is shifted towards the weight, e.g. B. Buzzsaw Isolation. Ideally, the hands move on the same path as the respective poi before.
- Inversions
- Like isolation, but the arms penetrate the circular levels of the other poi.
- Throw / Catch
- The poi are thrown individually or together and caught again. Changes of direction are possible.
- Hybrids
- A hybrid of tricks, e.g. B. isolates one poi and the other extends the line on the outside.
- Stalls
- Here, a poi stays in place for a short time and is usually turned further in the opposite direction.
- Extensions
- Inspin movements with the same number of poi and arm rotations.
Cognitive development
It has long been known that a high reaction speed is directly related to intelligence . A study by the researchers Reed and Jensen in 1993 already showed that intelligence has a positive correlation with reaction time, that is, subjects with good responsiveness had high intelligence.
Juggling, and thus also spinning, activates both halves of the brain by alternately working with left and right hands and crossing the middle of the face . New links are formed, new "nerve roads" built, which can be expanded with regular occupation with poi games. These newly created neural pathways can be helpful when learning other content or skills, such as playing an instrument, reading and writing or at work. Childhood is the most important phase in the brain. However, Bittmann (2002) proves for the first time that the development of the brain is influenced by physical activity throughout life and thus also its functionality. And although neural plasticity is most pronounced in childhood, circus-pedagogical effects on motor and cognitive development have also been proven. In addition to the ability to react, playing poi also promotes two-handedness and the hand-eye coordination that is so important for increasing cognitive performance. This also applies in general to the simple form of juggling with balls and has been proven in a study by the Universities of Regensburg and Jena.
But there are also interesting approaches in another area. In his book "Zen in the Art of Juggling", Dave Finnigan , a world-famous juggler, describes his experiences during a several months juggling camp in a former Taiwanese monastery. The goal of juggling is to maintain a pattern. The key to success lies in letting go: Instead of following the balls with their eyes, good jugglers look to where the balls reach their highest point during flight or, as in the case of the poi game, try the position of the poi, which is noticeable due to the centrifugal force felt in the leading hand. Over time, the player learns to guide the balls blindly with this information and trusts the laws of physics that dictate exactly which path the ball will take.
Juggling can thus become a special form of meditation : You concentrate all your attention on a more or less simple, but completely periodic and usually very symmetrical pattern that you can completely control. There is no opportunity to plan ahead or look back, if you juggle at the limit of your abilities, you have to concentrate fully on the pattern and its current state. This makes it possible to completely move away from everyday life for a while and to develop inner peace.
hazards
Exercise poi do not pose a serious risk of injury. Play equipment with a high weight at the end (over 100 g) or made of hard materials (especially LED poi) can have a certain risk of minor bruises when hitting the body at very high speeds. Beginners generally suffer body hits that can be more or less painful depending on the pace of the game. In particular, the so-called “butterfly figure” can be uncomfortable for men because the weights are approximately the same distance from the pivot point as the genitals or (backwards) as the face. Therefore, experienced poi players advise beginners to start with soft, light poi and to keep the rotation speed low for the time being. This also results in a nicer picture due to a better feel.
Fire poi, on the other hand, belong to the more dangerous artistic varieties. Especially with fire poi, which are played by beginners, there is a high risk of injury to players and the audience. However, according to long-time poi players, if the safety regulations are observed, the fire game is not quite as dangerous as it appears, since the dwell time in physical contact is not long enough to cause burns. However, it could happen that burning poi tangle unhappily, hit the player in the face or fall down with floating figures and set the hair on fire. Fire poi should therefore only be played with wet hair, bald head or headgear. Too much fuel ejected by centrifugal forces can also cause serious burns for the players and the audience. For this reason, the performance devices are thrown out by responsible players with a coating, the so-called "shake-off-can", before the game, in order to throw out and catch excess petroleum before lighting. This also avoids a slippery floor and environmental damage to the floor.
When playing with fire poi , we recommend basic equipment such as a fire bucket or water bottle, a fire blanket and a tested foam extinguisher , as well as fire ointment and bandages. Of ABC-powder extinguishers must be made in people fire only in emergency use, since the powder can lead to crystalline encrustation on the damaged skin. Players who want to perform with fire poi should make every effort to take appropriate precautionary measures and find a helper who keeps the audience at a distance and who intervenes or calls out in the event of an incident knowledgeably and routinely. B. small sources of fire on clothing may not be recognized in time by the player himself and knocked out. For these and other legal and health reasons, the fire game is only recommended for experienced players with long experience (over 200 hours) and confident game play, even if the simple figures are apparently already mastered. The clothing worn should be largely free of plastics, as these, unlike cotton or linen, melt and burn into the skin.
See also
Web links
- Educational videos for beginners
- Building instructions for spin tools
- Poi in schools, poi and health
- Building instructions for the Poi swing-out container for the recovery of the fire fluid / environmental protection
Individual evidence
- ↑ Michal Kahn, Lucy J. Batchelor: Poi Spinning: A Jam-packed Guide. Jonglerie Diffusion, 2002, ISBN 1-898591-19-9 .
- ↑ homeofpoi.com
- ↑ Youtube video about the nine-part whip: Kung Fu Weapons - Nine Section Whip , accessed on September 26, 2014.
- ↑ loooop.org
- ↑ TE Reed, AR Jensen: Choice reaction time and visual pathway nerve conduction velocity both correlate with intelligence but appear not to correlate with each other: Implications for information processing. In: Intelligence. 17, 1993, pp. 191-203.
- ^ F. Bittmann: Circus Education and the Development of the Child. Circus educational approaches are of great importance for motor and cognitive development. In: Corax. 5, 2002, pp. 4-7.
- ↑ B. Draganski, C. Gezer, V. Bush, G. Schuierer, U. Bogdahn, A. May: Neuroplasticity: changes in gray matter induced by workout. In: Nature. 427, 2004, pp. 311-312.
- ↑ Dave Finnigan: Zen in the Art of Juggling. OW Barth bei Scherz, Bern 1993, ISBN 3-502-64201-X .