Since then, one friend has asked me to teach her about Poi, and I was happy to spend some time on a cold Tuesday evening with her in our downtown park. She turned out to be fairly good for a beginner, partly because her father had taught how to spin two swords. Yes, it's a similar technique, but slightly less dangerous when the spinning objects are balls on strings. On the other hand, she did demonstrate why EMTs tend to refer to facial piercings as "zippers." She managed to catch one of the strings on her eyebrow stud, and tugged hard enough to cause blood. Not serious, but painful enough to encourage her not to do it again!
As I left work Monday afternoon, I noticed three young ladies spinning poi in the park next to my workplace. I couldn't resist stopping for a few minutes to watch them, and try to figure out one of the techniques they were practicing. We agreed that what they were doing is a bit like double-entry bookkeeping: if you try to analyze it, you'll mess up your head. If you just do it, it'll work fine. So I watched the three fit, adventurous young ladies who are ever-so-much more flexible (and better looking!) than I, and went home inspi - encouraged to continue practicing.
Poi is a fitness and training device developed by Maori warriors. It's quite good for developing flexibility, coordination, and general fitness. It's gentle too, if your poi are relatively light; mine are made of tennis balls with a swivel of some sort on a string, and encased in a nylon sack. Though I bought them from the instructor at the workshop last month, they originally came from http://www.homeofpoi.com/ and they're available from many other sites, too. I wondered on Beth's behalf if they could be spun from a wheelchair, and found a site that briefly mentions just that. There's no reason they couldn't, but you'd have to avoid your wheels and legs is all. Some moves wouldn't work, but practice would make others work.
As for the thrice-damned pipes below my kitchen sink, my Beloved Wife assisted my father yesterday, and they installed a new drain. It leaked a little bit for a while, but I think it's safe to say the job is finished for now.
4 comments:
I did go to the site but have not delved deeply enough to find out if there is a "good" set for wheelchairs, I suspect the fire ones wouldn't be the best starter set, am also wondering if I can do them vertically over my head (how long could I do that I wonder? Not too long). It would be interesting to try just to see what was possible.
Oh my no! Fire poi+beginner+Beth would be a Bad Thing!
With most poi, you have a string or cord, which can be shortened or lengthened to fit your arm length. I suspect you'd want them a bit shorter than most people, Beth, and... and, er, I took a work break to look something up and lost my train of thought.
I'm going to spend a few minutes at home tomorrow finding out what i can for you. I'll email you privately about it.
I don't know that much about poi, had no idea they were african in nature. I did a fair amount of sword work back in another century and have been trying to find a way to return to it, bad ankle and all. Found a club here that is involved with medieval style sword training, based on some of the sword manuals from the day. Training is ok but the limitations of my ankle make it an adjustment to spar with me from the perspective of others and I keep lapsing into aikido stances which is a bit like .. well . .cheating
At any rate, the poi sounds interesting, I am sure we have places here that do it, we have places here that do everything
Victor: Poi come from New Zealand, m'lad. The Maori warriors used them as a training and exercise tool.
Beth: I think I have some ideas for you; I was going to email you privately, but in case anyone else is interested, I'll post the results tonight on my blog. That'll give me something to write about.
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