Notes on life, art, photography and technology, by a Danish dropout bohemian.
When you drink the water, remember the river.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Okotanpe
Glass ball balancing.
13 comments:
tc
said...
durn! The one where he's on the beach isn't available, anymore! Very cool to watch! I wonder if it is a solid ball or if it is like what we have on our coast, where they are hollow, and what it weighs. It doesn't look very heavy or...at least that is how he makes it appear. I looked around but haven't found a direct link to him that doesn't have Japanese lettering on it.
Beautiful and magic! (=> So I have sent the link to a few friends.)
I'm sure it's a solid glass ball - I'm playing around sometimes with socalled Chi-Kung balls (about 7 cm diameter, massive stone or even steel, two balls in the hand), so I know the feeling and I know, that these movements wouldn't be possible if there is not enough weight.
Thank you for the information, Neeraj. I had been thinking that a solid ball would be too heavy. His movements w/the ball are very fluid. It is very magic-looking...especially when his hand is above the durn ball. I wonder about how he can hold it so well...having to deal with gravity and all, of course. :-)
I met jugglers on my way and had the chance to try these magic balls, so I can add some info:
It is called "contact juggling".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_juggling
Those glass-looking balls are acrylic (some kind of plastic I guess). Lighter than glass, but heavy enough to allow the movement. They are not as breakable as glass.
Thanks for the info, Aniko. I was sure it must be solid to allow these movements (it needs a certain moment of inertia to be able to produce such a lightness - paradoxical), but I didn't know that it's acrylic glass.
Playing around with "Chi-Kung balls" (what I'm doing) is called "palmspinning" in the wikipedia article.
It's a very old technique invented by Taoist doctors (as far as I know) in order to support health and to prevent illness especially for people who are mainly sitting all the day and therefore not very much moving their body (e.g. the Chinese emperors had to do very long fixed rituals with nearly no body movements for many hours). It works by means of activating all the reflex points on the palms.
However, it's a very good training in many aspects (e.g. also balancing left/right asymmetry in the brain) and gives (after doing it for an hour or so) an amazing feeling of aliveness in your hands. I recommend it very much. (Of course, it needs some intense training to learn it. Sometimes I give training lessons about that for beginners.)
"It's a very old technique invented by Taoist doctors (as far as I know) in order to support health and to prevent illness especially for people who are mainly sitting all the day."
Thanks for the information, Neeraj!
Well, I guess playing with balls probably appeared in many cultures. But I had never thought of its medicinal advantages.
I saw "palmspinning" and "contact juggling" are now quite synonym.
For the contact juggling with acrylic balls, Michael Moschen launched it, very talented juggler artist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h7nXU2xFNY
I don't know if palm massage reduces pain. But as I am now kind of sick (throat ache, fever, no sleep etc), I have just tested that watching this video definitely reduces pain! :-)
***
There was a film in the eighties, with David Bowie and Sarah Conelly, The Labyrinth, that presented it to a large public. I saw it first there.
The plastic balls with "spikes" are also good for palm massage. There are also spiky rings (formed as a torus) for the same purpose, which I think to be a bit more practical.
About 25 years ago I started with classical Tai Chi and Chi Kung. I became also aware about these Chi Kung balls, and started exercising.
These ancient Chinese techniques are often a synergetic connection between aspects of spirituality, healing arts and martial arts at the same time. (E.g. if needed the balls are also an excellent weapon, and doing it e.g. one hour is also a kind of centering technique.)
... I have just tested that watching this video definitely reduces pain!
Aniko said... "Those glass-looking balls are acrylic (some kind of plastic I guess). Lighter than glass, but heavy enough to allow the movement. They are not as breakable as glass."
Makes a lot of sense. I was wondering how this dude could make it look so graceful, if they were heavy glass balls.
Thanks for providing the other link on Michael Moschen. Pretty cool.
Thanks, Aniko. I appreciate that. I've been *hanging around* since last October. I've been needing to say the same to you. :0)
I've meant to offer you my assistance w/English, if you can't seem to find your answers anywhere else. Eo has my e-mail address, if you like. Then we can talk about *playing with balls* offline! lol! ;0)
13 comments:
durn! The one where he's on the beach isn't available, anymore! Very cool to watch! I wonder if it is a solid ball or if it is like what we have on our coast, where they are hollow, and what it weighs. It doesn't look very heavy or...at least that is how he makes it appear. I looked around but haven't found a direct link to him that doesn't have Japanese lettering on it.
Beautiful and magic! (=> So I have sent the link to a few friends.)
I'm sure it's a solid glass ball - I'm playing around sometimes with socalled Chi-Kung balls (about 7 cm diameter, massive stone or even steel, two balls in the hand), so I know the feeling and I know, that these movements wouldn't be possible if there is not enough weight.
Thank you for the information, Neeraj. I had been thinking that a solid ball would be too heavy. His movements w/the ball are very fluid. It is very magic-looking...especially when his hand is above the durn ball. I wonder about how he can hold it so well...having to deal with gravity and all, of course. :-)
Hi!
I met jugglers on my way and had the chance to try these magic balls, so I can add some info:
It is called "contact juggling".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_juggling
Those glass-looking balls are acrylic (some kind of plastic I guess). Lighter than glass, but heavy enough to allow the movement. They are not as breakable as glass.
And they are so magic! :-)
Thanks for the info, Aniko. I was sure it must be solid to allow these movements (it needs a certain moment of inertia to be able to produce such a lightness - paradoxical), but I didn't know that it's acrylic glass.
Playing around with "Chi-Kung balls" (what I'm doing) is called "palmspinning" in the wikipedia article.
It's a very old technique invented by Taoist doctors (as far as I know) in order to support health and to prevent illness especially for people who are mainly sitting all the day and therefore not very much moving their body (e.g. the Chinese emperors had to do very long fixed rituals with nearly no body movements for many hours). It works by means of activating all the reflex points on the palms.
However, it's a very good training in many aspects (e.g. also balancing left/right asymmetry in the brain) and gives (after doing it for an hour or so) an amazing feeling of aliveness in your hands. I recommend it very much. (Of course, it needs some intense training to learn it. Sometimes I give training lessons about that for beginners.)
Talking about palm massage, I've just recently started using these again:
http://tr.im/iFdb
(TTL also bought some recently.)
"It's a very old technique invented by Taoist doctors (as far as I know) in order to support health and to prevent illness especially for people who are mainly sitting all the day."
Thanks for the information, Neeraj!
Well, I guess playing with balls probably appeared in many cultures. But I had never thought of its medicinal advantages.
I saw "palmspinning" and "contact juggling" are now quite synonym.
For the contact juggling with acrylic balls, Michael Moschen launched it, very talented juggler artist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h7nXU2xFNY
I don't know if palm massage reduces pain. But as I am now kind of sick (throat ache, fever, no sleep etc), I have just tested that watching this video definitely reduces pain! :-)
***
There was a film in the eighties, with David Bowie and Sarah Conelly, The Labyrinth, that presented it to a large public. I saw it first there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_IcWf8EVjU&feature=related
Michael Moschen plays David Bowie's hand. :-)
The plastic balls with "spikes" are also good for palm massage. There are also spiky rings (formed as a torus) for the same purpose, which I think to be a bit more practical.
About 25 years ago I started with classical Tai Chi and Chi Kung. I became also aware about these Chi Kung balls, and started exercising.
These ancient Chinese techniques are often a synergetic connection between aspects of spirituality, healing arts and martial arts at the same time. (E.g. if needed the balls are also an excellent weapon, and doing it e.g. one hour is also a kind of centering technique.)
... I have just tested that watching this video definitely reduces pain!
Mirror neurons? ;-)
Aniko said...
"Those glass-looking balls are acrylic (some kind of plastic I guess). Lighter than glass, but heavy enough to allow the movement. They are not as breakable as glass."
Makes a lot of sense. I was wondering how this dude could make it look so graceful, if they were heavy glass balls.
Thanks for providing the other link on Michael Moschen. Pretty cool.
Aniko, I forgot to mention: Get well soon!
Thanks, Neeraj! :-)
Welcome, tc! :-)
Aniko said...
"Thanks, Neeraj! :-)
Welcome, tc! :-)"
Thanks, Aniko. I appreciate that. I've been *hanging around* since last October. I've been needing to say the same to you.
:0)
I've meant to offer you my assistance w/English, if you can't seem to find your answers anywhere else. Eo has my e-mail address, if you like. Then we can talk about *playing with balls* offline! lol! ;0)
Thanks tc!
:-)
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