What is Juggling ?
The most well known form of
juggling is toss juggling. This is the art of keeping two or
more objects in the air, for a certain amount of time, by
alternately tossing and catching them. There are two types of
jugglers: Hobbyists and entertainers. Entertainers are those
who juggle for a living and their goal is to amuse their audience.
Hobbyists are those who juggle for fun. Appropriate
items for hobbyist jugglers to use include:
balls, clubs, beanbags,
rings, apples, and scarves.
Why is
Juggling
a good Hobby?
Juggling is a great past time for kids and it can
be turned into a great hobby. It inspires imagination, and
creativity and it helps improve eye-hand coordination.
Juggling is a physical
activity that requires concentration and focus
as well as
commitment and dedication. It is
a great deal of fun and it can be done anywhere. It is a
challenge to learn the technique and there is always room for
improvement. Lastly, juggling is very inexpensive.
Tips for the Amateur Juggler...
-
Start by
selecting a location that is safe to juggle. You need to
be an outstretched arms distance from people and valuable
objects.
-
Remember
to keep things slow and steady and to stand with your knees
slightly bent.
-
The
object should be thrown from hand to hand in an arc at about eye
level. Do not look at your hands, keep your eyes where the
ball reaches its peak in the air.
-
Throw
the object using your elbow instead of your wrist or shoulder.
-
It is
best to start with something that is slow moving and soft.
For example scarves, pieces of material, or plastic grocery bags
are ideal for a beginner. You want to stay away from
anything that will bounce or roll.
-
You must
set short term goals for improvement. Once you have
mastered the scarves test your skills by moving on to beanbags.
-
After
beanbags it is time to move on to small balls. Remember,
they need to be about the same size and weight. Classic
juggling balls for kids can be purchased at hobby shops, toy
stores or on the internet for approximately $10.
-
Frequent
small practice sessions, twenty minutes once a day, is more
beneficial than long sessions once a week.
-
Remember
that practice makes perfect!
There are
local juggling clubs where individuals go to watch, learn or juggle
just for fun. The levels of the members range from amateur to
professional. It is a great place to go to learn how to juggle
or to improve existing skills. A resource for locating clubs
is the
Internet Juggling Database.
Click here for
Beginner Instruction Video
Click here for
Instructions on How to Make Juggling Balls
