Have you ever heard of poi? Not the Hawaiian food (which I hear tastes like cardboard....) or the film genre (which I know nothing about.) but the juggling kind?
No? Let me educate you.
Poi started out as a form of weaponry for the Maori people of New Zealand. You know the place, the little tiny island below Australia. Well these people used a more primitive form of poi than the common jugglers poi today. They used chains with rocks and metal and other sharp things at the end. They would then proceed to use these to ward off enemies... pretty freaky. I also image them using the stance, the one to scare your enemies, from the movie Whale Rider.
Ever seen that indie film? No? Here is the trailer, it is really a good movie.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE7-_Z03Aw4
I digress, they used poi in defense. Now a days poi is used to help women with arthritis and as a performing art. Just like juggling, poi is a performing act. In fact it is a form of juggling.
A Maori Student Performance
There are a few kinds of poi:
Jugglers Poi- This is the most common time. (It is also the easiest to make at home.) This includes sock poi, which is the easiest thing in the world to make.
LED light Poi- A step up from Jugglers Poi, slightly harder and hurts a bit more if you hit yourself. Comes in a variety of flashing colors or solid bright lights.
Fire Poi- The most amazing, and advanced poi. This stuff literally is on fire. Not the whole thing, why burn your hands, but the end is on fire. This is so much fun to watch.
Poi is normally made of three parts; the finger hold, the chain, and the ball.
- The Finger hold is almost always made of leather, because of the constant wear in this area leather holds together best.
-The Chain is what connects the finger hold to the ball. This can be made of many things, ranging from actual chain to string to shoelaces (in the case of cheap homemade poi).
-The Ball: is what it sounds like, a large chunk of something at the end of the chain. In some cases this is a tennis ball (homemade poi) or a kind of fabric for dipping in oil (fire poi).
My Homemade Jugglers Poi
Poi is a great pastime. It is fun, exercise and something the whole family can do... as long as you keep the little kids under control from beating each other up.. (It has happened in my family.) Here are two great sites for beginners, mature poi players, and just those who admire it. (Included on the sites: staffing)
As a closer, here is a video of a chick doing fire poi.
If you ever want to try poi, I highly suggest it as a fun way to let off steam. Just remember, if you hit yourself say "Code Orange" to let others know you may just be on fire... ;D
~Carollela~
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