The 10/10 Challenge

[Tristan Foy]

Ok, I am now caught up in reading everything. I didn't watch every single video, or some I watched only a few minutes of, if they were the full practice sessions, because I wanted to get caught up.

Since I am new to this forum, I only found out about this challenge yesterday.

I do have Robby's set of DVDs, and I am a complete novice, so I don't really have any bad habits developed yet.

Whip: 6' nylon
Progress: 1/1

I did about 10 minutes of the circus crack and I managed to get it to crack several times! I was quite pleased. I managed not to hit myself in the face, but the whip does have a penchant from coming back and hitting me in the back of the head, like Robby mentioned in his video. So I need to get my technique down when I end the crack.

In short, I found it starting to become addicting, but I had to stop because
a) I was getting tired,
b) it was already late and dark out
c) I had wax melting so I could wax my whip I made (the one I am using for practice was one I had commissioned) and
d) my cracker got all knotted up and I'm still trying to undo the knots in it. :-(

About videos. I probably should make some to get feedback, but I have questions about that since I don't really make videos for uploading on YouTube: How do you guys mount your phones? Do you have a tripod or something? It also seems like you'd need someone to focus it. If you have a friend that's fine and dandy but sometimes that's not an option.

[Robert Gage]

Well done, Tristan! It sounds like you're starting as you mean to go on....

With regard to tangled crackers, one indispensable piece of kit to carry with you is a fid. The moment you see a tangle, use the fid to untangle it - or you'll risk cracking in in permanently!

(Making videos is a total mystery to me.... I don't doubt I could learn how to do it, but is seems such a fiddle, and would take such a long time, that I'd rather just keep practising!) [NB - as the spell-check shows red, I'll just mention again: in Britain, 'practise' is the verb, while 'practice' is the noun'.]

[Tristan Foy]

I make videos all the time to send to my friends via Facebook, but I'm the one holding the camera. When I'm out cracking a whip I'd need someone to help me with the phone/camera (easy enough) or a tripod (I'd rather not invest the money in one) since not everyplace I want to crack at has a place I can put my phone.

The area I went to tonight is just an empty grassy lot by a highway on one side and a parking lot on the other. It was grassy and I am sure there were probably snakes around, which would actually have been a bonus for me, since I love snakes.

It's not a closed off area and no security drove around the parking lot next to where I was cracking, so it seems to be a safe practice spot.

[Ron May]

Tristan , I just prop the phone up on what ever is handy. Your phone is auto focusing so that should not be a problem. Or you could take some rubber bands with you and fasten it to a post/tree or what ever is available.

If you are hitting the back of your head on the follow through it's probably because your follow through is going too far behind you. The crack is finished , as Robby pointed out in his video, at 6:00 on the imaginary clock face for the circus crack.

Thank you for joining the challenge.

Ron

[Bill Jahns]

Hi Ron,

I fixed it, you should be able to view it now.

Thanks,

Bill

[Ron May]

Bill, the first thing I noticed is that you are holding the handle not the knot.
The knot fits in the palm of your hand and acts like a pivot point for your wrist and can rotate in the palm to suit various cracks .

The second thing is that you are using too much muscle and trying to "make" the whip crack.
Let the whip do all the work.

Thirdly, keep the thong in a vertical plane like in the video. If you don't have Robby's video he gave a great example https://youtu.be/j0ovikV7dYo .

Try to keep your arm, and hand in line with the thong, not out to the side.

I have problems with keeping it on plane and slowing down.
Take a good pause between cracks.

Happy practice.

Ron

[Ben Varsek]

Hi everyone !

It's awesome to see many new participants in this challenge - thank you all for joining in !!!


@ Rachel McCollough:

I'm looking forward to see your new practice whip Mrs. McCollough !!!


@ Alexander Müller:

Windy weather has also given me a hard time while practicing whipcracking in the past. In my personal experience it works best when you position yourself into the same direction in which the wind blows for the circus crack (to have the wind coming into the same direction in which you are looking).

@ Ron May:

Congratulations Ron - your video shows that you've made a lot of progress !!!


@ Bill Jahns:

I have noticed that you are using your pointing finger instead of your thump on the handle to guide the whip while you're holding it - if I'm not mistaken it's better to use the thumb because using the pointing finger to guide the whip could result into injuring that finger by bending it over to much.
I would also recomed to take a little pause in between the cracks (I also always need to remind myself to do little pauses in between the cracks).


@ Tristan Foy:

Knotting up a cracker while practicing is absolutely normal and it's therfore good to have spare crackers when practicing for the case that the knots are to tight to be opened with a fid.


All the best
Ben

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Robby, once again you manage to use words so well to describe a physical action. I could picture the movements as I read your words. Thank you.

[Jessie Edwards]

This makes me smile. Thank you guys for participating. It really is progressing just the way I wanted it to.

Tristan, you bring your whip up to 12 o'clock and end it at 6. My guess is you are muscling your way through from 12 to 6 (trying to achieve the crack), which is keeping up the energy that should be dissipated at about 4:30 and done and gone at 6. If you can fix up a video, we can look to see what your hand is doing at the end of the crack and help correct it. When you can, it will help with the process.

Also, when you are gentle while learning your cracks, it will help keep your cracker from knotting. One knot, or two are no big deal. when you get a pile of 2 or 3 knots on top of eachother, it starts making problems.

Robby told me once that cowboys used to make their crackers very long with a knot purposefully put in every inch or so, so when the frayed end got funky, they simply had to cut off the cracker at the knot without the effort of an entire cracker change, or the inconvienience of hauling around a bunch of extra crackers. Ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying about "that one knot." A knot in the fall though, that should be tended to.

See! See, German! You think I don't listen to you. I listen.

[Rachel McCollough]

Tristan if you have a c clamp you can very gently but not tightly! Clamp it on the corner of your phone. Fold up a paper towel and put there first. You can set it on a bike seat, car hood, stool, stump, old tire...
Or you can zip tie your phone to a fence etc. trim the first or last of your video to the part you want.

[Ron May]

Rachel, a 'C' clamp like a kick stand on a bike.... how ingenious.

Ron

[Guest]

Aw man, I gotta be on this some how. I wish I had a yard to practice! Whipping in public still raises eyebrows here. I guess that's not my problem... I guess I'll do what Tristan did and see trough how everyone's doing and join in for as much as possible!

[Robby Amper]

Robby, once again you manage to use words so well to describe a physical action. I could picture the movements as I read your words. Thank you.

I thank you for your words, Roger. I like to teach and to explain in pictures. Words only reach the mind.
Pictures reach the heart. Mostly...

Robby

[Robert Gage]

Robby, the thing is, you use words very effectively to help the student visualise what you mean.

[Guest]

Erik, I know that public feeling very well. People tend to look away when I head to the park carrying the whip.

[Ron May]

I have found it to be a chick magnet.... not as good as a puppy but it does work.

Ron

[Ron May]

Any place is good as long as it's legal and the ground surface will not damage the whip.
Grass is preferable but definitely not pavement or cement.
If people do come to watch be sure to warn them not to get too close and always keep in mind where they are in respect to your swing area.
Safety first always!

Ron

[Tristan Foy]

I'm wondering if it would be overkill to do two cracks per lesson, 10 minutes per crack? Or is that overzealous?

[Ron May]

Tristan, as long as you take your time and don't rush it, and all about form it should be fine.

I think Ben is doing something similar with the circus and underhand cracks.

Ron

[Ron May]

I just got through with my practice for the day.
I switched back to Blue Lightning because it forces me to slow down the movement
and using Robby's visual description I think I am a little closer to achieving the smooth motion I am looking for.
With little power and energy it is coming right along.
Two pretty good practice days in a row. I'm smiling about that.

Ron