The 10/10 Challenge

[Ron May]

My practice too is done, and it wasn't pretty.

I did notice that if I had a target just beyond the reach of my cracker that it did feel a lot better if I made that the focus and target.

Before that, the cracker kept getting tangled with the thong. After I focused on the target it didn't and with clean pops and a few cracks.

What did I learn ? Focus on a specific target and not thin air in front of the line of flight.
Throw the thong and let the rest just happen.
I am optimistic.

Ron

[Guest]

I had a nice 20min practice today. Since I've had a couple of days off half of the time I was doing different cracks, playing around feeling the whip and half the time doing the forward and horizontal cracks. I also did these from the behind which helped me to find the right lines. These cracks seem to be easier on the longer whip.

This time I had eye protection too so I was more comfortable - pain I'm ok with but I'd rather keep my vision. I noticed the forward crack worked best the closer to my body/shoulder/face I dared to throw the whip trough. It helped a lot to keep the whip according to the natural curve. I also got more concistent on the horizontal one.

Nice little session!

[Bob Ouellette]

I'm finally home and able to throw my whips. I practiced the underhand and overhand cracks with my 6, 10, and 15 foot Peter Jack bullwhips.

Ben, I hope the video helps with the description of the way I throw. I'm glad the description helps with your longer whips.

https://youtu.be/PSkz1AR6LE4

[Ron May]

Bob, those are some really nice performing whips.
I like how your forward crack flows , nice and smooth.
Thanks for sharing this with us.

Ron

[Tristan Foy]

Sorry for being gone for a few days. Been to busy to write.

I had to do a 20 minute practice yesterday to catch up for a lost day. So...

I actually found a video of Adam Winrich explaining the forward crack, and sometimes listening to more than one person helps clarify problems I have. For those of you interested, here it be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od7JBEIQj7M

My main problem now is that when I bring my whip behind me, instead of staying straight, it just strays out to the side and cracks me in the back or the neck, or the neck and the face, when I bring it forward. I simply cannot get it to stay straight behind me yet and it's starting to piss me off. I don't mind getting cracked as long I can learn how to avoid it, but I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'll try to make a video if I can, but usually it's too dark for video by the time I practice.

In other news, I finally am getting cracks from the UC!! Happy happy! I still feel like I'm using wayyyy too much force from it, since in the videos it looks like everyone is doing it so effortlessly and with next to no energy, whereas I'm bringing my arm down like my life depends on it, but maybe that's how it's supposed to be. I've found that I need to stop at about my leg and, and stop suddenly. The whip does most of the rest of the work.

This advice was recommended to me by Robert, I believe, quite early on, but it's only taken me till now to figure out how to get some more concrete results from it.

I've found that sometimes if I don't learn something, cracks in this case, instead of sticking with it, I need to move on and work on something else. And sometimes that something else shows me via the new context what I was doing wrong with my prior problem. In this case, learning the RHC helped me learn to see how to better hold the handle in general, but especially with the UC.

And hopefully the same process will help me learn how to stop whacking myself.

[Robert Gage]

My main problem now is that when I bring my whip behind me, instead of staying straight, it just strays out to the side and cracks me in the back or the neck, or the neck and the face, when I bring it forward.

Tristan, you'll see I've been in Munich - which (of course!) included a few whip-lessons with Robby. The problem you describe is exactly what Ive been doing. Robby pointed out that I twisted my wrist as I brought the whip forward. It didn't feel like I was doing that, but I was. Try paying attention to your wrist....

[Bob Ouellette]

Thanks, Roy! I love how long whips flow. Peter Jack does an exceptional job braiding them.

Tristan, try laying a rope on the ground beside you. when you throw, do your best to keep the whip from crossing over the rope at any point of the throw. The rope will serve as a physical representation of the plane in which the whip should be traveling.

[Ben Varsek]

Jessie, show that devil who the boss is !!!


Ron, thank you very much for your tip !!!
I've visualized the spear throwing motion on my practice but I haven't aimed at an actual target so far - I'll do that on tomorrows final 10/10 FC practice !!!


Erik, it's good to hear that you've had a nice practice session !!!


Bob, thank you very much for the video that you've shoot - my compliments to your whipcracking skills !!!


Tristan, congratulations for the UC progress !!!



Yesterdays practice was not as "good" as on the days before yesterday but todays practice fealt better again


All the best
Ben

[Tristan Foy]

I like the idea of the rope, or at least something to help me visually keep my whip straight.

Sad day though. :-( I have to find a new practice ground. While in my regular practice lot, a large empty grassy place next to an empty parking lot and a building with boarded up (being renovated?) windows, a guy with no sense of humor came from that building told me that it was private property for construction and I've had to leave.

I said that was fine, but that I'd seen people coming out here to let their dogs play around, and he said, "They shouldn't." And I said that cops would park in the parking lot a few spots down from my truck while I cracked and they never spoke to me, and he said "Yeah because they don't know it's private property."

It seemed more like he was bored and wanted someone to pick on, but what can you do? So I guess it's off to a park now, which is exactly what I was trying to avoid. Cuz I'm shy. :-)

[Tristan Foy]

I should add in fairness he had a security page and was dressed for the part, so it wasn't just anyone, but still. It's hard not to think "Lighten up, dude. No one was getting hurt (except me when I'd hit myself.)" :-)

[Robert Gage]

Bad luck, Tristan! But I'm afraid that's my notion of America: whatever it is, somebody else owns it and doesn't want to share. The idea of public space, and of 'live and let live', is not - at least in my admittedly limited experience - very prominent there. (And I share your shyness with regard to cracking in parks....)

[Tristan Foy]

I think it depends on where you are. Where I was growing up I don't think it would have been such a big problem, but it was a much smaller town, too.

[Ron May]

It's a shame that you have to move, but you are doing the right thing.
You can be a positive example of whip cracking as a sport and not just something sorted and dark.

Ron

[Tristan Foy]

Other than that, Robert, I'm not sure what to tell you. Even though I've lived abroad for a while I still am not quite sure how America gets perceived. But in all honesty, despite my love for it, I am rather critical of my country as well, in lots of ways, many of them non-political. A couple of Europeans I've met tell me they always forget that I am American when we are together, and since I've always felt more at home in Europe, I've taken that as quite a compliment.

[Ben Varsek]

Tristan, I'm sorry to hear that you've had to leave your practice spot !!!

I'm also shy in trems of doing my whipcracking practice in front of strangers but I'm getting more and more used to that the more often I practice it !!!

All the best
Ben

[Tristan Foy]

Ron, I wondered if that was part of it actually. If I'd been throwing a football I wonder if he would have been as quick to come out vs. doing a sport that is seen as kind of strange by most people.

[Tristan Foy]

Ben, thanks!

I've shown my cracks to one or two people now, or have been in a park a few times, and I agree, it does help.

[Ron May]

My practice today is about the same as yesterday.
Finding consistency is not easy for me.
I'm still trying to maintain my my focus on a specific target spot.
However, the more I practice the better it's getting and the more I am understanding about the mechanics and , believe it or not, the personality of the crack.

Ron

[Robert Gage]

But in all honesty, despite my love for it, I am rather critical of my country as well, in lots of ways, many of them non-political.

Tristan, I think anyone who loves his country will always be critical of it! Not to be critical is not to care....

[Tristan Foy]

I find targets helpful, too. I haven't thought of it with the FC yet. Instead I've been focusing on getting the form down, but it has helped with the RHC especially, as well as the UC, I think.