My Current Obsession

Poi.
Cobra poi, to be precise.
Which are not as impressive or as terrifying as fire poi, but they are incredibly fun.
And are a precursor to surrounding myself with rings of fire.

For the uninitiated, poi were used many years ago, by the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand. They were used for different reasons, depending on the gender of the tribesperson, but were mainly to increase the flexibility and strength in their hands and arms as well as improving coordination.

The female Wahine dancers performed traditional dances with the poi. They used balls attached to flax strings, which were swung rhythmically around the body. They also kept rhythm on the poi by tapping them, producing a distinctive sound. The dance itself was originally used by the Maori women for keeping their hands flexible for weaving.

The males in the tribe used rocks for added weight, to help build up the strength and coordination they required during battle. They were also used as a training aid for other traditional Maori weapons like the patu, which was a short, club like weapon.

Modern poi focuses purely on spinning the poi, and not on the rhythmic sounds it can be used to produce. Modern poi comes in many formats, and has many influences, from the juggling community to the rave subculture.

Fire poi are probably the most visually impressive at night, but are the most dangerous and require the most preperation. They may also be illegal in some areas, not that legality is normally a major concern of mine. A safer, but still visually impressive night time poi are the glow poi. You may remember them from early raves, but they seem to be more of a States thing than a European thing.

Flag poi and tail poi are ideal for during the day, but many tailed poi come with uv reactive tails, which make them equally suitable for night performances, if you have a portable blacklight.

There are loads of different moves that can be done, but im only learning at the moment so my repetoire is minimal, and im not too good at the transitions between one move and the next. But it is such an addicticve experience, and getting that new move is so satisfying, that i think i'll stay spinning for a long time yet. I'm putting off the fire poi for a while, because i think playing with fire will be even more addictive.

The only other activity i can equate it with is yoga. It gives the same feeling of centring yourself, and gives you that vital self time, which so many people unfortunately neglect.