From falls & poppers to plaiting & cracking technique, this section is dedicated in memory of Sergei, IndyGear Staff Member and Whip Guru. Always remember to keep "Celebratin' Life!"
I am still new to whipcracking but i already have gotten much better then when I started (not hitting myself anymore )
i barely had my white nylon western stage props whip for six months and it shows... lets just say its been a long winter. I learned all my techniques from Adam Winrichs videos (and a medieval faire buddy)
Ah there's nothing like the first practice of the year after a long winter!
You might want to try holding your whip by the butt end (the ball if you prefer), rather than by the handle. I noticed on your video you held it by the handle and this may contribute to a more difficult cracking. By holding the ball in your palm like a ball and socket joint, you can better direct the whip simply by using infinite differences in pressure in your grip, it also gives you a better leverage on the thong.
Also, you're not doing too badly, but I would caution against trying to learn too many tricks at once. First get the basics out of the way to the point where you master them and don't hit yourself anymore. THEN add a new trick ONE at a time. You're doing the classic thing of trying to master everything at once, and in the process you are not being safe. Doing it this way may also develop in you bad form and bad habbits which will later be difficult to unlearn. Learn it the right way from the start by slowing down and concentrating on the basic cracks. You look comfortable with the whip and that's good, just slow down. If you were to go see a professional whip handler for training they would tell you the same thing... And for god's sake wear protective goggle! You may not see the top showmen with goggles, but that's because it's a calculated risk for a very short amount of time; that of the show, and because they've been cracking whips for decades. You should not take such risks with your eyes, they are just too valuable to gamble with. I'vce been around whips for over 25 years, and I too made the mistake of not wearing protective eye gear for a while, and I was very lucky nothing happened to me. But starting this year, I'm going back to wearing protective eye wear, because i don't trust myself to be infailible.
Hey thanks! Yeah I guess I think of myself as a faster learner than I really am. I am at the point where i am no longer hitting myself. I am trying to get the flicks down. It will be a while before i start wrapping, targeting, double-handed, or firewhip stuff! I would love to say i am ready for that but i know i am not.
now that i have a new digital camera i am getting more active on my channel I just uploaded some new ones
Welcome Dan, I enjoyed the videos. The overhead “axe” volley isn’t one I see too often outside of the Ren Fair circuit, it’s a fun one though.
Franco gave you good advice and you should listen to him. Don’t let your confidence exceed your skill level. Slow down for now and don’t muscle the whip so much, That whip should crack relatively easily if you let it. It looks like your really tying to give it all you got with those cracks, but realistically good whip cracking is all about technique and control, not power, which is why some one like Adam or Chris Camp or Anthony De Longis makes it look so easy and pretty.
That will wear you out pretty quick, but don’t beat yourself up over it . It’s not uncommon for someone just starting out to be a bit overzealous and put too much power into their whip work, especially when you don’t have first hand instruction or at least a true training video handly to kind of walk you though the basics.
Thanks, it's amazing how many Dan's we have here cracking whips, we could start our own organization or performing troupe
Sunglasses don’t offer as much protection, but they are usually better then nothing. If you do go that route though, make sure they are plastic and shatterproof. Otherwise just pick up a pair of inexpensive wrap arounds like these from Home Depot or Lowes...
I guess i should tell you guys I got a really funny looking whip from an Aunt of mine when i got my first whip, she's a rancher...
i thought it was the weirdest whip and its not even a "real" whip... but it does crack! I will show a video of it real soon... i think this is the whip that taught me all my bad habits...
) 
. It’s not uncommon for someone just starting out to be a bit overzealous and put too much power into their whip work, especially when you don’t have first hand instruction or at least a true training video handly to kind of walk you though the basics. 