My Introduction and Los Angeles groups

[Kurus214]

I wanted to say hello to the group and thank everyone who is contributing as it's great to find a group of whip enthusiasts that talk about the issues around whipcraft.
I've got a million questions, my mind is a racing and I want to know so much but it will take time...

My name is Aaron. I've been practicing for a few weeks with a Terry Jacka/ DeLongis handled 6 foot 12 plait bullwhip. I picked this up from the Australian Stock Saddle Company - I happen to live close to them in Los Angeles and stumbled upon them.

I ended up cutting 1" pieces off of a branch Colin Dangaard was holding and it convinced me to purchase the whip... It was a mind rush actually and he's a great guy !

I was wondering if there are any members in the SoCal area who would like to practice together sort of like the SF Bay group and the group in San Diego. I know the gentleman who used to hold the practice at Pierce College and I'm sure I can find some others interested in attending if we can find a location.

[BullWhipBorton]

Hi Aaron, Welcome to Club Obi Wan. Since you have a million questions, we have a million answers!

Colin is a neat guy; great personality too. I know Terry’s Delongis handle bullwhips very well, I think they are great whips that perform quite nicely, and are a good choice.

There already are some group whip cracking practices going on in and around the L.A. area. They are a bit sporadic at times though depending one everyone’s work schedules, but we have several members here from that area that are involved in those meets, as well as a few of the more well known performers that do whip meets from time to time oriented towards sport & hobby and theatrical cracking and offer a safe family friendly opportunity to practice and learn more about the art of the whip.

COW member McFly who is a very active whip cracker in that area. Of Course Anthony De Longis and his wife Mary are not to far from there as well, they are both great people and are available for lessons. Last but not least there will also be a big focus on whip cracking at the Indy gear summit in Long Beach, CA with talented whip artists coming out from all over to participate this November.

All the best.

Dan

[Imahomer]

Welcome aboard!!!!

Mike

[Wade Egan]

Yes, welcome.

I live in Los Angeles and practice in my driveway or at the public park. Local kids always run over to watch. So far I had only one person call the police on me and that's because they thought the whip cracks where gunshots. The officers (4 of them) rolled up and asked me if I was shooting a gun. I showed them a few cracks and they laughed and took off. Asked me to keep the practice to the secluded area of the park and keep it between the operating hours.

I'm down to find somewhere to practice together, so if you have a place, let us know.


W.E.

[McFly]

Hi, Aaron! Welcome aboard. Great to have you here and good to have another whip-guy around, to compete with those crazy jacket dudes. There are a few of us who get together once in a while and practice together. Dejah Thoris and I go out and practice infrequently, and John Leonetti joins us when he can. Once in a while other members join us and we all practice together for several hours! Like Mr. Borton said (Thanks for the mention, Dan!), it depends on people's schedules.

Do you know where the Fort MacArthur Museum is? That's where we get together to practice! They love us there, and there's plenty of space for people to crack whips of all lengths. We're actually planning a day for practice right now..... I'll check in again if it all works out, and maybe you can join us!

Shane

[Kurus214]

I just looked up Ft Macarthur in San Pedro - I'm on the westside so that's not far from me ...45 minutes in good traffic . 90 in bad.

I'm happy to meet everyone and know that there are a few of us crazy's - I've found a park where the director and staff is ok with this and beginning to get used to me being there. I had to chase off a deer that got too inquisitive , not afraid of humans and today a woman who decided that sunbathing under the tree closest to me while I was practicing was a good idea.

I'm biting myself far too much in the elbow wrapping wrist and back of leg for my taste and today my non dominant arm which usually cracks very well got bit over and over just could not get in the groove in a forward crack until near the end of practice. I want finesse but I find I need to push the power to not get bit so much.

I do need to work with someone - I think videos won't do it for me so I'm willing to travel in Socal and we could do a meet at a dennys to do a hello// planning session some night....

Hi, Aaron! Welcome aboard. Great
to have you here and good to have another whip-guy around, to compete with those crazy jacket dudes. There are a few of us who get together once in a while and practice together. Dejah Thoris and I go out and practice infrequently, and John Leonetti joins us when he can. Once in a while other members join us and we all practice together for several hours! Like Mr. Borton said (Thanks for the mention, Dan!), it depends on people's schedules.

Do you know where the Fort MacArthur Museum is? That's where we get together to practice! They love us there, and there's plenty of space for people to crack whips of all lengths. We're actually planning a day for practice right now..... I'll check in again if it all works out, and maybe you can join us!

Shane

[Soup]

Welcome, no better place to be if you have questions about whips. That's what makes this site so great.

Glad your here.


Regards,

Soup

[Kurus214]

Thanks for all the welcomes !
I was up a bit late last night - go Dodgers !!! what a game against Atalanta.

Shane and Wade I've PM'd park details.

=========
Can someone point out until I get my basics video - the best threads, differences between a coachmans crack and a cattlemans crack ?

I feel like I'm doing the coachman but the crack is forward to the left of my eye - ear - I'm a lefty- straight to about eve level audible about 6 feet forward...

I'm confused how to get the coachman high - or am I doing the cattleman and need to get it high to get the coachman....

[McFly]

The coachman's crack should be near your ear, but if you want to get it to crack up in the air I think you can do that too. If you set up a cattleman's crack / gypsy crack / circus crack / make-up-your-own-new-name-for-free!, you know that you swing the whip up and let it travel behind you, at which point you extend your arm and squeeze the handle. If you do the same thing but swing it a little harder, to get it to travel behind you and then all the way back to your front, so that it's making a loop. Then when it's looping and heading out in front of you, you can extend your arm to pull the whip out of the loop. Does that make sense? If not, we can work on this particular crack at some point!

Shane

[BullWhipBorton]

Aaron, have you seen this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM_R0xIv ... annel_page

In it Adam explains & demonstrates the coachmen’s crack and it's differences from the cattlemen’s crack very precisely.

Dan

[Kurus214]

Thank you I'll take a look at that one !

[Indiana Jake]

Add me to your list when you plan to do a whip cracking practice session.

Indiana Jake