Club Obi Wan

Last weekend my nephew Michael came down. He's always watched me when I work on my form and precision on the tree's around my moms house and I figured it was high time I taught him how to crack a whip. He got off to it gangbusters! This is why I do what I do, to pass it on to others. I hope that he and you enjoy it. Please leave him a message on the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2Ie1sT_sVg

The boy's certainly got a flair for cracking. But shouldn't you encourage him to wear safety glasses, at least at this early stage?

You know what? That was sooo close to me when I was his age that it's scary!!! Way to go sir!

Satipo wrote:The boy's certainly got a flair for cracking. But shouldn't you encourage him to wear safety glasses, at least at this early stage?

For sure. He could easily get too comfortable with the whip and lash himself with it. Its usually when you become overconfident with the whip that one starts to make mistakes.

He did a pretty good job though

Nicely done there.

Glasses were worn at the start of training, and are and should be worn.

[Edit] Notice how his other hand comes up as he cracks. This is a version of the Filipino/JKD/HKD "live hand". I spent much of the morning repeating "Get your hand out of your pouch!" You have two hands, use them both. The arm/hand acts as a cover for the face should something untoward happen. It also allows for another weapon in a martial sense. He is also starting to move his body for his cracks. That step out with his foot is gaining energy from the ground, as well as moving his head out of plane for the overhead cracks. I like to move when I crack, no standing in one place. Nice to see he's following my lead. [\Edit]


On the note of overconfidence, that stems from not understanding and respecting the tool being worked with. I teach and was taught to always respect your tool, whatever it may be. If it becomes part of your habit and nature to use it with intent and purpose your focus will remain constant on the task at hand.
To quote an earlier post of mine:

The idea that when your first learning it's more dangerous is in my mind ridiculous. If you start with safety in mind, get good coaching in person or through a decent video tape, you'll find it's no more dangerous then learning a golf swing. If you fear the whip, it will give you cause to. It's a relationship built on understanding and knowledge. When you start flinching and anticipating, that's when accidents happen.
I'm in the "Less is More" camp and it's very true. When you move beyond making it go "Bang" and work on the proper mechanics to get there, the safe mechanics, the "Bang" happens because you were safe and understood what the whip and you were doing.
When you hit yourself, and we all do, you've done something wrong. The whip has just told you that. Learn what you did and how to correct it. And if you're using less energy, no one's going to die and you can move without fear and build confidence.

Wow!!
The Tao of whip cracking.
Or, is it Yoda speaking?

I'm a martial artist by former and maybe future profession. Comes with the territory ;D