Club Obi Wan

Today was just perfect here in the Chicago area, sunny and in the low 60's. A wonderful day for mid March. This morning before leaving for work, I happened to toss my 10 foot Bernie Wojicki (EM Brands) whip in the SUV. And as it happened I was able to get outside for a nice little 30 minute cracking session at lunch. Now my office is in an industrial park, you know one of those that dot the urban landscape, mostly one and two buildings and the occasional large distribution warehouse. The only place I have to crack is right in front of our building along the curb at the street-its nice and grassy. Of course lots of people were out taking advantage of the gorgeous weather, walking, sitting in their cars etc.... And here comes Bob, with his noise maker!

Needless to say that while I was cracking, I got a lot of strange looks from passers by-either in their cars (windows down) or walking by. And of course given that we have a lot of vertical concrete walls in the area the cracks echo nicely! Being a newbie (still under a year cracking) I was practicing my combination throws, the side arm into the overhead. And done properly, yields a great crack-crack!

So needles to say, I got a lot of strange looks today. I bet some of the forum here can relate......................

People stop in their vehicles to take out cellphones for photos or even ask questions. Honestly, I am use to it and don't even realize it even more. I think a lot of people in the neighborhood are use to it as well.

I LOVE being the crazy whip guy. I teach and I even take mine to school once a semester for a physics demonstration (I wear it on my belt all day...makes the kids jumpy )

There seems to be a latent fascination with whips.
I seldom crack without eventually a small gathering forming and questions being asked.

I used to live in Oak Park, and back in the 80´s many a time was spent on the front lawn cracking all manner of homemade whips, and even a few I got from the defunct Cattle Baron. Needless to say the neighbors were mostly oblivious, but some cars would honk the horn and I´d have a great laugh! Let your freak flag fly!

Boggstandard wrote:There seems to be a latent fascination with whips.
I seldom crack without eventually a small gathering forming and questions being asked.

No doubt!
I have noticed lately that people have begun to watch me as I start my routine at my home while I am outside in the yard. I didn't even think about it, until one day I looked up and saw a kid standing in my driveway staring back at me not saying a word. It turns out his dad was looking for him and kindly thanked me for holding his attention long enough to find out where he got off to .

Crack On!
Allen

That's when you know you're doing something right!Lolll!

I once was talking to a friend a few days after going to the park to practice and I told her how much fun I'd had that day cracking my whips. A few more days go by and some guy she knew was talking to her and said he's seen some weird freak cracking whips at the park over the weekend. She cried out 'I know that guy! He's my friend!" Apparently she was very proud to know me at that point... Just goes to show; someone's freak is another's cool... Also a lot of how people react is contextual, so depending on the context they may actually have opposite reactions to a given event. The other thing too is that a lot of people are to self-conscious to be originals and not derive their sense of self-worth based on what others might think of them... Takes a bit of courage apparently to be a freak hahaha.
Cheers,


Franco

One day I was at Ft. Mac with Liontamer and we were working on some whip stuff on the lawn, messing around with the various whips we had with us and stuff, when this SUV pulls up on the sidewalk next to us and the driver leans out of the window and asks us, "What's that thing you're doing?" So Liontamer and I exchange confused glances and ask what she means, and she asks what we're making the noise with. So LT says, "It's called a bullwhip, like the one Indiana Jones uses." The driver gives a VERY confused sounding, "Oh...." then asks if LT is the teacher (he says no, but offers lessons jokingly) and then she says thanks and drives off.

It was the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced!! The person had no idea what a whip was and was completely bewildered about what was going on. Crazy!

Shane

I'm not so sure though Shane that they actually didn't know what a whip was but more so blown away and unexpected. I'd be surprised if they didn't know what a whip was. I had a similar experience which stunned me...

FedEx man stopped to drop something off while doing some target work. I had my stand up with some targets ready to go. The guy says, "What do you plan to do? Shoot those off?" "No...I plan to use a whip.." He gave me a really weird look, didn't turn his back and watched me as he quickly went to his truck and took off.

I think the noise and how different it is can be rather intimidating. I had a co-worker who was into Indy but never had a clue how big of a fan I am. I showed him the whip one day and I got one crack off. It was enough to cause him to ask me to stop (not to mention he was standing 20 feet away.)

I'm preeeeetty sure she didn't know what the whip was. I remember for a long time afterwards Liontamer and I were laughing at how ridiculous the whole thing was. I don't think it's so far fetched to have people not know what it is. It is a little odd, but I think some people think of whips as JUST cat o' 9s.

Your story is pretty funny though. Poor FedEx guy!

Shane

Ahhhhhhhh, the brethren of the whip has indeed a common experience. Funny stories!

After reading these last posts, I've decided that if some folks are just too... ah I'll just say it, just too plain dumb to know what a whip is, then I'm the one who's gonna give THEM the weird looks. I absolutely believe you when you say the woman didn't know what a whip is, and to this I will simply add, are we REALLY surprised the world is in the state it's in with folks like these roaming the streets free?

I'm not saying it's impossible, but it just blows me away Canuck that people really don't know what a whip is. I wonder what state of mind they are in or if they were locked in a dungeon all their life.

It took a while for me to get up enough nerve to crack my whips in public. I am lucky that at my work I have place to crack indoors. But when I finally did go outside it got attention. Never in a bad way l, I have never had complaints yet. I try never to power my throws, looking more for a pop then a crack. Mainly just to get the muscle memory down. I don't think it is that they don't know what a whip is but more that it is not a common thing you see every day. I remember as a kid there used to be guys that would come to the park with wooden swords and home made armor who would have sword fights. First time I saw them I was surprised then it was just a common thing.

You're absolutely right. To practice and refine your technique it isn't neccessary to crack
loud as ####. Or "like a gunshot"... I think, who likes to have the sound and the loudness
of a gunshot, should go on and buy a gun. It's simpler to pull the trigger than to learn a
proper technique. The true master cracks the whip and it makes "pop". To do that is much
more difficult than to force a horrible loud crack that damages - by time - the whip.
When you mastered your basics, when you are really in control of your whip, that little
"pop" will tell you where the crack would have been. Enough for me. But to create a crack
by brute force has nothing to do with technique. Or mastering a whip. It's only loud.

Robby

www.whip-basics.com

I'm moving to a neighborhood soon. I'll probably NOT pull out the whip until I'm firmly seated on the neighborhood watch board!

I love all of these whip stories. Here's one of mine.

I was out in a bar on Halloween in full gear (resin replica .45 in the holster even) with two friends. It was dark, and at one point I got that standard question: "Where's your whip, Indy?" To which I replied: "Got it right here." I was carrying my 9' Bernardo kip, and as I raised up the handle to show it, a woman reached out to feel it (it's HEAVY, by the way) and cried out "Oh my God, it's REAL!!!" Oh the thrills of Indydom. . . .

In Graz, the city where I live, people don't know much about whips in general.
So when I went out with my whip (either alone or in company with Nick) to do some whipcracking practise first thing is allways to find a place where you can be a bit noisy and where we haven't been chased off by dog owners or guys from the neighbourhood. "Does that really need to be!?" or "what is that good for?" are typical phrases you'll get alot here.

Best thing which ever happend was when Nick and I found a tryangulared field in between a well frequented street, a railroad and a beer brewery. So we where there for about 10 minutes, giving our whips a few cracks when a mid aged guy showed up. He stod on the street and was screaming something to us.

So while noisy cars where driving by behind him (and probaly a train was passing by aswell) he had to repeat himself a few times till we heard him jelling "EXCUSE ME! I THINK THIS IS NOISE NUISANCE WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE!!"

So we went a few steps towards him - and so did he- to get an easyer conversation. First it seems that he wanted us to stop, or calling the police or anything close. After a few minutes chat with him it was quit ovious that this was his idea of getting into a conversation about whips which he never have seen or heared before. So he was just curios and ended up quit excited about the sport.

It was a very strange situation what happend back then and we where a bit set off aswell. Looking back now it is just worth a good laugh

I've had guns pointed at me for cracking a whip in public before.

Ok, got another story for you...

This took place about 10 years ago on a nature trail that lead up to the top of a mountain. My wife and I were hiking with some friends and I had along with us my 12 foot swivel handle bullwhip. As we were walking a group of girls passed us by and noticed my whip on my shoulder. Funny enough she muttered the phrase "what are you supposed to be, some kind of a lion tamer" and kinda laughed... I responded to her remark "Well... have you ever fallen down a moutain side?" She replied, "Yes, I have...." I smiled and said "Hmmm... I never have..." as I patted the bullwhip on my shoulder and just walked off. I don't think she thought my response was funny as she gave me a dirty look. My wife just smiled and we walked on up the trail.

Just gotta love the hecklers....

Crack On!
Allen

Do you think she was quoting Willie Scott or was it just coincidence?

Canuck Digger wrote:Do you think she was quoting Willie Scott or was it just coincidence?

I'm not sure, but I can say that by the look on her face she did not expect a come back to her "smarty pants" remark .


Crack On!
Allen

Strider wrote:I've had guns pointed at me for cracking a whip in public before.

was that the story with the police in your frontyard?

Strider wrote:I've had guns pointed at me for cracking a whip in public before.

Me too, Strider! Last year I was cracking in my backyard; 11:00pm ooops... and a neighbor called police, reporting gun shots. Two uniforms showed up in my backyard with guns drawn. I dropped the whip and said "I'm unarmed! DON'T F---ing SHOOT ME!" They said they had a report of someone shooting in the neighborhood. Gave me a warning about "decibel violation."

That's why I only practice in wide open areas so that people as well as the eventual guardian of the piece (oups I meant peace), can understand at a glance that this has nothing to do with a firearm. This is a very important factor in diffusing an otherwise potentially dangerous situation. Also, you might want to keep your practice time to normal daylight hours; I figure afternoons are the safest.

Cheers


Franco

Ya got that right, Franco! Our city police are notorious for shooting first, "ask questions later." I sincerely believe part of what saved my life was yelling at them not to f--ng shoot. They were a little taken back by my tone, and it made them pause just enough to realize I wasn't a bad guy...Lesson learned....

I hear these horror stories about this whip cracking...I've never ever had a problem. May I ask where you were using your whips? I think it's bad when a police pulls their gun out at something loud similar to a bang of a gun. But truthfully, where you in the middle of a park with kids around? Trying to crack it as loud as possible?

I was in my backyard; private property. BUT, I was cracking after dark, in a sleepy bedroom community neighborhood. My bad... I doubt the same thing would have happened in a public park during the daytime...

Yeah, my wife and I just recently moved into the city and thought I would break in my new Del Carpio. After several quieter basic cracks I started to feel kind of cheated and thought I might temp fate and and unleash a booming overhead crack (yeah, dumb I know). well needless to say, all the neighborhood dogs start going ape crazy and people start exiting their houses No police calls thankfully. So now I just take it up to my in-laws in the country to their nice grassy field where all I get is stupid looks from the nearby cattle

Raidersince81 wrote:Yeah, my wife and I just recently moved into the city and thought I would break in my new Del Carpio. After several quieter basic cracks I started to feel kind of cheated and thought I might temp fate and and unleash a booming overhead crack (yeah, dumb I know). well needless to say, all the neighborhood dogs start going ape crazy and people start exiting their houses No police calls thankfully. So now I just take it up to my in-laws in the country to their nice grassy field where all I get is stupid looks from the nearby cattle

Yeah, I've cracked a couple times around the "slow moving elk" up in Idaho, and the cattle don't pay much attention for some reason. Maybe I was just doing it wrong.. lol

I live in hilly country and you have to experience a big booming whipcrack here to believe it. It is a huuuge sound and rolls around the hills with this ongoing crackling. Unbelievable sound. This is when doing big cracks, by the way, not the recommended smaller cracks. Anyway, when I was a teenager I'd come home from school every single afternoon and crack my 9 foot red hide bullwhip for about half and hour or more. I was sure I must have been annoying the neighbors, but I just loved that sound. We had a little old retired couple as neighbors who were in the direct line of fire so to speak.

One day I was walking my dog and the old man came out of his house as I walked past, my whip in one hand and dog leash in the other. He was a retired bishop and had been well known in his day. I thought, "uh oh, here it comes. He's going to tell me off for making such a loud noise". But he said "is that a whip you are holding in your hand? So, it is you I hear every day! I love the sound of your whip cracking! Good on you". I couldn't believe it. He was I must say a great man.

bluzharp,

Aside from "City Dogs", most animals don't care about the noise. About week ago I was cracking at a park with a family deer about 20 feet from me, the just laid there watching me.

xoxo

Louie
http://bullwhips.org

I haven't been cracking very long myself (barely 6 months) but all the time i get people asking me if I am into S&M, if I am a male Dominatrix... kinda annoying really...

then of course i get the "oh your just like Indy..." comments, but i hate it when i get the 9-13 year old kids who go "Can i try it!"

most of the time i tell them that I am part of a Medieval Faire and I am practicing, although some times i get the smart A**es who say "Oh yeah well i am having a S&M party later"

has anybody else got this?

I've cracked the whip in my backyard a few times. One time the neighbors kid came along and asked me what I used, I said; "it's a whip" and he walked away.

I've also got the opportunity to crack the whip indoors where I work, but this room is just next to the reception so I don't crack the whip until most people has gone home. Those who have discovered my whip cracking have mainly been fascinated by how the cracking sound is made and the graceful moves of the whip, although I feel that sometimes I have to defend myself in why I am doing it.

Sadly most people associate whips with S&M stuff or violence, good luck to Whip Basics in the quest to domesticate the whip!!!

louiefoxx wrote:bluzharp,

Aside from "City Dogs", most animals don't care about the noise. About week ago I was cracking at a park with a family deer about 20 feet from me, the just laid there watching me.

xoxo

Louie
http://bullwhips.org

lol! Yeah I know... most "city animals" are used to it. I'm surprised the deer didn't jump, though; must not have been hunting season.