Club Obi Wan

Sorry for the pun , but

I am having trouble practicing (even in a nice grassy field), because I am very hesitant to let the whip touch the ground, which is not helpful in learning the front crack. So have been executing all my attempts with the whip in the air, which works, but is not the recommended way.

How worried should I be about damaging my dear JS whip ? Experts pleae weigh in here

Help please !?

Ken

P.S. I am also getting a lot of pain in my wrists as I crack. Any thoughts ?

JJ,
Cracking on dry grass is ideal. The only other good choice is carpet. Next on the list of not damaging the whip are surfaces like wood floors and tiled floors. However the latter 2 surfaces are slick and pose a problem with the whip having a tendency to wrap around your ankles, heels after cracking.

It's interesting you are learning to not hit the ground when practicing. That's the ideal way to crack to solve the issue I brought out above on slick floors.

My recommendation is practice, practice, practice on the 4 basic cracks as shown in the "Whip Cracking Made Easy" tape, Vol 1, from Western Stage Props. If you practice on grass, then don't worry about damaging your whip. Get completely competent on those 4 cracks and those 4 set a foundation for the more advanced cracks.

As far as your wrist, I really don't know. I had a friend once who had "carpel tunnel" syndrome and his wrists obviously hurt when cracking. I would recommend, using one of those wrist-flexing devices to strengthen your wrists.

Just my opinion. I am sure there will be more, in this thread. If you live close to Jim Markell, he has a whip cracking group that meets regularly. I am more visual, so explaining things on forums or books is extremely hard.

Take Care....

-S

Hello JerseyJones,
I'm by far no expert, but I have a good collection of whips, starting with a David Morgan bullwhip that's around 7 years old,
and still has the original fall, .

I've used all my whips, (and still do) in grassy backyards, fields,
and have never had a problem with strands breaking at the point of the whip (which is usually the spot that needs extra care from sharp objects).

All I've ever done is to first survey the surroundings before I start cracking,
check for anything abrasive in the grass, like broken glass, sharp twigs, things of that nature.

You can also place a large tarp or two on the ground if you feel that the ground is to ruff, or not to your liking.

As for hitting the ground,
the fall is (in my experience) for the most part what hits the ground first,
when doing a circus crack and is made to be replaceable, so I wouldn't worry to much about that.

With wrist pain,
its possible that you might be putting to much into your throws,
causing the wrist to snap hard.

If that's the case,
then try slowing down, and making sure you have the proper form down for the move your doing, such as the circus crack, or forward crack etc.

Also,
wrist guards can some times help the situation.

Well,
I hope I haven't bored you to death,
with all my gabbing,

and I hope that I helped you in some way.

Have a good one.


Jim J

Thanks folks ! Keep the good advice coming !

Ken

racerx wrote:starting with a David Morgan bullwhip that's around 7 years old, and still has the original fall, .

Mine's still original too, and from 1990. Though I hope I didn't just jinx myself by saying so.

Mike

I use mine over grass, even if it is a bit damp. I just dry it off, and put some dressing on it when I am done.
The motion of cracking the whip may be what is causing the pain. It could quite simply be some muscles that you don't normally use. My forearm used to hurt after cracking, but now it doesn't bother me at all. It may go away with time, but if it doesn't, see a doctor for advice.

My fear isn't getting the whip dirty or wet................it's the fear of cutting off my own ear!

Janice

Indiana Janice wrote: My fear isn't getting the whip dirty or wet................it's the fear of cutting off my own ear!

Janice

My solution still stands .... JT nVader Paintball Mask, especially if you are going to do the near ear stuff, since it Totally shrouds your ears in plastic armor. Bear in mind that these are designed for good ventilation and visibility too.

Ken

JerseyJones wrote:Sorry for the pun , but

I am having trouble practicing (even in a nice grassy field), because I am very hesitant to let the whip touch the ground, which is not helpful in learning the front crack. So have been executing all my attempts with the whip in the air, which works, but is not the recommended way.

How worried should I be about damaging my dear JS whip ? Experts pleae weigh in here

Help please !?

Ken

P.S. I am also getting a lot of pain in my wrists as I crack. Any thoughts ?

G'day Ken,

Here in Australia I encourage all my clients to crack on green grassy areas. When I first started training for competition I was cracking out in the paddock at home, and the more I cracked on the grass, the more my falls had a waxy type feel to them. Which I know sounds strange but this seemed to strengthen them! Now I grease my whips allot more than most which helps too, but I couldn't work out how they where getting this "waxy feel" which seemed to be protecting my whips. So I just put it down to the grass and my greasing frequently. Anyway to get on with the story I was giving a maintenance and care demonstration at a whip-teaching day we held and I was telling the folks there just what I said above and then this lady piped up and said "the reason your getting a waxy feel on your falls is because some grasses have a wax coating on then". So there you go that's the answer to my query and also a helpful hint to all who crack whips. Cracking on the grass seems to protect your whips more so than harm them Ken.
Hope this story helps you to be able to get out and crack your whips without feeling like you may hurt them. Go for it Ken that's what they are made for mate! ....well from a whipmakers point of view anyways. So get out there and enjoy your whipcracking with out feeling guilty!
Oh yeah..... I think you will find that when you let your whip carry through onto the grass Ken; your wrist pain will ease up as your technique becomes relaxed and less forcefull than while your trying to keep your whip up off the grass.

Thanks for the story Janine ! I have been experiencing that as well with the fall ! A waxiness. Hmmmph....now I know why.

I will definitely take your advice on the cracking too.

Thanks
Ken

Hi Folks

A comment on the wrist injury 'thang'.

Whip cracking is a sport and, like any sport, puts strain on the body. Especially when you're new to it, or learning something new, there is a risk of sports injury. Joints: elbow and wrist, seem to be my vulnerability. I have lingering injuries in both from other sports, and whip cracking occasionally aggravates them. But from what I hear, they are the vulnerabilities for most people.

So warm up is the key, and even possibly some 'fitness' training. Juggling seems to work a treat! It works all the right joints and muscles without over doing it, it's fun, and you can do it when the weather is too bad for even the most waterproof whip cracker. It also gets you into the habit of coordinating your hand movements, which is good if you intend to use whips in both hands. I've got some ordinary light juggling balls, but someone else I know recommends power balls. These are alot heavier, and help to get your forearms fit - protecting against carpal tunnel syndrome, which seems to be a whip cracker's ailment (especially if you use heavy whips) and is something you do NOT want to suffer from.

Long handled bullwhips, and heavy bullwhips, seem most prone to causing joint injury. Whips with a bit of a spring in the handle may help to avoid it. I seem to be most comfortable with stock whips.

Dave

Good call on the wrist conditioning. I will get back to doing jujitsu arm stretches ( and ninjutsu for that matter ) to condition myself.

Thanks
Ken