By Rick Landers.
Before I took the time to learn to juggle, I would feign juggling with three apples. One would always be firmly planted in my mouth and the others swooped between my non-opposing thumbs. It was an art form that I was quite certain my motor skills could handle, but for years I was a second-hand loser, a juggling poser.
Inevitably, the apples would tumble to the floor and I would set them aside thinking that “someday” I’d figure out how to make them cascade and pop up, all while circling, circling in fluid motion before my steady hands.
Juggling is an ancient art. Archeologists discovered a 15th century Beni Hassan tomb in Egypt depicting female dancers juggling. Juggling either migrated or was discovered independently in the cultures of the Chinese, Aztecs, Romans, Indians and the Greeks. So, you’ll be just one of a new generation of jugglers once you get a handle on the sport.
The most basic juggler toss requires three objects that are generically called “props.” They can be as simple as my Red Delicious apples or balls of almost any kind, although some balls work better than others. Other objects used include plates; hats; rings; pineapples; and other odd props. Some of the most masterful jugglers have incorporated drama into their game by adding torches or more dangerous props like chainsaws. But, for beginners a simple set of three balls made specifically for juggling works best.
Juggling "Bean Bag" Props
Some novices begin and end their juggling careers by using tennis balls that have far too much bounce to be effective props. They not only bounce off one’s hands, but when the hit the floor…they bounce away and none of us wants to be seen chasing tennis balls around a room. People who start off with tennis balls, retire from the game early. And for those who are serious jugglers, there’s the World Juggling Federation that’s “devoted to the promotion and advancement of sport of juggling.”
Here are a few things to do and to remember as you begin to learn how to juggle…
1. Buy an inexpensive set of juggling balls that cost about ten bucks. They typically include “how to” guidance or an instructional video.
2. This is the hard part. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS or better yet watch the video!
3. Remember that learning anything new takes time and the best approach to learning is to break the process down into smaller steps, then practice and learn the smaller steps before combining them into the full process.
4. You will make mistakes and your props will collide with one another and drop to the floor. Don’t worry about it. Stick to it and before long you’ll make some progress. Before too long you will be able to juggle three balls awkwardly and in time your juggling will become smoother, even elegant.
5. The most important suggestion I can give you is to RELAX!
But, before you do all that, grab three apples as your first set of props and then practice the guidance you see at the video below. I waded through a lot of videos to find this one that explains 3-ball juggling clearly in a step-by-step approach. Happy Juggling! …and eat those bruised apples!!
