Saber Tossing.... Flipping?

[Robyn_Goodfellow]

Saber Tossing sounds so rude but I don’t know what else to call it.

What I mean is - the action of when you throw/flip your saber in the air and catch it with the other hand while moving.
How did you initially start practicing this? Did you do it with your saber or did you rig up something of a similar size and weight?

I LOVE my Flamberge so much and I don’t want to damage it... but watching some of the spinning videos you guys do, it looks frigging awesome when you throw it in the air and catch it with your other hand.

Any advice? Or is it a case of “suck it up buttercup” and just do it?

I suppose I could practice on grass so it’s a slightly softer surface?

[Infinit01]

Hey there, Robyn. So that you ask, I used Darth Cephalus' tutorials to get me started with saber flow art. His aerial tutorials are great, check them out

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf2BA9eUktwvUfR1a_FW6TFe_rYnEDkKL

[janx]

you could also practice with a stand-in, like a PVC pipe.  Eventually you'll want the weight and grips to be the same as the real thing, but for the first half of your training, it's got nothing to do with memorizing the specific balance or feel of your saber.

[Rapine]

Can't offer any helpful tips, Robyn, but wanted to ask your general size.  Are you a small person?  Average?

I ask since some hilts are pretty big, and are; therefore, more difficult for "smaller" folks to wield.

In other words - the hilt matters.  I learned most of my spinning moves with my Dark Catalyst.  That choke point was an absolute dream... A Graflex?  Not so much.

Just curious.

[Robyn_Goodfellow]

Can't offer any helpful tips, Robyn, but wanted to ask your general size.  Are you a small person?  Average?

I ask since some hilts are pretty big, and are; therefore, more difficult for "smaller" folks to wield.

In other words - the hilt matters.  I learned most of my spinning moves with my Dark Catalyst.  That choke point was an absolute dream... A Graflex?  Not so much.

Just curious.

Hi I’m 5’7”  and about a USA size 6 (UK 10) so I’m very much average sized.
My current challenge and passion is the Flamberge, which isn’t the easiest saber to use... but I do love it.
There’s a gentleman on YouTube (Darth Cephalus) who spins with a cross guard and makes it look so easy. I need to practice a lot more! Now I’ve subscribed to his channel, I want to work through the spinning tutorials.
I do want to learn to spin the Flamberge, it looks so good when it’s done well 

I have been considering purchase a  stunt catalyst  to practice spinning, they look perfect for it!

Here’s a couple of short videos of me practicing - constructive feedback is very much welcome !

<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&amp;v=nx3ISQPS57Y" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&amp;v=nx3ISQPS57Y</a>

<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&amp;v=hW2Jd9lkUkg" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&amp;v=hW2Jd9lkUkg</a>

[Maestro Jones]

My wife is the spinner and flipper/tosser in our house.  Her experience comes from being a part of color guard through high school and college, then teaching it earlier in her career (though it is has been 15 years since she taught color guard, she still has all the skills).  She uses an Aeon V2 or Dominix V2.  These are perfect for spinning and flipping/tossing.  She just started with the sabers tossing them in the air but she had previous experience and really no fear of dropping or breaking the sabers.  The good thing about the Aeon and Dominix V2s is that they are cheap, especially if you get a stunt version.  

[For Tyeth]

Hi Robyn,

I can't see much wrong with your form and technique...though I'm no expert! But your background music...something's got to be done with your music  

There's a website called Purple-Planet.com that has a bunch of "Sithy" style, royalty free - free to use music (as long as you credit them with a comment or tag).
I use their music in some of my animations.

Keep up the practice!

EDIT: After the shock of hearing the first video I played the second and heard you had slightly more aggressive tunes in it. Sorry I shoulda played both before commenting.

[Robyn_Goodfellow]

Hi Robyn,

I can't see much wrong with your form and technique...though I'm no expert! But your background music...something's got to be done with your music  

There's a website called Purple-Planet.com that has a bunch of "Sithy" style, royalty free - free to use music (as long as you credit them with a comment or tag).
I use their music in some of my animations.

Keep up the practice!

EDIT: After the shock of hearing the first video I played the second and heard you had slightly more aggressive tunes in it. Sorry I shoulda played both before commenting.

Lol! Yeah the music is pretty dire

[Rapine]

Hi I’m 5’7”  and about a USA size 6 (UK 10) so I’m very much average sized.
My current challenge and passion is the Flamberge, which isn’t the easiest saber to use... but I do love it.
There’s a gentleman on YouTube (Darth Cephalus) who spins with a cross guard and makes it look so easy. I need to practice a lot more! Now I’ve subscribed to his channel, I want to work through the spinning tutorials.
I do want to learn to spin the Flamberge, it looks so good when it’s done well 

I have been considering purchase a  stunt catalyst  to practice spinning, they look perfect for it!

Here’s a couple of short videos of me practicing - constructive feedback is very much welcome !

http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=nx3ISQPS57Y#

http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=hW2Jd9lkUkg#

Excellent!!!

Yes, I know Darth Cephalus well.  He's a mod of the artistry section on here, and a forum senior member.

He's VERY talented.  You're no slouch yourself, clearly.  That is a beast of a saber...lol

We're the same height.

+1

[Tai Chi Chuan Wijchen]

Yes dropping your saber scares you everytime At least it scares me everytime. And I've dropped it alot. Still do....

Anyway, I made a practice saber to practice new moves, especially the throwing moves for exactly that reason.

I used a wooden dowel for the main body and hilt and some inner bicylce tires to create a padded hilt and balance the whole thing out. The idea came of a diy contactstaff I made earlier.
If you'd like I'll make some pictures when I'm in my trainingroom so you can see what I mean. Someday I might even do a little tutorial. Or if everyone is very interested in it, then I might even do it a bit sooner.

[Robyn_Goodfellow]

Yes dropping your saber scares you everytime At least it scares me everytime. And I've dropped it alot. Still do....

Anyway, I made a practice saber to practice new moves, especially the throwing moves for exactly that reason.

I used a wooden dowel for the main body and hilt and some inner bicylce tires to create a padded hilt and balance the whole thing out. The idea came of a diy contactstaff I made earlier.
If you'd like I'll make some pictures when I'm in my trainingroom so you can see what I mean. Someday I might even do a little tutorial. Or if everyone is very interested in it, then I might even do it a bit sooner.

Great idea! I was thinking about making a practice version of my Flamberge. But now after reading your post, I’m definitely going to give it ago.

Yes please to any photos. I would really appreciate that.

[Infinit01]

Here’s a couple of short videos of me practicing - constructive feedback is very much welcome !

http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=nx3ISQPS57Y#

http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=hW2Jd9lkUkg#

5'7's a pretty good height. I say as far as spinning's concerned, learn more moves like the eclipse (Obi-Ani), Reverse grip (inverted grip), Plum Flower, basic turning, basic movement, strikes, etc.

DC teaches the eclipse (Obi-Ani), in his first video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKXqekMvo2Y&list=PLf2BA9eUktws29zZjesedQ996qS8oYEpt&index=2

I say learn this move because coming out of the eclipse (Obi-Abi), was where I learned to add a toss.  I would start wide exaggerated sweeps and just throw it straight up to see where it would go.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFaRNbybjDI" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFaRNbybjDI</a>

At first it was a bit scary since like yourself, I was afraid to drop it but that's part of spinning, you'll drop your saber and once you stop worrying about it, you'll drop it less. As always, learn on your non-dominant side as well.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNHcfwP-BEM" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNHcfwP-BEM</a>

You'll start to understand and know where to let the saber go and where to catch it. After a while, you'll get into the rhythm of how your saber will fly in the air and you'll start to toss them closer and closer to your body. A drill that helped me was to toss a saber in the air with one hand and keep tossing it until my arm gets tired or I drop it (thanks to Samhain). Then, I'll switch sides

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thFaAM-d3lU" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thFaAM-d3lU</a>

This video here is forward a little over a year from when my flow art journey began along with tossing. At the 37 second mark, my first toss, I'm facing away from you so it's a bit hard to see the toss but at the 56 second mark, I'll toss the saber with my non-dominant hand facing the camera relatively close to my body. I don't remember when I started doing this, another member just pointed it out one day. You'll get to the point where you'll chain all the moves together along with tossing the saber and keep going having a nice and tight form.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=56&amp;v=ZdRMUs-PudU&amp;feature=emb_title" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=56&amp;v=ZdRMUs-PudU&amp;feature=emb_title</a>

I'm sure since you've visited Darth Cephalus' YT page, you've come across his tutorials, its good and he gets into every part of flow work form the basics to intermediate and advance moves

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf2BA9eUktws29zZjesedQ996qS8oYEpt

The Tutorials page (I'm sure you've already visited), is a great place the check out different tutorials like Jar'Kai (dual wield), or a bo staff. I do recommend learning with a staff since that helped me train with Reverse Grip (my grip of choice)

http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=23125.0

My advice to you is to learn moves on both hands while focusing on your non-dominant side a little more since it'll take some getting used to unless your ambidextrous that is. It was awkward for me to learn on my non-dominant at first but I made it a habit of starting my sessions with it and now it's as close to being natural as my dominant side.

Although I haven't submit a video to my page for some time (broken stunt sabers), I have been spinning my sabers daily but I did record my journey, check it out if you like

http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=40088.0

I say just practice, practice, practice and you don't have to put in 30 minute to hour sessions or anything. I practiced 5 to 15 minutes at a time and now train like that throughout the day several times a day. If you're stuck on a move that you just can't figure out or you're frustrated with, just put down the saber, walk away and do something without thinking about the move or your saber for a bit. Then, when you're refreshed, come back to it and try again.

Lastly, there's always a reverse version of any move that you learn and the reverse grip version of that. Then, there's the reverse version of the reverse grip so learn them all which will give you an entire arsenal of moves to use with your sessions, videos, training, and to just show off some good moves to people at cons and gatherings.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me, I don't mind making a video to show you some things. There's a lot of highly talented flow art members on here including the resident Masters as well

One other thing since you're going to spin with your Flamberge, I noticed that your Flamberge a stunt with lithium-ion battery pack. From my experience since I've shattered like 5 or 8 of my stunts with that battery pack and the 4 AAA ones, try to insulate the pack with foam or rubber to absorb most of the impact when you drop the saber or smack it against the ground, wall, ceiling, etc. Trust me, it'll prevent or keep the battery pack from shattering

Welcome to Saber Flow Artistry, I sure hope you learn as much as you can!

[Tai Chi Chuan Wijchen]

Nice overview Infinite!
Points incoming!

[Tai Chi Chuan Wijchen]

For Robyn and everyone else who might be interested. A few pictures:






I got the idea out of this tutorial on a contactstaff:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Contact-Staff/

I would suggest using a little thicker dowel than I used. I would recommend a 3cm diameter dowel. As you can see on the pictures that comes close to a lightsaber and holds a bit nicer.

I used an old inner bicycle tire as a handlewrap on the saber, but I like the wrap on the contactstaff better. It's a wrapping normally used on bicycle steeringwheels (racing bikes), but it's quite alot more expensive.
Inner tires I got for free at my local bicycle maker (is that an English word?)
 
The thick pommel is made from an old inner tire as well.
Place one or two pushpins through the tire to secure it to the dowel.
Wrap the tire firmly around the dowel, secure it again with two pushpins and a strip of ductape.
Now pull a piece of inner tire over the inner-tire-wrap to finish it off, and make it look a bit better.

Finally make a nice handlewrap so you get a feel for the length of a handle.
Thanks to the pommel the balancepoint on mine is exactly on the end of the handle, where the 'blade' starts.

Goodluck.

Questions are always welcome, and like I mentioned before, I might even do a video if people would appreciate that.

[Infinit01]

Nice overview Infinite!
Points incoming!

Thank you and have one back for the contact staff and saber tutorial. I've been meaning to build my own for some time