JuggleBlog.com

My latest project: MIDI Hero

My juggling has been suffering.  Okay, there’s my juggling comment.  On to Guitar Hero 2!…

Last night I "kicked the bucket".  I beat Jordan on Expert.  I’ve been working on that goal for months.  I did it with a home-brew mod to the controller that comes with the game.  Here are the details: egyokeo.com/gh2mod

Whether it’s juggling, gaming, or whatever.  I’m a goal oriented person.  I have to always be working on something.  Right now, it’s video games.

Reason number one: Lumines Live!

Reason number two: Guitar Hero 2

Currently I’m addicted to Guitar Hero 2.  I’m going to get that Buckethead song down on Expert for sure. 

Okay, so 3 in doubles is pretty solid now.  So I moved on to 50505, and that was much easier since having more reliable double spins working.  It was too tempting not to move right on to 55550 and then just 5 after some rounds of 50505.  So I think 50505 is a good warm up because it makes straight 5 seem easier.

Spring time is here.  I guess that means it’s time to practice juggling again!  I haven’t practiced in a long time.  I seem to work on my clubs more when I can juggle outside.

Back to 5 club practice.  I realize there’s something I can’t do, that I must be able to do, in order to be solid at 5 clubs.  That is, basic 3 club pattern in double spins.  I’ve never practiced that, and it’s challenging to me.  I guess I just haven’t mastered double spins and I feel like I have to have those running easily before I can have a hope of running them with 5.  Seems obvious. 

Here’s my entry for the WJF Video Competition 1, which ended today.  It was a "4 ball connection" competition.  You couldn’t do anything "basic" like fountan, half shower or wimpy pattern.  You had to connect patterns and had to repeat each one 2-3 times only.  You had to be a WFJ Silver member or better to enter.  I know I’m not anywhere near the level of a lot of other jugglers that might compete, but… why not.

Before this competition was announced a couple weeks ago, all I ever practiced were patterns that could be expressed as a single-digit siteswap!  Also, you had to connect them.  I never bothered to practice connections before this.  This was a good reason to put together a "routine" and I improved a lot.  When I watch this, I know it’s very basic.  But it was still pretty challenging for me.  I have new respect now for competitors that do way harder moves, connect them, and do it all in front of an audience!  Anyway, here it is…

Here’s what I did: 5345345525525555055550555155514H4H4H4H.  I wanted to get a couple 7531’s or 7333’s in there, but I just couldn’t get them solid enough in 2 weeks.  So what I had was 534, 552, 55550 and 5551 in my arsenal.  I did the 534 first because it gave me the most trouble and I could just get it over with quickly.  Then I had the two easy patterns, 552 and 55550, to regain any consistency if I screwed up the 534.  552 and 55550 are probably on par with basic fountain difficulty, so I was pushing the rules there.  Then finished with 5551.  I got 5551 runs pretty solid by themselves, but I always practiced my routine with them at the end, so you can see I just let it fall apart a little because I knew no other connections had to follow.  So, there it is.

Winners will be announced next week. 

I just got seven 2-5/8" ultraleather juggling balls from www.sportjugglingco.com.  They are really good.  My last unltraleather balls were 2-1/2" GBallz.  The difference is mainly in, well the size, but really more in the way their made.  The GBallz are 4 panel (although, I think they make a 6-panel one now).  The Sport Juggling balls are 6 panel.  I like the 6 panel way better because the 4 panel seems to get the thicker leathery material all bunched up at the seams where the 4 panels come together.  With 6 panel, the most panels at a seam edge is 3, and the angles made at the seams is larger (360/3 as opposed to 360/4, okay, too analytical here)…  But also, with the 6-panel, the "final" sew-up seam is also sewn really consistently.  Unlike the 4-panel balls where you can see one small portion of one of the seams as the last bit that was sewn up… so the consistency of 6-panel sits well with me.

Anyway, these things are great.  I worked on my 5 ball pattern for a really long time with them today.  More practice today than in the last month.  I’ve been playing too many video games.  7 balls is out of my league at the moment.  I’m taking a step back and trying to get my 5 ball pattern more solid, stand up straght, not reach so far out when I juggle, etc.

I made two 7-ball flashes today.  So, that means I’ve made three 7-ball flashes since the dawn of time.  I’ve been working on 6-ball in 7-pattern since the last 7-ball flash I made and it’s really helping to get comfortable with 7.  It’s really tiring.  But it’s the only exercise I’m getting these days, so it’s good.

I’m almost qualifying the 6-ball in 7-pattern, but after I make the first 6 catches, then try to throw them up again, I’m just overwhealmed with balls in the sky and I just lose it.  I just can’t track that many at once yet.  Probably because the throws aren’t perfect, and it just looks like a mess.  But as far as flashing, I "get" it.  I’m thinking I’ll just go back and forth between  practicing 7-ball flash, and 6-ball-in-7-pattern qualify.  Each one seems to help the other. 

Yup.  First time ever, 30 seconds ago.

[EDIT: Sorry, not enough enthusiasm in this post… woo hoo!!]