Fire Juggling

[qwinkly]

This is my younger son, James, juggling three fire torches (senior year pics).  He is actually juggling them.   The slow shutter speed did a fantastic job capturing the trailing effect !   Cool !   (I mean, HOT !)

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Juggling fire

[qwinkly]

First you have to learn to juggle 3 balls well. Then you progress to clubs or pins. They are pretty much a wooden dowel w hollow molded plastic around them. Not all that heavy, not very dangerous, but if you hit a collarbone/shoulder bone/cheekbone, by accident when they all come crashing down, or you smack a knuckle juggling thing them, then they hurt. There's even a standard joke jugglers often use: "They're called juggling pins. Until you drop three on your head. Then they're clubs."

Once your kid can juggle three clubs well, it's not a far jump to the fire torches. First thing you have to teach him is what to do when one drops. Or is out of the pattern and likely to drop. A juggler trains himself to catch ANYTHING, even if it's going wild and even if he can only catch it at the wrong end. Uh...not such a great idea w torches, yathink? (Actually, you CAN catch one by the wrong end for just a quick moment w/o actually burning yourself - unless those 2 screws that attach the cotton wicking touch your hand. Heated metal - Ouch! Not just resisting catching a flaming torch of death, letting a wild throw become an actual "drop", a mistake for all to see...it is also dangerous with the torch on the floor. They often fall right at your feet & right between your feet - between your legs. So, you might want to do something about that right away, eh? Here's the part you have to teach that is not instinctual. When we have something in one hand & bend down to pick up another, we usually bring the old object down w us. But fire travels upwards always, & your first instinct, to bend over the two flaming torches to pick up the fallen one can leave you with no eyebrows. So you have to teach the kid to hold the other two up high & outward - mentioning the Statue of Liberty usually gets the point across.

You also have the kid learn to juggle the torches unlit first, to get the feel for the difference between them & his clubs - minor difference. Then, once lit, there is a slight difference again. Torches that are flaming have just a little bit of "drag", over unlit ones. Small difference, but still.

Once lit, you have to tell your kid that his first instinct might just be to catch the lit end. If he's juggling in the dim or dark, we just naturally are attracted to lit things. So they should start out in the daytime, & still be aware of this propensity the first few times they juggle in the dark.

Lastly, you have to teach them how to put out the fire safely. And blowing them out very near your mouth in the pitch blackness at night, when you're half-blinded by staring at the flames, is a great way to singe off that peach fuzz adolescent mustache.

So, parenting-wise, my kids were well-trained by the time they had three torches lit. They were 12 & 10 years old, had each been juggling a year, & had crewcuts, too - less hair to torch. They were NEVER allowed to use the fire when I wasn't right there, and I didn't even go in the house to answer the phone, etc. Sure, they were well-trained, but you should never trust one son not to light the younger one on fire, just to get back at him for tattling on you.....

Last point on safety & parenting. Although they have both tried juggling the machetes, I would never buy them these. It's one thing to burn yourself slightly with torches (and remember they had crewcuts, so pretty hard to light up your head like a roman candle), and another thing for those machetes to come crashing down and cut you in the face. They're not all that sharp, meaning you can't cut yourself just standing there. They have that blade look to the edge for an illusion of danger. But given their weight and some spin, you can surely cut between your fingers, or end up with a few stitches in the delicate skin of your face. (And my sons were GORGEOUS. Might have been different if they were already ugly. Just kidding.)

You know what they say, it's all fun until someone loses an eye.

As for "pyros", isn't that the standard reward for hiking up a mountain for eleven hours, half of which were in snow? You get to build that secluded campfire, and light up anything you can get your hands on.

If you sister's a real addict, she should look into "fire poi" on the internet.

Re: Juggling fire

[c3childs]

That is extensive. I find people who can juggle period impressive.

I wasn't allowed to even mess with lighters and just figured out how to use one last year. I googled 'fire poi' and watched a video. My sister was sitting next to me, leaned over said, "I want fire sticks." That'd be a no. I don't trust her that much.

Also, I like you. You're funny:)