Difficulty: 4 - Applied-Intermediate Trick
Siteswap: (4,4)(0,4x)(4,4)(4x,0)
Prerequisite Skills: Columns, Claw, Mills Mess, Cherry Picker
Watch Video - WMV - 0.4 MB
This is a trick that was described on the rec.juggling news group by félix. He posted a description of a trick he came up with, and wanted to know if anyone had done it before. Describing a trick like this without the use of video or animation is not exactly easy. After rereading the description and a bit of trial and error, I was able to juggle the pattern and post a video of it on the forum. After seeing it, félix concurred that I was juggling was the correct pattern.
You can read the entire thread in rec.juggling here: Yin & Yang discussion
Instructions:
Infinity - Yin & Yang is actually a variation of the Columns variation known as Infinity,
(4,4)(4x,0)(4,4)(0,4x). The difference is that Yin & Yang uses crossed arms for the columns throws (switching the top and bottom hands), and the "infinity" symbol ball goes in the opposite direction (or reverse cascade path).
Start by practicing just the columns portion with two balls. This part, in itself, is quite a feat. With a ball in each hand, cross one hand over the other (like the start of Mills Mess). Throw both balls straight up in columns. While the balls are up in the air, "unwind" your hands so they rotate around each other until the top hand ends up as the bottom hand. You will catch the balls in the same hands you threw them from. Now repeat the throw and "unwind" back to the original position.
You will find that the difficult part is keeping these throws to stay in columns. The balls keep wanting to cross, because of the unusual crossed-arm throws you are making. You must make a conscience effort to keep these throws in vertical columns.
Next, you will add the third ball. Start with your hands crossed, with one ball in the top hand and two balls in the bottom hand. Now make the columns throw with each hand like before. As you bring your bottom hand around to "unwind" it, throw the ball when it is in the open-arm position. This throw will be a reverse cascade throw (thrown from the outside and land in the middle). Complete the arm rotations to catch the down coming columns balls. Throw the columns balls back up, then catch the down coming third ball in the bottom hand and continue the pattern.
Watch Video - WMV - 0.6 MB
The final step is adding the claw catches/throws. This makes the trick quite a bit harder because throwing a crossed arm claw column throw is not very easy. Also, the claw catch is not picnic either. You will be using a claw catch/throw of the top hand of the crossed-arm columns throws. The final pattern is not only a cool looking pattern to a spectator, but it is very enjoyable to juggle too.
Watch Video - WMV - 0.3 MB
