Over the past two months or so, I've been teaching people the basics of spinning fire. Mostly SF0 players!

The strategy is pretty simple. Put poi in their hands, teach them the first string of moves, and then get them to light them on fire!

I start by showing them how to wear the handles I've made. There's different styles, but I prefer it as a single loop, through and looped back over your index and middle finger.

Then, with both poi, spin them forwards (going from your head to your feet in front of you). I explain that they should strive to have their 'planes' as straight and vertical as possible.

The next move is the cross, so one at a time I go over how the poi will move to cross over their body, and where their arms should be when this happens. After a mastery of the right hand crossing, and their left hand crossing, I have them try both at once, which is always amusing, and involves either hitting their shins, or the back of their head. BONK!

After they get the cross down, I explain 'split-time' (like riding a bicycle!) and the 2-beat weave, which is just a cross, in split time, one side crossing after the other. This usually takes some time, and is sometimes a good breaking point to just practice whatever they're comfortable with. Some people pick up muscle memory crap like this near-instantly (I'm looking at you, Rabbit) and for others, like myself, it actually takes quite some practicing.

Once spinning forward, crossing, spinning in split time, and the 2-beat weave are relatively down, i start in on the 3-beat weave. This is the move that nearly everyone does, all the time. It's like the iPod of poi moves. To learn it, you stick one arm out in front of you, and with the other arm spinning, you cross and spin it over your arm, then under your arm, then out of the cross. Generally they'll be doing this for some time, it'll start looking clean, and I'll ask them to try with their left hand, and it all falls apart. In any case, once you can get that down with each hand pretty cleanly, it's just a matter of being in split-time, doing the 2-beat weave, and instead of 'over, out' you do the 'over, under, out' thing you've been practicing.

3-beat weave is really fun to do, like forever and ever, especially at first. This is generally the end of my basics instruction, though I will go over things like butterfly, and turns if you ask. I'm especially bad with butterfly moves. ;)

Anyhow, once they've gotten what they'll get in a night, I ask them if they want to do it with fire. All they have to do is the moves they're most comfortable with, and I'll safety them. I explain the type of fuels used, and some other relevant safety info. Generally, people spin fire the very first night with me. Even if it's just spinning them in forwards, adding fire makes it really gratifying, and gives you something to brag about!

I've taught the basics to the following sf0 players (I may be forgetting some, I've been RUNNING AND WALKING THE WHOLE WEEKEND):

Heather
Rubin
Rabbit

And a number of non-players.

I mean to teach Kelly, but she needs to get to NIMBY sometime!