Tips

Sometimes It's Better To Mess Up

So you tried a new trick, and you did it! Great job. What? You messed up? EVEN BETTER. When practicing, most people think you're just trying to figure out what to do right. You also need to know what NOT to do wrong. In theory, if you mess up in every possible way, you'll never mess up again.

�...Make a Mistake Into a Trick, but Don't Make a Trick Out of a Mistake...?

I'm gonna need to explain this one. When you mess up and another trick just happens, great job! Just make sure that the new trick isn't practiced by messing up the first one. If that happens, the first one will be much harder to master. So make sure your tricks are deliberate.

Practice in a Swimming Pool!

Stand in the shallow side of a swimming pool, at around waist height. Use a hollow ball, like a 'Mr. Babache' stage ball, or large dog-toy ball (so they'll float).

Then, when/if you drop the ball, it drops only a few inches, floats, and is immediately within reach. You'll increase your efficiency, by increasing the amount of practice possible within a given hour, and decrease your non-cj effort expended within that hour.

nlp-guy

Learn control, not the trick.

When you practice a new trick, focus on controlling that part of your body, and not just trying to master one single trick. Eventually you'll be able to think of aany trick, and be able to perform it.

Choose your CJing area wisely. And turn it into a game with kids.

Do not CJ while driving in your car, even if you are at a stop light.

I made this mystake once and sliped up, accidently threw the ball into the passenger window, luckly it did not break, but the noise was so loud that the car next to me freaked out like it was a gunshot...(oops... lol)

Idealy, the perfect place to CJ is in a 10x12x10 padded room with nice soft carpets... But seing as none of us (I think) have access to a mental ward for practice (theres usually one in the group that does)...

I like to CJ outside, and turn it into a game with my cousins that I babysit... They stand about 10ft away from me and have their ball, I have myne, and I will spend the whole time praticing new moves... So that when I do drop the ball (gravity happens), they can pick it up and bring it back to me... So in that respect I am hitting two birds with one "sphere" by multitasking.

And in a way, am getting paid to CJ, by adding it as a game with my cousins that I babysit.

Don't be lazy

If you're trying to learn a new trick, don't just learn the trick. Learn how to control the trick. If you can control that one, the next one will be easier, etc. Eventually, you will be able to learn any new idea in almost no time at all.

Other kinds of balls

I am a beginning CJer and I'm only 14, so I don't want to go out and by acrylics right away. They're too much for me to afford, so I just use the balls I use for toss juggling. At least, that's what I first learned on. They're sort of like bean bags, except they're round, and it helped me to learn what cradle worked best for me. Then I moved to a very large marble that I have (I accidently started practicing on the cement and now have a chip in it) and that is much smoother. I just recently found one of my softballs and I just started rolling it around in my hands. I now like that the best out of all because it has a great weight for me. A little large, but it works. My tip: If it's round, try CJ with it! :)

ALLWAYS SHOW OFF AT A RENISAINCE FESTIVAL!!!!!!!1

I TOOK IN MY ACRYLICS AND CJED IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AND OH MY GOD WHAT AN ATTENTION GRABER THAT IS. I dont even work there and I got tips ( Cash ).

Confidence Booster

If you've been doing this for a while and you need a little encouragement to do better, find some way to video tape yourself contact juggling. I did this. I was impressed. You realize that it looks much better from someone else's perspective. Mirrors just don't seem to work as well (and you drop the ball more often watching the mirror).

DOGS ARE YOUR ACRYLIC BALLS # 1 ENEMY

Practiced in the living room...droped it doing the prayer....dog saw it....you should know the rest.....(crunch crunch)

DONT PRACTICE WITH AN ACRYLIC OVER CONCRETE!!!

Never practice with an acrylic ball unless you know your moves, over rug, or over grass. I hav a friend who let his friend barrow his acrylic. HE PRACTICE WITH IT FOR 3 HOURS OVER CEMENT!!! Cracks Everywhere!

CJ Mastercard Comercial

Cotton Wheel - 12 dollars
Drill Adapter - 5 dollars
Can of Brasso polishing cream - 6 dollars
Bottle of Novus polishing liquid - 5 dollars

Having you balls shine like new - Priceless

Let your Mind explore

Every trick you learn has got at least fifteen different variations.Practise,get the trick down,and then let your mind explore the possibilities.And then feeeeeel the satisfaction!

Don't Stop Practicing!

Like I did for about 2 months or so.. geez I probably lost double that amount of time in skill.. and I have been doing this for a relatively short amount of time so 4 months of practice is a lot for me!

Hear your own breathing -- use earplugs

Ear plugs will let you listen to your own breathing, even heartbeat, to better synchronize your movements.

Never stop dreaming

Moves are created by dreaming of what is thought impossible, then learning to perform them anyway. If you haven't seen a move performed before, it is not proof that it cannot be done! Remember your dreams, practice each part of them, and someday, impress your fellow contact jugglers.

Watch OUT!

Make sure that when your Cjing to stay on carpets or something soft so if it goes flying it won't bash of anything hard. TRUST ME!!

Film Yourself

if you have a cam-corder laying around, USE IT!
youd be surprised on how much you can learn that way, also, you don't have to worry about messing up, and breaking he mirrior. :-)

Don't get discouraged!

This is very important. Do not let anyone discourage you. About a month ago, when i started CJing , i carried my little lacross ball with me everywhere, even to school. Since most everyone in my school is rude and ignorant, they called me names such as retard, and dumbass. I wasn't very good yet. Weeks later, they wouldn't stop asking me to do the tricks I learned!!

Mirror with your alternate hand.

Hold the ball on your body with your opposite hand. Then roll the ball around. Over time you will find the ball rolling on it's own with no mirror there. This is a great way to feel the paths and to help learn new paths without fear of a drop. Try Mirroring by using your arms as well instead of your hand. This will lead to some interesting movements.
And P.S. Any ball that is round can be used to CJ. If they are not round then they can be used too, but they make weird patterns. So pick up a ball near you soon.

Contact Juggling

dot org