As poi artists evolve they begin developing new, different and/or unexplored ways of manipulating the visual effect created while spinning. As these patterns evolve, artists begin to understand how to apply the same style of manipulation to multiple types of patterns. When an artist studies the application of a consistent style of manipulation in multiple moves, they are studying concentrations.

Much like a musician who goes to college might major in music, they might have a minor in electronic music, classical composition, music theory or any number of other more specific and specialized areas of music. Poi concentrations are much like a minor of study at a traditional university.

Concentrations can be broken down into three main categories, as listed below. The list below is a small portion of the currently distinguished concentrations.

Ways of moving the poi:

• Multi-beat: taking a base move and adding multiple revolutions with both hand either symmetrically or symmetrically.
• Isolations: moving the center of revolution from the point where the hands hold the poi to another point (generally the center point) on the rope between the hand and poi head.
• Hyperloops: consciously creating a tangle and then untangle with the poi.
• Wraps: intentionally wrapping and unwrapping the rope of your poi around one or more points on your body, generally resulting in the poi changing direction.
• Stalls: intentionally bringing the poi to a brief and controlled stop and then restarting the poi, generally in the opposite direction one stalled from.
• Multiple poi per hand: as the name implies, this concentration is about moving two or more poi with one hand at a time.
• Wall plane: keeping both poi in plane with each other while creating the moves. “Lockouts” are an example of wall plane moves.
• Polyrhythmic: moving your poi such that one poi is spinning faster or slower than another in a consistent and reproducible time. For example, one poi can be moving twice as fast as the other poi which is called “2x1 timing”.

Places to move the poi:

• Leg work
• Arm work
• Behind the back
  

Ways to move your body with the poi:

• Aerial work
• Acrobatics
• Floor work
• Dancing