This section offers information to guide students in their development as poi artists. This entire section is constantly evolving and content is changing as time permits to extend it. Last Update: December 22, 2005

Introduction

After teaching full time for 3.5 years, I humbly submit that creating a consistent model assists artists in their ability to communicate concepts to each other while guiding their development. Some has asserted that a model is a limitation, that it will shut down the artist rather than open the artist. As with any tool, that can be accurate. However, for those people who have not yet created a deep enough internal understanding of Poi (and other flow arts) to allow them to explore the movement of their poi and their bodies, a model can create a flexible, expansive and evolutionary approach to learning which guides the student rather than cages them in.

A good model allows for growth and expansion, innovation, creativity and that which has not been done before. A stagnant model suppresses these things and, as such, ultimately will suffocate the artist. the purpose of the Temple of Poi Poi rEvolution model is to assist artists in their growth by allowing for the unknown.

You may be wondering how the model might be useful if it doesn't define everything. i would suggest the model is much like a map. it provides different information about the landscape being explored. Some maps provide scaled understanding of the height of the land above sea level (relief maps ) while other maps give main arteries of travel from one destination to another. Our model attempts to do both in enough detail to expand the student's thinking without creating too many rules which oppress the students's creativity.

Ultimately, if the model is not useful for you, don't use it. I would suggest there is likely something you can use in the model to support your growth as long as you look for what will assist your learning when you read this information rather than looking for what is wrong with the information.

i do not claim this model is perfect. I do not claim it is the only model. I do claim it is useful, evidenced by my own development over the last two years. I invite you to find something within these pages to assist you.

Poi Holarchy

To begin using this model, an artist must first understand how their poi interact with each other and themselves. this is described in the more details Poi Holarchy article.

Basics for beginners

so if you understand the holarchy, what does that do for you? Well, let's begin with a few of the aspects as they comprise the basic moves. The first four aspects to get a basic understanding of are:

• velocity -- the rate of speed needed to keep the poi in motion
• direction -- overhand/forward or underhand/backward
• plane -- for the beginner, we'll narrow the infinite scope of planes to a box, as if an artist is standing within a 6 sided die
• timing -- for the beginner, we'll narrow this down to together time -- both poi hitting the bottom of the turn at the same time -- and split time -- each poi hitting the bottom of the turn while the other poi is at the top of the turn

Narrowing down the tremendously large scope of possibility presented by the aspects of poi to these four provide a solid means by which artists can begin to approach their experience. This is meant as a starting point, not a destination and therefore is expected to be expanded through time.

While most beginners do not think to do every motion in every direction in every location, it is an approach as thorough as that which will provide the most flexibility and possibility for the artists. It is also important for the artists to increase skills with their underdeveloped side to ensure optimal balance. By practicing into ones weakness, one is always moving their skill further ahead.

Creating the moves begins with understanding each transition -- front to back, side to side and floor to ceiling -- with each hand in each direction by itself. these can then be put together to create basic planar moves (i.e., butterflies, circles), chases (i.e., pinwheel, hip reels) and weaves (i.e. 2 beat weave)

Expanding the Vocabulary

After learning moves of each type, there are additional attributes -- aspects -- one can consider to further define the move. Beginning with 3 of the 4 aspects on the narrowed list for beginners, the next step in expanding ones move vocabulary is to look at each move in each direction in each plane, thereby creating the basis for differentiation between an inward/overhand opposite/overhand split direction pinwheel from a clockwise/right pinwheel. the structure of the move -- one poi chasing the other -- is the same in both cases in that where one poi was the other poi goes. However, the direction is different. In addition, the timing could be different and the plane could also be different.

Explore connection, Finding Flow

For every move we can devise a chart which in one dimension defined all the aspects of the move -- direction, speed, location, length of poi, center of revolution, etc. In the other dimension the chart would indicate how little or how much of that aspect was present.

We could then do this for every move -- ha, as if we have a lifetime to even define every move -- and compare all the places where the degree of each aspect is the same and where they are different. Those moves will require the least amount of effort to transition to other moves whose aspects are most like them. Accordingly, moves will require the most effort to transition to other moves whose aspects are least like them. In other words, instead of changing one aspect (i.e., direction), perhaps two and maybe more (i.e., adding an isolation, changing poi length, and shifting plane, for example) aspects might need to be changed. It is therefore easiest (least amount of work) to transition between moves that are the most same and most challenging to transition between moves that are most dissimilar. However, moves that are most dissimilar provide the greatest contrast and therefore might be the most desirable transitions to master as an artist grows in ability.

The first and easiest aspect to begin exploring is likely direction. For each category of moves, it is useful to explore examples of the moves which can be done in each direction. Generally, there is a move of each type in each direction on each plane. More skilled artists will be able to perform more versions of these. For example: Weaves can be done on the front and back plane in a 4 beat pinwheel -- where the poi are crossing each other and on the floor and ceiling planes with the 4 beat corkscrew.

Many moves can be connected with a single transition of the poi -- which may in fact encompass multiple aspect changes.

Adding Concentrations

The last two sections explain the general learning experience of a student -- learn a move, in multiple directions and then learn how to fit it into one's repertoire. In a sense, one will continue to evolution as a poi artist by continually following the last two steps with one addition. Instead of learning the base move, add a specific type of aspect change consistently to the move to create a new pattern. For example, isolating the poi in a weave creates an isolated weave. The aspect the artist changed was the center of revolution for each poi throughout the move. Isolating the move is only one type of aspect shift available. These changes in the aspect of the poi throughout the pattern are called concentrations -- much like a concentration in one's field of study at a university.

The list of concentrations continues to grow as the art form expands. To date, there are at least 45+ concentrations distinguished -- a list of some of them can be found below. Concentrations can loosely be broken into three categories:

• something you do to the poi
• someplace you put the poi
• something you do to your body

What You Do to the Poi

• breaking the box
  • open spinning
  • plane shifting
  • atomics
• timing
  • split time
  • quarter time
  • polyrhythmic
• multibeat
• isolations
• hyperloops
  • airwraps
  • hyperloops
  • tangles
• extensions
• wallplanes
  • lockouts
  • wallplanes
• length
  • mini/choke
  • extra long
• direction
  • same
  • split
  • atomic
• speed
  • fast
  • slow
  • asynchronous
  • polyrhythmic
• wraps
  • tap back
  • regular wrap
  • thru wrap
• catch and release

Where You Put the Poi

• under legs
• under armpits
• crook of neck
• behind the back
• behind the head
• above the head
• interior
• exterior
• one handed poi

What you do with your body

• dance
• tai chi
• yoga
• aerial
• floorwork
• acrobatic
• partners
• contact poi
  • body roll
  • arm roll
  • leg roll

Deepening Knowledge

• poly concentration
• asymmetric concentrations

Creating Combos

Building Choreography

Performing

Flow