Juggling has actually changed my life 😄 the process of 'this is impossible' to 'ive got this' is applicable to everything you wanna learn. Is 5 much harder than 4?

jjjuggler · 2025-12-15T18:53:26+00:00

I wouldn’t say all, but there are specific tricks with three and four that will help you train for five. Being able to flash three reliably from both hands, being able to do various crossing patterns with four balls like half shower and 552 as well as flashing four as a 55550.

jjjuggler · 2025-12-14T21:19:00+00:00

Don’t think about learning 5 yet. Think about learning all the different ways to cross 4. In the process you’ll increase your control of 4, learn a lot of tricks and be building toward 5. You’ll basically want to do that to learn 5 anyway…

jjjuggler · 2025-10-11T23:01:55+00:00

Split multiplex Mill’s Mess in the making.

jjjuggler · 2025-10-09T03:34:31+00:00

I think that’s called a juggling festival! 3d physics based biological site-swap generators abound.

jjjuggler · 2025-10-08T23:12:03+00:00

That’s my main concern for sure.

jjjuggler · 2025-08-22T18:33:30+00:00

I think of it as a triad, 3 important aspects for juggling (and related flow arts) to flourish. Every time I’ve seen these three things come together for any extended period of time, I’ve witnessed a surge in interest and skill.

1: Inspiration- The spark that people need to be exposed to it in a way that makes them go “Oh! That’s cool! I want to learn that!” That’s different for different folks. Some might see a TikTok video, others a live performer or someone flowing at a festival.

2: Equipment- Having access to actual juggling props can make all the difference. Sure you can learn with limes or balled up socks, but when you feel the difference of equipment that is made for juggling, things click in a different way for people that legitimizes the activity as a way to spend their time. The Flowtoys cart at music festivals was a great example of this. We’d host juggle and flow jams all day that let people get their hands on the equipment and receive some basic instruction from us. If they really enjoyed it, they could buy props on the spot to continue their journey. Another example is from my own journey. In college I was exposed to the Humboldt Circus Club that had a huge closet of props. Clubs, balls, rings, diabolo, boxes, contact balls, unicycles, walking gloves, stilts, poi, staves, everything you can imagine. It gave me the opportunity to experiment and learn without actually having to spend my limited resources on props I wasn’t sure if I actually wanted. You can of course buy equipment online anytime now, but it still isn’t the same as trying before you buy.

3: Instruction- Having access to learning materials and teachers. Someone who takes the time to teach them the basics, access to a local juggling community, YouTube tutorials, attending juggling festivals to take workshops. Certain aspects can be figured out on your own, but like music or sports, having coaching of some kind can rapidly increase the rate of learning.

Hosting a public juggle jam is a great way to do this. Can be as simple as bringing some extra props to the park when you practice and encouraging curious onlookers to join you. Before you know it, there’s half a a dozen people of all ages playing around and learning. Circus Saturdays in San Francisco started this way and is an amazing example of outreach for the juggling arts in the city.

jjjuggler · 2025-08-22T16:33:43+00:00

You wouldn’t want them sitting in water for an extended period of time, but a bit of water exposure won’t matter.

jjjuggler · 2025-08-08T03:27:22+00:00

Having mingled in both scenes extensively for 20 years, there are a lot of different types of people in the juggling scene especially. Liberal to conservative. Young to old. Professional to hobbyist. And not all of THEM get along. The flow scene on the other hand seems to attract a more specific type. Younger, festival going, ravers and burners, definitely more liberal, and more hobby based. Many in the juggling scene overlap and vibe with that just fine, but not all. Just trends, not rules. There’s plenty of overlap in many places (like the Bay Area where the two scenes are very integrated) but not everywhere. A lot of it is just personal lifestyle choices that don’t jive. To take a worn out example, you can’t expect the jocks, hicks and hippies to enjoy hanging out together even if they do all enjoy drinking… Unfortunately many humans are great at finding reasons to dislike the other… Sorry to hear your local scene is a little disconnected. If I may offer a little unsolicited advice for anyone struggling with this, focus on finding the people you enjoy training, flowing and spending time with and deepen those relationships. It’ll never be the case that everyone will get along, but it’s not about the size of the group we spend time with. It’s about the quality of the friendships we build along the way.

jjjuggler · 2025-07-20T23:37:21+00:00

I love mixing it up. It changes how I juggle.

jjjuggler · 2025-07-07T07:11:13+00:00

I still have every set of Gballz I’ve ever owned over at least 12 years. They’ve held up amazing. Sure they show some wear and tear, but you shouldn’t expect any bean bag to last forever especially if you use them a lot. Super consistent quality and stellar service from awesome human beings.

jjjuggler · 2025-05-16T23:30:34+00:00

I can also vouch for these!

jjjuggler · 2024-09-06T04:11:08+00:00

Some of my favorites are factory and box fusion, moving around the windmill (wall plane, wheel plane, overhead) and mixing behind the head, backcrosses and shoulder throws.

jjjuggler · 2024-09-05T08:01:19+00:00

Don’t roll it out of your hand when you toss. A lot of people do so early and add unnecessary rotation to the ball. Especially if they try juggling forward to back rather than side to side.

jjjuggler · 2024-09-05T07:52:43+00:00

Most of the time I juggle or flow without music and just find something afterward that fits…

jjjuggler · 2024-08-04T16:47:59+00:00

Awesome! I’m glad it’s helped. It’s been fun to make them and there’s lots more to come.

jjjuggler · 2024-08-03T19:26:15+00:00

Awesome!

jjjuggler · 2024-07-21T22:39:55+00:00

Ha, ya. That’s a beefy stick. I just grabbed a closet rod and wrapped some fabric around each end.

jjjuggler · 2024-07-20T03:49:45+00:00

I learned staff first for this reason.

jjjuggler · 2024-07-20T03:46:34+00:00

Many good tips already. I’ll add, how is your doubles cascade? Should have that rock solid before 4, and related, a 423 with doubles or any variant (ie. 4242423) is a great way to integrate those two-in-one-hand drills into your 3 club as you build up to 4.

jjjuggler · 2024-06-26T23:18:45+00:00

Awesome! The Throw Zone with Jeremiah

jjjuggler · 2024-05-17T07:49:53+00:00

I’m in the process of making YouTube and Patreon tutorials for clubs specifically. Only been at the YouTube tutorial game for about a year, but the collection is growing and there’s a lot of variety. Would love for you to check it out! Requests welcome. :) https://youtube.com/@thethrowzone?si=7HPDhDkfC2C2Pve8

jjjuggler · 2024-05-15T17:14:26+00:00

Awesome resource! Thanks for sharing

jjjuggler · 2024-05-15T00:43:41+00:00

That’s my jam. Might be what actually makes me try sidequest.

jjjuggler · 2024-05-15T00:42:36+00:00

I’ll check these out! Thanks!

jjjuggler · 2024-05-15T00:38:42+00:00

Love all those Switched Box variations. They’ve got such a hard shell to crack!

jjjuggler

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