I Learned the 2 Basic Poi Moves in 10 Minutes (The Weave & The Reel)
The Figure Eight and the Circle
I was mesmerized by poi spinning. It looked so complex. A spinner at a festival broke it down for me. They showed me that the two most fundamental moves are the “weave” and the “reel.” The “weave” is a simple, figure-eight pattern that you trace with your hands in front of you. The “reel” is just a simple, circular turn, like you are turning a jump rope. By learning just these two simple, foundational moves, I had the basic vocabulary to be able to spin for hours, and it only took me ten minutes to get the feel for them.
How to Make Your Own Practice “Sock Poi” for Free
The Rice and the Sock
I wanted to learn poi but didn’t want to buy a set. I made my own, perfect practice set using things from my house. I took a pair of old, long tube socks. I filled the toe of each sock with about a cup of uncooked rice to act as the weight. Then I just tied a knot in the sock. That’s it. I had a pair of soft, perfectly weighted, and completely free practice poi. They are the perfect tool for a beginner because when you inevitably hit yourself (and you will), it doesn’t hurt.
The Secret to Keeping Your Poi Planes “Flat”
The Wall is Your Teacher
My poi planes were always wobbly. I was spinning in a crooked, uneven circle. I learned a simple trick to fix this. I just stood a few inches away from a wall, facing it. I then practiced spinning my poi in a simple, forward circle. If my plane was wobbly, the poi would hit the wall. The wall provided instant, physical feedback and forced me to learn how to spin in a perfectly flat, controlled plane. It’s the simplest and most effective training drill there is.
How to Do a “Turn” Without Getting Tangled
The Follow-the-Hand Rule
I could spin poi in front of me, but I would get into a tangled mess every time I tried to turn my body. The secret is incredibly simple: your body just follows your hands. As you are spinning, you just let your hand cross the center line of your body. Your body will naturally and intuitively turn to follow it, and the poi will follow you. You don’t have to think about it. Just let your hand lead the way, and your body will know what to do.
The Easiest Poi “Stall” That Looks Really Cool
The Upward Swing and the Stop
I wanted to learn a “trick” that looked impressive. I learned the “upward stall.” As the poi is swinging upwards, you just move your hand up with it, at the same speed. This causes the poi to “stall” at the peak of its arc, hanging in the air for a moment as if by magic. You then just let it fall back down into its swing. It’s a simple, elegant, and beautiful move that is the foundation for a huge number of more advanced tricks.
Why Hitting Yourself is a Good Thing When Learning Poi
The Feedback of the Bonk
When I started learning poi, I would hit myself in the head, the hands, and the legs. It was frustrating. An experienced spinner told me, “Getting hit is the best teacher.” Every time you hit yourself, the poi is giving you direct, physical feedback that you have done something wrong. You have broken your plane, or your timing is off. Instead of getting frustrated, I started to see the “bonk” as a valuable piece of data that was telling me exactly what I needed to fix.
I Tried “Split Time, Same Direction” and It Unlocked Everything
The Alternating Rhythm
I was stuck spinning my poi in “same time,” where both poi were at the top and bottom of their swing at the same time. I learned to spin in “split time,” where one poi is at the top while the other is at the bottom. The easiest way to get into this was to start with the poi swinging at my sides, and then just bring them up in front of me. This alternating rhythm is the key to almost all the more advanced and beautiful poi moves, like the weave. It’s the moment you go from just swinging to actually flowing.
The Best Beginner Poi Tutorial on YouTube
The Gift of Nick Woolsey
The single best resource I found for learning poi was the free, comprehensive, beginner tutorial series on YouTube by Nick Woolsey. He has a calm, methodical, and incredibly effective way of breaking down the most complex-looking moves into simple, easy-to-understand steps. His clear instruction and his focus on the fundamentals are the reason that I, and thousands of other people, were able to learn this beautiful art form. He is a legend in the flow arts community.
How to Transition Between Moves Smoothly
The Figure Eight is the Bridge
I could do a few poi moves, but I couldn’t connect them. My spinning was a series of stops and starts. I learned that the simple “figure-eight” weave is the ultimate “bridge” between moves. Whenever I finish one trick, I can just go into a simple, comfortable weave for a few beats. This gives me a moment to think and to set up my next trick. The weave is the neutral, resting state that allows you to seamlessly and gracefully transition between all the other, more complex parts of your flow.
The Feeling of Your First “Flow State” with Poi
When the Thinking Stops
I had been practicing poi for a few weeks. One evening, I was spinning in my backyard, listening to music. Something shifted. I was no longer thinking about the moves. My hands just knew what to do. The poi felt like an extension of my own body. The separation between me, the poi, and the music just seemed to dissolve. It was a state of complete absorption and effortless action. I had experienced my first “flow state.” It was a profound and almost spiritual experience that is the true, addictive magic of the art form.