The cross over crack from 1/25/2017 to 2/3/2017

[Ron May]

This is where we will post for the cross over crack .
It starts around 3:20 in this video of Vol. II. It doesn't really complete the instructions so we will have to do the best we can.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L88gjDaPf6g&t=204s

Happy crackin' .

Ron

[Ben Varsek]

Here is a short video of today practice. There is obviously lots of room for improvement but it's getting better compared to my "crossover attempts" in the past

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA8-CKO ... e=youtu.be


All the best
Ben

[Ron May]

Ben, that looks pretty good.
Maybe the first part of the crack should be more diagonal?
I find that it's difficult to do the second part with out enough speed to keep the whip from cracking the back of my head/neck.
I tend to keep it more over my head or out to the side.
You seem to be doing this part quite well.
That's what I am working on.
Thanks for the video and good job.

Ron

[Robert Gage]

Ben,. I agree with Ron: this looks pretty good, but the first part of the crack could be more diagonal - but it's not easy to tell the exact angle of the whip because of where the camera is placed. But it all looks nice and effortless!

[Ben Varsek]

Thank's Ron - I'll keep in mind to do the first crack in a more diagonal plane on tomorrows practice !!!

What helped me a lot to develop a feal for the second part was to do the motion of both parts without snaping my wrist at 3 o'clock (therefor, without a crack). After I fealt comfortable with this motion I strated adding wrist snaps.


All the best
Ben

[Ben Varsek]

Thank you very much Robert !!!

Both you and Ron are right about the first part beeing to vertical (it's not the angle of the camera- it's me) !!!

All the best
Ben

[Ron May]

Here's my video for today.
I am still going over my head too much I believe in the second part, but I'm a little "gun shy" about hitting myself in the back of the head.

I tried a couple of ways , out to the side and what I thought was in front of me but the video shows it's more to the side than middle. Ending the video with a slow crack just for fun.

https://youtu.be/D8llkTvUfcI

Ron

[Robert Gage]

Ron, I think that looks very good indeed. Wonderfully relaxed!

[Ron May]

Thank you Mr. Robert.

Upon further review I know what I am doing wrong... mostly.
On the second part of the crack I am not turning my body (into the crack to the rear) and bringing the whip back behind me as far as I can before turning back to the front and finishing the crack in front.

I am currently doing the exact thing Robby warns about by not turning into the crack and taking the whip back as far as I can before throwing the whip forward, hence "hitting the back of my head / neck.

This is what I am going to be working on tomorrow.

Ron

[Robert Gage]

Ron, I've found that self-criticism is usually the most helpful kind! Well done!

[Matt Henderson]

Looking good Ron . I'm working on the alignment on the second part, but I think I've got it now.

[Ron May]

Yesterday's practice seems like I am making reverse progress.
The second part of the crack is proving to be very hard for me to do correctly.
I am going to keep working on it though.

Ron

[Matt Henderson]

I'm using a lot of wrist action to almost spin the whip in the X motion. Not sure if this is kosher, as a legacy of learning Irish stick fighting a while back, but it really helps my timing and alignment

[Ron May]

Matt, would it be possible to make a demo video of your "Irish Wrist Action" ?
Kosher or not I would be interested in seeing that.

Ron

[Matt Henderson]

I'll try and record something now, Ron. I'll use a stick to start then a whip.

[Matt Henderson]

Here we are Ron, I tried to show it as best I could on the landing. It's the same kind of X pattern you find in Filipino martial arts, the trick is to open up your hand and loosen your wrist, and let the whip flow. I can't really explain it over the internet, so hopefully you can see what I'm doing:
https://youtu.be/05Km80HZBsM

[Robert Gage]

Matt, that's brilliant! Thanks very much for posting this!

[Ron May]

Well done Matt.
That was very interesting.
I wonder how it's success translates to a longer whip?

Ron

[Matt Henderson]

No worries folks, glad I could contribute something useful to this for once . Ron, it works pretty much the same with a longer whip, the motion's just slower.

[Ron May]

Today's practice was slowly progressing but I guess I need more patience with this one.
Even with turning my body with the crack and bringing the handle as far behind me as I can, it still ended up not working well with a lot of anxiety, fearful of hitting the back of my head or there abouts.
This one for some reason is a tuffy for me.
Not making an excuse but perhaps my whip's transition is just too noodley to do this successfully with out some trade offs in positioning.

I even tried the "Irish Wrist Action" but not much success there either.

Ron