The 10/10 Challenge

[Ron May]

Johnny, I'm so sorry for your family's loss.

Ron

[Robert Gage]

Johnny, my commiserations to you and all your family.

[Steve Cuthbert]

So sorry to hear that johnny, stay well in this tough time

[Johnny Pell]

If he was right with the man upstairs then It's all good.

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Sorry to hear that Johnny. Was it something you were expecting or out of the blue? Hope everyone's bearing up.

[Johnny Pell]

I knew that he recently hade some heart issues, but it was still kind of unexpected but I think that he knew because of the way he was acting. It is very odd and hard to believe I almost hate to say anything about this for sounding like I am full of shit but, that almost every major event that has happened in my life in the last year and 1/2 has had in one way or another had something to do with a whip. My kids had gotten to spend some time with him the weekend before he passed. They were with my Mother in law for the day and, she was going by his house to get something and needed there help to load it in her van. They have not been together for several years, but he called and said he was selling the house so she needed to come by and get a few things but he was going to be out of town. Well when they got there he was actually home which was good because he has been traveling a lot and they haven't seen him in awhile. After they had visited for a while they started to leave he told them to wait and pulled his brothers old bullwhip off of the wall and told them to give to me because he wouldn't be needing it anymore. I thought that was strange because I knew how much it meant to him. So when my mother in law called me a week later and she couldn't get in touch with him I instantly knew even before I went over there and found him. I know that it is probably just coincidence but the LORD works in mysterious ways.

[Robby Amper]

I thank you for your kind words, Johnny. And I feel with you and your family. All I can say is, that I hope it went fast for him. Just closed his eyes and passed away. You may know that by now - but if you need someone to talk, you have a lot of friends, here. Or if you need a shoulder, you can call me anytime. You can call someone who lives in the states - we're here for you. You are now one of us. And that's how we treat friends.

Robby

[Guest]

Oh man sorry to heart that! I'm happy to hear though that it didn't stop you from cracking!

Good vibes your way on working trough it as a family.

[Tristan Foy]

I echo the sentiments here. Kind thoughts to you and your family during this loss.

[Rachel McCollough]

Johnny so sorry to hear of your loss. Thoughts and prayers for you and your family!

[Steve Cuthbert]

Struggled again with practice, it was dark after work so couldn't video
No matter what I tried I just kept getting wrapped up
Will try and take a video on my lunch
Hope everyone else's practice is going well

[Tristan Foy]

It's still dark and grey here. I made a couple of videos, but I'm undecided if I will post them since they are dark. But mainly my question about the Horizontal Crack is this:

It looks like I crack off to the side instead of nice and flat. This came off in my first video of it too, I believe. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to fix this?

With my forward crack, the grabbing an apple analogy hasn't really helped. Maybe I don't grab apples the way they do in Germany. :-(

As I bring my hand down and back, I do not know how to bring it forward without moving my wrists in such a way my whip bites me. I'm getting a little scared of this crack. Someday I'll probably come to love it and wonder what the fuss was, kind of how I feel about the UC. But for now it's playing hard to get, and I am not impressed.

[Guest]

Tristan, try the spear throwing analogy. You throw a spear with your elbow first, now it looks like you're throwing shoulder first. Like a spear, let the whip and the handle just hang from your palm - if you don't squeeze the handle the forward momentum will keep it in a straight plane forward, without hitting you!

I only had some "dry practice" yesterday. Just going trough the motions without a handle. I was ready to got out of town but it was canceled and it kinda threw me off so I started a new whip and got carried away!

[Ron May]

Tristan, I am guessing that "to the side" means diagonally.
Like Robby's video shows, bring your hand across and slightly up on the movement that reverses direction.

On the forward crack try releasing your wrist a little earlier than exactly right at the end.
That might help. I think that the thong is going forward on the inside of the handle instead of the outside so pay attention to the angle of the handle and the position of the thong as it comes forward.

You are making progress even if you don't realize it yet.
Patience.

Ron

Ron

[Ron May]

Yesterday's practice was progressing with equaling out the initiating swing and the finish with the slight upward movement.
I also learned that you can hold the handle too horizontal which produces a brush with the thong with the hand, wrist, and possibly the forearm, sometimes all in succession. So, a slight angle is needed to keep the thong a little above the handle. Also starting the thong in a more sweeping horizontal delivery to the top helps to promote a horizontal return to the beginning side, finishing as stated previously.

It's getting more defined and smoother.

Ron

[Ben Varsek]

@ Steve Cuthbert:

You're welcome - I hope you did't injure yourself with the face hit that you've mentioned !!!


@ Johnny Pell:

I'm sorry to hear about your loss - my deepest condolences to you and your family Johnny !!!



@ Tristan Foy:

I'm pretty sure that there is no special German way of gabing apples
This analogy is about the forward motion of the arm: most people bring their arm streight forward when they are grabbing an apple and the don't do a round motion (like a hook in boxing).


@ Erik Torpström:

Congratulations on getting the hang of the HC !!!
I've also had to practice without a whip yesterday (handle only) because I've spend the entire day at my grandmothers house.


@ Ron May:

Congratulations Ron !!!


Todays practice fealt just like my practice two days ago with the only difference that the ground hasn't been as muddy and wet as on the days before

On yesterdays "mirror - handle only" practice I've used the same method that I've been using when I used to do martial arts training at home.
I first do the movements while looking at my mirror image until I think that I can do it the right way without the mirror. Then after doing this movemt a couple of times without the mirror I go back to the mirror and check if I'm still doing the movent the right way.
This way has been more effective for me than looking at my mirror image throughout the practice/training in terms of developing a muscle memory for a certain movement.

All the best
Ben

[Tristan Foy]

More videos from today.

Again, I apologize for the quality. Now due to the time change it's hard to get practice videos in decent light on weekdays.

This is what I meant by my overhead crack going off to the side: Instead of being horizontal, they just look like I'm flinging them to the side dismissively, even though it feels as flat as a Pfannkuchen (pancake) to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_UgdtL3kOk

And more questions I have in Quest of the Forward Crack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNAd4arE7AQ

Erik, good luck on your new whip! I'm working on mine and will post updates about it soon when I am finished with it. Is yours a bullwhip, or stockwhip, or what?

[Johnny Pell]

Tristan this video help me. You don't really realize that your not horizontal until you see a video of yourself. Try this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzoL1ZjA67Y

[Ron May]

Tristan, you are doing some kind of hybrid circus crack.
The first part of the swing looks better, but at the end it appears that you are bringing your arm, hand, wrist down to the front ending in a more of a diagonal circus crack.

Watch the video that Johnny has a link to and then watch your latest video and you will see the difference. Don't turn your wrist / handle in a down ward motion but an outward motion more to your left keeping your hand and handle at the same level as the swing ending in a slightly upward movement with your arm to help keep the thong in the horizontal plane.

You are right. You're making progress. If you have any doubts look at your first video and your latest and you'll see.

You are doing good Tristan.

Ron

[Ron May]

Tristan, on the forward crack try not turning your body as your bring the whip back.
Don't follow it with your eyes but feel where the whip is.
It appears that when you bring the whip back and turn your body the thong ends up more behind you instead of straight back from your starting point ending with hitting yourself. I don't blame you for being a little gun shy about it cause it freakin' hurts.

Keeping the whip on the same line from start to finish might help in not hitting yourself.
Try bringing the whip forward and right after snapping the wrist at the end stop your hand / arm just for a split second before finishing the throw where you started it.
Not a complete pause but just a sudden hesitation then finish the throw.

Keep watching Robby's video and watch his movements and try to mirror them with the position and speed.

Again you are making progress. With whips the saying , "No pain no gain. " could fit.
Hang in there and like you said, be stubborn with your perseverance. You will get it and it will look so easy to anyone watching you do it.

Ron