Job's Original Proposal

[mosher]

I grabbed this from the new wikipedia thing they have at footbag.org, you should go check it out.

I thought this was cool, the original writing of Benjamin Job.




Job's Original Proposal

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From: BJ <job> (now invalid) Subject: By the Way, Not the Name To: [email protected] Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 02:16:38 -0700 (MST)

Here's some food for thought... Feedback is welcome, particularly in regard to the names in the list. Try the "complete" list...

Benjamin Job

A List By the Way
This paper presents a notation for describing footbag tricks and representing the relationships that exist between them. Additionally, it presents the means for generating a comprehensive list of possible variations.

Break a trick down. You get a series of movements preceeded by a set and followed by a catch (or kick). The set and catch options are few and easily listable. The series of movements, though allowing of more variation, are similarly listable. Represented as a formula, this information provides us with the means to logically generate trick variations. As the precision of the formula increases, that is, as more of the finite number of basic movements are incorperated into the formula, we approach the specification of every trick possible. Consider the following:

(toe | clip) > [(same | op)(in | out)dexterity]* > (same | op)(toe | clip)

The notation is as follows: "Same" and "op" are always relative to the leg previously refered to. "In" and "out" mean "inside" and "outside", respec- tively. "|" is equiv. to "choice" ("or"). "[ ]" means "enclosed dex is optional". ">" is equiv. to "followed by". "*" means the preceding term can occur/re-occur 0 or more times.

From this simple formula, most non-modified leg dexterities can be derived. Because of the structure of the formula, a "truth table" of moves can be gen- erated, leaving no move undiscovered (ex., see list).

Some examples:

clip > op clip Clipper to Clipper
toe > op in dex > op toe *clip > same in dex > op out dex > same toe Paradox Dbl Legover
clip > op in dex > same in dex > op out dex > same toe Flurry
How far can we go? Only slight modifications are needed to account for other modifiers and their associated possibilities. For example, Pogo, Symposium, Spinning, ang Gyro moves can be formed by adding "(no plant while)" and "(forward | backward)spin". The formula,

(toe | clip) > [(no plant while)] [(same | op)(in | out)dexterity | (for | back)spin]* > (same | op)(toe | clip)

describes variations such as:

clip > (no plant while) op in dex > op in dex > (no plant while) op in dex > op toe Pogo Paradox Symposium Blur

The set and catch options can be filled in with all the choices: inside, outside, knee, the unsual surfaces. What elements that may comprise a trick have yet to be accounted for? Just a few: stomping ["(both legs plant)"], blind, hop-over, carry (Wrap), duck, dive, jumping/flying, Swirl/Twirl cross- body dex, swing (Pendulum, Rake). Not many other types of primitive movements exist. Since the acceptable tricks are just combinations of these primitives; and since each primitive may be easily implemented within the formula; the the possibility of a master formula for all tricks becomes complete.

Note: "same", "op" and "no plant" are relative to the leg previously refered to.
Examples:

clip > op in dex > op out dex > op clip Ripwalk
toe > same out dex > same out dex > op clip Double Over Down
toe > op out dex > op out dex > same toe Eggbeater
toe > (no plant while) > op in dex > op toe Symposium Mirage
toe > (no plant while) > op in dex > op clip Symposium Whirl
clip > same in dex > op in dex > op toe Pdx Blur
clip > same out dex > same out dex > op clip Barfly
clip > op in dex > same in dex > same toe Double Pickup
clip > op in dex > (no plant while) op out dex > op clip Dada Curve
clip > (back)spin > same in dex > op out dex > op clip Gyro Ripwalk

[Genzu]

This was a really cool thing to see at the time. If memory serves right, he actually proposed this as a paper for some class. I was the first freestyler that actually saw this list in person. I pretty much introduced Ben, who was a semi-pro skater at the time, to freestyle footbag. It's too bad he didn't stick with footbag because he would have been one of the best. He was busting 6 add moves after kicking for only a few months (being a skater really helped).

The thing that this original post leaves out is really the most intriguing part though. Now that I think about it, I think this was for a computer class or maybe a logic class or something like that. Anyhow, he had written a simple program that spit out a list of at least 4 pages of moves (maybe more). I remember trying to go over this list and figure out what had actually been hit, and in '94 there really weren't a lot of them. Plus it spits out some stuff that simply doesn't make sense (or may have been impossible, not too difficult, just not logically possible).

This just goes to show what we all know: That there are literally hundreds (thousands?) of possible footbag moves. It would be really cool to see an updated version of this. Clearly, this isn't going to be a totally comprehensive list, as there are some move components that don't fit into the add system so easily.

Anyhow, someone with an open-ended project to do at school sometime could take this on and get credit for an assignment at the same time.

Peace.