Jay's Blog.

zulu · Post by **zulu** » 12 Mar 2007 08:02

hey, who's the super relaxed, good looking guy on the video, who hits all those amazing tricks? ohh wait, that's me

thank you for the super sunday shred and for my first video appearance. overall impression on the video is good, but it's a pitty that the really good strings were hit when the camera was off. watched it four times now. Have you already hit a paradox torque? some spinning clips? maybe shred next sunday. nothing planned yet.
cu

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 12 Mar 2007 10:03

I really enjoyed your long introspective post on the previous page.

I can tell you from personal experience that footbag 'saved' me in all the ways you mentioned and probably more.

You don't just get to feel satisfied when you impress someone, eventually you get to play/perform on big stages and make crowds erupt!

It's always nice to know that you can blow anyones mind if you feel like it.

I will be living in the toronto area when you move back most likely. See you soon!

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 12 Mar 2007 10:37

Hey Mattias..You asked me if I hit a paradox torque yet? I'll do you one better.

http://video.google.de/videoplay?docid= ... 8140627540

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that is a mobius

Oh, and it's flipside.

________________

Great! I can't wait to shred in Ontario tom! Berlin would have been cool if you were there before I left, but Ontario with your crew would be even better, that, or FAT. Besides, you basically created that little Militia of yours.

It is also cool to know that someone like yourself peeks inside my blog every once in a while. Thank you.
*edit* holy shit Tom Mosher just posted in my blog.
____

Todays highlights...

Mobius, both sides. Wee!
Gyro mirage. Both sides.
spinning Far mirage. Both sides.
Spinning Legover, both sides.
Spinning ducking Osis. Almost both sides.
Dimwalk to Ripwalk, flipside.
Tap, (atomic ss mirage right?) both sides, first tries.
Spinning Butterfly, both sides...

If you can't tell, I'm damn excited that I can spin now!
What is the difference between spinning and gyro? I am 99% sure that Gyro is when you don't plant your leg, and spinning is when you do plant it.

Footbag is fun!

_____

useless edit,

I've went running for the last week and a half. The first time was around 2 kilometers, didn't want to excert myself.. Second time was around 4 kilometers, felt pretty good. Third time was 4 again. The last two times were a little over 10 kilometers. Not excerting myself, but it certainly feels good to stop again..

It doesn't add up. I am running consistently farther and faster, than I was last year. And this is after a winter of doing nothing but footbag...

Weird. (Running 10 kilometers in 50 minutes.)

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 14 Mar 2007 11:12

Highlights from the post below.

near b2b drifters, FINALLY. Didn't happen, but I can taste it.
Right whirl on command, FINALLY.
20 flipside blenders.
Paradons are becoming alot more consistent. Barfly's to come soon.
Ripwalks are easy as hell, now I just need to learn how to stepping set, from any trick and I'm good. Just
_______
Now the boring part.

As to why I am writing today's entry...

I decided to see as to why my blenders, drifters, and left dimwalks weren't solid. Well, aside from that video I put up a few weeks ago, I haven't hit a blender since. Anyway, I deemed it was because I slapped the bag to much with my left clipper. I just rely on a big massive flat surface, and the awesome bags I am lucky to have, that I get them. I have gotten pretty consistent at slapping or smearing the bag, and I notice that it always goes from my heel>instep and then up. So, the set is consistent enough, whenever I do a drop, because it sets off of my instep as expected. SO I had to study a wee bit further (well, 20 seconds and a few tries) to see what was up.

So, concious of my problem now, why is this caused? then I looked, and compared right clipper to left, and I notice that I bend/curl my body around the right clipper, and I stand almost straight up for my left. Changed that, and voila, a whole lot better. I assume it will take a combination of things to get it consistently consistent, instead of consistently inconsistently consistent.

Then I moved on, thinking 'Ha, blenders you are mine!', well, I tried it with this new less slappy technique, and shit was to be had. Nothing had changed. So, Then I looked at my blender, with my left leg dexing, as it has always been better, and realized I started dexing before my planting leg was on the ground. My other blender, I relied on pure speed to hit, which is terrible for consistency.

I thought about it for a moment, and then realized as to why my right whirl was so much worse, I didn't start dexing early enough, and I didn't plant at the right times. I almost jumped and then dexed. So, fixed me whirl, and presto, I have hit 20 right blenders and a whole bunch of left blenders today.

Next step, drifters. Drifters have plagued me ever since I entered the three add relm. my first thought was that I didn't make my windows big enough. I made them bigger, and nothing happened. Damn. Then I figured, 'Maybe if I just try and attack the bag, and go as fast as I can, it'll work'. Well, it worked.

After seeing that that was successful, I could tune a little bit. Now I don't go heaps faster than before, but I get the drifter. Before today, I had hit maybe 10 flipside in my life. I am sure that I could hit as many as I want now, because they are actually consistent flipside. Although, since I formed many a bad habit with my right drifter, strongside, it is harder.
___
___
___

On another note, I was thinking of where I want to go with Footbag. My father was a considerably ranked tennis player, 'in his day'. Somewhere inbetween 3-400 in the world. I tried tennis, but it just didn't fit. I saw it as fun, and didn't really like to practise as much as having fun. And since in the back of my mind I always felt like 'I must be as good as my father' that didn't mix. My grandfather was in the NHL, and played an allstar game, won a few stanley cups, and so forth. I hated skating since I was a wee one, and am now to embarrassed, and late in my life to even think about that. My other grandfather started and still owns one of, if not, the most successful exhaust shops in North America, and maybe the world. My tennis playing Dad owns and runs it now, doing better every year.

So, with a few of these nice examples in mind, I kinda feel like I'd be failing something if I didn't end up doing something, that was better than 90% of the rest of the world. This is where footbag comes in. I see myself in comparison to other footbaggers, I play more, and thus I excel faster than at least half of the pack. I am also younger than half of the pack, so I have the time to get good. If I have any talent, and keep the determination to get good as I have for the last 10 months, I have a shot of making a name for myself. Not knowing what Jorden will be up to by the time I get good, I can at least set my footbagging sites to be in the top 5 in Canada.

I really do enjoy footbag, and the fact that I don't completely suck makes me think that even though footbag isn't popular like Tennis or Hockey, I'll still be able to fill a shoe or two of my father/forefather..

I don't expect anyone to make it through this post, more for me to look at later.

Lackey82 · Post by **Lackey82** » 14 Mar 2007 18:09

I read the post!

I like your attitude! Go footbag and Go Jay!

Get Whirls at 100% before expecting to Blender 100%

But you know that! Thanks for the update!

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 18 Mar 2007 10:33

Well party people, I just watched that Montage video, and decided that I needed to hit a few barrages tonight. In the past I have been able to hit the whirl style, but I don't think that is really worth practising because if the inability to set from it. So, after studying a few videos, I went for it.

I hit Janiwalker tonight, strongside. Sweet! Either way, it was a terrible one. I basically leaped onto the entire thing, and I imagine that if I tried to hit it much more I would step on the side of my foot and cry for a little while. Plus, there is a strong likelyhood within the leaping I completely the'd it.
For now, you'll just have to deal with this crappy video of a mistake

http://video.google.de/videoplay?docid= ... 5817581656

Well, now since I have learned to Paradon, and am learning to Furious set, my stupid head is thinking about hitting a nemesis. I don't get it, why is it that my head thinks that I can join the ranks of like, the best 50 people in the world? Especially when I am only playing for 9 months...

My goal for next sunday with Matthias is to get at least a few barrages here or there. Optimal goal being a janiwalker...(and to play with Clemens hopefully, said he might be able to play...)
___________________

Short Furious session, I quit because it was 5 degrees and raining. Grr.

Highlights
Barrages, both sides. Correctly done, not the whirl style.
Flurry, both sides. I really need to work on downtime legovers + DLO's.
furious Style double pick up, both sides.

Now for the biggest thing, which I am excited about.

Furious set -> osis. I think this is called barroque. The reason I have titled it furious set -> osis, is because if I did not have the extra dex, it would just be a stepping set -> osis. So, it's not like a torque, just, well, a furious set -> osis.

You know how great it feels to in the forseeable future hit a Barroque?!?

I find it funny, I came to Germany hitting paradox legovers...Now I am hitting flurry's.

Now, if history repeats itself, I'll lose my huge burst of excitement within one week, and I'll realize I have to drill, drill, and drill all the new concepts I've learned. But, if history repeats itself again then that means after drilling those concepts I'll be able to string them, and the thought of mid string furious sets is like, dunking two oreos into milk at one time. Yeah, that good.

-Jay

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 21 Mar 2007 08:27

Wow, looking at that "how much do you drill" thread, it makes me think that I don't practise more than most people do. Then again, it could just be the people like me who want to show everyone, who knows..

I played at school today (in full attire) in front of a wee audience (while everyone was eating lunch in the main entrance), and I hit a few things worth mentioning.

Smear -> dimwalk -> Blur -> pixie legover (dropped on the legover).
Swirl -> infinty -> swirl -> whirl -> infinity -> pdx mirage.
Ducking mirage -> clipper -> diving mirage -> toe whirl.
Spinning clipper -> Spinning clipper -> toe (damn bails..) -> pixie osis.
Drifter -> sole tap thing -> drifter -> whatever else, Drifter bsos!

Now my favourite two, which I am utterly shocked at the last one.
Whirl -> Blender -> osis. Basically the first time getting a blender into a string, let alone off of a 3 add not juast a clipper.

BSOS'd paradon, and barrage. I got SOOO lucky! I mean, it isn't like I didn't hit them smooth or anything, but, well, it just, worked!? It was near the end of the 3rd straight period (yay for staying at school because you think you have class to show up and your teacher doesn't come..) there were only 2 people watching, and I was just trying bigger crap for the hell of it. Somehow, I got it. I am getting consistent to BSOS paradons, but, I've barely practised barrages in a string at all...

I also hit an extremely clean blurriest, except well, the catch. I watched the step and the double dex cleanly circle the bag, and then for some reason I can't get my clipper foot there in time. It isn't like it is to crowded or something, I should have ample time, it just, doesn't work.

I get to go to Frankfurt this weekend and play with Daniel and maybe whoever else, I can't WAIT to show him my progress. Last time, I couldn't get 5 alternating clippers b2b consistently, and well, I'm still not as consistent as I like but I've certainly improved...

Nearly the funniest thing I have ever read, by Slowsis.

When I was a kid at camp, Id always be "it" when we played hide-nd-go-seek so I could steal the fruit snacks out of the other kids lunches

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 25 Mar 2007 03:46

I am not done for the weekend, yet, I still have a good 8 hours of time, which 1 or 2 will be footbag, but here are the highlights of yesterday+today's shred.

Saturday: Crap. Yay! It was terrible outside, so I kept myself in the bellowing 3x3 foot section I can actually play in. I was talking to people on msn/gtalk/icq in english and German, and when people were busy I'd shred. It was really pitiful, furious set was lacking in all respects, couldn't do paradons because of how much noise they make upon impact with people downstairs, and you can't string much because of the space constraint. So, I worked on atomic sets, and it seems that when you set straight up I always dex the bag clearly. However, when I dex the bag to the outside, I never dex it. How much sense does that make? Well, it is a good thing since setting it to the outside is useless...

Sunday morning shred: This is where "shit" when down. In 12 degree slightly sunny slightly clowdy weather I hit the back porch and started to shred on it's wet remains from yesterday. After finding it was to wet to do anything more than warmup, I took another stone section in the back yard, which is always better for wet weather. I worked on infinities b2b for about 30 minutes, that and just basic clipper work. But when I returned to the almighty synthetic wood of the back porch, things started working. Highlights.

paradon, toe, other side paradon, many a time.
paradon, alternate clipper barrage a few times.
Barrage, pause, paradon a few times.
Barrage -> clipper -> barrage 3 times.

Now my favourite.
hand -> barrage -> hand -> paradon -> hand -> other side barrage -> hand -> other side paradon.

I said my goal for Germany was to have my barrages and double downs on command. Well, I'm 95% there!

Goals for the afternoon shred...

Have a string of 4 or more guitless with a barrage,
Have a string of 4 or more guiltless with a paradon,
Barfly, both sides.
Blender, both sides, in a string of any sort.
BSOS DLO's.

Maybe I should video tape it as well

_________

The Sunday afternoon shred. I didn't focus on any of my goals actually, I just kept doing barrages and double downs. I really want to get them damn solid before I start trying to get them into strings. Plus, they are fun

I notice I do flipside barrage more. I don't understand it, because strongside barrages are easier. First for everything. However, I notice that I don't set high enough for some reason. I always "the" the second dex. However, when I say "hey self, set it 3 inches higher" it is always cleaner. Meh, I've only been doing them for a week or so.

And that video I was talking about earlier -> http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 8671993009

....

Now, all I need to do is work on the furious set itself, and start hitting Jani's.. When I think of a good footbagger, almost always the first things I see are janiwalkers, and blurriests. I don't really know why. So, well, I figure if I get them anytime soon, then my ego will shoot up or something.

Random note, I was typing this and a key got caught over my finger. It is a damn laptop, they keys are perfectly flat. How the hell did that happen...

Damn I like nice weather
oh, Liam027 said he picked up some Silicone for me and my climas. I can not wait to be able to use those as everyday shoes, where I can actually play footbag when someone asks me. I hate wearing crap shred shoes and then someone says "Hey, heres that hacky sack guy. Show us some stuff" and then I either say I don't have the shoes, or I try something that really sucks. The down side is, my everyday shoes are those Nike Free's, which are pretty well sent to me from the comfort gods in the sky. There is also another thing Liam is gonna ship me, (well, I pay for it...) but it's not certain yet. When it is, I'm gonna be one happy little dude.

Oh, and when I said I didn't like updating my blog with 2034 entries in the first year, that meant me. Everytime someone else posts in my blog, I get a little feeling of "I'm a celebrity"... God, superficial...
-Jay

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 27 Mar 2007 12:10

Well, I went onto footbag chat. What a wonderful place! I met Mats21, and he introduced me into the wild world of eggbeaters. He also gave me the following challenges.

smear -> pixie ss mirage -> smear -> pixie ss mirage.
I got the first three contacts.

Then he gave me

[MatS21] 9:25 pm: so I challenge you to hit eggbeater and dlo again, plus whirl with a set before.

I should hit them soon! And perhaps I'll start a challenge thread, even though they don't get much traffic.

Either way, during the conversation I popped this video out.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 1043844377
I can't wait to get them into strings!

Upon further review, apparently it is not "one motion" enough. Back to the, uh, drawing board that I just started drawing on?
Can't be perfect the first time.
_____

as for the todays shred, I got some good links. All involved 3 and 4 add moves together. I shall write a big long thing about tomorrows shred in wiesbaden with Daniel and Clemenz.

Good night!
_____________

Ok, thursday has arrived. For the last few sessions, I have been trying for longer links. However, these longer links do not come. Hell, even 2 add links above 10 contacts are frustratingly seldom. So, what I did for 3 hours today was drill the basics. And by basics, I mean toe stalls and clippers.

I started the shred out trying to get a Janiwalker. After about 20 attempts, I figured I'd try and get something else, flurry's. No dice.. I kept on doing tricks that were way out of my level, because of the massive high I get every time I successfully add hunt.

Then I said to myself after a while.. "I fucking suck, I am trying to get 5 add tricks, and I can't even mirage 20 times in a row."..

I tried and tried to mirage, and I couldn't get over 10. Now it started to get embarrassing. Here are the drills I did, and will continue to do sessionly..

300 alternating toe stalls, x2.
150 ss toe stalls, 4 times (two each side).
50 toe stall -> stomp -> toe stall, x3 (each side).
50 no plant ss clippers -> 5 each side.
50 planting ss clippers -> 5 each side.
30 alternating clippers -> 2 times each side.

Yeah, so now my goal is to solely go for consistency. I said in my comment, in "jayjoo's" thread that I'd love to have his skill when my year was up. Well, since every trick he did, I CAN do, I figure now all I have to do is get them consistent. Every day for this vacation, I want to ****ing drill the basics, more than I ever have before. It is just embarrassing to be ****ing toe bailing every string.

Some more asterisks. ***********...

Goals for the end of my vacation time.
Each of the following to be done multiple times. bs of course.

50 ATW's, in-out -> out in.
50 illusions b2b,
50 mirages b2b,
100 legovers b2b
100 alternating clippers.
25 b2b ducking clippers.
25 b2b diving clippers.
30 osis' (I don't like the word osii....) b2b.
100 pixies b2b, so, pixie sets and then landing on opp toe.
10 taps b2b,
25 b2b spinning clippers.
35 b2b infinities.
20 whirls b2b,

Alright Jay, stop sucking and get consistent!

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 29 Mar 2007 07:47

Self Challenge Post.

Each statement is the days average.

Day 1.

50 ATW's, in-out -> out in. -> 15-20.
50 illusions b2b, -> 5-10
50 mirages b2b, -> 10 - 15
100 legovers b2b -> 15-20
100 alternating clippers. -> 15-20
25 b2b ducking clippers. -> 5-10
25 b2b diving clippers. -> 1 - 5
30 osis' b2b. -> 1-5
100 pixies b2b, so, pixie sets and then landing on opp toe. -> N.A.
10 taps b2b, -> 1.
25 b2b spinning clippers. -> 1-> 5
35 b2b infinities. -> 10-15
20 whirls b2b, -> 1-5

Day 2.

50 ATW's, in-out -> out in. -> 15-20.
50 illusions b2b, -> 5-10
50 mirages b2b, -> 10 - 15
100 legovers b2b -> 15-20
100 alternating clippers. -> 20-25
25 b2b ducking clippers. -> 5-10
25 b2b diving clippers. -> 1 - 5
30 osis' b2b. -> 1-5
100 pixies b2b, so, pixie sets and then landing on opp toe. -> 15-20
10 taps b2b, ->2.
25 b2b spinning clippers. -> 1-> 5
35 b2b infinities. -> 10-15
20 whirls b2b, -> 1-5

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 01 Apr 2007 11:52

Well, today I got to go to Mainz again, to shred with Matthias again, by the rhein again. Today was completely backwards and upside down.

Get there, all is well. Grab purple bikes, and head to the rhein. Tons of people. Slightly (well, more than slightly) windy, but we decided to stay at the spot because who knows where the wind might be better...

To sum my skill level up..

Medium -> Low -> Very High -> medium..

Matthias was sore and tired from yesterday, but he still managed to get one or two runs that made me shake my head in disbelief, and many other combinations that were good.

I didn't even play yesterday, but something tells me the MASSIVE banana split I ate at lunch didn't help. The extreme sugar intake + milk galore, and bananas gooeyness in general don't make for good athletic nutrition.

Here are my highlights...

Torque, bsos. DAMN that felt good, like, DAMN..
Torque -> whatever -> blender.
Blender bsos.
Ripwalk -> Blender.
A few runs with mixes of smears pixie legovers and dimwalks inbetween.
tap -> whatever -> sidewalk -> osis -> whatever -> spinning mirage.
Spinning butterfly bsos.
Almost two symp whirls b2b.
A run of either 5 or 7 whirls.

Yeah. Fairy is still haunting me. My improper muscle memory, that I have NO idea how developed, is plauging every set. I think I got one good one the entire day.

No video this time.

Matthias got a new bag, luscious little thing. It needs serious break in though (yesterday new...). If it turns out anything like Clemenz's bag from the same stitcher does, I might have to buy myself one.

When I got back to the main train station, I noticed that they changed the sunday bus schedule, to every TWO hours, that blew chunks. So, inbetween sitting in pure boredom, and debating with myself if I should play with the condition of my legs, I did both. One father/mother brought their 2-3 year old up, and I let her hold the bag and stuff (making sure to tell them there was lead in it...) And then a smaller group of people started rambling about hacky sack, and then when I put on a small tiltless show for the wee one, I noticed around 30 people from around the area were watching. That was neat.

PLaying on tuesday again with Matthias, can't wait!

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 03 Apr 2007 11:59

Today, was awesome.

Started on a stomach full of crepes, nutella, and sugar goodness. I knew it would inhibit my playing ability, but when you are offered a platter of them how does one resist?

Get to the place, Matthias is outside shredding. I see a little carton of grapes on the ground, tasty. Anyway, he tells me that the lady at the gym entrance is really stingy about letting people in, they didn't even want him in because his university card was a little old. Then all of the sudden, (it was quite windy) we decided to get a little dangerous and try to walk in so confidently that they wouldn't bother checking us. It worked! Thank god....

I had no energy, at all, at the start. Thanks sugar! However, by around 1 hour in I was feeling good, and by 1:30 I had so much energy I couldn't quite control it. Today was more of "I want to hit this link" and go for it. I don't feel like writing all of it down.

Now, remember those grapes I was talking about? Well, Matthias said I would be allowed to have ONE, if I got atomsmasher b2b. Well, I didn't get it, however I got one and started the set to the second one, but not high enough to mirage, a couple of times. Mark my words, I'm holding him to that measily grape.

Swirl, both sides. Rev swirls are consistent enough to say I can do them, however swirl evaded me for so long. No more! I am gonna practise them alot.

Anyway, the real reason I decided to post today was because of the awesome feeling I got on the busride home. It was one of those "everything has come together, I don't have a worry in the world" feelings. As I was watching Jorden's hardcore session, and then "new Zealands Finest", I just had the overwhelming feeling of "I'm going to practise so dedicatedly so that I can proudly represent canada". I was watching the St.Petersburg video that came out today, and said to myself "damn, I want to go there to shred with them". Then I watch Phil/Johnny from New Zealand, and say "Damn I'd like to shred with them".. Then I watch Jorden and I say "Damn, I'd cherish the moment I could shred with him". With that, I just really want to get a video out there, when I'm "good" so that some little obsessed child out there says "Holy shit, I want to be as good as he is!!" like I do with everyone else.

Oh, and I should mention we played with Matthias' new bag today, which smelt delicious from being soaked in fabric softener. It was one beast of a bag. I want to buy either a Cod bag, or that stitchers bag next. It was just so awesome.

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 10 Apr 2007 00:18

I want Jorden's babies. All of them.
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/showset/tdx8

________________________________________

Made a video of myself in Mainz, hitting short combinations here or there.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 6203536103

If you read the blog, it's worth the look. for Mats42, I hit left DLO from clipper, and Right DLO from toe. I know the gap inbetween my knees could be a little closer. Meh.

Enjoy!

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 15 Apr 2007 19:59

Well, I get a call at 11:30 ish yesterday, which was perfect timing because my mother said I HAD to be home for dinner that night. After going to the busstop, and finding out on Sunday mornings there are only buses every 2nd hour, I manage to get myself to Mainz.

Get there, walk to Matthias' place, and he is eating some sort of noodle+tomatosauce+vegtable concoction. In the meantime, I observed whatever there was to be observed, and noticed a planet footbag poster on his door. I asked him if he had to order it, and he said they just shipped it in addition to something. He then asked me if I had one, I say no, and then BAM. I get a spare poster for free from him. That was awesome. I just gotta hang it up now.

We bike past the usual shred spot on the Rhein, go over a bridge, down a little way and through a park, to get to a big basketball court type area. I shouldn't say we warmed up, it was already 25 degrees out. Damn the barbeques smell good in parks.
1 hour into the shred one of Matthias' friends came by to shred too. He got pdx legover bsos a few times, and even a pixie legover / double legover mix, b2b.

Matthias highlights -> atomshasher b2b. Mobius. Dyno bsos (I think?).
Me highlights -> Pheonix, although that isn't a highlight anymore. I got close to a ripped warrior. PDX butterfly swirl was cool too.

I came, and told Matthias of 3 tricks I wanted to get before I left Germany. Whirr, Whirling Swirl, and Ripstein. Since my swirling set needs plain practise, and I don't have the motion for whirr down quite yet, there begs the question of whether I could whirling swirl or not. Before this glorious day, I had tried maybe 3 whirling swirls in my life. Miserable failures.

I hit both right side and left side whirling swirls.

I hit the right one, and it was asonishing. I had seen only Clemenz hit it before, and I even emailed Liam027 in Canada about it, saying "Oh my god, that move is so cool! It is so fast! Clemenz is so amazing!". Then, at the end of the session, where Matthias was hot and tired, and the other guy (I know his name, just not how to spell it... Sounds like "zeeman"...Yeah..) was pretty tired, I figured I would have no shame to try it 100x. Around the 5th try, I knew that I could get it. Around the 15th try, I nailed it.

So happy.

Without my right shoe, when we were all hot and tired, I tried some whirrs. I think the speed isn't the issue, I get the first dex up and around the bag quite easily, the problem is when I go up the second time, I JUST go up. There isn't a full second dex really. So even if I did dex it the second time, it would just be luck I guess. I assume dexersizing will help this. I tried it left as well, and it was the same story.

Sweet that the post below says we'll play in Wiesbaden this week. It has been so long since I've shredded with Daniel. And Clemenz is just a beast in himself.

Daniel · Post by **Daniel** » 16 Apr 2007 02:30

this week wiesbaden shred if weather stays good. clemenz will call you.

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 17 Apr 2007 07:09

Well, just got back from an hours worth of shred.

I worked for the first 15 minutes on head dexing. Just ducks, and dives. My plan was to do 5 ducks, then ducking butterfly. Then five dives, and then diving butterfly. I did the plan. I also got 13 contacts of "dive->duck->dive->duck". I'm still not satisfied with my butterfly's after the head dex though.

Then I worked on whirls I think. This took all of about five minutes to get frustrated. On a ratio of 1:2234567, I can compare myself to how Dave (Clavens) writes, one day really good, then one day you don't meet up to your expectations and aren't as good. Then get bummed. Then don't play good.

Then I went to drifters for about 20 minutes. . I got Duck->drifter->duck->drifter[drop]. So, same side drifter, but, it was still cool. So then I tried it flipside, and then got all nice and bothered because I wasn't equal. So, I decided to see what made them different. I couldn't find it for the life of me. So, I started to go for consecutives. Starting on my flipside, I couldn't even get the strongside one after. However, starting on my strongside, I could easily get the flipside. This made no sense.

I pondered..

Tried..
Tried again..

Pop. I solved these damn drifters. My highest was 4 b2b.

So, then I just fooled around with toe stuff, tiltless and the like. I didn't do a pixie all day. Then, after some rakes, I had this nagging thing in my head from Liam027 "Hey, I just got whirling rake. It wasn't that hard, easier than I thought it would be."

Well, I've always sucked at rakes. Until about, 2 weeks ago, when I finally tried them again and it worked. So I thought.."hmm...drifter+rake?"

Second try I got drifter rake. It is a really twisty motion, because of the muscle memory my body goes to clipper it, then I snap and get it with my toe.

I'd like for this to be a sign that when I get good at footbag, that I'd be as creative as Jorden. Trouble is, the man is hitting everything imaginable, so it would be hard as hell to invent stuff. I remember when I thought I invented the butterfly swirl

I sent Jorden a PM expressing my appreciation for the time and effort he puts into footbag, a few months ago, but I still don't think he realizes how much his sessions inspire me to improve. If hope he decides to waste 5 minutes in the blog session and clicks this one to read.

Actually, I'm gonna go play again. I feel inspired just thinking about it. 5 Drifters, here I come!

_____

The "little bit after" session highlights.

No 5 drifters. Sorry to crush all your dreams of some little kid hitting 15 adds of glory.

However, I did hit 17 adds of glory.

Infinity->ripwalk->drifter->torque->osis -> hand.

So, right clipper starting infinity-> everything. So, extreme reliance on the flip clipper!

My next little challenge for myself, that the next time I will take on is

Drifter -> dive -> Drifter -> dive -> something decent.

I'm excited

**EDIT** shit, in all my excitement I forgot another highlight.

Drifter->DLO, both sides.

Funny, I just learned both of those not to long ago. The DLO's take about 1/4 the effort that they used to.
-Jay

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 20 Apr 2007 10:31

Well, the shred that Daniel had mentioned turned out to be just me and matthias, without daniel or clemenz.

Anyway, the shred was yesterday. I had been at the train station for about an hour, because I expected Clemenz to be there early. Last time he mentioned he'd like to have a video of himself, so I figured this would be a good time to do it, before Matthias came.

4 hours later, 2 of them shred with Matthias, Clemenz never came. Weird.

Anyway, Matthias and I agreed we both didn't play our best, but some cool stuff was still hit.

Matthias - Fairy drifter. Fairy DLO.
Me - Strongside Eggbeater. I think that is it?

Anyway, it felt like someone lodged a spoon inbetween my spinal column and hip joint, so I didn't exactly like spinning or twisting much.
__________
Today shred.

Today my back relieved itself of that damned spoon, and I decided I'd try and do the stuff I couldn't yesterday. So, I hit the deck in the backyard, and went at it. I didn't have THAT much time, because of dinner, and after dinner shred just doesn't work that well. Unless it is after you have nearly fully digested, inwhich case it is to dark to play unless it is in your house.

Anyway, you can see my session highlights on this nice video that google was so kind to let me upload.

-> http://video.google.de/videoplay?docid= ... 8158285969

After a clip, sometimes I put in a title. For some reason adobe premier has started to HATE me putting in a black and white title, so I had to put the title on the film itself. So, the titles that are put on it have nothing to do with the clip playing behind it.

I am sad that my riptides don't look as cool as they feel. My swirl isn't as swirly looking as when I see my ankle wind around the bag. Then again, this was my first day EVER hitting them, so I should maybe not complain too much.
____

I'm feeling great about footbag right now. Guiltless is finally starting to hit, and I'm still learning new tricks all the time. I am getting some strings that don't include toe bails, and I'm always linking stuff I hadn't linked before. I was trying to go for a good pre-planned string today, but then it was time for dinner. I got the first 6 contacts,

Whirl -> Ripwalk -> drifter -> Ripwalk -> osis -> diving butterfly.

The ripwalk after the drifter took me quite a while to get the hang of, because I've never stepped out of drifter, but I did it.

This summer is going to be amazing. Back in Canada, seeing all of my old friends, family, and waking up at 7:00 every morning to shred at Liam's house with a new addition of Gresham. Just through gmail and google video, Liam really pushes me to practise everyday, and keep on trying.

But the more I think about going home, the more I am starting to realize how much I am going to miss Matthias. He's great to shred with, always punctual, better than me, but not my great heaps and bounds anymore. He really helps me, conciously or not, to reflect on where I have come in my stay in Germany. I mean, the first time I shredded with him and Clemenz, I was hitting 5 contact tiltless strings, with perhaps a butterfly or two. It also helps to see where my German has evolved, the first shred I didn't understand anything that went on; now I would like to think I can contribute

. He also helps with the less obvious ways I have changed in personality and attitude. I have a few friends from school and what-not, however no one feels quite as close as he does. And hell, he's 5-10 years older than me, and we've never done anything outside of footbag. If I ever go on in life to win any footbag competitions, of any magnitude, he will definetly be one of the people I owe it to.

Anyway, enjoy the video, even though there isn't much content, or change in scenery.

-Jay

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 20 Apr 2007 19:19

Great shred update!

We can play all you want this summer!

Ontario Footbag!!!!

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 24 Apr 2007 13:05

If I labeled my shreds with some name, today would be "immature". For some reason, I was just really happy and excited about everything. This hasn't happened, since well, whenever I was 7 and got really sugar high or something.

My 'turn' in the circle of Matthias and two other guys, who just got Quantums (I was infatuated with them. I really want the version 2 when they come out) and my strings usually went like this.

"try trick way out of my level" -> "eggbeater/DLO" -> Try trick way out of my level -> "wonder what I should try, pass"..

Anyway, I got some good stuff out of it. Like dimwalk to paradox butterfly swirl.

I felt kinda shitty, because I realize that when I am with 10 year olds, and they are hyper and the like that it is just kind of annoying. But for some reason, even though I knew I must have been a little bit on their nerves with my giddidney-ness, I just felt like letting the energy out.

I almost got eggbeater BSOS, and I got 3 out of 4 DLO's in a string (so, from clipper and from toe, right and left). My new goal for whenever is to get all four of those, and the two toe eggbeaters.

Another goal I've got now is clipper set eggbeater. This will be a big challenge, since, I think I've tried paradox illusion maybe 50 times in my life, and failed 25 of them. Time to practise the basics!

I got a new book from my mom, don't know why but it just came in the mail. But, who am I to complain about being cared enough for to get random presents?! Anyway, it is saying "Want something, pretend you have it, and magically the universe will give it to you". Now, I think that part is complete bullshit. I'm 60 pages in, and all it says is "if you are positive, the universe will magically give you whatever you want". I think it uses the word "work" once.

However, I am taking the positive from the book, because there ARE lessons to be learned in it. But it does have alot of valid points, like, it says "if you think poorly, the universe will send you bad energy, and bad things will happen to you". I take a sentence like that into my head, and re-arrange it to "If you think poorly, your mindset will not allow you to do the things you would if you were happy and focused"...

Meh, it could make a bit more sense, and not seem like such a big "here, buy my book and I'll make you feel good, but not doing anything of importance to your life outside the book" after I finish it. But, I'm determined to take all the good lessons from within it.

On the other hand, it says that if I want to hit blurriest swirl tomorrow, I just have to wish for it and without any practise I'll hit it.

`??_____________

Drill type shred...

I got 10/10 taps, so, tap->hand catch, on both sides.
7/10 blurs, both sides.
6 osis' b2b, I don't even know how many times. One of the guys I played with yesterday was struggling with osis' and illusions, and I showed him a bunch of b2b illusions, but didn't with the osis' because I was to unconfident to do b2b many times in a row. Next time, he shall see

4/10 atom smashers, both sides.

I also hit two new tricks.

I forget what they are called, something like weaving and zulu, or something like that. Either way, it goes 'clipper-duck-ss clipper' and 'clipper->dive->far clipper'... They are surprisingly tricky, I mean, I've never tried them before and I get them both several times today, both sides, but they are no where NEAR consistent. Half the times I smack my ear, which I know can't be good...

I really want to get Rubberman sometime soon, but with 4/10 atomsmashers, there is no way I'll get it being that inconsistent.

At school today, I wore my lavers, highlights from then.

Ripped Warrior.
Tap->Atom Smasher
tap->tap

That is about it...

zulu · Post by **zulu** » 26 Apr 2007 05:56

hey jay, playing today with clemens, julian and daniel. unfortunately, you' re still at school.

to answer to one of you're posts above: i like you too

it's good to have someone to play with, who's at the same level. it keeps me pushing my shred. it's a shame you don't stay here for longer. mainz-wiesbaden footbag scene is definitely on the rise. maybe shred on saturday?

edit: spelling