A Bit of Cardistry Help NEEDED !

[S_Darth]

Hi. So this is my first thread. I have been doing cardistry for over a year now. Having not much time to practice in the day (1-2 hours a day and sometimes only once or twice a week) During weekends and holidays, the practice is increased.

My TRUE journey in cardistry began with the WERM then the Genesis quickly progressing to two handed cuts like the Sybil,Gyroscope and then the Squeeze, Very Bad Habit and so on. I also learnt the Thumb Fan, OH fan and the Pressure Fan (still have some problems) and the Carnahan Fan. And so I learnt various other moves, progressing on to Dangerous Motion, the System and the Trilogy.

In this journey I skipped on some of the fundamentals such as the Thumb Cut, the OH shuffle and the Thumb Propulsions. I also did not master the spring (mine is an average one) and the various other 2 handed cuts such as the VBH, Madonna, Tornado, Lethal, Cylinder, Molecule 4 NY and so on. (I just mean that they don't look quite good)

So now I want to go back on my basics and for this I need practice tips. My questions to you are:
1. How long should you practice a single flourish?
2. When do you know that you have mastered it or have gotten better at it?
3. And my hands often get sweaty while practicing so should I continue doing so even when they are sweaty or take a break?
4. Do you guys focus on a single flourish when practicing or do you practice multiple at a time?

And My last question is:
5. While practicing I often come up with different ways of performing the same flourish ( in the sense that I seem to add my own touch to the already existing moves). So is this good or bad as it seems to distract me from the flourish I'm practicing and forces me to create new flourishes of my own. Is this how flourishes are created?

Answers to my queries will be greatly APPRECIATED.

 

[Iddo Kolker]

1. You should practice it until you feel comfortable performing it. You should see yourself when it starts to gain speed.
2. When you start to gain speed and do it easily and smoothly. Take it slow and start learning it right and slow.
3. I would wash them, dry them and continue .
4. I personally learn 3 and practice them altogether, and each day I focus more on one of them.
5. That is sort of how flourishes and variations are created. When you practice leave time for that but also focus on practicing your flourish.

 

[yyyyyyy]

1) You stop "practicing" a flourish when you get to the point where you can do the flourish without thinking/worrying.

2) See 1

3) Wash your hands with soap and make sure they're dry. Try flourishing in different rooms of your house, consider using a fan to keep you from getting hot/sweaty.

4) I personally focus on a single move for a while, and try to understand the cut on a fundamental level.

5) Flourishing, and performing in general, are about expression and style. If everyone flourished the exact same way, it would be boring and no one would be exceptional. Flourishes are usually created via two methods. There is calculated creation, where you work towards some sort of predetermined goal or image. For example, you want to make a pentagon with one hand. That's calculated creation, you knew what you wanted. Then there's accidental creation, where you basically just mess around with cards until you discover something you like. There are great flourishes that started out as accidents. There are benefits to both accidental and calculated creation. Calculated creation is generally more structured and focused but your creativity is limited. Accidental creation is generally more organic and "original", but it can be difficult to turn accidents into concrete ideas. I've found that a combination of the two is necessary in any artist's creative process, there should be a balance of calculation and unfiltered expression.

 

[S_Darth]

Iddo Kolker and Pav, Thank you so much for your opinions and answers. But now there's just one question that arises to my mind after reading the answer to my 5th question which is :

6. Suppose you create a flourish accidentally while practicing or 'messing' around with another flourish and you like your creation very much and you soon forget the steps in your created flourish (which often happens to me), how do you remember them since you obviously do not have any place to refer to the steps of it cause its basically an original flourish and not just one on a DVD? And how would you suggest to make it a concrete flourish?

 

[yyyyyyy]

That sort of thing happens to the best flourishers in the world. It's not easy to regulate your ideas, you have to know when to STOP creating. Remember only a fragment of your accidental creation, just work towards recreating the accident again. No it won't look the same, but now you have a new image in your mind and you can being CALCULATED creation. Otherwise, you won't be keeping tabs on any of the moves you're creating.