Chris Kenner's Missing Link from Totally Out of Control

[PhilTheMagician]

Ok....I finally picked up the book yesterday and read through it last night....and had a good laugh in doing so (The subtle hidden images are hilarious!)

I am having quite a bit of trouble with The Missing Link routine....found on pages 15 - 23 (just before the Michael Ammar stamps. My problem is with the step featured in picture 12. (Page 18 has the description).

Please...can someone give me some advice on this part. I don't want to post exactly what the problem is for exposure reasons.....but anyone who has this book should know what I'm talking about.

Thanks.

Oh, and I'm going to try to email Mr. Kenner asking him directly, but I doubt he'll reply....seeing as he's always so busy.

 

[Johnlawl]

You Let the bands of your index go. Then, you roll it into a little ball or clump.

 

[PhilTheMagician]

that little ball is what i'm having issues with....it doesn't stay

 

[Sean_Raf]

that little ball is what i'm having issues with....it doesn't stay

I had this problem at first. What I did, was to just try and roughly get the little ball in the manner mentioned. It never did/does quite make a ball (for me) but it stays, and that's what you want. You've just gotta play around a bit until it stays.

- Sean

 

[youngd94]

yeah i have a lot of trouble with this too...I've just been essentially "rolling" one end through the other (except i have a lot of trouble and it takes me a lot of misdirection to do this step), I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do

sorry if this is exposure but noone will no how the trick works without the other steps

 

[Sean_Raf]

yeah i have a lot of trouble with this too...I've just been essentially "rolling" one end through the other (except i have a lot of trouble and it takes me a lot of misdirection to do this step),

Actually, if you take the advice and set-up broadside to the audience. You can do the set-up in literally 3 seconds. It just takes constant practice and looking in the mirror.

If you look at the patter Chris uses (I don't suggest you take it word for word when you perform it though) you can see how you can integrate gestures to words and set-up in natural movements.

- Sean

 

[wilfred]

Good to know others also having the same problem.
I got TOOC book recently and I too can't seem to make the "knot" as illustrated in Figure 12.
I haven't tried all day and broken lots of rubber bands because of it.
Anyone got any advice?

 

[drorange]

wow man i am exactly the same as you i get everything its just this one move and all it says is roll in a knot

 

[Daugava]

I had this problem too. The only thing I did was that I made a bigger knot, but know I can do it without problem.

 

[wilfred]

I don't get how you can easily make a knot by simply rolling up the ends.

 

[JDENredden]

Yer the explanation is so hard in TOOC. I still cant get it

JDEN

 

[wilfred]

I got it down.
I figured out a way to make the "knot" without rolling up the ends.

 

[drorange]

okay i tried it couldn't get it so i switched bands the skinnyer the easier

 

[dragon1mst]

I also had problems with the little ball, so here's how I do it: when I start to roll the ball, I roll it only in ONE direction: towards the tip of my index finger, then, you pinch the ball and move it in your finger joint. Trust me it works, it just needs a little practice.

 

[Chr!s]

Hi! This is my first post, so thought i'd open with a joke... A skeleton walks into a bar and says, "i'll have a beer and a mop".
Anyhow, The easiest way to accomplish the 'secure doubling' as it may be described, is to roll it into a ball, yes, with an up and down motion, but then roll it in a clockwise rotation to secure it. This essentially knots it together, very loosely. I will say, this 'ball-knot' is easier to do if you have greg wilson's 'off the cuff', wherein the same type of set up is used for one of his effects (which i'll not detail for fear of tipping). Hope this helped.

Chr!s

 

[KatieKenner]

Just a little food for thought.

Think of it not as a knot. But like the clump of sticky weirdness you get when you roll two of the strands of a Cherry Twizzler Pull and Peel licorice together. You know, when you try to make ends of each piece stick together to get one long licorice noodle thing.

If you think about it, it will make sense.

Don't hate.

Love,

Katie

 

[Chr!s]

Obvioulsy, i wasn't implying that you literally knot the band! haha, that would make the ultimate effect a little less impressive! yeah, i think i get the jist of what you're saying katie, thanks for clarifying my 'knotted' thinking.

i must take a second to fawn over this effect. It's brilliantly conceived, and beautiful to execute. done right, it looks as impressive from your angle as it does from the spectator's. it's a beautiful, primal piece of magic, absolutely pure in effect, and completely deceptive in handling. i love it!

Chr!s

 

[joshrobarts]

i have a question for you, where do you guys get your rubber bands and what size do you get for the big one. any particular brand last longer? just curious

 

[Chr!s]

i got my rubberbands a few months back, from a big office supply warehouse shop. i got a big bag of about 150 bands in various sizes and colours, and they fit perfectly for any rubberband routine.

Chr!s

 

[Sir FansAlot]

Alliance Pale Crepe Gold size 19 is the best I've tried (for the small one).