A couple days ago, I posted a message on Facebook asking for suggestions on who I could do a future "Profiles in Poi" video on and Rob "Bluecat" Thorburn replied with a very intriguing breakdown. Rob cited a number of spinners whom he classified as old, middle, and new school poi spinners. I dug the idea, but thought a division into four instead of three groups made more sense.

This is one of those moves that is so epically much more work than is ultimately worth it, but man is it bragging rights! Straight jackets are like crossers, but from a place where you arms are pretzeled around each other so you have almost no mobility. Part of the challenge is that it's nearly impossible to practice them without getting the entrance (from a barrel roll) down first. Not for the faint of heart--use soft poi!

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Back in the Spring, I had a chance to sit down and talk with Keith Marshall about how he came to be a poi spinner, who his biggest influences were, where he comes up with his ideas from, and what advice he had for up and coming spinners.

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So you've learned your thread-the-needles, now what can you do with them? If you want to get a little mobility with this move, this is a good way to learn how to turn with it that gives it a good visual impact and utilizes some of the lessons we learned from crossers.

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