On 2013-10-21 17:46, MagicBrent wrote:
I thought the trailer was too choppy...can't see the moves smoothly...

On 2013-10-24 05:11, ryoma4148 wrote:
I owe you and especially Nie Te an apology. I'm sorry I reacted too fast, I should have contacted you directly first. I reported my earlier post so it can be removed (hopefully that'd be quick).

Issue has been discussed and it is clear we have a genuine case of independent creation, and there are more differences than similarities in the end.
I'd like to give all my respects to MagicSoul and Nie Te who put out a great product, impromptu ring magic is awesome.

And I'll add that Nie Te is pretty skilled and has some neat ideas... the best material isn't shown in the trailer imo

So congratulations for Ringja! おめでとうございます、指輪を操る忍び。

On 2013-10-30 15:16, joseph wrote:
Very Devo ish ...

On 2013-10-30 15:16, joseph wrote:
Very Devo ish ...

On 2013-10-30 12:58, ryoma4148 wrote:
I've finished watching the dvd and since there is a criminal lack of posts in this thread I thought an in-depth review might start more discussion, hopefully. This DVD is totally worth it.


OVERALL THOUGHTS

The DVD has clear instructions, no need to go back in the video, you will get the move during the first viewing (doing it at the right speed will be something else, though, you'll have to put practice into mastering these stunts )

I think everyone who liked Ringmaster should love this dvd because it has new enhanced moves, and better teaching. And Unless you're allergic to ninjas you should like the general feel of this release.


If I were to describe what Ringja is in one sentence, that would be "Ringmaster on steroids meets feudal Japan"



CONTENTS

Ring selection : Nie Te goes over which type of rings are recommended for his tricks (if you worked on Ringmaster by David Jay you should be fairly equipped already, they both recommend the same sizing).


I] Tricks

there are 1 flourish and 9 tricks explained in this dvd, I will give a brief description of each

00. Turning Ring

This is the classic ring roll move (aka "Monkey's Bar" in Greg Wilson - Ringleader, or "Gryphon Roll" in De'Ring), explanations are clear although there isn't much to know about this move, just practice practice practice


01. Instant

This is Nie Te's basic ring on technique, with a few tips to make it look very natural. Main differences with Johnny Ace Palmer's ring on (as performed in De'ring) is the finger (index finger), and the general presentation of it (Nie Te's hiding the ring on in plain sight, with natural motion so the ring on looks more magical)


02. Instant ver 2

To contrast with the basic technique, this chapter shows a bunch of flashy ring ons, on multiple fingers (index/middle/ring), with some presentation tips and subtleties for a flawless aerial ring on.
His table ring on is also very fast and will catch off-guard magicians who know De'ring


03. Penetration Ring

Now the fundamental ring on sleight is covered, it's time to move on to magical effects
Here it is basically an ungimmicked version of banded/mercuring type of effect, with the ring pulled through the ring finger to the pinky, then out of the hand.

04. Swift Ring

This is a "no cheat" handling of "the ring thing", can't say more, those who know ring thing will understand
Peformance includes a little routine using swift ring as a continuation of the ring thing, original ring thing moves aren't taught though.


05. Ninja Shift

Just as you turn your wrist, the ring is transferred from the index to the ring finger. While this is good in its own, I feel that it is overshadowed by the next 2 chapters who are superior versions of the "ring jump" plot.


06. Nie Te's Shift

Nie Te says "this effect is the most impromptu and impressive one of this DVD" (note: they are all impromptu, don't get it wrong ), and indeed it's impressive

This is a closed fist ring jump, from index to middle then middle to ring, then index to ring directly. Each time the ring appears on a different finger with just a shake of the hand. The last transfer is taught with a little sneaky work, but very naturally handled as usual.

Forget about Circuit, THIS is a magical ring jump!


07. Nie Te's Shift 2.0

This is the "hardcore" handling for the last transfer from the previous chapter, directly from index to ring finger, with just one swinging motion of the forearm and no perceptible motion of the hand and no sneaky work this time. This is VERY good. His handling is just AMAZING, so clean. It takes practice but I think it really adds something to the Nie Te's Shift.
You do something that looks magical, and where's the secret? There's none, you genuinely did the impossible!


08. EXChange Ring

The effect is one of the most impressive plot in the DVD (people who know me know I love that plot, and laymen do as well, always gets amazing reactions ). One ring resting on the palm of the hand, another ring put on the finger, switch place in one swinging motion. It's fast and great looking.

09. Phantom Ring

While phantom ring has a great plot (2 rings, one on the index finger, another one on the ring finger, swap places by shaking motion), I find the execution is a bit lacking... the swinging motion is a bit too long to my taste (I counted about 10 back and forth swings in total). However, this is definitely an idea that I will work on in the future, I like it very much. I see definite room for improvement in it And there is no doubt Nie Te will surprise us with an improved handling in the future.


And this ends the tricks section, now it's time for routines examples and more


II] Routines

01. Ringja

Ringja is Nie Te's own "ringmaster" routine. It contains most aforementioned tricks as well as one move from David Jay, nicely constructed as a routine that constantly overthrows expectations of the audience.
After the live performance, Nie Te goes over the routine twice so you don't miss any detail

02. Alchemy

This is a very nice spellbound routine! Revisiting the sleights with a new focus this time (and a greaat variation on ring exchange, I love it).
Once again the explanations are clear and if you spent the required amount of practice into the "tricks" section it shouldn't take you much time to master this routine.


III] Bonus


01. Necklace Ring

A take on a classic ring&string move but with a new presentation, and a killer climax... I think Justin Miller had a similar move in his aborted "Circle" project. Nie Te has his own subtleties of course, and managed to put together a cool sequence


02. Ninja Restoration

This is a TnR card plot, I'm not really familiar with this plot handling so I can't really compare with other methods out there, but it doesn't seem too hard to do and you can give the card to examination mid-point during the restore! Nice touch.



CONCLUSION

This is a great DVD, highly recommended for anyone who worked on Ringmaster before, and also recommended to beginners in ring magic... there isn't really any prerequisite, and it's filled with great looking moves, and you get to see live reactions to that magic, laymen love ring magic
It's also very cool to see there is a general theme all through the dvd, makes a nice addition.

Beware not to break a finger or two in the process of learning that stuff j/k

WPR gave it a "worker of the week" award and it's well deserved.　Congratulations guys

On 2013-11-03 14:28, Havens wrote:
I LOVE this DVD!!