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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
O.K., o I'm watching the Bob White DVD on the cups & balls, (which incidentally, I really, really like.) He's talking about moves looking natural, but then he's sticking the wand under his arm pit. Natural? I don't think so, yet I see a lot of cup workers doing it. Is there something that I'm missing? It seems so much more natural to me to use the table that's in front of you. As Oscar Hammerstein's king would say; it's a puzzlement.
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Wizard of Oz Inner circle Most people wish I didn't have 5150 Posts |
I've never thought twice about it, but I'm willing to bet it goes back to busker history. Sure, there are the move and misdirection reasons to do it, but maybe early street performers had limited table space and out of convenience and necessity adopted the practice? Conjecture on my part, and I eagerly await answers from those who actually know.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
I'm NOT a "C & B: guy, but, I do remember that when Roy Benson published his "Benson Bowl Routine"" in "PHOENIX" in the early '50s he stressed putting his wand under his arm. When I'm more awake, I can dig out the "PHOENIX" INDEX for an exact date. I don't know if the practice began long before that, however.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
I can understand doing it if you are presenting a routine when you are sitting cross legged on the floor, which might be where it came from. I notice that Gazzo uses his table as do many others.
It's 3:30. I'm going back to sleep. |
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Kyoki_Sanitys_Eclipse Inner circle 1513 Posts |
I find nothing wrong with this in the right situation. I use the area under my arms to hold stuff all the time. Table or not. Just depends on what is normal for you
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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 24, 2016, Kyoki_Sanitys_Eclipse wrote: Just out of curiosity, when you are working behind a table, what other props do you put up in your armpit? |
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Matthew Crabtree Special user 611 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 24, 2016, jakeg wrote: Chinese sticks fans anything that shaped. News papers as well. You know things people carry under their arms.
National First Vice President
The Society of American Magicians |
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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
There are many things that people carry under their arm, but C & B men are the only ones that I have ever seen carrying them all the way up into their arm pits for apparently no reason. It just doesn't look natural to me, and with a table in front of you, and unless I'm missing something, there is no advantage to hold it that way.
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ZachDavenport Inner circle Last time I posted I had one less than 1196 Posts |
Well lucky for us, spectators don't think things like "Hmm, how did he get those oranges under there? I GOT IT! He put the wand in his armpit!" But seriously, people don't handle wands, so there is no natural way to handle one. If you put it in your armpit, from their point of view, that is how you handle a wand.
Reality is a real killjoy.
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Leo H Inner circle 1331 Posts |
There is nothing unnatural about leaving the wand momentarily under the armpit in order to free the hand so that it can accomplish some other task.
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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 24, 2016, Leo H wrote: I wouldn't look as awkward to me if I had to move away from the table. Otherwise, why wouldn't you use the table? |
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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 24, 2016, ZachDavenport wrote: It doesn't only apply to magician's wands. I see guys doing the same thing with markers and butter knives that they use as wands during C & B routines, and can't recall it being done in any other routine. |
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Matthew Crabtree Special user 611 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 25, 2016, jakeg wrote: Watch a person doing Chinese sticks. You will see it up into the under arm. Watch a layperson with a newspaper getting change. It goes right in the armpit as they use both hands to put the change away. It is a natural action to free up both hands. I mean where else are you going to put it? Between your legs? Stick it in your mouth like a little kid? No The armpit is natural. Lay people do it magicians do it. It's is a pretty good place to get a good hold on something when you need both hands.
National First Vice President
The Society of American Magicians |
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Leo H Inner circle 1331 Posts |
You can lay the wand on the table, but it doesn't matter. Audience members also use their armpits to hold rolled newspapers and other items as others have pointed out here. They are not going to wonder why the magician chose to place the wand under his armpit. Perhaps it's a little quicker than reaching out to find a spot on the table to place the wand.
Let's say it's a bit more convenient to place the wand under the armpit. |
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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
Leo, I'm not questioning how it looks to the audience, I'm just questioning if there is a reason to put it under your arm rather than on the table which is sitting in front of you. It seems to me that that the more natural, and more graceful move, would be to place it on the table. The whole key here is the table that you are sitting, or standing behind. All of the other props in the routine are on the table, and unless there is a specific reason to hold a specific prop hunt ne'er your arm, so are all of you other props that need a place to rest.
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Leo H Inner circle 1331 Posts |
The reason is that it is more convenient to put the wand under your arm than to look for a spot on the table to put there. This applies to the standing performer. If sitting, then laying the wand on the table makes more sense.
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tonsofquestions Inner circle 1802 Posts |
Or, you could make up a story about it being bad for the magic in the wand to put it on a table (or whatever the surface is) unprotected. Keep it in a special bag that "protects" it, and now you have patter around it.
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Matthew Crabtree Special user 611 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 25, 2016, tonsofquestions wrote: Why run when you are not being chased?
National First Vice President
The Society of American Magicians |
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tonsofquestions Inner circle 1802 Posts |
I wouldn't do it, but I'm suggesting that if Jake is so convinced that it's unnatural, he could make up a story about it.
Similar to how some coin workers will explain why they're using old silver coins by talking about them being in the family, or a great grandfather that could do wondrous things with them. |
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Andy Young Special user Jersey Shore, PA 813 Posts |
I also put a blooming flower in my arm pit while I look for my wand.
Natural is all about who you are. |
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