©1999 Craig and Cleo Keller-Green

Congratulations on your purchase of the revolutionary Jugglebelt™. The Jugglebelt is our small contribution to universal ecstatic enlightenment! When used skillfully, the Jugglebelt has an amazing ability to stimulate new levels of flow, laughter and enthusiasm in juggling. We invented the Jugglebelt (and its essential companion, the Beltbag) in the context of developing Juggledancing, a hybrid art form that combines juggling with musical rhythms. A full description of Juggledancing can be found by clicking here (eventually).

The Music of Juggling.

All jugglers who are also musicians are aware of the many parallels between juggling and music. So, imagine if a string quartet or jazz trio had to stop and begin at the top again each time someone hit a wrong note! They'd all go crazy with frustration. Yet this is the juggler's condition! Of course, many jugglers have amazing capacities for recovering from dropped balls. Still, when passing patterns become complex, recovery while continuing to juggle becomes virtually impossible. The Jugglebelt adds a degree of "forgiveness" to juggling by providing a supply of "reserves" that are instantly available for the juggler's use. Errors can be recovered from with grace, the rapturous flow of a challenging juggling pattern no longer has to grind to a halt with each little slip up!

However, let it be noted here at the outset that the Jugglebelt is no simple technological fix to the challenge of juggling. Successful use of the Jugglebelt is a subtle skill in its own right that deserves careful practice to be truly mastered. We do not recommend the use of the Jugglebelt until a juggler is solidly competent in performing the basic three bag juggling cascade. Can you juggle 3 objects for 1 minute, no sweat? If yes, you're ready. If not, the belt will only cause greater confusion. (WARNING: Failure to heed this advice can result in severe mental anguish!)

The following instructions provide a foolproof approach to mastering the art of the Jugglebelt. You're perfectly welcome to ignore our advice and figure it out on your own if you think you're so daggone smart.

Extending The Musical Metaphor

Before we go into the art of the Jugglebelt proper, it's useful to articulate a clear terminology and "grammar" that describes the act of juggling precisely. Our juggling terminology may strike some veteran jugglers as unconventional, but bear with us! There's a purpose to our framework that will become clear as we progress.

Try this: Juggle the basic cascade pattern, starting with two bags in the right hand and one in the left. Count each toss as you juggle, in a circular fashion, like so:

Right - Left - Right - Left - Right - Left - Right - Left - etc.
" 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4" - etc.

(You can count silently or out loud.) Your right hand tosses will always be 1 and 3. Left hand tosses will be 2 and 4. Clear enough? This way of counting lets us think and talk about the rhythm of juggling with musical terminology: Each toss corresponds to a beat. There's four beats (tosses) in a "measure". (Measures in turn can be grouped into "Phrases". But we'll leave that for later.) Got that? Great! Now let's get you strapped into your Jugglebelt.

Wearing Your Belt:(Warning: the graphics for this section are not yet uploaded. Thanks for your patience)

Step 1 Your belt has two long strips of velcro on it- one fuzzy, one bristly- and one short strip of bristly velcro. Start by stretching the belt across your back- as in Figure 1- with the short bristly velcro strip facing forward and (preferably) in your dominant hand. (These illustrations offer a mirror image for right handed people.) Step 2 Wrap the end with the long fuzzy strip around the front of your waist, as in Figure 2. Note that this strip is facing outwards now. If yours isn't, check to be sure you haven't twisted your belt. Step 3 Pull the short scratchy velcro around over the long fuzzy piece. Pull the belt snug and close the velcro together (Figure 3). The long bristly velcro strip should now be facing out. If necessary, rotate the belt a bit so this strip is centered in front of your body. Step 4 Now you're ready to attach the belt bags. It works best to space the bags across the full length of the strip: one bag at each end and one in the center (Figure 4). The bags attach most securely when the fuzzy velcro on the bags is attached horizontally to the belt (matching the "grain" of the belt's velcro). Congratulations! You're ready to take if for a spin!

Passing And Jugglebelting- Two for One Instructions:

The easiest way to learn to ride the Jugglebelt is also a good way to learn to pass! Jugglers who can already pass will probably be able to get the hang of the belt in short order with this method. Novice passers should take these instructions more slowly and deliberately.

A Bit More Terminology: Earlier we described each toss as being equal to a beat. Now, in the simplest form of passing, there are two possible tosses that one can make on any given beat: a toss to oneself -often called a "Self" toss- or a toss straight across to one's partner (referred to as "Pass"). An adept juggler is at ease with making and receiving Passes with either hand, in any number of combinations and variations. The instructions that follow will both help you learn to pass well and pluck Beltbags well with both hands.

This is, of course, a much easier skill to teach in the flesh than through ink and paper. Please bear with us and activate your imaginations in acting out this recipe! Reading these directions aloud can be useful..

Here's a detailed choreography of one measure of juggling a simple cascade pattern:

1 Toss (bag 1)

2 Toss (bag 2)

Catch (bag 1)

3 Toss (bag 3)

Catch (bag 2)

4 Toss (bag 1)

Catch (bag 3)

Now, you may wonder why we're notating the catches here as well as the tosses. The key to Jugglebelting lies in developing a more precise awareness of the intervals between Tosses and catches. (It sounds complex but its quite simple in practice.) So, notice that at the outset of juggling, there are two bags tossed before any are caught! The left hand tosses before attending to the incoming bag 1. And then bag 1 just rests in the left hand while the right hand tosses and catches the two other bags. What a leisurely art juggling is. Bear this in mind in the next stage!

OK. So you're smoothly juggling the cascade. Your Jugglebelt is strapped on and "loaded". You're counting your tosses in the 4 beat "measures" that we described above. All systems are go! After counting a few measures, begin passing on the first beat of each measure. You don't have a partner at this point, but toss as if you did. Make an elegant right hand toss directly in front of you, as if you were passing that toss to a juggling partner facing you at a distance of about 4 feet.

So, the challenge now is to continue juggling, even though you've thrown one bag away. Yes, this is where the Jugglebelt comes in! We'll show the timing of the Beltbag "pluck" first in our notation, then we'll describe it in words.

RIGHT HAND LEFT HAND

1 Pass

Catch

2 Self

Pluck

3 Self

Catch

4 Self

Catch

________________________________________________

1 Pass

Catch

2 Self

Pluck

3 Self

Catch

4 Self

Catch

________________________________________________

Repeat

Clear as crystal? Here's the usual pitfall: when the right hand passes the first toss away, the left hand panics and tries to immediately tear a belt bag off the Jugglebelt. That throws off the rhythm and creates mayhem. In fact, there's plenty of time to replace the "passed" bag. What the left hand needs to do is this: make its toss on the second beat, as usual. Then graciously pluck a Beltbag off of the belt. There's no need to rush. Notice that the right hand passed a bag away on the first beat. But the belt bag that replaces that passed bag doesn't get tossed until the 4th beat! There's plenty of time to effect a Pluck! So relax! That's an order!

Now, the notation above indicates 1 pass (and 1 pluck) per measure. If this feels too hard at first, feel free to reduce the challenge by alternating between one measure of passing on the first beat and one measure of simply juggling to yourself. This is easy to do if you just keep counting the beats of your tosses.

As you start getting the hang of it, learn to pluck the bags off the belt in sequence from left to right.

Once your left hand's gotten the hang of replacing every other catch with a Beltbag pluck, switch hands in the process: i.e. make the left hand tosses be 1 and 3 in your count and the right hand tosses be 2 and 4. Pass out of the left and pluck with the right.

After both hands are comfortable at this level, increase the frequency of passes: Passing two consecutive right hand tosses.

RIGHT HAND LEFT HAND

1 Pass

Catch

2 Self

Pluck

3 Pass

Catch

4 Self

Pluck

And then do likewise passing with the left. Finally progress to making three consecutive Passes with the right hand (and then the left.)

For extra credit, you can play with making consecutive Passes and Plucks with the right and left hands, like so:

1 Pass

Catch

2 Pass

Pluck

3 Self

Pluck

4 Self

Catch

So, we've been primarily focusing on the art of the Jugglebelt but in fact you've also been developing the skills necessary to pass with a partner.

At this point we recommend that you seek out a flesh and blood juggling partner. (Ideally he or she will be an adept passer. If not, the 2 of you might want to start out by learning "The Wave," a 5 person/2 bag pattern described on our web site.) It'll take some time to get the hang of using the belt in the often unpredictable turbulence that is partner juggling. From this point on, experience will be your best teacher. Our last words of wisdom: although you will need to be quicker in making your plucks than before, you still have all the time between your missed catch and your next toss to manage the pluck. Also if both you and your partner are wearing belts, you can fill in for each other when things start to fall apart! The key is in retaining your composure! Enjoy.

Folding up your belt: Here's the cleanest and simplest way to stash your belt after use: Hold the belt vertically in front of you. The side of the belt with the short strip of Velcro should be facing out. Fold the belt down/forward the length of the long bristly velcro strip. Simply continue folding forward in this manner until the entire length is "folded up". Then fold the entire roll in half once, fasten on the clip and store the belt in your pouch or pocket.

We'd love to hear any about any comments, problems or discoveries that arise from your use of the Jugglebelt. For more information on JuggleDancing, Jugglebelts and our other juggling equipment, check out our web site at http://www.twinoaks.org/members/center/juggle.htm

Here's a complete listing of our line of Jugglebelts and related Juggling Equipment (It's all available for window shopping on the web at our Juggling Ecstasy Boutique: www.twinoaks.org/members/center/catalog.htm)

Jugglebelts come in two sizes:

Small for 24 to 32 inch waists
Large for 32 to 44 inch waists

The basic Jugglebelt set: 1 Jugglebelt and 6 bags (3 beltbags 3 plain), in a drawstring pouch (The pouch comes with a toggle closure. The cord is long enough to allow the pouch to be comfortably worn over the shoulder in transit.)- $30

Deluxe Jugglebelt set: 2 Jugglebelts, 6 belt bags and 6 regular bags in a pouch. Everything necessary for two jugglers to go soaring.- $55

Bare bones set: Jugglebelt and three beltbags $20

Basic Bag Set: $25 for six bags in a pouch

Piece rates:

$3.50 a bag for 1 - 9 bags
$3.00 a bag for 10 or more
Jugglebelt alone $8
Beltbags alone $4/each
Drawstring pouch alone: $5

Mail Order information:

Minimum order is $10

shipping and handling:
orders up to $30- $5
on orders from $30.01 to $50- $8on orders from $50.01 to $100 - $10

above that, inquire.

Currently we are unable to take credit card orders, though we're working on it. Meawhile, send a check or money order made out to Craig Green to

Juggling Ecstasy
138 Twin Oaks Rd,, Box K-3
Louisa, Va. 23093
540.894.5126
craig@twinoaks.org