| I really didnt know where to start with this article as I didnt really have a clue what Poi was all about, other than it involved fire, looked pretty and was very cool! Luckily I got in touch with Tom Roberts, a 17 year old who has been spinning Poi for over a year now. He told me all about Poi, where you can see it, and how you can get started but tells me not to make it sound too cool... So, what is Poi all about? Tom tells me he doesnt know much about the history of Poi but that he knows it was originally an ancient form of dance, used by the Maori people of New Zealand. He says Poi are either strings or chains with weights attached at one end and finger loops at the other. All you have to do is slip your fingers into the loops and swing the weights in circles. Im told its similar to the hammer throw in athletics, only it's obviously not as heavy and you have two - one for each hand. Also, very importantly you don't let go! There are also many variations in Poi construction. For example, the Poi that Tom enjoys spinning are made of metal chains with kevlar wicks attached as weights. The kevlar soaks up fuel such as paraffin, so that the wicks can then be set on fire. When twirled, the flaming Poi leave lovely hot tails of fire behind them, so you can literally draw fiery circles in mid air! Starting Points Obviously, you dont start at this Point. There are beginners options - which are safer options to prevent any fire related disasters which people such as myself would be prone to! At the most basic level are sock Poi. Tom tells me you can make these at home by cutting a pair of tights in two and stuffing one tennis ball into the toe of each to act as weights. Then, you take the other ends in each hand and twirl away! Later options include practise Poi which have fabric tails to imitate the fire Poi effect. Another type is beaming Poi which have high power bright LEDs in them - brilliant for raves. Toms experience Tom found out about Poi from Glastonbury festival last year (2003). He was sitting up in the stone circle field in the early hours of the morning, wondering what all the fiery circles were. He went and joined a small crowd that had gathered around a fire Poi performer, and was just amazed at how cool and calm he looked and how much fun he seemed to be having. Tom was in awe of the tricks he performed and how he had the audience in his power! From that moment, Tom had ambition to come back to the festival and have his very own crowd watching his own performance. Throughout the year Tom practised and practised with Poi hed bought off the internet, beginning with practise Poi, moving to glow Poi and then finally to fire Poi when he felt confident enough. Luckily Tom managed to get a ticket to this year's festival and pulled a nice crowd with his fire Poi. He says: "It was definitely one of this year's highlights. When you spin fire, all you can hear is the roar of the flames, all you can see is blackness outside of your fiery circles - everything else just disappears and all you can smell is burning. Its a brilliant form of escapism." He also tells me that its really relaxing when you learn to trust yourself with the fire however, I cant even light a match because Im so scared of fire, so Im not too sure if Ill be trying it out! Benefits Poi is extremely beneficial in today's stressful environment. It keeps you fit, builds up muscles, helps co-ordination and dexterity. Tom says everything else disappears when you're twirling Poi: "Its incredibly fulfilling to learn a new trick that you've been practising for hours." However, he warns it can be a very painful hobby if you do not respect your Poi, so be careful and work your way up gradually. Don't play with fuels its not worth it. The only safe fuel is Kerosene or Paraffin because it doesnt explode as easily. You must also be clued up on all health and safety matters before you attempt fire Poi. He tells me the best place to look is on the Internet where theres an almost infinite amount of tricks out there to learn. I also know that Poi spinning goes on at The Warehouse gym in Gloucester so it might be good to ask in there. http://www.the-warehouse.co.uk
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