A Couple of "How To" Videos

I posted earlier about some whips I've been making for a martial arts/whip artistry class in Seattle.  Here are a couple of videos the instructor has made using a four foot black bullwhip I sent her a while back.  She does a great job of walking you through these two cracks.





It's fun to see one of my whips in action. 

Happy cracking,

~Ryan

http://www.happycracking.com/

Three Foot Bullwhip Cracking

Here's a quick demonstration video of a three foot nylon bullwhip.  I made this to show a customer a bit of how one of these little bulls will handle.



And here's a pic of the whip itself:

Happy cracking,

~Ryan
http://www.happycracking.com/

A True Whip Master

Introducing Anthony De Longis...



This second video also features Anthony De Longis and gives some incredible education on whips and whipcracking.


Keep a cracking!            http://www.happycracking.com/

How to Snag Stuff with a Whip

I found this crazy article on snagging a TV remote with a whip.  I thought it was a hoot.

There are few tools that can break the sound barrier while fetching the TV remote. But throw a whip right and its tip can travel 900 mph (producing a sonic boom), then curl back to snare the object of your desire. Anthony De Longis, who coached Harrison Ford for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, shows us how to lash out.


1. Skip the toys
Look for a 6- to 8-foot-long whip with a braided core. The best are made from kangaroo hide (or maybe paracord - sorry I couldn't resist - Ryan).


2. Take your stance
Imagine you’re straddling railroad tracks. The whip should travel parallel to the rails, and the target should be a bit closer than the length of your whip. Use caution: The tip can cut to bone.


3. Load and lock
Stretch the whip out in front of you, arm extended and pointed at the object. Now yank your hand up to 12 o’clock. The whip will fly over your hand and unravel behind you.


4. Throw down
When you feel a tug, lower your forearm — easy now, let the whip do the work. It’ll roll forward just to the side of your body. As it unfurls, squeeze the handle.


5. Crack and drag
The tip will extend just beyond the target; as it recoils, it’ll wrap itself around the object. Pull the remote toward you slowly. Next lesson: cracking open a beer.


Contributed by Catherine DiBenedetto

You can find the original version here: http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Snag_Stuff_With_a_Whip

Have fun and happy cracking,

Ryan

Bullwhip cracking

Here's a short video of me cracking one of my six foot paracord bullwhips.



Happy cracking,

Ryan