From: Kim Holburn <kim@csc.canberra.edu.au>
Subject: Re: Mills' Mess
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A7773AA4B7010743@taijiquan.canberra.edu.au>
X-Xxdate: Mon, 11 Jan 93 22:54:28 GMT
Organization: University of Canberra
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d13
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 03:35:49 GMT

In article <1993Jan9.041350.10594@craycos.com> Robert Herndon,
rh@craycos.com writes:
>Just before I left on Christmas vacation, someone posted a set of
>directions for learning Mills' Mess that looked remarkably doable
>to me.  If anyone saved that, would you please send me a copy?
>

Hi folks,
I got 2 letters on exercises for mill's mess. I thought I'd (re)post them
as someone else is interested. I should anyway for netiquette. I went
away on holidays just after I posted my request, so I didn't see any
responses that weren't posted to me (sorry about that). Thanks for
responding anyway. 

>Organization: Hitachi Computer Products, OSSD division
>Date: Wed, 30 Dec 92 14:59:07 EST
>From: Alan Greenspan <alan@hicomb.hi.com>
>
>The Mills mess is one of those tricks where all of a sudden you just 
>*get it*, and then like riding a bicycle, you wont forget it.  It's a
>very hard trick to teach, but there are some exercises that I think are
>vital.
>
>        1) Learn to juggle with your hands crossed.  You must juggle
>           in a reverse cascade with your hands crossed.  Learn it with
>           one particular hand always crossed over the top.  As a right
>           handed person, I find having the left hand crossed over the
>           top of the right hand to be easier.
>        
>        2) Learn the cross handed pattern but with the other hand
>           on top.
>
>        3) Starting with a normal reverse cascade, switch to a
cross-handed
>           reverse cascade.  This is a difficult move, but somewhat
intuitive.
>           You must carry 2 successive catches into the proper positions
for
>           the cross-handed cascade.  Then you will feel the natural
slots
>           emerging where successive throws need to be made.
>        
>        4) Transition from the cross-handed reverse back to the regular
>           reverse cascade.  Same issues as 3.
>        
>        5) Do the same excercises in 3 and 4 but in and out of
cross-handed
>           patterns with the other hand on top.
>
>The Mills mess becomes a matter of switching back and forth between left
>over right and right over left cross-handed juggling just as fast as
possible.
>I found that I got it to click after cross-handed juggling became routine
>and I was easily able to transit back and forth between cross-handed
reverse
>cascades with either hand on top.  Good luck.
>
>- Alan
>


>From: watson@s1.elec.uq.oz.au (Brett Watson)
>To: kim@csc.canberra.edu.au (Kim Holburn)
>Subject: Re: How to do Mills Mess
>
>Hi Kim,
>
>I saw your request about Mills Mess, and thought I'd tell you 
>all I know.  I also tried to learn it, before I saw anybody do it,
>and found it impossible.  The version I do (in a messy sort of way) 
>involves a pair of balls, which are thrown backwards and forwards 
>between the hands, while the third ball is carried underneath, and
>thrown vertically first on one side, then carried to the other side
>and thrown vertically there.
>
>If you can't do the trick though, that description is about as clear
>as mud.  
>
>To do Mills Mess you should be able to do under the wrist throws
>quite easily.  
>
>A good exercise for learning Mills Mess is to take two balls, and 
>cross your hands.  Suppose the hand on top is your right hand.
>Your right hand should throw its ball first, across the body, towards
>the position of your left hand.  Then the other hand (left) carries 
>the ball it holds across, until the hands are no longer crossed.  
>It throws the second ball vertically when your arm is pointing straight 
>out from your body.  You then cross your hands again, but this time the 
>left hand is on top.  You catch the two balls and then perform
>the step described above again - i.e. throw with your topmost (left)
>hand across the body, and carry the other ball until you uncross 
>your hands, and then throw the ball vertically.  After you cross
>your hands again and catch the balls you should be in the position
>you started in.
>
>When I first tried this I felt incredibly uncoordinated because
>I couldn't get myself to cross my hands when I wanted to, and frequently
>ended up with the wrong hand on top.  After a little while, though,
>it won't seem so hard. 
>
>If you master this trick, you are well on the way to doing Mills
>Mess.  If you have trouble understanding my description, I'll have
>another go using ascii pictures.  The xjug program contains
>several animations of Mills Mess, and different variations.  If you
>have access to an xterminal and can compile it, the one I am refering
>to is mills.jug - the "British" version of Mills Mess.  The trick
>I have described is the pattern performed by the red and blue balls.
>
>How do you go from this two ball pattern to three balls?  I find it
>difficult to do from a "standing" start.  The way I learned was to
>start juggling a cascade, and then throw one of the balls vertically
>(using my left hand - slightly to the left of the left hands "home"
>position).  I make the usual throw from my right hand for a cascade,
>and then cross my hands, with my right hand underneath to catch the 
>ball that my left hand threw vertically.  Meanwhile the left hand
>must make its usual cascade style pass.  The right hand must then 
>uncross, and throw the ball vertically when the hands are uncrossed.
>Hopefully you can see how things are going.  I think the help file
>on Moocow describes this better than me.
>
>To answer your other questions:
>
>How difficult is it?  Its not really too hard, though I must admit
>that I don't do it very tidily.  It looks best if you keep the throws
>for the pair of balls in the centre quite low.  Its the most complicated
>3 ball trick that I know, but then I haven't learned Burkes Barrage,
>or whatsisnames nighmare or any of the other legendry three ball killers.
>Stick with it for a week or two, and I'm sure you will have it.
>
>The reason the patterns from Jugglepro and the help file look different
>is because there are a large number of variations of Mills Mess.  Most 
>tricks can be adapted so that you can do a Mills Mess variation of them
>too, it just makes my head spin thinking about some of them!  If you
>have managed to compile xjug, there are animations of several of the 
>variations in that package.
>
>Anyway, best of luck with learning the trick.  If you want to 
>know more, or want clearer explanations, feel free to ask.
>
>
>Brett.
>
>


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|   Kim Holburn              |   Internet : kim@csc.canberra.edu.au    |
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