Pen spinning
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Pen spinning is a form of object manipulation that involves the deft manipulation of a writing instrument with one's hands. Although it is often considered a form of self-entertainment (usually in a school/office setting), multinational competitions and meetings are sometimes held.[1] It is a form of contact juggling.
Pen spinning is known as "pen mawashi" (compare for example Mawashi geri, "round-kick") or, more disparagingly, "rōnin mawashi" "college student spinning" in Japan where the pastime has been popular since at least the 1970s, and where the Pen Spinning Association Japan is now dedicated to promoting the aspiring art form. While its origins remain unclear, pen-twirling is quickly gaining international popularity through on-line video sharing and forums. According to Masaki Tsukada, chairman of the Japanese pen spinners, pen spinning now has dedicated movements in South Korea and the United States. [2][3]
History
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There is no information on the origins of pen spinning. The earliest record of pen spinning comes from a student in pre-World War II in Japan (Asahi Shimbun January 31, 2008, 37th page). While some in Asian countries did pen spinning in the 1990s, these were basic tricks such as the the Thumbaround and the Finger Pass. Today, there are more variations and types of tricks, for example the Shadow, the Bak, the Twisted Sonic Bust or the Sonic.
The number of pen spinning websites and forums have increased since 2006, opening up more regional boards from France, Germany, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. Tournaments are organised on the Internet and live tournaments are held in Japan and Korea.
Finger slots
For convenience pen spinners have adopted a common numbering of fingers and the spaces between them ("Finger Slots"). The fingers are numbered sequentially from "1" the index finger, to "4" pinky. The thumb is the letter "T". Finger slots are represented by combining any two of these. For instance the space between the middle and ring fingers is "23". A pen held between index and pinky is in slot "14". (Sometimes the space between the thumb and index fingers is called "TF" (thumbflap).)
Fundamental tricks
The four basic penspinning tricks are:
ThumbAround
The "ThumbAround" (previously known as "360 Degrees Normal") is performed by pushing a pen by one's middle finger (the index finger is also used to make it look smoother in combos) so to initiate the pen to spin around one's thumb a single time, then catching it in between the thumb and index finger. There are many variations, but one used most often for combinations uses just momentum and only a rotation around the thumb with a jerk of the hand or a push with the middle finger. To do this the 1st finger is put on the eraser, the 3rd finger near the middle, and the thumb in between. Pressure is then added on the pencil/pen with the thumb.[4] This is most easily done with pens and pencils with a center of mass nearer to the writing tip, such as mechanical pencils and cheap disposable pen.
FingerPass
The "Pass" involves spinning the pen through the fingers. A combination of Passes are called FingerPasses. The FingerPass was used in the James Bond film GoldenEye by Boris Grishenko, in a variation using only three fingers instead of the usual four.[5]
Sonic
The idea behind the Sonic is to move the pen from one finger position to another finger position in as little time as possible. In this trick, the pen is normally held between the middle and ring fingers (but could be performed with other fingers using mapping) and is moved so that it ends up between the middle and index. As this trick can be executed in a very short amount of time, its name means a supersonic movement.[6]
Charge
The Charge does not involve spinning the pen around any fingers or any body parts, rather, the pen is manipulated in such a way with two fingers, that it seems to spin in a very fast motion, in a conic-shaped path. Its conic path and its speed thus create an illusion of the charging motion of the pen. This trick is often performed by drummers using drumsticks rather than pens. It looks like the pen is spinning in the two fingers.[7]
Advanced Tricks
In addition to the 4 fundamental tricks, more have been invented and used successfully in combos by numerous people.[citation needed]
Shadow
This is a trick where the palm is facing down. The pen starts at 1-2 and does 0.5 rotations in the charge position before traveling up to the top of the hand. The pen should revolve 0.5 times on or close to the knuckle connecting to your index finger. As it nears the end of the 0.5 revolutions on top, slowly lift your index finger to catch the pen back at 1-2. At the end, a final 0.5 revolutions of charge should end the trick.
See also
References
- ^ "Pen spinning world cup launched". Metro.co.uk. 2007-02-14. Retrieved 2007-02-27.
- ^ Hongo, Jun (January 2008). "Finessing the pen-twirl becomes a fine science". The Japan Times. Retrieved January 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Novak, Asami (January 2008). "Mastering the Art of Pen Spinning". Wired.com. Retrieved January 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "ThumbAround Normal". Pentrix.com. Retrieved January 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "FingerPass Normal". Pentrix.com. Retrieved January 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Sonic Normal". Pentrix.com. Retrieved January 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Charge Normal". Pentrix.com. Retrieved January 2009.
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