Medium

Alternating Trapeze

Friday, March 28th, 2008

Another Steve Brown original.

Morpheus

Friday, March 28th, 2008

This trick was first seen on the original How To Be A Player video from Duncan.

Drop in the Bucket

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

Similar to Double or Nothing, but this trick has a bucket.

Beer Drinker Combo

Sunday, February 26th, 2006

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Inventor: Steve Brown

Video Shot at The National Yo-yo Contest in Chico CA, 2004

Trapeze Wind

Monday, February 6th, 2006

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Binds

Monday, February 6th, 2006

It is absolutely vital that you can do a PROPER bind if you are using an unresponsive yo-yo (which is what you need for new-school tricks). If you don’t do the bind right the yo-yo won’t wind as well, leading to reduced spin time, and you will dramatically increase the chance of getting a tangle when you throw. Tangles lead to yo-yos colliding with your head very hard when you make your next throw. It hurts. Bad. We know from experience.  Learn to do the bind right.

Standard: On a regular throwdown you do a reverse bottom-mount, pinch the string with your free hand, and then pull up with your dominant hand. Follow these instructions exactly and you will get a nice wind that won’t tangle.

Side-style (Poyzer Bind): On a trapeze throw you unmount the trapeze, bring the string into the gap, pinch the string with your free hand, and then pull up with your dominant hand. You can also get into the mount by doing a reverse trapeze. It’s all the same in the end, because really both types are the same thing, it’s just that you get into them a little differently.

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Double or Nothing

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Start the same way you would with a trapeze throw, but go around both hands a second time before you catch the yo-yo on the outermost string.

Tips:
- Just like with the Trapeze, get your finger as close to the yo-yo as possible when you go to make the final catch.

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Trapeze

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

This is not an easy trick and will require a lot of practice, but it’s SO worth it. This trick is the basis for a huge number of advanced tricks.

Start the same as with the Breakaway, but instead of pulling the yo-yo back to your hand, stick the first finger of your free hand out to catch the string. The yo-yo will flip over your finger and land on the string.

Tips:
- Get your finger as close to the yo-yo as possible when you go to catch the string. The less string there is between your finger and the yo-yo, the less leeway there is for the yo-yo to miss landing on the string.
- A lot of Trans-axle yo-yos can be adjusted to not come back very easily. This is a good idea if you’re worried about the yo-yo hitting your finger.

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360

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

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360 360 720

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

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Aerial

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

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Beer Drinker Combo

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

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Double Around the World

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

One Around The World in each hand.  You can do it.

Ride the Horse

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Inside Loops with one hand, and hop the fence with the other.  Funniest when you bounce up and down a bit while you do the trick so that it kinds of looks like you are riding a horse.

Texas Cowboy

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

This is an Around the World done on it’s side.  Generally you do the throw over your head, swing the yo-yo around your head, and then bring it down below your waist so that the second orbit is low enough that you can either step over it, or hop over it while you yell, “Yahoo!!!” just like a cowboy.

Whirlwind/ Whirlybird

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Two-hand loops done with alternating inside and outside loops with both hands.

Cuban Flag/ Puerto Rican Flag*

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

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Chinese Cradle/ Chinese Puzzle/ Crazy Cradle*

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

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Chinese Puzzle/ Chinese Cradle/ Crazy Cradle*

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

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Crazy Cradle/ Chinese Puzzle/ Chinese Cradle*

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

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Satan Rocks

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

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3 Leaf Clover*

Thursday, January 15th, 2004
This trick is one throw, and then two Inside Loops in a row. The first throw goes up, the second loop goes out, and the third loop should go as close to straight down as possible. Usually, in a contest, the third one is counted if it stays within the trick square. So since the tendency is for the last throw to go out a bit, you should just make sure that you are standing back on the far corner of the trick square to give yourself as much room as possible.Tips:
- The whole secret of the last loop is moving your hand REALLY quickly IN and DOWN to guide that last loop straight down.

Flying Saucer/UFO*

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Start as if you are going to do a regular throwdown, but lie the yo-yo down flat in your palm. Throw the yo-yo down and at an angle (about 45 degrees) across your body. Once it gets to the end of the string, quickly move your hand so that it is above the yo-yo, and the string will start to flutter. Now pick up the middle of the string with your free hand and watch the UFO fly.

To get the yo-yo to come back to your hand, pull up on the string in your free hand so that the yo-yo pops ups into the air at about eye level. At the same time bring your yo-yo hand out to the side so that the string makes a straight line from your hand to the yo-yo. If the yo-yo is still spinning fast enough it will wind up sideways and go back to your hand.

Tips:
- You don’t have to pick up the string with your free hand, but the UFO will fly longer if you do.
- Skilled players use this trick to tighten and loosen the yo-yo strings. Just remember “Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey.” In other words, when you throw the yo-yo to your right the string will tighten, and when you throw it to your left the string will loosen. This is true for both right and left-handed players.
- It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to do this trick with an unresponsive yo-yo.

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Inside Loop

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

5) Inside Loop

The same thing as the Outside Loop, but instead of having the yo-yo go on the outside of your arm, it goes on the inside of your outstretched arm. See how many you can do in a row. Try alternating between Outside and Inside Loops (called the Whirlybird.)

Tips:
- When doing multiple loops in a row, the yo-yo will flip over one half revolution on each loop. If you use a yo-yo with different colors on each side it can help you see when you are doing good loops.
- Continuous Inside Loops with your left hand will tighten the string, and with your right hand will loosen the string. This is a good time to practice the Flying Saucer to untwist your string after working on Loops.

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Don’t forget to change your string often!
- When it’s dirty
- When it’s nasty lookin’
- When it starts to fray
A new string will keep your tricks working well, and keep you from breaking strings and destroying stuff.  Compared to the cost of a new window, or the wrath of your parents, spouse, or partner, strings are pretty cheap.

Man on the Flying Trapeze/ Trapeze*

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Start by learning the Breakaway.  Then learn to do Around the World where the yo-yo stays in front of your body the whole time (the plane of the trick is parallel to your chest).  Now, instead of letting the yo-yo go all the way around, stick your finger out to catch the string and make the yo-yo land back on the string between your hands.

Tips:
-    Try to get your finger as close to the yo-yo as possible when you catch the string.  The more space between the yo-yo and your finger, the harder it will be to catch the yo-yo on the string.
-    This will be easier to learn with an unresponsive, Butterfly-shaped yo-yo, but is possible with just about any yo-yo.

Skyrocket

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Throw a fast sleeper.  While the yo-yo is spinning down at the end of the string, take the string off your finger and give a good tug.  The yo-yo will start coming back up toward your hand.  Let go of the string just before the yo-yo smacks you in the knuckles, and it will shoot up into the air.  The height that it flies depends on how fast the yo-yo is spinning, and how good your timing is on the release.  This trick will not work with unresponsive yo-yos.

Sleeping Beauty

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Another name for the Flying Saucer/UFO.  Usually done without picking up the string with your non-yo-yo hand.  Won’t flutter as long as the Flying Saucer/UFO.

Three Leaf Clover*

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

This trick is one throw, and then two Inside Loops in a row. The first throw goes up, the second loop goes out, and the third loop should go as close to straight down as possible. Usually, in a contest, the third one is counted if it stays within the trick square. So since the tendency is for the last throw to go out a bit, you should just make sure that you are standing back on the far corner of the trick square to give yourself as much room as possible.

Tips:
- The whole secret of the last loop is moving your hand REALLY quickly IN and DOWN to guide that last loop straight down.

Time Warp

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Normal Around The World (start w/a Froward Pass motion, so that the yo-yo starts in front, and swings around behind you), when the yo-yo comes back around to the front at about chest height, tug on the string so the yo-yo comes back, then regenerate (with a Hop The Fence type motion) into an Around The World in the other direction.

Trapeze (Behind the Back)

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Lean back and do your magic just like the name of the trick says.

Trapeze (Laceration)

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

See Laceration.  Invented by Spencer Berry.

Trapeze/ Man on the Flying Trapeze*

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Start by learning the Breakaway.  Then learn to do Around the World where the yo-yo stays in front of your body the whole time (the plane of the trick is parallel to your chest).  Now, instead of letting the yo-yo go all the way around, stick your finger out to catch the string and make the yo-yo land back on the string between your hands.

Tips:
-    Try to get your finger as close to the yo-yo as possible when you catch the string.  The more space between the yo-yo and your finger, the harder it will be to catch the yo-yo on the string.
-    This will be easier to learn with an unresponsive, Butterfly-shaped yo-yo, but is possible with just about any yo-yo.

UFO/ Flying Saucer*

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Start as if you are going to do a regular throwdown, but lie the yo-yo down flat in your palm. Throw the yo-yo down and at an angle (about 45 degrees) across your body. Once it gets to the end of the string, quickly move your hand so that it is above the yo-yo, and the string will start to flutter. Now pick up the middle of the string with your free hand and watch the UFO fly.

To get the yo-yo to come back to your hand, pull up on the string in your free hand so that the yo-yo pops ups into the air at about eye level. At the same time bring your yo-yo hand out to the side so that the string makes a straight line from your hand to the yo-yo. If the yo-yo is still spinning fast enough it will wind up sideways and go back to your hand.

Tips:
- You don’t have to pick up the string with your free hand, but the UFO will fly longer if you do.
- Skilled players use this trick to tighten and loosen the yo-yo strings. Just remember “Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey.” In other words, when you throw the yo-yo to your right the string will tighten, and when you throw it to your left the string will loosen. This is true for both right and left-handed players.
- It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to do this trick with an unresponsive yo-yo.

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Warp Drive

Thursday, January 15th, 2004

Normal Around The World (start w/a Froward Pass motion, so that the yo-yo starts in front, and swings around behind you), when the yo-yo comes back around to the front at about chest height, tug on the string so the yo-yo comes back, then regenerate (with an Inside Loop) into another Around The World in the same direction.