Tutsday: Rope Dart Tricks

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Hello good people of the flow arts, It is that time again!  It is time for this week’s edition of the Flow Arts Institute’s Tutorial series, Tutsday!

This week we have Eli Pearsall teaching the Rope Dart technique “The Falling Sky”. Eli is a member of the Fire Technicians from St. Louis, MO.  He is also an organizer for the FAI festival, Kinetic.

Eli has been exploring the rope dart since the Fall of 2010. Although he has not received any formal training, he has shown his prowess by securing a Bronze medal in the Open Weapons Division at ICMAC 2014. The following tutorial was filmed at Kinetic 2014 and is of a technique that Eli calls “The Falling Sky”

Here we go!

This move is a variation on a shot that is done from a leg wrap. The only wrap that occurs in the entire technique as shown by Eli, is done from the inside to the outside of the leg on the same side as your dominant hand. After the wrap, weave the dart to your non-native side and back, then step and pivot 360° on your opposite foot while throwing the dart under your raised leg.

For example, if you are right handed, you will weave the rope dart to your left side, as you step forward with your left foot, and then pivot on that foot clockwise 360°, as you throw the dart under your raised right leg. If you are left handed, you would do the opposite. The real flair comes in when you start adding jumps to the mix. The proper place for this jump is just after you plant your foot for the step and pivot, in the directions above.

To reiterate instruction, in case the above is confusing:

1.  Start with your dart in your dominant hand.

2. Wrap the dart from the inside to the outside of your leg on your dominant side.

3. Weave the dart once to your non dominant side

4. When you return to your native side, take a step with your non dominant foot

5. Pivot and jump on that foot to spin 360°, while throwing the dart under your raised leg.

This technique is a little skill intensive, but with some hard work and dedication, it could be a valuable addition to any Rope Dartist’s repertoire.

Alright folks!  That’s all for this week.  Have a good one!
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