WARNING - Flowers are a relatively difficult move. Have some experience before trying this. Many poists can't fanthom this move and it takes awhile to learn. It's even harder to learn with glowsticks than heavier poi. But trust me, it's worth it.

First off, what is a Flower?

Flowers Demonstration Video

Forward and Reverse 4 Petal Flowers, including a Flower Turn:

This is what a Flower looks like.

Flowers are nothing more than a long arm poi extension changing the point of rotation at certain time intervals during the course of spinning the glowstick. What this means in English- moving your arms in controlled circles while the glowstick is rotating around as well.

Now how to do it?

Regular 4 Petal Flower - try this without glowsticks first. Imagine that you are swimming freestyle. In other words, your arms are rotating forward at full reach. Now grab your glowsticks. Now if your arms were a clock, what you would want to happen is that at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions, you would want the glowsticks to make a rotation and be pointed in at you. So keep moving your arms, and at each of those points the glowsticks should make one rotation. See video and picture.

Reverse 4 Petal Flower - Instead of doing freestyle, swim backstroke. The glowsticks should be rotating like your doing a Reverse Weave.

Notice while doing Flowers that your arms never actually cross your body like a Weave. Now you CAN cross the glowsticks to the other side and turn around, thus accomplishing a Flower Turn. Much like Weave Turns, you should know Forward and Reverse Flowers before attempting Turns.

What to do Afterwards - Try different numbered petal Flowers. Try isolating Flowers. Do Antispin Flowers. etc etc etc.

To do Antispin Flowers - Move your arms forward as if you were swimming freestyle. However, the glowsticks should be rotating backwards as if you were doing reverse.

For Reverse Antispin Flowers - Your arms are rotating backwards like reverse or backstroke, but the glowsticks are rotating foward.

After you learn those, you can manage Antispin Flower Turns.

Congratulations!

Here's a list of the 16 flower combinations, 4 petals.

Four Petal Flower/Lockout Types 12/3/6/9 O'Clock Flowers

The directions are for the rotations of your arms or glowsticks. If it's forward, spin like a regular Weave as if you were jump roping. If it's reverse, spin like a Reverse Weave. Remember, this is always to the side of you in the weave/side plane. Your hands never switch sides unless you're turning.

• Arms: Forward / Glowstick: Forward = Regular Flower
• Arms: Reverse / Glowstick: Reverse = Reverse Flower
• Arms: Reverse / Glowstick: Forward = Forward Antispin Flower
• Arms: Forward / Glowstick: Reverse = Reverse Antispin Flower
• Arms: Butterfly / Glowstick: Butterfly = Butterfly Flower
• Arms: Reverse Butterfly / Glowstick: Reverse Butterfly = Reverse butterfly Flower
• Arms: Butterfly / Glowstick: Reverse Butterfly = Butterfly Antispin Flower
• Arms: Reverse Butterfly / Glowstick: Butterfly = Butterfly Antispin Flower
• Arms: Forward / Glowstick: Butterfly = Goofy Butterfly Flower
• Arms: Reverse / Glowstick: Butterfly = Reverse Goofy Butterfly Flower
• Arms: Butterfly / Glowstick: Forward = Goofy Flower (what people on HoP call it)
• Arms: Butterfly / Glowstick:Reverse = Reverse Goofy Flower
• Arms: Forward / Glowstick: Reverse Butterfly = Goofy Reverse Butterfly Flower
• Arms: Reverse / Glowstick: Reverse Butterfly = Reverse Goofy Reverse Butterfly Flower
• Arms: Reverse Butterfly / Glowstick: Forward = Goofy Flower with Reverse Butterfly arms
• Arms: Reverse Butterfly / Glowstick: Reverse = Reverse Goofy Flower with Reverse Butterfly arms

The "names" that differentiate flowers get confusing and ridiculous (which is why I hate naming poi moves), and if you add in extra petals it's a nightmare.

The names aren't important though, just learn the four directions you can spin your glowsticks in: Forward, Reverse, Butterfly, and Reverse Butterfly - match those with the four directions your arms can go: Forward, Reverse, Butterfly, and Reverse Butterfly.

There's 16 combinations.

That's all you need to know.

- Written by KaelGotRice

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