Pike presses and handstand puppetry

[@mu]

Hello fellow Assassins,

 

HS PUPETTRY

 

I will start with the creativity goal which should be much more entertaining than pike presses

 

I want to create a short feet-puppet HS routine! I had this idea while working on close tuck HS a few months back and I decided to see how far I could take it about a week ago or so (cf battle log starting from here).

A few issues have come up, like where I should to put the puppet's face so that it's visible enough in a straight HS and doesn't get destroyed on kick-up / bail... Progress has been made and I've started shaping a training puppet over the last week-end, and even balanced a wee bit with it!

 

 

 

For this challenge I'd like to reach a first milestone, which would be a 20-30s routine, no music / no voice over / no fancy story Just the foundation: working on some leg movement upside down with one or two puppets on my feet. I will start with just one puppet and if I can take both in the air that will be great.

 

For the puppets part, I want to make one more training prototype, still using old socks. I have nicer newer stripey socks but I'm reluctant to sew / glue / cut into them on my first attempt... I'm pretty sure I will make mistakes (I already screwed an old one up). At some point I'd like to test things like foot-controlled flapping wings/arms maybe. But that's clearly for a later, more advanced, engineering stage I will keep it simple for now. But happy to hear ideas and advice, I'm making some changes on the bird following Mad Hatter's advice.

 

For the HS part, I'm planning to work with puppets at least twice a week and more if I can, whether as part of my existing workouts or in short separate sessions. I will work mostly on: tuck HS, endurance, movement discovery (what works with puppets and what doesn't).

 

I'll report regularly on progress and make a final video by the end of the challenge – whether it works out or not. I might end up with a video 100% full of bloopers but hey it IS a challenge!

 

 

HSPU TRAINING

 

NB: It's funny: there is HSPU in HS PUPPETRY (ok never mind )

 

I will continue my previous challenge and prep myself for HSPUs:

 

The road is long and arduous. I'm currently finishing off Phase 1 – Level 1 (2 more weeks). Same as last challenge, 2 workouts a week and I'll just log my reps/sets/holds for the main exercise. This will be mostly strength work with loads of iso and eccentrics.

 

I'll keep my other practice in my battle log (more handstand, a bit of flexibility, some pull).

 

Have a good challenge everyone!

 

[tei_]

Oh my gosh, handstand puppetry is such a freaking cool idea. (And sounds incredibly hard. I'm always shocked by how much minute movements from a position in HS throw me off-- but you've clearly got that under control!)

[Mad Hatter]

Obviously here!

[WhiteGhost]

Here and following!

[@mu]

1 hour ago, tei_ said:

Oh my gosh, handstand puppetry is such a freaking cool idea. (And sounds incredibly hard. I'm always shocked by how much minute movements from a position in HS throw me off-- but you've clearly got that under control!)

 

Hiyaaa! I've never seen HS puppets, there might a reason indeed

 

1 hour ago, Mad Hatter said:

Obviously here!

 

🖖 I painted the beak to add contrast by the way. Which was quite hard to be honest because it was already all hardwired into the sock with feathers and all... but I managed somewhat:

 

 

It's showing a little bit on video, but my camera is just no good enough to pick up details.  I could make a VERY BIG puppet maybe (or get a pro camera, but I'm not that bugged about it).

 

Some progress on puppet #2's mouth:

 

At first I used a sponge to add volume to the cardboard, but it did not work well... It was hard to cut and not voluminous enough / the way I wanted to.

Instead, I used old white tights and filler. My sewing is crap but it will be under the sock anyway so who cares he he.

 

 

And I just glued the thing, one on top and one below:

 

This morning some plain endurance work with the bird puppet. Just a couple of sets and simple moves: close tuck -> open tuck -> straight -> diamond. So here is a video, and as you can see, I need to learn some puppet awareness   I know roughly where my feet are but I have no clue how it affects the puppet. I just know that it's not super visible in straight HS so I have to bend a wee bit there. Endurance was ok though, 30+s each time. It's good enough for what I want to do.

 

 

 

[@mu]

1 minute ago, WhiteGhost said:

Here and following!

 

Hiyaaa! Welcome!

[PaulG]

I AM HERE FOR IT.

 

2 hours ago, @mu said:

[all of it]

 

[KB Girl]

Hah! Obviously also here for it

 

[@mu]

23 hours ago, PaulG said:

I AM HERE FOR IT.

 

 

 

11 hours ago, KB Girl said:

Hah! Obviously also here for it

 

 

Hi hi

 

No puppet work in HS today. Yesterday I did a little bit of work on Puppet #2's mouth (the inside). I need to fix the eyes and it will start looking like something. It's just a bit hard during week days because I have a pretty heavy work load until mid-July roughly. And in the evening I am super tired.

 

I had a press to HS workout this morning and did some crane practice which relates to HSPU progress (or lack thereof ). I definitely lost some leaning strength since P2: from my logs I went from a 20-30s range to a 2-5s today. Ooops... That is rather, erm, annoying... but at least I'm onto something here. I know HSPU is a bent arm skill but there is a leaning bit at the top that could definitely be helped with some stronger lean.

 

[Jarric]

This challenge looks amazing. The moment in that video when the puppet appears over you is gold  

[JuiceeTarget]

Oh. My. Goodness.

This is the greatest challenge ever. I absolutely can't wait to see your puppet routine.

[Elastigirl]

This challenge belongs in the NF Hall of Fame. 

[DoubleTrouble]

Wait this is actually possible? I've never seen something like this

[Mad Hatter]

22 hours ago, @mu said:

I had a press to HS workout this morning and did some crane practice which relates to HSPU progress (or lack thereof ). I definitely lost some leaning strength since P2: from my logs I went from a 20-30s range to a 2-5s today. Ooops... That is rather, erm, annoying... but at least I'm onto something here. I know HSPU is a bent arm skill but there is a leaning bit at the top that could definitely be helped with some stronger lean.

That's so interesting. Even if you compensate your presses with awesome compression I'd still expect the practice to translate to crane. Huh.

[@mu]

1 hour ago, Mad Hatter said:

That's so interesting. Even if you compensate your presses with awesome compression I'd still expect the practice to translate to crane. Huh.

 

It is weird, isn't it! I completely removed any crane practice because I assumed that press would to totally do it for me. I still don't get that I'm leaning so little in press work, I was totally expecting the opposite when I started.

 

6 hours ago, GoodDoug said:

Oh. My. Goodness.

This is the greatest challenge ever. I absolutely can't wait to see your puppet routine.

 

5 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

This challenge belongs in the NF Hall of Fame. 

 

4 hours ago, DoubleTrouble said:

Wait this is actually possible? I've never seen something like this

 

Welcome guys! 

 

Today was supposed to be rest, more so since yesterday morning I trained AND in the evening I had a 2h session at Circus school (reopening but not fully, keeping teaching within Covid restrictions obviously). And that one was also HS, some floor acro and back-bending. But I was too excited because I managed to fix the eyes on the second puppet and I wanted to see how it looked like.

 

By the way it's super tedious to design feet puppet because I don't have any kind of foot model I could use. I have to put the sock on, roll over on my back in front of a mirror and check that eyes are going to be in the right place and so on. Pfff!

 

Anyway, I worked on tuck entry again, it's not easy to keep the second leg out of view while the other is going up. Next time I will see if I can add rotations of the head while popping the puppet up. And work that peekaboo tempo.

I tried “anxiety” leg shakes because that puppet can really looking like a comic version of Munch's Scream at times but it's hard to make them big and hold at the same time!

And some work on diamond angles, trying to get a sense of where the puppet is with video feedback. The heel movements are quite funny.

 

I want to add arms to that puppet. Not sure I can find a way to do some string pulling with my feet, but the more I think about it, the more I want to try soon And maybe give it a dress or something. And a hairdo

Oops I have to "run" to work (working remotely )

 

 

[Mad Hatter]

10 minutes ago, @mu said:

By the way it's super tedious to design feet puppet because I don't have any kind of foot model I could use.

And here I thought that foot models are household staples.  

 

OMG I love the second puppet even more than the first one! It's hilarious!!! The cleaner design and colour palette works super well.

[KB Girl]

5 hours ago, @mu said:

 

By the way it's super tedious to design feet puppet because I don't have any kind of foot model I could use. I have to put the sock on, roll over on my back in front of a mirror and check that eyes are going to be in the right place and so on. Pfff!

Haha sorry having a lot of fun at your expense here  good mental image. 
it’s paid off though, it’s awesome!

[dancezwithkittehz]

Oh my god. You actually meant the puppetry part of handstand puppetry! NEAT!!!!!  Following!

[PaulG]

17 hours ago, @mu said:

I want to add arms to that puppet. Not sure I can find a way to do some string pulling with my feet, but the more I think about it, the more I want to try soon And maybe give it a dress or something. And a hairdo

That video just made me the happiest I’ve been all day!

 

Hatter’s totally right, that new puppet works well. FWIW, that crazy-looking mouth and eyes are so striking that I like the idea of going minimalist with it. But of course, I am only one among your future millions of fans when this inevitably goes viral on YouTube.

[@mu]

15 hours ago, KB Girl said:

Haha sorry having a lot of fun at your expense here  good mental image. 
it’s paid off though, it’s awesome!

 

Ha ha you're welcome

 

10 hours ago, dancezwithkittehz said:

Oh my god. You actually meant the puppetry part of handstand puppetry! NEAT!!!!!  Following!

 

Hiya!! Crazy I know  

 

21 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

OMG I love the second puppet even more than the first one! It's hilarious!!! The cleaner design and colour palette works super well.

 

Agreed!

 

4 hours ago, PaulG said:

That video just made me the happiest I’ve been all day!

 

Hatter’s totally right, that new puppet works well. FWIW, that crazy-looking mouth and eyes are so striking that I like the idea of going minimalist with it. But of course, I am only one among your future millions of fans when this inevitably goes viral on YouTube.

 

Please do voice anything it's super helpful because it resonates with my own should-I should-I-NOT.

 

I do want to try STUFF, I can't help it but I also fear it might go wrong! and this is the only sock left in that colour scheme. The first one has a cut in the sole near the toes and a mouth glued inside, but that position doesn't work in HS. I also used paper for the lining of mouth which ended up getting torn. And instead of filler I used a sponge which did not give enough volume to the mouth really. I'm not sure I can rescue it, maybe, maybe not.

 

Maybe I can try to rescue that one and do my arm / dress / hairdo testing on that one, or work on the one sock left in the darker colour scheme (the bird one). The problem with the latter is that colour matching is a bit difficult. I have wool, felt paper, pompons, feathers and pipe cleaners in various bright colours, and none are really matching! I might have to go in some art shop with my sock to see what I can find Maybe just white would work but I still need to get some bits in white then. It is more difficult than I thought!

All that said, I don't think the 2 colour schemes would work well together with one on each foot at the same time. So I may end end trying this rescue thing first.

 

And then I have new socks... I'm still reluctant to go past old socks for tests. But since that mouth model works well, I could at least do one that way. But which one

 

 

Ok I have to get on with pike presses now, see ya later all!

 

 

[@mu]

Quick pike press update.

 

Slightly more volume this week. And my shoulders will definitely need rest tomorrow.

 

Partial L is a pike press on a high block (a chair + stuff, to get myself into a L-shape). I do those on pbarz (but everything else on the floor).

 

They were partials on the first 3 sets (2 yoga blocks), and I tried ground 0 on the last set (1 block = pbarz level). I'm definitely not controlling that one! So I'm still counting that set as partial.

 

Otherwise back is in a better shape form-wise but elbows still want to flare back. I'm just still too weak for that progression. I'm under the min time which is 8s but it says it should be (test time - 1s), and my test time was 6s so I don't know. On the other hand I went for the max number of reps and sets. Maybe I can increase time a little bit next time, that seems doable (during tests I had to shuffle about a lot to find the right distance, check form etc, it possibly affected hold times). I'll try and if form just goes too badly, I won't.

And then there were supersets, with volume on partial front loaded (floor), various plank variations and bent arm  carries. I'm dead.

/* Phase 1 - Level 1 - Week 08 */
1: Eccentrics 5sx4 - 4 sets /* partial L */

 

[Mad Hatter]

8 hours ago, @mu said:

I do want to try STUFF, I can't help it but I also fear it might go wrong!

So keep trying! In worst case you'll ruin a sock, it's not the end of the world.  FOR SCIENCE!

[WhiteGhost]

22 hours ago, @mu said:

But which one

I like the pink one on the end (#4) best, and then the one on the left (#1) second.  I don't think the blue one (#3) would show up very well. 

[raptron]

PUPPETS AHAHAH OMG YES.

[@mu]

16 hours ago, raptron said:

PUPPETS AHAHAH OMG YES.

 

 

I decided to give a go at a new sock (the rainbow one) and I fucked it up ... It all started because the mouth hinge was a tad bit too wide and once in the sock, the mouth ended up nearly flat open, even when glued. I tried to rescue it in various ways (sewing, taping), none of which worked, the only solution was to redo the hinge. Meaning removing the mouth that was already glued to the sock.... that's how it came out:

 

Pretty bad  Anger and sadness ensued. I do have a spare sock of course but it felt really silly to fail on the mouth because I have already done that a couple of times.

Anyway, after a breather, I sat down again and actually manage to rescue the awful mess. The upper stripes are not exactly centered... but I have had enough of fixing stuff for today, REALLY. It's not that obvious anyway. And I'm already feeling lucky that I didn't have to use the spare sock.

 

 

I need to find white pompons for eyes support though. The only matching ones that I have are red but they make it look like a blood-thirsty psychopath.

 

So much puppet drama