Star Wars Call Me Maybe

Okay, so this has nothing to do with whips but it has everything to do with my love for Star Wars.  So anyway - enjoy!

Ryan
www.happycracking.com

Making an Inexpensive Whip

I haven't been on here in a while so though I'd post a quick note and link a video that Adam Winrich just put up showing how to make a bullwhip. 

Let me know if you give it a try.  Don't forget to stop by my website and have a look around - www.happycracking.com

Take care and happy cracking,

Ryan

A Couple of New Whip & Color Schemes

I picked up some neon green paracord the other day and have made a couple of whips with it now.  I put this five foot bullwhip together the other day as a Christmas present for a friend.  It is made using both neon green and kelly green.

I'm really digging the colors on this next whip.  This is my "Fire Whip."  It is a four foot snakewhip made with black, imperial red, neon orange, and neon yellow paracord.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and may it truly be a time of giving thanks.  "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me" (Psalm 50:14-15).

Happy cracking,

~Ryan

www.happycracking.com

Summer's Winding Down - Time to Get A Cracking

I've been quite busy lately - summer is one of my busier times with my actual occupation - that of serving as a pastor, mainly working with youth.  I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of a slower pace so that I can relax a bit and get some whip work underway.  One of the projects I'm aiming at is a short video of how to make your own crackers.  Hopefully I'll get it out before too long.  Anyway, I'm gonna get a going now so I'll sign off.  Take care all and happy cracking!

~Ryan

www.happycracking.com

A Couple of "How To" Videos

I posted earlier about some whips I've been making for a martial arts/whip artistry class in Seattle.  Here are a couple of videos the instructor has made using a four foot black bullwhip I sent her a while back.  She does a great job of walking you through these two cracks.





It's fun to see one of my whips in action. 

Happy cracking,

~Ryan

http://www.happycracking.com/

Pair of Bullwhips for Some Two-Handed Cracking!

I making several bullwhips for a martial arts/whip artistry class in Seattle, WA.  A few of the participants have ordered matching whips.  Here's the first set I've completed.

Anyhoo - I just thought I'd put up a quick post.  Happy cracking!

~Ryan

http://www.happycracking.com/

How to Crack a Whip, part 2: The Reverse Circus or the Reverse Cattleman's Crack

Here's the second of my redo "how to" videos on how to crack a whip.



This crack is accomplished in much the same way as the regular Circus Crack, only in reverse.

1. Begin with the whip down or in front of you and your arm down straight by your side (the 6 o’clock position).
2. In a smooth motion bring the whip up behind you and over your shoulder. Your arm should stop around the 12 o’clock position, yet allowing the whip to continue forward in front of you.
3. When the whip is point straight ahead of you - the 3 o’clock position or even slightly down, say 4 or 5 o’clock (note that your arm is still in the straight up 12 o’clock position) – bring your arm quickly back to the 9 o’clock position and on down to 6 o’clock.

The whip is traveling in a horizontal plane beside you and when you change directions it forms the loop that will make it reach the speed to crack.

Have fun cracking and let me know how it's going :)

~Ryan

http://www.happycracking.com/

How to Crack a Whip: the Circus Crack or the Cattleman's Crack

I finally updated my "how to" videos.  Here's a demonstration of the Circus Crack otherwise known as the Cattleman's Crack.

1. Start with the whip down or preferably behind you and your arm down straight by your side (the 6 o'clock position). Note – I’m demonstrating with a 6 foot bullwhip and a short 3.5 foot snakewhip (The Pocket Rattler).
2. In a smooth motion bring the whip around in front of you, up and over your shoulder. Your arm should stop around the 12 o’clock position, yet allowing the whip to continue on behind you.
3. When the whip is pointing back behind you – at around the 9 o’clock position or even pointing down toward the ground (your arm is still around 12 o’clock) – bring your arm quickly forward to the 3 o’clock position. The whip is traveling on a horizontal plane beside you and when you change its direction here it is forming the critical loop that will travel down the whip ending in the sonic boom.
4. One thing that I have seen that seems to help with this crack with new whip crackers is to practice the motions WITHOUT trying to crack the whip. Many people simply try too hard, so just try to get the motion down and it will often crack without you intending for it to happen.

Have fun cracking!

~Ryan

http://www.happycracking.com/

How to Make Your Bullwhip Louder!!!

Here's a short infomative video by Adam Winrich on the "loudness" of bullwhips.



Here's an example of a four foot black paracord bullwhip I just shipped off this morning - notice especially the taper.

Happy cracking,

~Ryan

http://www.happycracking.com/

Even You Can Crack a Whip :)

I get asked now and again if it is difficult to crack a whip.  My answer is no and yes.  By that I mean that accomplishing a basic crack is quite simple when you understand the movements, but there are also many types of cracks that are much more difficult to master and even I can't do all of them yet, or all that well.

On that note, I shot this clip the other day of my seven year old son, Elijah, as he cracked his bullwhip.  The whip he's using is his three foot electric blue and neon orange paracord bullwhip.  I was duly impressed with his improvement.  The crack he is performing is the forward crack or the circus crack.



Happy cracking,

~Ryan

http://www.happycracking.com/