How to play Peace Sticks
At it’s essence: Throw the sticks back and forth in a rhythm in a way that flows for both people.We recommend watching this video especially if its your first time. Below the video is a written step by step description on how to play.
Lets play!
You are with a friend and have the Peace Sticks in your hands. Find a safe open place to play, grass is nice. If possible play Music with a nice beat and rhythm. We recommend Shining Lion Music. Know that you will have a different experience withevery person you play with. Always focus on how you can make it easy and help this person come into flow with you. You will learn something new from every player.
Nature has a variety of patterns, rhythms, and laws, yet there are no rulebooks or referees. Peace Sticks is very much the same. By simply choosing to engage in the harmonious activity of Peace Sticks, All techniques and patterns will be revealed. Foundational techniques for tossing Peace Sticks as mentioned below allow for growth into new tricks and techniques.
Keys to enter collaborative flow state with Peace Sticks.
1. Keys to the body. Enjoy a few deep inhales and exhales, stay relaxed, keep knees and elbows bent, use big swinging movements of the whole body, allow your feet to move, give awareness to where your friend is and how much energy to put into each throw.
2. Help your friend. Throw the stick so that it is easy to catch.
3. Loving Rainbow. This is the easiest and first throw to master. Stand about 6 feet apart (2 m) Hold the stick in its center, bend your knees and allow your arm to swing back and low to the ground. Then swing it forward underhand, pushing with your knees, and releasing the stick to fly about as high as your eyes and landing at heart level in your friends open hand to the side of the body. You can practice with one stick, alternating hands.
4. Two sticks. Both people hold a Peace Stick in the right hand, bend your knees and throw at the same time into your friends open hand. Continue throwing together in a rhythm, by catching and releasing immediately. Practice playing in a nice rhythm for at least 5 continual minutes.
5. When a stick falls stay in the flow: When a stick falls, wait to pick it up. Stay focused and catch the next stick coming, throw it back, then pick up the stick off the ground and throw immediately to stay in the rhythm.
6. The Double Rainbow: You can throw two sticks at once by floating them close together with out spinning to your friends heart. When one falls it will naturally go back to the one stick at a time rhythm.
7. Variations: After you both feel a sense of easy play and rhythm, then you can begin to experiment by:
Throwing it different ways, ex. Out to the side, back hand, etc.
Using three or more sticks.
Playing with three people.
You can also experiment with changing the music, adjusting the distance, adjusting the tempo.
8. As you experiment and evolve keep re-centering in the basic keys of making the best throw possible for you partner, staying relaxed, moving in rhythm, and responding uniquely and efficiently to each moment.
9. Stay in your center