introduction: remembering 6 clubs passing

With 6 clubs, the base of most passing patterns is two jugglers juggling a solo 3 club cascade synchronously. They're doing some singles and alternate right and left hand throws. Let's write that as: - RH self: S - LH self: S - RH self: S        etc... so each juggler's sequence is SSSSSS....

J1: SSSSS J2: SSSSS

So what happens when J1 decides to throw a pass to J2? For instance, J1 throws a single pass from his RH to J2's LH. Then: J1 now has one less club in his pattern. He now needs to get another club back, and J2 is the only supplier available at the moment. J2 sees a 4th club arriving in his cascade. He has to get rid of a club by passing it to J1 in order to keep going. In fact, J1's pass arrives in his LH at the same time than his RH self. Thus he needs to pass instead doing this RH left, which is at the same time than J1's pass.

J1 passes to J2 --> problems

Solution: J2 passes at the same time

We can in fact describe, with combinations of P and S, a lot of 6 clubs rhythms (PSSS = 4-count, PS = 2-count, PSS = 3-count, PPS, PPSS = chocolate bar, ...) that all follow these rules:

J1 and J2 throw synchronously (as passes or selfs) with their RH and LH alternatively.
Selfs (noted S) are crossing singles (RH -> LH or LH -> RH)
Passes (noted P) are tramline singles (RH -> LH or LH -> RH)
The rhythms are symetric (symetric passing patterns) and synchronous: if J1 does S, then J2 does S -- if J1 does P, then J2 does P.

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What happens with 8 clubs?

We're going to do exactly the same thing. The base is now 2 jugglers juggling a solo 4 club fountain in doubles. We can juggle exactly the same patterns than with 6 clubs, but some of the rules change:

Selfs (noted by S) are straight doubles (RH -> RH or LH -> LH)
Passes (noted by P) are crossing doubles (RH -> RH or LH -> LH)

There is no more single-pass or single-self !

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Example 1 - basic patterns

Once the theory is known, there is not much more to say, except:

These patterns are collision prone because both jugglers are passing crossing passes at the same time. See the collision page for assistance!.
In 4-count (PSSS), you pass and receive from the same hand. Each club you receive is the one you're going to throw back. In usual 6 and 7 club patterns, this happens in a 3-count.

Here are a few patterns you can try:

4-count (PSSS)

3-count or PSS (and the 6-count) are detailed here.

1-count or ultimate (P). Also worth trying in singles.

PPS (to be mastered before example 2)

and the chocolate bar (PPSS) !

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Example 2 - Mild Madness

I haven't tried this yet, however JoePass! can do it perfectly :-) , and I think it might be possible to do 1 or 2 cycles if you can already do the above PPS and have understood well 6 club Mild Madness.

Here's how it goes:
J1 (top line in the diagram) throws crossing passes, J2 throws straight passes
We don't have (as in mild madness) a pass-zip, rather a double-zip (the double being a self).
In fact, it's worse than that; because when you receive a pass at the 'wrong' end, you have to throw a crossing self double followed by a zip (or at the same time as the zip).
The full cycle is in fact: PPS PPScZ, which means:
Pass, Pass, Double Self - Pass, Pass, Crossing Double Self, Zip
The causal diagram for a full cycle shows all this.

8 clubs Mild Madness

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