Move Categories:
Difficulty:
Requires: QuickTime™ (Get it here!)

Comments:
Butterfly walks are simply combinations of letting a poi move in front or in back of the body through the legs from a butterfly. Butterfly walks are easiest to perform with a long pair of chains as this gives extra space for the bend between the thigh and crotch. In the example provided I have slowed the process down and exaggerated the moves for you to get a better concept of how this particular move works. Make sure you learn butterfly walks from a reverse butterfly as forward butterflies become more tricky with extra turns and more precise stepping requirements.

Stepping forward with the right foot gives you an opportunity of two particular moves: right poi brought in front and left poi behind the back. The first I illustrate is bringing the right poi in front. With your right foot out, at the point where your swing has just passed your face and is headed down towards the ground, let your poi fall between the area between your separated legs and begin to swing in front of your right leg as it comes up. As soon as your poi is clear of the space between your legs, then step forward with your left leg. Now that your left leg is in front there is an area for the poi to exit from at the bottom of its swing. The swing is then returned back from behind the back to in front to resume the butterfly.

I have also illustrated how with the right leg in front (just like before), you can instead enter between the legs with the left hand bringing the poi behind the back. Once again stepping forward with the left leg allows for an area for the poi to exit from when it reaches the bottom of the swing. Use some combinations similar to the ones provided hereafter to work on different variations of butterfly walks. Butterfly walks are the continual sequence of under the leg butterfly maneuvers, being set side by side. Try some of the following combinations: 1). Left poi in back, then once the left leg is in front right poi enters between the legs and carries behind the back. [Repeat] 2). Right poi in front, once the left leg is in front, enter left poi in front [Repeat] 3). Right poi in front, once the left foot is forward, right poi behind the back, then when the right foot is forward, left poi behind the back, when the left foot is in front again, left poi in front. [Repeat] 4). Develop your own combinations/patterns of sequences.

	Title: Butterfly Walk Principles Description: A larger version of the video used in this article. File Size: 336 KB
	Title: Butterfly Walk (Slow Motion) Description: The video listed above at half of the original speed. File Size: 669 KB