Bizarre Box
Other Tutorials:
Michael Karas (demonstration)
The Bizarre Box is an odd
variation of the Box in which the horizontal pass is made to the same hand
that threw it. This is achieved by throwing the ball from one side of your
body and then crossing the passing hand to the opposite side to catch it.
This peculiar horizontal pass gives the Bizarre Box a unique aesthetic while
also making it one of the most difficult Box variations to master.
To learn the Bizarre Box, start with just one ball in your
dominant hand. Make a very low throw toward the non-dominant side of your
body, and then cross your dominant hand underneath your non-dominant hand
(which should itself be crossing over to your dominant side). If done
correctly, the ball you just threw should pass over your non-dominant hand
and then be caught under-the-arm by your dominant hand.
Practice this on both sides (although you may want to run
through the entire tutorial for one side, and then go through it all again
for the other side). It is important that you be able to perform this "pass"
consistently, since you will have to do it while juggling two other balls.
To add in the second ball, start with one ball in each hand. Make a vertical
throw from your non-dominant hand, and then perform the pass/arm crossing
done in step one. As the vertical ball begins to descend, uncross your arms
and catch the ball in your non-dominant hand.
Practice these two throws extensively. This
step will likely feel very awkward at first, with your hands naturally
wanting to make throws of complementary height and direction. With practice
however this step will become almost second nature. To add in the third
ball, start with two balls in your dominant hand and one ball in your
non-dominant. Make a vertical throw from your dominant hand and then, as
that ball begins to descend, make the vertical throw/horizontal "pass"
combination done in step two. This time however, you are going to use your
non-dominant hand to catch the vertical throw made by your dominant hand.
Then catch the second vertical throw with your non-dominant hand.
As shown practice this on both sides (again, it might be
better to first practice all the way through on just one side). To add in
the final throws, do step three again, except make a vertical throw from
your non-dominant hand before it uncrosses, clearing space for you to catch
the previous vertical throw made from your non-dominant hand. As that
vertical throw from your non-dominant hand begins to descend (it should be
located on the dominant side of your body), make a vertical throw from your
non-dominant hand along with a horizontal pass from your dominant hand,
clearing space for your dominant hand to catch that descending vertical
ball. Then catch the vertical ball just thrown with your non-dominant hand.
Practice this until you can do all the throws consistently.
To run the full Bizarre Box, just make another vertical throw/crossed-arm
"pass" combination as the last vertical throw shown in the previous step
begins to descend. This will set you up for a new cycle, after which you
will simply continue to repeat the pattern on alternating sides of your
body.
