![\"Illustrated](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2020\/11\/CUT-Juggle-3.jpg\" "\\"")
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An essential part of <\/span><\/i>being an awesome uncle<\/span><\/i><\/a> is having a repertoire of tricks and jokes that will amaze your nieces and nephews, and crack them up. So from time to time we\u2019ll be offering you current and future uncles out there a <\/span><\/i>tutorial<\/span><\/i> on some gags that\u2019ll have<\/span><\/i> your siblings’ kids<\/span><\/i> <\/i>thinking you\u2019re the coolest dude in the world. <\/span><\/i>Check out all our Cool Uncle Tricks.<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Cool uncle tricks run the gamut, but w<\/span>hat really defines a cool uncle trick is a <\/span>teachable <\/span>skill<\/span>, that\u2019s<\/span> a <\/span>lot of fun<\/span> to watch and do, that also<\/span> that<\/span> <\/span>seems like pure magic when a kid first sees it. That\u2019s what makes <\/span>juggling<\/span> the perfect addition to one\u2019s cool uncle repertoire.<\/span> It’s also a perfect skill for kids to learn. Even Niels Duinker<\/a>, the comedy juggling wunderkind and world record holder from the Netherlands, learned the art of juggling balls as a child.<\/span><\/p>\n There are lots of ways to learn to <\/span>juggle<\/span>. You might have learned in elementary school by<\/span> <\/span>juggling <\/span>scarves<\/span>, but most pro <\/span>jugglers<\/span> discourage this method of learning. While it does allow you to quickly \u201c<\/span>juggle<\/span>,\u201d it doesn\u2019t teach you the foundational skills required to successfully <\/span>juggle<\/span> more traditional objects like balls, bowling pins, or better yet, flaming torches! <\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>step-by-step<\/span> method illustrated above<\/span> starts with the fundamentals <\/span>of t<\/span>he <\/span>cascade pattern<\/span>, which is the most basic type of <\/span>juggling<\/span> and a perfect place to start<\/span>. Learning this way may take longer, and seem more frustrating in the beginning, but the results are far more reliable.<\/span> Basically, you start small and slow with one ball in your <\/span>dominant hand<\/span> (it doesn’t matter if it’s your <\/span>right hand<\/span> or your <\/span>left hand<\/span>, just follow the instructions accordingly), incorporating all the techniques you’ll need when you graduate to <\/span>3-ball juggling<\/span>: keeping the ball just above <\/span>eye level<\/span> on your tosses, getting your non-<\/span>dominant hand<\/span> comfortable. Then, you work your way up to a <\/span>second ball<\/span>, and finally, a <\/span>third ball<\/span>, at which point you will be doing the “<\/span>three-ball cascade.<\/span>” In other words, t<\/span>T<\/span>he steps featured here represent the major milestones of learning to <\/span>juggle<\/span>. Don\u2019t move on from a step until you are completely comfortable with the skill you just learned. <\/span><\/p>\n For your first <\/span>juggling<\/span> lesson, balls or <\/span>bean bags<\/span> are great options. What you don\u2019t want to use is anything that\u2019s too light or too bouncy. Objects that are too light are more difficult to catch, and if you use bouncy <\/span>tennis balls<\/span> you\u2019ll spend most of your time chasing after them. No matter what you use, expect to drop things a lot in the beginning; it\u2019s all part of the process of honing your circus-ready craft.<\/span><\/p>\n