I would agree that the current trend of creating “original” sleights are becoming to the point where one creates something harder for the sake of variation.
In the old days, sleights were created to accomplish things.  To make things efficient. Now?  We see many kids making sleights different and “harder” so they can claim it as their own while they don’t add improvements.  Either its a lateral movement or even a step down.

From the above thinking,  hard sleight of hand makes you a “move monkey” or that you are “masturbating” for the audience now.

Bullshit.

Sleight of hand is all about making a certain effect come across clearer and more direct. The method being hard or not doesn’t matter. If you use a easy sleight that takes many steps to get to the same place as a hard sleight in less, then it’s a no reason not to learn the harder sleight.

Saying that a move is too hard is saying you are fucking lazy.  Magic is a Craft.

I always try to make sleights that are more efficient.  Usually they do come across as hard moves.  But if you take a look at the sandwiches I just recently put out, I personally feel that the moves in the trick are justified.  They aren’t just in there to make it harder for my own personal satisfaction.

We need to stop thinking in terms of a move being hard or easy, but instead think in terms of does this sleight make my effect come better?  Cleaner?  Less Suspicious?  If so, it doesn’t matter how fucking hard or easy it is.

Here is some off my head.

1.) Grab some snow and pack it into your hand, and when you open your hand, its a mini-snowman.

2.) At the bar, you grab a napkin. Put it into your hand and squeeze, you open to find out it is a origami object.

If you guys want to get your mind open to all the amazing things you can do with the Thumb Tip, check out a DVD called “Examining the thumb tip”. It will blow your mind.

-T

But if we take that trick out of the equation, I would have to say that my friend Eric Hu yesterday told me something very enlightening. Here is his quote in all the “quote” glory.

The best tricks you are do are the ones you can’t practice.

Very bizarre thing to say about magic. Think about, tell me why this sentence makes sense. Tell me why it doesn’t. I’ll tell you the answer to why I feel this statement is very strong.

-Tony C.

Inversion from Tony Chang on Vimeo.

Password: wonder

An example.  Triumph.  what is the trick?  It is making a shuffled mixed up face up/face down deck magically right itself into a normal state.  Now where the fuck does having a card selected come into that equation?  Do we dilute the trick because of the selection?  Isn’t it clearer if triumph is done without a card being selected?

Imagine handing a spectator the deck and having them throw it on the table and shuffle face up/face down.  you have them square the deck on the table.  You then do your magical move and then spread the deck.  The deck magically rights itself into all face down.  that is impressive, clear, direct.  Now add a selection into that trick….  it makes me wonder why.  Its like we want magic to happen “around” the selection.  The selection really takes a back seat.

“Look, I turned all the cards face down!… and found your card.”

Think about it this way.  If you did a set of card tricks but never had a card selected, do you think it would stronger or weaker than a set of card tricks where every time it had to have a selection?

Do you just cut to the fucking meat of an effect because you don’t have a card selected?  How many times had you have a layman say “like it really matters where I put the card… you know where it is anyways.”

Here is some homework.  How many effects do you know that doesn’t involve a selection?

Anti-Faro

Cover Pass WIP from Tony Chang on Vimeo.

Now the topic is about this Japanese coin magician, Ponta the Smith. I’m sure you seen his videos on youtube before, but if not here is his youtube channel.  Amazing hands, amazing coin work, and best of all… no gimmicks.

One big reason I got out of coin magic was because of the trend of where it was going.  It got so god-damn gimmicked that it sickened me.  What happened to the good old days of just using one shell.  Now its all about the triple threat gimmicks and flipper coins and crap.  Now I for one am not all against using gimmicks but like in my previous posts I feel many people use gimmicks because either they don’t have the skill to pull it off or they are just lazy.

If you disagree, check out the work of Ponta and Kainoa Harbottle.  They do things that are so magical and visual without the use of gimmicks.  That is the difference between good magic and bad magic.  Many forget that magic is a craft.  You can’t be a good painter if you have a machine do the painting for you.  You have to hone your skills.

Anyways, just a little rant.  If you want to learn some good coin magic wait until Ponta comes out with his DVD over here in the states.  Also pick up anything by Kainoa, expically Coins on Edge.

Happy Holidays.

War of 1812 from Tony Chang on Vimeo.

password : booya

Password : Who invented the trick “The Visitor”? Larry ________

BeKind Sandwich from Tony Chang on Vimeo.