\u201cCongratulations on a fine book. When I get my books unpacked, it will go on the shelf with the best of the books on cups and balls, because that is where it belongs!\u201d Bill Palmer \u2013 Curator of the Cups & Balls Museum (See DVD option also available at bottom of page \u2013 DVD contains same material in video format as in this book).<\/p>\n
NOTE: This is the BOOK not the Double DVD Set which is also available \u2013 Scroll Down for more details.\u00a0 This book features 95 pages and contains the same content that can be found on the DVD\u2019s. The book is photographically illustrated throughout. Ideally, having both the book and DVD\u2019s would be the ultimate reference package.<\/p>\n
The information for the book is the same as the dvd, except it has 95 pages and is photographically illustrated throughout.<\/p>\n
Cups and Balls. Brian Watson is a consummate pro! Yes he loves magic, but he \u201creally\u201d loves the cups and balls.\u00a0 In addition Brian has incredible skill in putting together exceptionally high quality commercial magic \u2013 and those type of people are few and far between, and the one\u2019s we are always looking for \u2013 as we take our responsibility to bring you the best \u2013 seriously.\u00a0 NOTE: Optional Complimentary Double DVD Set also available too \u2013 See Bottom of this page for more INFO!<\/p>\n
After 15 years of honing, refinement and development, this is Brian\u2019s \u201cgo to routine,\u201d as it takes up no pocket space, has no clothing restrictions and is ready to go instantly. For me, the cups & balls is now as convenient as the chop cup!<\/p>\n
Cups and Balls Book<\/p>\n
In terms of cups and balls this is a game changer! I know that sounds like a bold claim but it really is. After 2000 years it\u2019s finally been made a practical routine! Last November I ran a workshop teaching this routine, I\u2019ll post the video review links below for you to take a look at\u2026.<\/p>\n
Cups and Balls \u2013 Brian Watson<\/p>\n
Anytime Anywhere Cups & Balls is a BOOK featuring my cups and balls routine that has been worked on and honed for 15 years.<\/p>\n
It has many benefits over every other cups and balls routine previously published that make it a worker. There\u2019s no complicated set up, all you need to do is pick up the bag and go. you\u2019re ready to perform the whole routine in an instant. Obviously, previously to this you had pockets full of final loads, working balls, a wand, cups etc. and it also meant clothing restrictions.<\/p>\n
The BOOK teaches the routine, the psychology, blocking, how to create and manipulate memory for greater impact, a new cups and balls sleight, a new 3 ball production with no palming and the worlds cleanest 0 3 0 sequence.<\/p>\n
Anytime, Anywhere Cups & Balls
\nThe Most Practical Cups & Balls Routine In The World
\nNo Set Up
\nNo Body Loads
\nNo Pockets Used
\nNo Clothing Restrictions
\nPacks Small, Plays Huge!
\nSelf Contained
\nReady To Go Instantly
\n15 Years Of Refinement
\nNew 3 Ball Production
\nNew Universal Sleight
\nThe World\u2019s Cleanest 0 3 0 Sequence]<\/p>\n
Anytime Anywhere Cups & Balls \u2013 Review by Tom Pilling:<\/p>\n
Ask any magician, what is the oldest trick in the world, and they\u2019ll probably name the cups and balls. For many magicians, the cups and balls are the alpha and the omega of magic. The same simple props can entertain a large theatre full of people, and most practitioners will know the sheer joy of producing four large final loads in a close up environment. Much has been written on the subject, careers have been made from it, and yet so many magicians still slavishly follow Dai Vernon\u2019s routine. It\u2019s a pity, since the Professor\u2019s version, while fine in itself, is just that: it\u2019s his version. And so, it was with some considerable pleasure that I watched Brian Watson\u2019s meticulous offering on this classical piece of magic.<\/p>\n
This is very much Watson\u2019s version, and for that alone he has my admiration. From the spoken preamble, which is a piece of art in itself, to the fourth final load, it is clear that this routine has been constructed from the bottom up; it is architecturally sound, if you will. The DVD\u2019s and book do not just deal with the mechanics of the routine, but go into exceptional detail regarding both the psychology and choreography of the trick.<\/p>\n
This is a package for grown ups, or rather, for \u2018grown up thinkers\u2019, which could well include more mature youngsters, and may exclude certain adult magicians. Watson\u2019s background is in psychotherapy and hypnosis, and his thinking draws on the work of the late Milton Erickson. Much of the \u2018work\u2019 here is actually getting the audience into an appropriate state before the trick even begins. This process of \u2018indirect hypnotic induction\u2019 is a technique that could feed into all of one\u2019s performances, and the discourse on moods and states is highly significant for the thinking performer. This might have some people scratching their heads, but for me, Watson\u2019s teaching on this subject is one of the high points of the DVD\u2019s. Along with his opening sequence\u2026<\/p>\n
Ah yes, it\u2019s time to get down to brass tacks. The opening sequence is delightful; the balls appear one by one, without the magician seeming to do anything at all. As magicians, we are usually best at fooling ourselves, and we so often mistake something that looks clever for something that looks magical. In this case, Watson\u2019s opening sequence is actually what magic looks like: effortless. The routine continues in the same vein; it is a concise piece of art, pared down to the essential elements. There is no wand used, no faux explanations \u00e0 la Vernon, no juggling or gymnastics. This is a carefully considered piece of theatre, and the owner of this book and DVD set will be treated to an in depth analysis of not only the \u2018how\u2019, but more importantly the \u2018why\u2019.<\/p>\n
But as to the \u2018how\u2019. Watson treats us to a new sleight. It\u2019s a very deceptive move, which is thoroughly explained. The only thing lacking is a name; I suggest the \u2018Watson Roll\u2019, although I daresay he will be too modest to take me up on it. Another distinctive feature of this routine is the pouch that is used. When I first watched the performance I was completely deceived by it, which is all you can ask for. Put simply, gone are the days when you either have pockets bulging with citrus fruits, or you are carrying some leather accessory that makes you look like an extra from \u2018Monty Python and the Holy Grail\u2019. Watson has delivered an elegant solution to a perennial problem, and it is this solution which gives the routine its Martini like moniker.<\/p>\n
Another bonus here is a brief explanation of centre line theory, familiar to martial artists and in particular to exponents of Wing Chun. Not what you might expect from your average magic DVD, but this isn\u2019t your average magic DVD. Like the sections on psychology, this is theoretical material which ideally should feed into your wider thinking and inform your performances. And anything, anything that gets magicians to use their feet is worth its weight in gold.<\/p>\n
So, what we have is a beautiful routine, precisely explained, with some invaluable teaching on psychology and performance. There are also some great bits on those classic mistakes and flashes that one sees all too often. If you get caught caught flashing your load, (which sounds terribly rude), then buy these DVD\u2019s!<\/p>\n
It takes guts to publish new work on the cups and balls, which is perhaps why so many magicians just blithely copy Vernon, Gazzo or Ammar. As I said earlier, it\u2019s a pity. And while I don\u2019t intend to steal Watson\u2019s routine, which would defeat his stated objective in any case, like a magpie I have already taken several jewels for my own nest. When presented with such quality, this much is inevitable. \u2014 Tom Pilling March 2015<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cCongratulations on a fine book. When I get my books unpacked, it will go on the shelf with the best of the books on cups and balls, because that is where it belongs!\u201d Bill Palmer \u2013 Curator of the Cups & Balls Museum (See DVD option also available at bottom of page \u2013 DVD contains […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":145,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[20,9,22,7,15,10],"product_tag":[51,48,38,50,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-144","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-books-cupsandballs","7":"product_cat-books","8":"product_cat-closeup","9":"product_cat-cupsandballs","10":"product_cat-cupsandballsbooks","11":"product_cat-miscellaneous","12":"product_tag-classics","13":"product_tag-close-up-magic","14":"product_tag-cups-and-balls","15":"product_tag-cups-and-balls-outines","16":"product_tag-sleight-of-hand","18":"first","19":"outofstock","20":"shipping-taxable","21":"purchasable","22":"product-type-simple"},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brianwatsonmagic.com\/Store\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/144"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brianwatsonmagic.com\/Store\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brianwatsonmagic.com\/Store\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brianwatsonmagic.com\/Store\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brianwatsonmagic.com\/Store\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brianwatsonmagic.com\/Store\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brianwatsonmagic.com\/Store\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=144"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brianwatsonmagic.com\/Store\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=144"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brianwatsonmagic.com\/Store\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}