Georgian Shuffle

Loh Koah Fong demonstrates the Georgian Shuffle

The right hand, crossed under the left, multiplexes two balls.

The left hand, crossed under the right, throws a ball to the right hand.

The left hand throws a ball to itself.

Repeat

Loh Koah Fong is a systems analyst working in Nanyang Technological University.

View another example of the Georgian Shuffle at Colin Wright's site.

This pattern became popular among jugglers traveling to the juggling festival in Tbilisi, Georgia in the early nineties. While the "right, left, left" order of throws may feel unsymmetrical, the multiplex right hand throw seems to balance things out.

There are three different throws in the Georgian Shuffle. If you practiced the split catch multiplex warm up throw above you already have the first throw. All balls fly through all positions. Remember, the order of throws is "right, left, left."

Hold the black ball and the striped ball in the right hand so the striped ball is held by the ring and little fingers. The white ball is in the left hand. Cross your right arm under your left and throw both balls, the black and the striped, with one multiplex throw.

Cross the left arm under the right arm and throw the white ball. While the arms are still crossed (left under right), catch the black ball in the right hand and the striped ball in the left hand.

Uncross your arms and throw the striped ball from the left hand. Notice that the left hand has just thrown two times in a row. The second left hand throw, the striped ball, will also be caught by the left hand.

At this point it might be appropriate to talk about multiplex throws and catches. The Georgian Shuffle is based on a LIFO (Last In, First Out) catch and throw system. The first ball you catch in the right hand, the black ball, gets tucked into the hold position by the little and ring fingers. This leaves the thumb and first two fingers free to catch the next ball, the white ball. The white ball will be thrown out of the right hand before the black ball for the subsequent multiplex throw.

Begin the next series of three throws by crossing the right arm under the left and multiplexing the white ball and the black ball together. Just as the right hand makes this throw, the left hand catches the striped ball that it just threw to itself. When you catch the striped ball in the left hand is a bit flexible. Some people may catch the striped ball in the left hand just before the right hand multiplex throw. Others may catch the striped ball just after the multiplex throw.

It may be helpful to verbalize the throws. Say "right, left, left" as you practice to make sure the hands are throwing in the correct order. If it helps, you may want to come up with more specific phrases, "right multiplex, left crossed under, left open."

You should be able to see the all the balls cycle through the pattern as you juggle. Watch the right hand catch the first of the two multiplex balls and you should see the order black, white, stripe, black, white, stripe.

Of course, you will want to learn the left-handed version of the Georgian Shuffle, as well. Start with the white and the striped ball in the left hand. The white ball is held by the thumb and first two fingers. The left arm is crossed under the right for the first throw. The throwing order is "left (multiplex), right, right."

When you are comfortable with both the left and right hand versions of the Georgian Shuffle, you are ready to learn something a bit more challenging, the Singapore Shuffle.