Isolation and 8 Rings

Isolation and 8 Rings

Isolation and 8 rings are used for making illusions; they will make one or several rings appear to be moving or stationary in space. It is a high-skill technique that is used on a large scale in hooping, or on a smaller scale with isolation rings or rods. It is often also done with balls. It is considered to be a kind of cross between magic and juggling.

• 8 rings are used with one in each hand. You manipulate the rings to create the illusion that there are between 2-4 rings moving in synchronized patterns.
• Isolation rings have small inner circles and larger outer rings that appear to move in different directions and locations.
• Isolation rods are shown on this page even though they are not rings, but they still may be of interest to isolation artists.
• Track rings have two rings that form a track, which allows a ball to roll on the track both on the inside or outside of the ring. These rings can be effectively used to create various illusions, or for ball/ring juggling tricks that combine rolling, throwing and catching on the ring.

Pro tips (advanced and intermediate isolation jugglers)

Eight rings are a very hard prop to learn. The heavier and bigger the ring is, the more momentum it has to flow smoothly when rotating it with your fingers. However, the heavier it is, the harder it is to hold up with your arms and turn with your fingers. So there is definitely a tradeoff to be considered when using them. The baby eight rings are lighter and smaller, but in some ways they are harder to manipulate than the bigger rings. However, you will be able to practice longer since your arms and fingers will not tire as quickly.