Devil sticks are based on an ancient Chinese prop. They consist of two sticks, one held in each hand, and a larger stick that’s manipulated by the two handsticks. They were brought to Europe from China and became a popular pastime.

Flower sticks are just like devil sticks, but have tassels on each end. These tend to be more popular among new users, since they move more slowly. I personally prefer the faster moving devil sticks, but the slow movement of flower sticks can also be used to great effect.

You may have seen contact juggling if you’ve seen the movie Labyrinth. David Bowie seems to roll a clear ball over his hands like magic. Actually, it wasn’t David Bowie who was doing the manipulation, it was Michael Moschen. Although the idea of rolling a ball around a person’s body has been around for ages, it was Michael Moschen who began what is modern day contact juggling.