So first of all, I do magic. For a long time. But I was always against flourishes, I called them sell-out moves. I tried to make it seem as if I had no skill with cards, and it was magic.

Yesterday on the subway, my mind was changed. I did an arm spread and a basic down catch and people were more amazed by that than ANY magic trick ever.

So, I want to learn, and plus they are fun to practice/learn.

I'm wondering if anyone can lead me to (in their opinion) is the best source for show-off moves like the arm spread and down catch. I want to learn more =)

There is a lot of places to start learning flourishes. I reccomend "xtreme beginnerz" from handlordz. Also genesis from andrei jikh.

You'll drop cards at the beginning but it's normal for everybody.

I've never understood the argument against flourishes. To my eyes, they look just as magical, when well done, as any trick. I could sit and watch Dan and Dave Buck or Jerry Cestkowski do fifteen minutes of nothing but flourishes, and be entertained the entire time. Chad Long hits the sweet spot in the nonchalant way he combines self-deprecating humor with knock-your-socks-off flourishes and amazing magic effects. When I grow up, I want to be like him...

Back to your original question, if you want one-stop shopping, you can go to Jerry Cestkowski's site (The Flourishman, weblink http://www.flourishman.com/ ), and pick up his seminal "Encyclopedia of Playing Card Flourishes," which is well enough written and illustrated that you really don't need DVDs. But if you want DVDs, he sells four which go over everything in his book. He also sells the XB (Extreme Beginners) DVD, in which he is one of the featured instructors. A sequel to the XB DVD (XB2) came out last year.

Cestkowski's flourishes, though, are just that. As he himself points out, they are not "magical productions." If you're looking for magical productions, controls and manipulations, you might want to check out Jeff McBride's series, The Art of Playing Card Flourishes, or some of the Dan and Dave Buck DVDs and downloads. I've also enjoyed the manip DVDs by Tony Clark, Salvano, and the series by Eddy Ray; each one has something to offer. Also, Dan Sperry has a nice trilogy on card manipulation available as downloads at Theory11 ( http://www.theory11.com/tricks/cardmanipulation101.php ).

Xtreme beginnerz and Genesis will keep you busy for a while!

Correction: jerrys companion dvds don't teach the moves, they just show how to incorporate them into flowing routines. so don't get em unless you have the book to.

As someone who owns both, I prefer Genesis HEAVILY. I really like them both, but as a starting point (or for an expirienced flourisher) Genesis is WAY more bang for the buck.

The first guy who ever gave me sensible advice about performing magic would Never do any flourishes. He wouldnt even fan the cards as he said "pick a card." His performance was always clean and polished. He had a great rapport with children and adults and I was very sorry when he packed up and left town. Although when I met him at his home he would demonstrate some of the slickest moves with cards and coins.

I asked him why he didn't perform any of these skills and his answer was "If the audience sees you doing arm spreads, card springing, rainbows shuffles then they will be impressed, but then they expect miracles from your fingertips. If they don't assume you have total control of the cards then the miracles you do accomplish will be greater still!"

I have to agree... a magicians assistant who does split leaps, backflips and is thin as a candle doesn't give quite a surprise to an audience when they are put into a box and cut up, have swords pushed through them or disappear. Although it may not occur immediately the idea that she could twist herself into knots isn't so far away even for a layman.

However I discovered a talent for some flourishes. Im not going to be competing in Handlordz anytime soon, but somethings came without so much trouble. Try as I might I cant Not use them.

I have discovered that certain tricks work better if I havent done flourishes beforehand. Not the trick itself working better but the audience reaction has been a bigger gasp.

I now try to use show-off moves to stamp out hecklers. The guy who insists that his riffle shuffle trumphs the magician's skill. Its not about showing off but flourishes can be used within an act to enhance the performance. Used unwisely it can bring the act down.

Find a reason to do an arm spread, D+D twelve packet cut or whatever your strengths are. don't do the fans, spreads and springs just for "Look at ME" value.

I agree! These are great for beginners, and can help tremendously. They helped me!

My philosophy about flourishes is that they should have a motivation. Other than that, I have no problem with them. Just use the
Sparingly during a magic act.

I keep changing my mind on this one. Sometimes I think flourishes catch the audiences attention and increase the sense of amazement, at other times I get a feeling that the audience sees someone who can manipulate cards so they are less impressed by the effect. For example, I used to do single handed cuts during a routine with the intention of impressing but someone once said to me "you are good at manipulating cards so I am guessing you did that by palming a card". A compliment and a let down all in one go!

I dismiss the comments like "I am guessing you did that by palming a card" the same way illusionists would dismiss the comment "That was done with mirrors." To a certain extent the comment is a left-handed compliment.

I did my card and billiard ball act at a Ring 103 public show at a high school auditorium one night. After the show was over, one of the teachers (a chemistry teacher) came up to me and said: "Those cards and billiard balls came out of your sleeve, right?" I just said, "I took an oath not to reveal any magic secrets." But the teacher's comment reinforced for me the realization that intelligent people are _fooled_ by good card manipulation in spite of the argument from some magicians that "it's obvious that the cards are hidden behind the hand."

(I consider myself to be fairly intelligent--I have a Master's Degree--and when I was a teenager I, too, assumed that a magician I saw on TV was using a gadget like a gambler's holdout up his sleeve to produce cards and billiard balls. I assumed that there would be no way for me to obtain that kind of gadget because 1) it would be hard to find and 2) it would be very expensive. So I was very happy to discover in Henry Hay's _The Amateur Magician's Handbook_ that it was done primarily with sleight of hand.)

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

Hello Friends,
I'll recommend:
1. Show-off series by Brian Tudor
2. The System & The Trilogy by Dan and Dave
3. Solo by Michael James
4. Lethal by Daniel Madison
5. Papercuts by Chris Hestnes
6. Project Aviv
I'm sure if you are interested in card flourishes just check out some of these DVD's. There is a pretty good information and motivation.
Greetings!
Kalin Inkov