I’m looking for any ideas/opinions/possibly facts! that anyone has about those balls you can buy in asian markets. These are the balls that usually come in a small box with a hinged lid and may come in different sizes. The balls usually have some sort of chime inside of them that you hear when you knock the ball around a little bit.
Does anyone know exactly what the purpose of these balls are? Or history of them?
My only idea, and what I usually hear, is that you roll them in your hand for whatever reason.
I can’t help with the history of the balls, but as far as I know, they’re used for relaxation. Kind of a quiet, repetative, soothing motion thing. A fancy stone with chimes built in. That’s how I’ve always used them, anyway.
They also help relieve tension in my hands after a long day of typing or guitar playing. Whether that’s a physical side-effect or a mental one, I couldn’t tell you. It works, though.
I also understand that when you’re rotating them around, you should not let them touch each other. It’s more of a challenge and makes a nicer jingling sound not punctuated by the clicking of the balls hitting each other.
OK, color me ignorant. I’ve seen people do the wink-wink sly smile when I break these fellas out. But I have no idea what they’re referring to, and have been embarrassed to ask. Someone enlighten me.
If you fancy a bit of a challenge, then try using the balls without them touching. With a bit of practice you can get two rotating and with a bit more effort you can get three going. I’ve never seen anyone do four in one hand without them touching.
A guy called Michael Moschen does some similar things with ‘crystal’ balls and it has to be seen to be believed!
Joe K is referring to Ben Wa balls, which are inserted into the vagina for… aah, sexual purposes. I’m sure a search for Ben Wa will produce some interesting results.
I’ve gota few pair of these. Picked them up VERY cheap at a close-out store. They’re very pretty with fairly intricale-looking inlays and exotic-looking exteriors. They’re fairly heavy for their size and I have no idea from what they’re made.
It’s wonderfully relaxing. I’m a drummer and my hands cramp up during long sessions. These help alleviate that soreness.
I can work two in each hand without them touching. I can work three in each hand also, but they do clack against each other.
And, yes, they can be used like ben-wa balls, too. I think that you might even be able to still hear them chime as she walks!
I bought some in Hong Kong. Most people there told me you’re meant to rotate them without them touching or clacking together. Can be done, but takes practice.
The times that I’ve seen a name for the balls mentioned in the OP, they’re called “Bao Deng” balls or something similar. Friends of mine will sometimes call these “Ben Wa” by sheer accident. I’m assuming people are either being purposely vulgar by insinuating that they’re being used for a sexual purpose, or weren’t really aware that the two types aren’t named the same.
“Chinese iron balls have long been famed as one of the “three treasures” of Baoding, China. First produced during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), iron balls have often been improved through the ages by skilled Chinese handicraftsmen.
Originally, these balls were simple, solid cylindrical objects. Later handicraftsmen began designing hollow balls and inserting sounding plates that produce high and low tones when used. These lighter balls are easier to handle and the musical tones contribute to the relaxation process that results from exercising with them.
Directions:
The balls are placed in one’s hand and with the muscles in one’s finger and forearms contracting and relaxing harmoniously. Beginners should select balls of smaller size and then, over time, increase ball size as one’s proficiency improves. Ultimately, one can exercise both hands alternately or simultaneously and may even choose to use three or four balls in one hand."
I prefer the stone / solid ones too. The chiming can be distracting to others. They are great for relieving aching hands after too much typing, always keep a couple on my desk where I work.
Cheers, Keithy
Here are some of the health claims in the little booklet that came with mine, made by the Baoding Iron Ball Plant.
" It can cause the jingluo (channels) unblocked and thorough,the vital energy and blood to function in harmony,the muscles nimble,the bones strong,the mind sober,can invigorate the circulation of blood, and can prevent and cure hypertension and various chronic diseases"
Ferret Herder
I’m assuming people are either being purposely vulgar … or weren’t really aware that the two types aren’t named the same.
The latter in my case; I’d always assumed the ‘hand exercise’ to be a convenient fiction (just as bottles of poppers often purport to be air freshener) and that they were all designed for the same function as Ben Wa balls.
I just dug mine out of the file cabinet. Maybe I’ll give them a shot, since I’ve been having problems with my hands lately.
Apparently the Health Balls were designed for separate purposes from Ben Wa balls; the information accompanying them usually cites the linkage of the ten fingers with various parts of the body in explaining their therapeutic use.
I’ll add here that to the best of my recollection, at least most Ben Wa balls are connected by some kind of string, to make removal easier. The balls being discussed in the OP are not.
