# I juggled with the Flying Karamazov Brothers!! \*squeee\*
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [July 21, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120 "2004-07-21T02:51:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/1 "2004-07-21T02:51:14Z")
I was at the [2004 International Jugglers’ Association Festival](http://juggle.org/) last week and 8 of the [Flying Karamazov Brothers](http://www.fkb.com) were there (the current 4 and 4 retired ones). They did a show on Friday night, led a workshop on Saturday morning, and accepted an award plus did an act in the Cascade of Stars show on Saturday night. On Saturday I took their workshop and got to hang out with several of them, and juggle with a couple. Saturday night after the show some of them came back to the gym to juggle some more and I passed clubs for probably half an hour with Mark (one of the current KFBs).
In a strange “small world” moment, I discovered that Mark has a summer house on the same lake in New Hampshire that my family does (which is where I am right now) and it’s been in his family since his grandfather–same as ours. We were immediately hugging and carrying on about stuff from around here. He asked if I was going to this particular annual event this summer and when I said yes, he said “we should juggle there!”
AAAAHH!!! Juggle. Publically. With one of the FKBs. That is sort of like your favorite musician asking you to sing/play with them at a public event. Anyway, regardless of whether we do that or not, we have definite plans to do some canoeing and general lake socializing this summer. Turns out he was at the same event last year… and so was I.
So anyway, back to the festival. On Saturday after the workshop, I got all of them to sign one of my clubs. I used one of my club swinging clubs rather than one of the ones I juggle with, since it’s all white and has no decorations on it.
I have a temporary lame-ass page with photos here: [http://opalcat.com/IJA/2004Festival/index.html](http://opalcat.com/IJA/2004Festival/index.html) since my gallery has been obliterated for the time being. The one who signed it “To Katherine with the purple things” was referring to the headband I was wearing for virtually the entire festival. I was pretty much known as the girl with the purple things (yes there is a picture on that page).
So anyway, I don’t know how many other juggling groupies there are out there, but I thought it was pretty damned cool getting to talk and juggle with the FKBs. They’re incredibly nice people, and so very, very talented.
---
### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/2 "2004-07-21T03:17:16Z")
Juggled for the first time in 1978 in a motel room in Ann Arbor.
Number of times juggled with the FKBs: 0.
(It might take me a while to catch up to you.)
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/3 "2004-07-21T03:35:36Z")
That is awesome.
I wish I could juggle.
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### Author:  [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/4 "2004-07-21T03:47:51Z")
I’m jealous, **Opalcat**. That sounds like a totally cool week.
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### Author:  [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/5 "2004-07-21T03:56:45Z")
You mean that movie with William Shatner and Yul Brynner?
:smack: Oh, _those_ brothers! Cool. 🆒
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### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/6 "2004-07-21T04:02:52Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#):
>
> I wish I could juggle.
So learn. It isn’t hard. I recommend the book **Juggling for the Complete Klutz** which is the best one I’ve seen so far.
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### Author:  [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/7 "2004-07-21T04:38:18Z")
> [@OpalCat](#):
>
> So learn. It isn’t hard. I recommend the book **Juggling for the Complete Klutz** which is the best one I’ve seen so far.
It’s a three volume set! 😃
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### Author:  [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/8 "2004-07-21T12:57:52Z")
How cool! Awesome! Fantabulous, even!
Although now I feel this big as whenever we juggle again I shall be forever held to the standard of the FKBs. ☹ I can hear it now, _“Mark never hit my shoulder. Roderick never aimed for my head.”_ 😉
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### Author:  [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/9 "2004-07-21T13:06:59Z")
> [@OpalCat](#):
>
> So learn. It isn’t hard. I recommend the book **Juggling for the Complete Klutz** which is the best one I’ve seen so far.
That book is what I used to learn how to juggle back when I was 15. A couple years later, I saw the the FKB perform here in Kalamazoo. It was an awesome act! They have been one of my inspirations ever since.
I now have a magic act and part of it is an entire juggling routine.
BTW, another great book to help you get started is “The Complete Juggler” by Dave Finnigan which after checking around, is no longer in print. He has a new book out called “Juggling from start to star” and it’s available [here at Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0736037500/qid=1090415085/sr=8-4/ref=pd_ka_4/104-7411081-5283964?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) .
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### Author:  [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/10 "2004-07-21T13:21:52Z")
Way cool, Opal!
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### Author:  [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/11 "2004-07-21T13:27:09Z")
I learned to juggle three things when I was a kid. It impresses people all out of proportion to how hard it is. It’s easy once you get it, and I don’t remember it being hard to get it either.
I’ve never tried to go to four. I probably should.
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### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/12 "2004-07-21T13:35:20Z")
> [@Frank #2](#):
>
> How cool! Awesome! Fantabulous, even!
>
> Although now I feel this big as whenever we juggle again I shall be forever held to the standard of the FKBs. ☹ I can hear it now, _“Mark never hit my shoulder. Roderick never aimed for my head.”_ 😉
Hehe! Well, we were inside a gym rather than out in the wind, which helped a lot! Oh, Rod and I hung out quite a bit… before he went into the FKBs he was a member of the Fairfax Jugglers club, which is the one I go to. He also knows how to do The Cup Thing, so we did that a bit. I haven’t known anyone who knew The Cup Thing since high school!
> [@Dragwyr](#):
>
> BTW, another great book to help you get started is “The Complete Juggler” by Dave Finnigan which after checking around, is no longer in print. He has a new book out called “Juggling from start to star” and it’s available [here at Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0736037500/qid=1090415085/sr=8-4/ref=pd_ka_4/104-7411081-5283964?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) .
Dave Finnegan was at the festival, as was his daughter. They’re both very nice people 🙂
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### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/13 "2004-07-21T13:46:32Z")
For those who are curious, I made this mpg video of “The Cup Thing”… ideally you do it in a group, and the last part you set the cup down in front of the person to your right, while the person on your left sets theirs in front of you. In this way, the cups all travel around the circle counter clockwise…
[http://fff.fathom.org/pages/opalcat/the%20cup%20thing.mpg](http://fff.fathom.org/pages/opalcat/the%20cup%20thing.mpg)
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### Author:  [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/14 "2004-07-21T14:50:10Z")
Oh, what fun. I can juggle just enough to entertain very small children for about 2 minutes.
I saw the FKB’s in the Galveston Grand Opera house oh so many years ago. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.
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### Author:  [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/15 "2004-07-21T16:12:26Z")
Kewl!
I have been amazed at the jugglers I have seen lately here in Prague. Just a few in the parks practicing. Ever see someone juggle 3 diablos, alternating behind their back? Plus there is this one kid from slovakia (maybe 10, 11) who can do 7 balls- ground and up! He stands on this round platform and does his show to music- he is going to give Moschen a run for his money in the next few years.
I’m going to start going to the local juggle club at the end of the summer. Lots of fun, lots of talent. Well, they have the talent, I have the love.
Take care-
-Tcat
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### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/16 "2004-07-21T16:34:53Z")
In the final show a guy did three diabolos… it was amazing. Me, I suck with a diabolo. I can do about 3 tricks and that’s it.
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### Author:  [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/17 "2004-07-21T17:10:42Z")
Oh, man, that is so cool! I can’t say I’m envious, because I think it’s wonderful that you got to do that. Just thinking about it is great.
Do they come to the IJA Festival often?
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### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/18 "2004-07-21T17:12:03Z")
I don’t think they do, but this was my first IJA festival.
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/19 "2004-07-21T17:30:35Z")
Coo-wul!
The only thing I can juggle is a crazed lifestyle, but one of the prouder moments of my life was when **Papa Zappa** and I brought some leftover pizza to a FKB performance at Wolf Trap 12 years or so ago… and of all the weird crap the audience brought for them to juggle, they chose our pizza. The juggler pulled off the sausage topping, exclaiming in horror “This has _pork_ on it. I can’t juggle pork on the Shabbas!!!”.
Good times 😃
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### Author:  [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-juggled-with-the-flying-karamazov-brothers-squeee/256120/20 "2004-07-22T15:01:45Z")
Ooooh, I love the Flying Karamozov Bros. I’ve seen them twice in person once on HBO. I took my mom for mother’s day when I was a kid (I bought HER ticket at least) and they performed in a small theatre near where I went to college. Besides being amazing jugglers, those guys are hilarious. Love the part where they will juggle three items smaller than a breadbox brought by audience members. In Nashville I remember they used some chainmail and a Big Wheel (“You have some awfully big breadboxes down here”)
“Hey! Whatcher language!”
“English. What’s yours?”
“We do have an emergency back up plan. In case of emergency…back up.”