AboutJohn Gordon - Master Magician Expertise I am a professional performer, and attained status of Gold Star Member of The Inner Magic Circle and, over and above this highest degree, I am only one of 5 perfromers alive who has been awarded their coveted 'Silver Wand'. I perform at the highest level as well as train and coach both beginners and experts in learning a few tricks to creating a brand new award winning act. I ran The Summer School at The Magic Circle for many years as well as booked performers for the monthly public shows. I run a company called `MagicWorks` which provides magic for adult private and corporate events, television, film and theatre productions. I also hold training workshops and seminars, teleconferences and online training on using magic in business, performing at Trade Shows, Magic for Presenters etc and provide after dinner or conference talks and speeches all on the subject of business and personnel development. This includes creativity, presentation, online and offline marketing etc.
Experience Whilst I have been a performer for many years I now spend an increasing amount of time as a personal and business coach, using magic as a metaphor in my teaching and training sessions. I have several Internet Businesses that include Coaching and Mentoring entertainers in the whole business of self Branding, Promotion, Marketing and filling their diaries with bookings.
Question I would first like to thankyou for reading my message, and I would like to say that I appreciate any help please! :)
2 small questions. I have gotten good at sleight of hand with a playing card, however, how is it that magicians do the same thing (i think) yet they can reveal the back of their hand or entire hand and the card is not their?\
Also, sadly so, I know that one of the first things to be learnt in card magic, (which is what I am learning) is to palm a card. However, I am a girl and my hands are rather small, and I am completly unable to hide the card in my hand. Any suggestions?
Thankyou very much again sir,
-Victoria
Answer Victoria
You are very polite and that goes a long long way when asking for advice!
Thanks.
This post isn't set to private (yopu have that choice when writing) so I am unable to detail methods. However:
1) How did you learn to hiode cards in your hand? This is a technique called palming. The seqquence to which you refer is called back palming. When they twist and show both sides there is a simple transfer method. This whole sequence is called Front And Back Palming and any good instructions will show you exactly how as well as how to use the right cards, prepare them etc. I'd recommend a set of videos / DVDs by Jeff McBride on Card Manipulations. Let me know if you have trouble sourcing these.
2)I don't believe that card palming IS one of the first things to learn in card magic at all. It's possible to go a lifetime as a professional perfromer and never have need to palm a card!
One of the first things to learn in magic is attrention control! Part of this is often wrongly called mis-direction. IF you learn how to control the bahaviour of your audoence, plus some timing you'll have less concerns about having hands too small to hide cards behind. You see ... it isn't strictly necessary to be able to hide the entire card. Siome palms, the Rear Palm, the Tenkai Palm, the Longitudinal Palm .... do not require the entire card to be hidden from all angles anyway.
Rewrite to me privately tell me how you palm now, which one you use and some detail on at what point yopu feel you have a problem and I'll do my best to take you through a process to imrpove it.
Also which 'trick' you want to use it in ... then I can help imrpove the moment, the timing etc.
