Choosing your Baoding / Chinese therapy balls

Just a few tips for questions I've gotten about selecting the right size ball for beginners. These balls are said to increase the flow of qi energy to the body and organs. They increase blood flow and help with finger strength and dexterity. When using them properly, the muscles in the fingers, wrist and forearm all work together in harmony. The larger contact balls and exerballs shown are all from Dube.com with the exception of the glass balls, which were purchased at a flea market. The glass balls and exerballs all weigh about 2lbs each.

[@CatsorBats]

YO WHAAAAAAT you're so good at handling them... every size... holy

[@LikeMugo]

Thanks. Just takes years of practice.

[@georgedemos4482]

Thank you for going out of your way to share your knowledge with us. I found it very thorough, and therefore.. very helpful.

[@magicalmusicman6567]

Dude. This video is insane. Bro casually flexes the most insane ball hand juggling skills I've ever seen in my entire life like it was nothing... My girl is on here bro, like save some for the rest of us my guy 🙏

[@LikeMugo]

That's a good size to start with. They would definitely be more fragile, so I wouldn't recommend practicing over a hard surface until you've gotten to the point where you almost never drop them. I recommend staying over carpet (preferably sitting/laying down) or open grass.

[@DeborahThird-og1uo]

You can try filling the chip with nail polish; clear or matching colour. Build up layers/can also sand gently with sponge nail file.

[@Saurosapius]

thanks alot, you saved me the trouble of starting too small and regretting it and buy another pair to start off with, very good info, much appreciiated!

[@LikeMugo]

yes. Some have a small chime inside. I've heard that it is possible to spin these with such skill as to not make any noise while spinning them. I can occasionally do it if I concentrate while doing it, but it doesn't last long. I usually get too excited that they're not making noise and mess it up.

[@tomanderson4131]

*whilst* spinning them. I have heard of this too, but not yet found the man or woman with such dexterity.

[@LikeMugo]

@Strikeratj Thanks for the comment. I find mine at places that sell asian decorating stuff or martial arts stores. Or flea markets and Chinatown in NYC. There are a lot of places online to find them (like Baoding balls dot com) also, but I personally prefer to handle them and see how they sound before buying them.

[@KillerPojo12]

that 4 ball spin. awesome dude.

[@leticiaesparza]

OMG I love how you spin the balls. 😍

[@markwhited1785]

I got some as a novelty, I haven't used them I years. I recently suffered a broken wrist and have included them in my physical therapy.

[@LikeMugo]

@TheShorty0ne Yes, the movement of the balls stimulates different pressure points in the hand. It's called acupressure. Different patterns stimulate different areas. Each finger is linked to a major organ through a pressure point. The rolling of the balls is said to increase Chi flow to each of those organs. I hope you're able to translate this.

[@LikeMugo]

@ivan I Absolutely. Billiard balls work very well. Pretty much anything round, I have tried to palm spin. I even challenge myself with passing eggs around if I'm cooking.

[@peshaalexey]

thank you, Michael! i just started this game - thanks for sharing!

[@LikeMugo]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@lejci38]

OMG, you're unbelievable, it looks like a magic!...time to start some serious practise...;)

[@LikeMugo]

@t3hsniper I love those labradorite ones. I want them, too. I only own 2 sets of stone Baoding balls, so far. They're harder to find offline. Stone are definitely my favorite, but like I mention in the video, they're very fragile. Don't use them over any hard surfaces unless you're really confident with them. What I have shown is just a small sample of my collection. I've probably got about 25 pairs or so. I haven't counted in a while.

[@nikkiiortiz2756]

Thank you so much for all the details of the sizes all this information is very much appreciated

[@LikeMugo]

Thank you. I've been thinking about putting out some new videos since I haven't posted anything Baoding related in years. Is there anything else you'd like me to talk about or explain?

[@LikeMugo]

@damienkilcannonvryce Awesome! I started back in 1998 with just the left hand, to help finger independence and strength for guitar. I only started using them for my right hand about 3 or 4 years ago.

[@MrZombeeBait]

Thanks for the prompt reply! I plan on practicing over carpet while laying on my couch. Thanks for the advice!

[@KarateCritic]

Very informative video, thanks. Just what I was looking for as I'm looking to get into Boading myself. Keep up the good work and keep spinning!

[@Electragirl5]

Just bought a smaller size. I don't know why I never thought there would be a smaller size. I compared how big the balls are in my hands and they were equal to you holding the billiard balls HA so I went ahead and bought some smaller size, so I'm hoping I can improve my skill quicker this way before going up the "normal" size again.

[@LikeMugo]

@dcvids123 I would start with something a little larger. Maybe 40 or 45mm. That's the size I started with and had good luck. 30mm are pretty small and kind of hard to spin because they're a little lighter. I only usually use the 30mm for doing 4 or more at a time.

[@LikeMugo]

You can use large ones, but they're a bit more difficult with small hands. I have small hands as well, but can spin up to 3 in. contact juggling spheres without them touching. It took a lot of practice to be able to do that, though. You'd drop large ones a lot more when starting out, but you're going to drop them a lot when you start no matter what...

[@LikeMugo]

@t3hsniper That sucks. At least the chimes still work. I have a few with broken chimes. I've been apprehensive about buying online for that reason. The boxes they come in are almost always crappy. There's nothing you can really do about that. I do like you did. If I get a nice set in a crappy box, I'll usually trade it with one of my other sets. I've also used candle holders and napkin holders to display them.

[@LikeMugo]

@t3hsniper I believe (because I remember this feeling) it's your hands learning muscle memory. Which is your first step to getting good. When I spin them now, my brain almost shuts off control of my hands. I don't think about what my hands are doing. Like playing scales on a guitar, I don't think about where my fingers move. They just know where to move. Similarly, If I use mine for 10-20 minutes, and then type, or play guitar, My hands and fingers move faster.

[@LikeMugo]

@t3hsniper Also, If you can find an indoor flea market, try there. I found one in Las Vegas that had dozens of different kinds, including stone (though really small) for $4 a pair. The nice, old Chinese couple may have been giving me a discount for how good I am with them, but that's the cheapest I've ever found them. I only ended up getting 2 or 3 pairs, though. The average price for a set of 40mm steel is about $8.

[@LikeMugo]

@dcvids123 If it were me, I'd just get a few pair. haha. It's all about personal preference. Solid may be a little heavy for a beginner. Chimes can sometimes be annoying to others or chimes can break if you drop them a lot. The non-chiming may be a good starting ball for you. When you start to get good, you'll buy more.

[@LikeMugo]

@ChronicHazard They're roughly 50-55mm

[@LikeMugo]

@t3hsniper I have small hands, too. Believe it or not, I just measured my hand and my palm only measures about 80mm. Hand size isn't as important as how much practice you put into it. There ARE some things that I just can't do because my hands are too small. (like 5-6 ball pyramids with 2 1/2" contact balls) But I CAN do those patterns with smaller, Baoding balls. Good luck. A 40mm. set would be a good start for you. 30mm. tend to be a little too light to start with. (in my opinion)

[@LikeMugo]

@Rory Myner, they are harder to find. Of the two I have, none set came from China, and the other from Chinatown in NYC. Online is probably the best place to find them. I've never ordered online myself; I worry about them getting damaged in shipping.

[@gryyphyn8639]

Man, looking at that last set you should try some Petanque boules...

[@MooTaters]

@Thisnomyp I actually have some 42mm baoding balls on the way, got them at baodingballs com. I was going to go with the labradorite ones, but figured I'd rather spend less for now. I've been impatiently waiting their arrival as I said above all I have are the 2 30mm balls from my aunt. Hopefully I can get some more cash soon, and grab a couple more, maybe including the 40mm labradorite ones.

[@MooTaters]

Finally received those 42mm's from the baodingballs com site. Must say I was sort of disappointed, the box they came in was rather small(they barely fit). Luckily the ones from my aunt were in a larger box so I swapped boxes. Oddly I they actually have less weight than my 30mm ones my aunt got me from china. Of course that's by feel, but they honestly feel heavier(both chime). That and they had a lot of chips on them, small, but I think it may have been from shipping...also have some blemishes.

[@KumeOzoro]

Thanks, Michael Lugo

[@MooTaters]

Doubt my small hands could spin those 3" ones. somewhere around 85mm across my hand. Got my first pair of baoding balls from my aunt when she came back from china, only 30mm ones though. First had no clue what they were except "stress balls" as she said, but recently looked it up and now I'm thinking I need to look into a new pair that's maybe 40mm or 42mm as that seems to be what baodingballs the website has.

[@LikeMugo]

Haha. yeah. A little... I just wanted to show the correlation between the ancient art of Chinese therapy and the newer style of contact juggling/sphereplay.

[@Toilet140]

Thank you so much for being you

[@MartynofCarcosa]

Is it worth learning to spin the balls clockwise as well as anti clockwise in both hands?

[@MooTaters]

@Thisnomyp Hah I was actually thinking a while back that I wish I had looked for them when I was in chinatown in NYC back in 2008.

[@MCMMable]

En Venezuela no vendían esos megatamaños, pero las manipulé de gran tamaño y de plomo en el departamento de Física de la Univesidad donde operé.

[@gkscsa]

Niceeee..... I would have use the stone balls, one white and one black like Yin and Yang :)

[@LikeMugo]

@t3hsniper Hmmm... I actually drove through Madison on my road trip last fall, but didn't stop long enough to look. I try to find them wherever I go. If there's a store in the mall that sells oriental decorations, try there first. Or any store that sells oriental nicknacks. I'm about 45 or so minutes from Chinatown in NYC, so it's a lot easier for me to find them. I found a place locally that sells them in addition to martial arts weapons. Go figure. They seem to be everywhere, yet so elusive.

[@jamesfair9751]

What do you think about obsidian, jade, and marble ?

[@jojocates346]

Just blew my mind

[@TheShorty0ne]

today i discover this therapy balls by a friend, those spinning pattern are part of the therapy or just something you do as a hobby? it seem interesting. sorry if you said it in the video, but i can't understand english really well. greetings from spain David.

[@LikeMugo]

Stone are said to be best.

[@aoj53]

They just float across your hand!

[@thelabstation]

as metal use copper, and ideally with a magnetic sphere

[@Strikeratj]

Where is the best place to buy them??? Online?? Or are there really any stores that have them?? Ps..Thanks for the Video Good stuff

[@TheAndyTejeda]

Awesome video! I live on the second floor and I kept waking up the people living on the first floor trying to replicate your video with my Afghan Jade balls. They are approximately 2.0" and heavy. I think they may be too much for me starting. I am 5'8" 180lbs with wide hands but short fingers....so my hands and kinda small. After watching you video numerous times and trying hard with my balls....i came to the conclusion that I need to start smaller and I purchased 40mm stainless steel silver balls. Good route to take? What you think?

[@MrZombeeBait]

Are obsidian balls (40mm) acceptable for baoding balls? or could they break?

[@gmwilkie85]

Thanks for your video!

[@MooTaters]

By the way, how do you go about finding your baoding balls offline? Madison Wisconsin is very close to where I live, but I have no clue if they'd have any shop that carries baoding balls. Honestly after waiting forever to get my baoding balls I don't know if I'll buy any online again. Post office for some reason left a notice instead of dropping them off. They still work fine, just a few disappointments. Luckily it seemed like any of those chips buffed out through rolling them in my hands.

[@rorymyner]

Where do you get stone boading balls from ?

[@nofilter7878]

E bay or the Asian store

[@yokoohno4332]

try with wooden balls. much harder to use and way more fun.

[@MCMMable]

Me estoy enterando de que otras personas logran imprimerles giros independientes, los felicito, pero no observo alta velocidad en sus ejecuciones com ambas manos en paralelo, con sentidos contrarios, cosas así. El tamaño

[@adalas293]

Howe to choose the Right Size because there is so many of them ?

[@LikeMugo]

And so many different sizes of hands…

[@phxeko]

do you still practicing it? is it good? and can i ask where do you bought that ?

[@stellacoystal4332]

wow, you have really flexible fingers! I almost think there are some invisible string between the balls. :p

[@LikeMugo]

The first time I saw my friend do it in person, I was amazed and had to learn. I had seen the movie Labyrinth as a kid but always thought scenes with the crystal ball spinning were faked somehow. I later heard a story about how Jim Henson said it was the closest thing to real magic he had ever seen when Michael Moschen demonstrated early contact juggling.

[@Melancomical]

I am a woman and I have 2" baoding balls I got from Amazon. I was thinking of returning them and getting 1.5" ones, which I believe are the next size down. Does that sound right? Gosh, I hope you look at your KZbin videos so you get this question. I have to return the 2" ones soon. Thanks. JLF

[@LikeMugo]

Melancomical Short answer, yes. 2” are my preferred size. Hand size is irrelevant. I have smaller hands, but worked my way up. The largest ones in my collection are 3”. I started with roughly 1 3/4” ones. So either return them, or just buy more and use the 2” ones as motivation for something to work up to. Amazon has a lot of nice sets and I’ve never paid more than $15-20 for a set. It’s a cheap hobby.

[@rain_on_me]

do you know if there are steel baoding balls without the chimes? it seems that the only ones that are soundless are the ones that are made of stone and they're too big for me

[@MooTaters]

I have a question, after toying with mine for a while if I switch back and forth between hands. Or set them down for a while then pick them back up, they start to feel odd in my hands(when I pick them back up, or move back to a hand after one tires). Do you ever experience that? I'm not quite sure how to explain it, maybe that my hands start to feel a bit dry...

[@ilsepasschier2740]

Thanks for the video, it really helps. I found a pair of these a few days ago. And i really enjoy using them. I don't know which size mine are but i really want to buy a pair for myself instead of using the ones from my mother.. so, is it safe to buy them on ebay? Or should i buy them on a special site?

[@LikeMugo]

I've personally avoided buying them online only because with a chimed sphere, I like to hear them first. I have bought contact juggling balls online at dube.com , though. Places like eBay may not have as high quality. Websites like Baodingballs.com have a large selection. I've never ordered from them, though.

[@kikimaria123]

@Thisnomy.. which material is most conducive to increasing qi?

[@clinttoney]

VERY IMPRESSIVE HOW SHOULD I START >?

[@LikeMugo]

Clinton Toney. I started by using them while I watched tv. The less you think about it, the more it just becomes muscle memory. I do recommend starting off sitting or near the floor because you will drop them a million times when you start. Go whichever way is more comfortable at first and when you start getting a little better, switch directions.

[@aquablue0]

@@LikeMugo i started today but i dont know how to turn them, i cant turn them without they touch together

[@ChronicHazard]

What size are the stone ones you are using?

[@TheSokodelic]

I just picked up some marble baoding balls for gifts that are 1.4" or approx. 35 mm. Are they useless because how small they are?

[@LikeMugo]

Soko delic no, I have some that small. They’re good for starting out or smaller hands. Marble/stone ones are heavier, so that’s a plus.

[@LOYD196]

Just got a set of 2" steal balls today, wish me luck...hahaha. Great video also!

[@rorymyner]

Thanks

[@boscorner]

How big are the stone ones? 3 or 4 cm?

[@ivanivkovic3534]

Just buy regular quarz balls on ebay, they're supercheap and still heavy.

[@bryanrojas6468]

Where can I buy a box for them

[@LikeMugo]

+bryan rojas Yikes. Good question. I've never looked to buy just the box, but one holder I use is a tea light candle holder that I got from IKEA. It's just a flat board with 5 spaces for small candles, but the holes are perfect for anything larger than 40mm. I also have a couple contact juggling balls that I have sitting in some cheap napkin rings. Improvise!

[@MxTarantula]

i believe baodingballs (dot) com has solid steel ones :) just click on the "solid baoding balls" section :)

[@TheNinja4]

is there a bell in the ball wtf !???

[@greeny2138]

dude can i use golf ball?

[@harveyroper5526]

FrostyPie Far too small

[@pf6819]

golf balls would be a good size to start with (apr 43mm) but they would probably be too light

[@ascendingmoth]

I think that's a swell idea.

[@Almamater8888]

That’s what I’m starting with. They seem to work well. I’m getting the hang of it.

[@Leverquin]

mines are too laud

[@LikeMugo]

@apqcelloman Lol. That's funnier because that was an ex of mine. Don't worry. I've heard every joke regarding my balls. It's part of the fun. I have a hobby that is open for tons of innuendo. What's better than that?

[@jimmyhsp]

3 inches what

[@TheAndyTejeda]

Where in the fuck can you find a 45mm now a days in silver??

[@gettingthere2452]

I found this tutorial after I told a friend about Andrew Huberman talking about How to Lose Fat with Science-Based tools (kzbin.info/www/bejne/faKzeIt9armfkNk) and fidgeting being one of them. My friend showed me two balls that chimed but didn't know what they were called so after some research I found the name then this. Thank you for posting.

[@bradernater]

4:20-4:30 spins me out

[@apqcelloman]

thats what she said=} sry ={

[@marylblood]

Chi not key

[@I_leave_mean_comments]

I use bowling balls.

[@I_leave_mean_comments]

I use bocce balls. WHAT WHAT!

[@LBSpinnerZ]

Wow! Check out those balls!!!!

[@hmabdulla_bhr]

Thanks