Other Ideas

Prerequisites: Roundabout, Scrambled V; Recommended: Many other takeout patterns; Next: Create your own patterns or find people at juggling festivals to teach you the latest.

The history of takeout patterns seems to be a continuous pushing beyond the boundaries. When Aidan's takeout notation was introduced, it was useful to discover many more patterns with a similar style. Then new ideas were introduced, sometimes beyond what the notation could express, sometimes intentionally so. The following is a loose list of ideas that people have explored for takeout patterns.

Different base patterns. After early patterns on 6-club four-count and a standard four-count vs two-count feed, many more base patterns were explored. First other synchronous patterns, like three-count for three-count roundabout and pass-pass-self for MinuEd, then unusual feeds (e.g., pass-pass-self and civil war feed for Zippy and Dumb ways to die), patterns with double passes like Ambled V and Ronjabout, and finally various siteswaps like 786 for Manège à trois.

Multiple manipulators. Many patterns combine multiple manipulators. There are many classic combinations of Aidan patterns like Scrambled 3-V, but also simple ideas like having two manipulators do the same action but in different directions like in Two Manipulator Roundabout and multiple manipulators doing the same action but offset like in Opernball.

Extreme versions of these are some Aidan patterns with three manipulators where all passes are manipulated, 567-about and similar takeouts with three manipulators resulting in a pattern where every pass is carried, and lazy patterns with 4 passers that use the same concept but only on one side of the pattern (the carry is placed but rather than going around, the manipulator queues back behind their previous position) so one passer remains stationary.

Interacting manipulators. In most patterns with multiple manipulators, the manipulators are entirely independent. However, some patterns have played with ideas of having manipulators exchange clubs with each other, like in a pattern called Kennedy.

The pop. The realization that manipulator actions do not always need to be two beats apart enabled many more patterns. For example, in MinuEd, the manipulator intercepts the self that is thrown to catch the placed club from the substitution on the previous beat, which is solved with the pop. This kind of action enabled many other patterns, including the very silly shortest takeout patterns (effectively just pass-pop and pass-pop-pop respectively):

Porting manipulator sequences to different base patterns. Using a familiar takeout sequence on a new base pattern can create an interesting challenge. In the simplest case, standard patterns can simply be juggled left-handed. For example, left-handed Roundabout is a substantial challenge for many experienced passers. More interestingly, many ambled patterns use the familiar takeout sequences from Aidan patterns; MinuEd has been ported for BrunEd and MiniEd. Also some Aidan patterns have been juggled by having B walk through the pattern to the other side of A, resulting in "crossed" patterns.

Another idea is to leave out the substitution beat in Aidan patterns, resulting in shorter Mini Scrambleds. By furthermore leaving out the unmanipulated self beats, this results in two-beat long Micro Scrambleds.

More intercepts. Usually the manipulator swaps with a passer once on a single intercept in the manipulator sequence, but it is easily possible to have multiple switches like in Dumb ways to die).

More walking. There is no reason why the base pattern needs to be a feed with a single walk. For example, in MiniEd has two passers walking in a manipulation pattern, similar to El Niño.

Minimal walking. With a little help, most manipulator patterns can be juggled stationary in a triangle or square. A pelf is already helping in a normal pattern, but can also be thrown a bit further, and the placement of a carry or substitution can be thrown as a zap.

Different takeout styles. While some patterns have a canonical form, passers can always just try different forms of manipulator actions, for example, catching a substitution early rather than late, inserting a German turn or pirouette, or intercepting a pass at a different location where it would usually go. Similar to minimal walking this can make patterns easier and avoid unnecessary walking (e.g., in Scrambled 3 the manipulator usually turns out at the location where B would have walked eventually, not where B actually would be at the time of the carry). It can also be used to make patterns intentionally harder, introducing chops or unnecessary pirouettes, like in the Aidan pattern Pirouettes go crazy, Tech-Yea, and Squirrl-Whirrl-Twirrl (TODO).

Extra flips and zips. Many patterns have gaps that can be filled with more zips and flips. For example, MinuEd has a two beat gap between two manipulator actions, where the manipulator can zip their club twice (usually once behind their back). Most standard patterns, including Roundabout and all Aidan patterns, have a one-beat gap between the intercept where the previous manipulator can flip a club. Opportunities are usually very visible in the local notation of a pattern.

Also some passers find it an interesting challenge to do all zips behind their back, for example, in Zippy.

Drinking patterns. Several patterns have one or multiple clubs that are never thrown, but only manipulated or zipped, like the substituted pass in Unscrambled B. Some patterns are specifically designed to have such a club. These clubs can be replaced with a bottle -- passing.zone has a collection.

On socks. A way to integrate more passers into a pattern is to add a manipulator who for a long time does not have any actions, but give them the task of running around the entire pattern. This is called "on socks". Again, passing.zone has a collection.

How many carries again? In almost every pattern, the manipulation sequence starts with a carry. This is because typically at every point, except the very start, each passer has two clubs and waits to throw one when they need to catch another. A manipulator starts with one club and now needs an intercept to get to two clubs, and only then the next incoming club (whether a pass or a carry) will start them juggling. Conversely, a passer who throws a club but does not get the incoming club because it gets intercepted is now a manipulator starting with two clubs and need to do a carry to get down to one. If the intercepted club is a flip or a zip, we are effectively stealing one of the passers two clubs so they are immediately down to one club and do not need a carry -- this is what we see in killer-bunny-about.

Moreover, it is conventional but not necessary for a manipulator to start with one club. If the manipulator starts without any clubs, they need to get two clubs after the intercept before they start juggling. Conversely, the intercepted passer needs to get rid of two clubs and therefore has two carries -- for example, in Roundabout they would carry two selfs to B. In contrast, if the manipulator starts with two clubs, substitutions become awkward because they now require a self (the manipulator briefly has three clubs between stealing and placing), but the manipulated passer does not need any carry because they already start with two clubs. Here is a video illustrating this. This is also effectively what is known as time travel in some ambled patterns like Ambled 3, where the manipulator briefly has an extra club.

Now the big question is, what would it mean to intercept an empty hand (i.e., siteswap 0)?

Multiple intercepts? Some patterns feel like they have multiple intercepts. For example, in Manège à trois, the manipulator catches a pass and a heff from different passers, in Tech-No they catch a pass and a self at the same time. Technically though, every pattern has only a single intercept and all other throws that were in the air on the way to the intercepted passer at the time the intercept is caught is redirected to the previous manipulator. (Weirdly, in Tech-No, either pass or self could be considered as the intercept). This distinction is really only necessary to ensure a consistent notation, in practice when juggling a pattern, it may still very well feel like two intercepts.