Poi is an individual or group activity where participants swing hand-held, weighted ropes in various circular patterns.

Poi is a traditional Maori performance art that has been modernized for recreational pursuits. Participants spin a pair of matching balls suspended from a flexible cord in order to create a variety of patterns. These patterns can be enhanced through the use of fire, LED's or glow sticks.

Perform routines with dual spinning balls.

As a non-competitive sport, poi has no standardized rules.

Evidence of poi being practiced by the Maori people of New Zealand has been found dating back hundreds of years. It was introduced to western culture in the early 20th century. Traditionally made poi are crafted and sold to tourists, while poi used in performance are now made from modern materials to ensure longevity and performance. Today poi is popular in New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii and parts of the United States and Canada.

Poi

Poi can be dangerous due to the constant risk of being struck by a hard, fast-moving object. One should start with basic tricks while using soft, training poi. Sharp or flaming poi should only be used by extremely experienced spinners.

Poi spinners need extremely strong shoulders, arms and wrists in order to maintain a proper speed and properly transition from one trick to the next.

Butterfly - trick where the hands are held close together in front of the spinner so that the poi cross at the top and bottom of their circles

Flower - trick where the spinner fully extends their arms and moves them in circles around the body; in time this gives rise to a series of loops around a large circle which look like the petals of a flower when viewed from the side

Poi - ball suspended from a length of flexible material held in the hand and swung in circular patterns

Weave - staple move of poi swinging where each poi spins two times in a cycle, once on each side of the body

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poi_(performance_art)