Manufactured by:  Meir Yedid Magic (USA)

I love paddle tricks.  Here are a couple of reasons for this.

In all paddle tricks, the magic happens rapidly and visually.  If you watch a magician performing a paddle trick, at every moment, there is something magical happening to the paddle.  This mystifies and entertains the audience.

Also, as the name implies, all paddle tricks depend on the “paddle” move.  There may be variations of it, but the master move that paddle tricks depend on is the paddle move.  If you master this move – I do not think we can call it a sleight – then you can practially perform all types of paddle tricks.  If you cannot perform this move well, then you should not purchase any paddle tricks.  However, it is a move that is not difficult to master.  So go and practise and master this move.  You can perform killer effects with paddles.

I used to start my walk-around magic with a paddle trick.

Let us see what the Amazing Jumping Arrow trick is all about.   

In effect, a small black anodised aluminium stick is shown to be black on both sides.  The performer touches the underneath of one end of the stick with his finger.  When the stick is turned over, a small white arrow makes a magical appearance there.  The performer touches the underside of this end.  The stick is turned over and another white arrow is seen on this end.  The stick is turned over a few times to show that there is a white arrow on both sides of the stick at this end!

The arrows on both ends of the stick are seen to be pointing towards the centre of the stick.  This means it is possible to cause both arrows to move to the centre of the stick.  With a magical gesture, the arrow on one side visually moves to the centre of the stick.  The stick is turned around.  The same magical gesture is used on this side and the arrow there also moves to the centre.  Now the stick has arrows in its centre on both sides!

One more magical gesture, and the arrows on both sides of the stick move from the centre to the other end!  Unfortunately, the arrows on both sides of the stick at this end are now pointing away from the centre, not towards it.  There is no way to cause the arrows to magically move backwards to the centre.  The only way is to move it physically with your finger on the underside of the stick.  This is what you proceed to do.  The stick is turned around and indeed the arrow there has now moved to the centre.  You do the same thing to the other side of the stick.  Now, both sides of the stick have arrows at their centres!

Now, you proceed to do a bizarre move.  When you “hit” the stick on the outstretched fingers of the other hand, the arrow in the centre splits into 2 arrows – one occupying each end of the stick!  The same thing is done on the other side of the stick.  Now the stick has arrows on both sides at both ends!  To reverse the process, the stick is pushed through the fist of the other hand.  When it emerges from the fist, the 2 arrows at each end merge back into one arrow in the centre.  This is done on the other side of the stick.  Now the stick is back to having an arrow on both sides in the centre.

To end the effect, you cause the arrow on one side of the stick to again split into 2.  The stick, now with 2 arrows, one at each end of the stick, and a single arrow in the centre on its other side, is given out to the spectators for examination.

You receive 6 pages of written instructions with photographs, and a well produced aluminium stick anodised in black colour with the arrows engraved in the stick in contrasting white colour.  The instuctions teach you how to perform the paddle move.  However, the routine described here is my own personal routine.  It is the way I perform this trick.  The instructions given describe Mark Young’s routine that is somewhat different from my routine.  Mark’s routine has arrows appearing on the stick, moving around to and from the ends of the stick to its centre.  There is no mention of the direction of the arrow and movement.  I use the direction of the arrow to create a logical reason for the various movements of the arrows.

Here is a great learning point.  Always create a logical meaning for your magic, otherwise it may be confusing to the audience, especially when arrows appear and disappear and move all over the stick for no good reasons.  As the great “professor” Dai Vernon said “Confusion is not magic.”  Paddle tricks allow you to customise your own routine.  Take the various phases or modules of the effect and re-structure them to create your own routine.

Highly recommended!