Close-up magic is a fascinating art form that involves performing tricks and illusions right in front of people's eyes. Unlike stage magic, which relies on large props and stagecraft, close-up magic relies on sleight of hand and misdirection to create an intimate and engaging experience for the audience. If you are interested in learning close-up magic, there are several skills and techniques you can acquire to become a skilled magician. First and foremost, mastering basic sleight of hand is essential for any close-up magician. Sleight of hand refers to the skill of manipulating objects, such as cards or coins, in a way that is invisible to the audience. This can include techniques like palming, where the magician hides an object in their hand, or false cuts and shuffles, which create the illusion of randomness.

Chapter 1 - Awakening

The viscous lava increased its flow rate, emitting waves of heat that ascended and surged up to the cave above. As the temperature began to rise, the massive creature in the nest quickened its long breaths that could be mistaken for death. Its heart pounded, causing the pile of white bones in another corner of the cave to rub against one another, creating a cacophony of noise. After exhaling two breaths that heated the cave walls to a glowing red, the Black Dragon Nidhogg's slim pupils, protected by his double eyelids, were stimulated by the dim light. He refocused his eyes, contracting his pupils into a thin slit. His 752nd winter hibernation was thus brought to an end.

Throughout the winter's hibernation, Nidhogg did not budge, his heart beating and breath slowing down to the bare minimum required to sustain life. This time was the most dangerous period. Be it the giant carnivorous species that didn't hibernate or humans blinded by greed and fame – those who on usual days were like ants in comparison – during this period, they could easily end the life of the mighty dragon. Thanks to meticulous actions such as disguising the entrance and exit of the nest, and sealing the entrance corridor from the inside by melting the cave walls, the black dragon had safely weathered every hibernation thus far.

After clearing the entrance to the nest, the early spring breeze, still bearing a hint of chill, blew onto the dragon's snout. The muscles and bones that hadn't been exposed to sunlight for a while were stretched. The thick body had already taken flight on the wind of Mana before the dust, shaken off from the scales and membrane of the wings, dispersed. Tearing through the murky cloud of smoke, Nidhogg began patrolling his territory, looking forward to the first big meal of the year. His stomach, which had been empty for months, was eagerly awaiting some foolhardy creature to wander into the Black Dragon's territory, offering the only respite from the embarrassing rumbling and hunger pangs.

To avoid scaring off potential prey and missing opportunities, there was quite a distance between Nidhogg and the ground level. Even some birds might not be able to reach his altitude to help clean his teeth, and the creatures crawling on the ground could only see a small, blurry, black spot if they looked up to the sky. But the dragon's dynamic vision could accurately detect any moving creature on the ground.

Nidhogg's pride in his sharp eyes quickly identified a similar target, a mass of yellow-green lines wriggling amongst the grey rubble at the bottom of the valley.

Jormangund, Nidhogg's neighbor, was an old snake that measured over 164 feet in length, almost twenty percent longer than Nidhogg himself. Today, the rot-spewing snake was slithering in search of its next meal, emitting his usual foul odor. Upon seeing this neighbor who had also just emerged from hibernation, Nidhogg's appetite fizzled out instantly.

The snake had the strength to crush an Ogre's bones, could spit poisonous venom or gas, and had more combat experience than Nidhogg. More importantly, the powerful stench would be intolerable for any dragon's sharp senses. it was utterly inedible, and forcing it down might likely cause injury or disease.

Although it was a bit distasteful, the speed of the snake did pique Nidhogg's curiosity. If the snake's normal pace could be described as leisurely, now it almost seemed to be on a high-speed chase. Perhaps it had found something valuable? If Jormangund had indeed found something to fill its belly, it was necessary to swallow it down before the damned creature. After all, he could easily beat the old geezer any day.

The black dragon, having made up his mind, adjusted the direction of the wind passing over his wings and the Mana keeping him aloft with utmost precision. He reduced his gliding speed to evade detection. The calm high-altitude pursuit soon paid off—a triangular snake-head was pointing directly at a black egg resting in the bottom of the valley.

It was an elongated, opaque black egg, with a variety of weird feeling vines of different colors—red, black, etc.—attached. It seemed to have tumbled from a giant fir tree or something similar down to the barren valley filled with hot sand and fragmented stones. There was no doubt in Jormangund's mind that he would include this unclaimed egg, the delicacy of all delicacies, in his first meal since awakening.

It all seemed very reasonable, but Nidhogg did not go for it. He even vetoed the possibility of lowering his altitude. The caution that had helped him avert crises countless times was now ringing alarm bells in Nidhogg's heart. The warning was stronger than ever before. Prompted by the alarm, the dragon examined the black egg again. Some details began to emerge, causing the restlessness in his veins to amplify.

Nidhogg had eaten many eggs in his lifetime, but none of them resembled this peculiar black egg. It was more akin to the obsidian found in his hoard. Meanwhile, the things wrapped around it differed from common vines; he had never seen the material that had such bright colors and such soft texture. It wasn't something that any known plant could have or, barring that, the substance beneath the bark was clearly some type of metal.

The decisive blow to the dragon's slim chance of survival and appetite came from a foreboding aura emitted by the "Black Egg," unlike anything emanating from living or non-living entities. Even the dragon in the high sky tasted a numbness from its scalp to the tip of its tail.

It did not take more than half a second to conclude that they had to leave immediately and start acting on it. But compared to the speed at which the aberration occurred, it was almost fatally slow.

Smooth vertical hemispherical cracks appeared on the shell of the "Black Egg", and milky gas sprayed out obscuring the Black Dragon's vision. Jormangund, startled by the sudden cold air brushing over its nose, immediately coiled up and went into an attack position like a taut bowstring. Its triangular head hanging over the mist continued to emit bifurcated signals, capturing the smell in the air. Sensing the heat, its organs also entered a high-speed operational state. Any significant movements would cause a deadly liquid to shoot out from its glands, poisoning its opponent.

The thick fog turning into a white storm couldn't be seen by the snake's nearly blind vision. Still, the slight vibration on the ground turned into a nerve signal to the brain. The snake wants to attack upon receiving the signal, but its body does not respond at all, collapsing on the ground like a puddle of mud.

Its useless visual system and the severed body nerve signals prevented Jormangund from understanding and controlling the situation. This unusual scene deeply imprinted on Nidhogg's retina, looking at this unimaginable anomaly, the dragon's instinct of fear wasn't even close enough to describe its aftermath.

A small human body was swinging a large white belt in mid-air—a snake-like spinal cord.

Jormangund's body surface had tough scales to withstand high-ranking curses, and the mucus attached to it could absorb physical shocks and slide away attacks. This double line of defense was torn apart like paper in an instant, along with the muscle tissues. Then the spine was separated from the flesh body and leaped into the air.

By the time the dragon's brain understood and accepted what happened, the creature birthed from the Black Egg had already landed the final blow on the dying Jormangund. The mashed brain matter and flesh were pushed out of the body with a punch. The mixture of red and white slipped out, bursting through the skin and splattering on the ground. The strangling force that easily strangles large ogres, corrosive toxins that erode flesh, and poisonous gases that paralyze the opponent's body—none of them played a role. The 164 feet long giant snake was killed as easily as an ant.

A complete, one-sided slaughter.

Fear clenched Nidhogg's heart, and the instinct for survival sounded a frantic evacuation alarm. Leave here, escape from this bleak aura, get far away. Its body, levitating in the air using Mana, couldn't stop the incoming tremors.

However, that sharp gaze clearly indicated to Nidhogg—that any movement would only welcome a tragic fate like that of Jormangund.

The organism height of a dragon's finger on the ground, looking up at the sky, paused for a few seconds. Then, the hand that killed the giant snake made a waving gesture towards the black dot in the sky.

"Great Mafa! Save the unfortunate me!!"

The dragon's heart let loose a blood-crying lamentation. Fearing that his heart-wrenching cries could be mistaken for calling comrades or initiating attacks, the Black Dragon cautiously dispersed the mana surrounding his body. At the same time, he controlled the opening of his wings, and slowly lowered his altitude. The 73-foot-long dragon descended like a dandelion seed dancing in the wind, eventually landing at the scene of slaughter.

The impact of his landing didn't even raise dust more than a foot high. But Nidhogg, who had performed this difficult act, couldn't muster any sense of joy or show off. He just lay on the ground littered with broken stones, his tiny head tucked in, with a slight tremor running through his body, causing the loose rocks to make sound. His slit-like pupils peered through the gaps between his giant claws at that formidable figure resembling a human.

The phrase - perceiving the object of the outer world- surfaced again when it bore witness to such immense power. Then, it overlapped with those images deeply seared into his retinas, etched into his brain.

It wasn't a strong and bulky man, nor a sturdy dwarf. It certainly was not an old man with a beard hanging down to his chest, his skin cracked like dried tree bark. The significant disparity with the aforementioned bipedal creatures, who were considered strong, made Nidhogg almost forget he was being overshadowed by the specter of death.

The naked body was not a problem for the dragon's perspective. The balanced slender figure, slightly petite, outlined the perfect sculpture, with skin as smooth and lustrous as a pearl. As the gaze moved above the neck, the perfect combination of stunning features made the dragon hold his breath for a moment.

The handsome face was noticeably different from any known humanoid creature. The bridge of the nose and cheekbones were lower than average height, the facial muscles, and the skin together formed a somewhat naive face. An unseen black hair fell in front of the forehead, and the eyes below were bright scarlet, like the sunset that drowned beyond the horizon, distilled from fresh blood.

The sophisticated mix of nighttime and twilight was a novel phenomenon. Traveling across this continent, created and loved by the ancestral gods, there hadn't been a face so magnificent that one could offer a lifetime of 752 years in exchange without any resentment.

The beautiful figure, more enticing than any jewels, raised its hand, palm facing the dragon's head. A certain lump inside the consciousness was being stirred by an invisible hand. At this moment, the dragon was no longer afraid of death. It simply put this transcendent life form, defying all worldly logic, on a pedestal to observe and interpret this puzzle.

"You are a wise species."

It was not contempt, nor admiration. A purely factual tone resonated in Nidhogg's mind, in the language of the dragon clan.

Without needing to look around in confusion, the dragon lying on the ground realized it was the doing of the figure before him. He responded obediently without any resistance.

"I need knowledge, your perception of this world."

"All of it is yours, Sir."

The harmonious dialogue that seemed to have taken place between a master and the servant for many years was naturally established between two beings who had known each other for less than two minutes. A burst of light flooded Nidhogg's mind, and peculiar scenes flashed before his eyes.

The raised hand fell back, he lifted himself from the ground, the flesh on the ground retracted back under Jormangund's jaw, the white spine burrowed back into the flesh -

Was it his memory, or was it a rewind of memory?

The autumn hunting before hibernation to store heat, the merchant team seen from above like an anthill 43 years ago, the bloody battles witnessed between armies 116 years ago, the thrilling sensation of the first kill, the smell when he bit open the throat of a live creature presented by his mother, the blinding light, and the coldness when he hatched from the egg.

Those were the highlights of his memory retracing, at the other end of life.

He did not understand, he did not know why this was not the starting point of death.

Everything was beyond the reach of visual, auditory, sensory, thought, even the memory - it was not even darkness. Sheer nothingness enveloped Nidhogg's consciousness.

Ultimate Weapon of Magic and Science

The beautiful young boy staring at the winged crawling creeping in front of his eyes, the lip line that had been closed since he set foot on the outside land began to change, and the voice appeared in the dark conscious space.

“It is determined that the plan leader and all related personnel have died, and contact with the earth is completely interrupted. Enter the self-action mode. Change the login name to the predetermined complete body [Li Lin]. Combined with the current situation, choose task B4 independently.”

The young man with the name Li Lin paused, and his voice seemed to bring the coldness of the deepest depth of hell.

“Infiltrate and invade low-level civilization, colonize and globalize it.”

An ultimate weapon boy, smelled the same taste in the magical world-war.

So he began to continue his mission.

Magic Sword + El Ten Eleven

Magic Sword is an ageless tale of good and evil told through an ever expanding graphic novel with each volume accompanied by an original, synth-heavy soundtrack as well as immersive live performances. With the three mediums intertwined from conception, together they create an epic experience for those bold enough to bear witness and come away with a deeper understanding of the ultimate hero’s journey. Armed with a musical and visual aesthetic that has its roots unabashedly buried deep in the golden era of ‘70s and ‘80s fantasy and sci-fi, Magic Sword’s followers are called to another plane of existence where the struggle between light and shadow becomes all too real. The multiverse has aligned to bring the people of the land together for the birth of their album Endless, followed by a tour of the realm searching for the greater good.

The Immortals are:
The Keeper of the Magic Sword – red, keyboards
The Seer of All Truths – blue, guitar
The Weaver of all Hearts and Souls – yellow, drums

The Immortals give a direct account of their vision:

“In the beginning there was light… and darkness. A creation of perfect balance. As time passed, evil spread over the land like a plague, slowly consuming everything in its path. In the final moments before light was lost to the shadow for all time, a weapon of infinite power was created, the Magic Sword. Thus, restoring balance to the universe.

The genesis of things are often small. As the single seed grows to a mighty oak, so too did the path of the Keeper begin as a single choice in an age long past. Once a humble king, they were manipulated into unknowingly unleashing the Dark One. All of reality was torn asunder as the Lord of Shadow was released from their ancient prison, having been bound only by the power contained within the Magic Sword. From that day forth, the King was cursed to be the immortal Keeper of this powerful key. He has been relentlessly compelled for millennia to find the Chosen One who will one day unleash the true power of the weapon and cannot rest until the grand design is seen complete with the Darkness bound once again.

Little is known of The Lord of Shadow but death and decay. Since the release from his ancient prison by the hapless Keeper of the Magic Sword, he has pulled all of existence slowly toward himself in a vortex of darkness and destruction. Any wayward soul that he touches is corrupted to their ultimate demise. He uses his followers, acolytes of death, with no more regard than any other, for his reason of being is simply to end all things. Ensuingly, the forces of good have been searching for the Light to push him back into his eternal prison. The key to operate this cell is the Magic Sword; when wielded by the Chosen One, it has the power to return balance to the Universe.

The Keeper of the Magic Sword searches endlessly for the Chosen One. With the help of the other Immortals, The Seer of All Things and The Weaver of Hearts and Minds, they are ever trying to stem the tide of the Great Shadow from engulfing all life. Through time and space itself, The Immortals are pulled by the power of the Magic Sword to those who hunger for true justice. Whenever the need is great, they appear with the Magic Sword and a high stakes proposition for those who are pure of heart, perpetually hoping that their search is finally over.

This prophesied being contains the ability to wield the power of the Magic Sword and seal the prison that holds Dark One for all eternity. Only then will The Keeper, The Seer, and The Weaver be able to rest. Until the chosen one is revealed, the search continues in this realm and many others throughout all of time and space. In what form will the Magic Sword manifest? Who is the Chosen One? Will it be you? Answers will reveal themselves as the need arises. A tale of high adventure as old as time itself.”

Discography and corresponding novels:

Volume 1: Magic Sword (LP)
Volume 2, Chapter 1: Legend (EP)
Volume 2, Chapter 2: Awakening (EP)
Volume 2, Chapter 3: Endless (LP)

This can include techniques like palming, where the magician hides an object in their hand, or false cuts and shuffles, which create the illusion of randomness. By practicing these techniques diligently, you can become proficient in handling small objects and executing seamless tricks. In addition to sleight of hand, misdirection is another crucial skill to acquire.

El Ten Eleven

Struggles are sloshed away by tidal waves of champagne. Resolutions are boldly proclaimed or whispered in one’s own heart. A ball drops, and we expect a whole new life to spring out. But nothing is transformed or transposed, because miracles don’t happen during the hung time between this year and the next. It’s just another New Year’s Eve.

Few days hold as much promise—and subsequent disappointment—as New Year’s Eve. The spiritual hangover that lingers every January 1 inspired the new works from El Ten Eleven. After a year that changed nearly-everything most-likely-forever, the instrumental duo felt compelled to soundtrack the emotional heave-ho of New Year’s Eve with an album of the same name.

Resolution 1: Radiate positivity.

“ New Year’s Eve is a reference to guarded optimism about what will be happening next year. At the time, it seemed like our national divisiveness might be waning and the end of the pandemic was near. But of course that’s not how it turned out,” bassist Kristian Dunn said of the album’s inspiration. “That’s what New Year’s Eves are. You think it’s gonna be a fun night, but usually it’s disappointing at the end.”

Over the course of 20 years and 11 albums, El Ten Eleven has continued to redefine the potential of bass guitar and drums. With an arsenal of pedals, labyrinthine arrangements, and a deft use of looping, Kristian Dunn (bass) and Tim Fogarty (drums) create two-man symphonies. With New Year’s Eve, the duo melds electrifying disco grooves with their tried-and-true experimental rock atmospherics.

The album’s eponymous opening track plots the emotional topography of high hopes and sinking disappointment. Beginning with woozy bass drones powered by an Electro-Harmonix Superego Synth Engine (Dunn’s new “secret weapon”), the track eventually swells with Fogarty’s shape-shifting rhythms and lush textures. Followed by the scruffy groove of “Meta Metta” and triumphant crescendo of “Isn’t Everything Enough,” it’s impossible not to feel hope, or something like it.

Resolution 2: Embrace authenticity.

Throughout its six tracks, New Year’s Eve romps through infectious grooves, Rototom blasts, electrifying breakdowns, and meditative reprieves. Along with the pedal-fueled trickery and musical prowess fans have come to expect from El Ten Eleven, New Year’s Eve channels Dunn’s lifelong love of disco. Channeling memories of a childhood spent spinning Niles Rogers and Chic while his peers blared heavy metal, Dunn imbued his own emotions onto the delightful excess of disco.

“I’m a huge fan of disco music, and I mean that completely sincerely,” Dunn says. “I’m a bass player, so the bass is often the driving lead instrument of disco music, so that appealed to me–that’s just in my blood. This love was always in me, and it was time for it to come out. The album is kinda funky and kinda dancey, but with my sad boy Kristian Dunn crap on top.”

As much as the two-year recording process of New Year’s Eve demanded experimentation, it also required the band to go back to basics. Reuniting with their longtime producer Sonny DiPerri (DIIV, Portugal. The Man), Dunn and Fogarty were encouraged to simplify their approach to composition and embrace their musical instincts.

Resolution 3: Stop overthinking.

The album’s cover, a digitally manipulated photo of the duo’s reflection glimmering in fresh rainfall (i.e. a reflection of a reflection), serves as a metaphor for the band’s creative process, a lengthy process of rehearsal, reflection, and revision. Along with nodding to the reflection inherent on New Year’s Eve, the photograph also pays homage to Dunn’s newfound meditation practice, which has allowed him to break free from overanalyzing his life and work.

“It’s so hard in life to be in the moment and not go crazy about thinking about the past,” Dunn says. “A reflection of a reflection is so typical of me reflecting on my own reflections. That photo is a representation of that. Metaphorically, I think I’m cool, but then I’m thinking about the fact that I’m thinking about that. It never ends.”

The album’s closing track, “A Reflection Of A Reflection,” serves as a musical counterpart to this thought-loop. Repetitious to the point of hypnotic, the song’s groove mirrors the enthralling nature of contemplation. Shuffling percussion punctuates a revving bass line, never yielding to the thicket of harmonics and distortion, ultimately leaving the listener with cymbal pops and unquiet minds.

Resolution 4: Move on. Let go. Et cetera.

A followup to 2020’s grief-stricken Tautology trilogy, New Year’s Eve marks a joyous new chapter for El Ten Eleven. Instead of trying to double-down on the concept album blueprint, Dunn made a concerted decision to move out of his head and into a more intuitive world.

“With Tautology I had all of these ideas that just kept coming, and I had to figure out how to make them all fit together across three records,” Dunn says of the triple-album’s process. “With New Year’s Eve , I felt more free. I didn’t have to force anything to fit together—it just fell into place.”

Emotional resonance has always trumped musical intrigue for El Ten Eleven. With New Year’s Eve , they’ve created a record that reminds listeners that hope isn’t reserved for just one holiday. Hope is what fuels 20 years and 11 records. Hope is what carries a drum-and-bass duo across stages around the world. Hope is a brazen belief in change, and that lives in every day and everyone.

Weapon (enemy)

Weapons ( ウェポン , Wepon ? ) are creatures that appear in several of the Final Fantasy games. Monstrously powerful, they are usually some of the toughest bosses in their respective games. Common variants include the Ultima Weapon and the usually more powerful Omega Weapon.

Weapons are generally extremely powerful bio-weapons, created usually by science or magic. For example, in Final Fantasy VI, the Ultima Weapon is an embodiment of powerful magic created during the War of the Magi, while in Final Fantasy VII, Ultimate Weapon is one of the Weapons, a group of colossal, extremely powerful beasts created by the Planet with the purpose of protecting it against great threats to its existence.

Misdirection is the art of diverting the audience's attention away from the secret moves the magician is making. By using gestures, eye contact, and engaging conversation, magicians can subtly guide the audience's attention to where they want it, allowing them to perform their tricks without being detected. Learning to master misdirection takes time and practice, but it is a fundamental aspect of close-up magic. Another skill that can greatly enhance your close-up magic performances is storytelling. By incorporating a narrative into your tricks, you can captivate your audience and make your magic more memorable. Whether you are telling a story about the history of a prop or creating a fictional scenario, storytelling adds depth and intrigue to your performances. By practicing the art of storytelling and finding ways to incorporate it into your magic, you can create a more immersive and enjoyable experience for your audience. Finally, becoming an accomplished close-up magician requires practice and dedication. Like any skill, mastering close-up magic takes time and effort. By regularly practicing your techniques, refining your moves, and seeking feedback from others, you can continually improve your skills and develop your own unique style of magic. In conclusion, close-up magic is an art form that requires a variety of skills and techniques. By acquiring skills in sleight of hand, misdirection, storytelling, and dedicating yourself to practice, you can become a skilled close-up magician. With time and effort, you can captivate audiences with your magic and create memorable experiences for all who witness it..

Reviews for "Take Your Close-Up Magic to the Next Level with Advanced Techniques"

1. Jane - 2 stars

I found this course on "Acquire skills in close up magic" to be quite disappointing. The instructor barely explained the techniques and moves, making it difficult for a beginner like myself to understand and follow along. The video quality was also poor, which made it even harder to see the nuances of the tricks. Overall, I didn't feel like I learned much from this course and would not recommend it to others.

2. Mark - 1 star

I was extremely disappointed with the "Acquire skills in close up magic" course. The instructor seemed more interested in showing off his own skills rather than genuinely teaching and breaking down the tricks. The explanations were rushed and often unclear, leaving me frustrated and confused. It felt like I wasted my time and money on this course, as I didn't gain any valuable insights or skills. I would not recommend this course to anyone looking to learn close up magic.

3. Sarah - 2 stars

I had high hopes for the "Acquire skills in close up magic" course, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The instructor lacked proper organization in the course material, and it felt more like a random collection of tricks rather than a cohesive learning experience. Additionally, the instructor's teaching style was not engaging, and I quickly lost interest in the course. Overall, I was quite disappointed with this course and would not recommend it to others seeking to learn close up magic.

Creating Astonishment: Tips for Performing Close-Up Magic Tricks

Chapter 1 - Awakening

Ultimate Weapon of Magic and Science

Tags

Magic Sword + El Ten Eleven

El Ten Eleven

Weapon (enemy)

Reviews for "Take Your Close-Up Magic to the Next Level with Advanced Techniques"

Mastering Misdirection: The Key to Successful Close-Up Magic

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