The following Frequently Asked Questions related specifically to MACH ONE Whip Artistry, and our approach to the supersonic whip. We are happy to address any other questions you may have. Just fill out the form via the Contact page. We will try to respond as quickly as possible, and we will add it to the FAQ if we feel others would find it useful.
If you're looking for general information we haven't supplied on this site about whip cracking, design, use, etc, and you don't want to wait for us to get back to you, we highly recommend checking out the Bullwhip FAQ at bullwhips.org. This is by far the most exhaustive and complete resource online for information regarding whips.
Our FAQ is as follows.
If you're looking for general information we haven't supplied on this site about whip cracking, design, use, etc, and you don't want to wait for us to get back to you, we highly recommend checking out the Bullwhip FAQ at bullwhips.org. This is by far the most exhaustive and complete resource online for information regarding whips.
Our FAQ is as follows.
What is MACH ONE Whip Artistry?
The name “Mach One” is a scientific term referring to the average the speed that sound travels. This refers to the fact that the sound of a whip cracking is caused by the tip of the whip accelerating faster than the speed of sound, therefore the bang you hear is a small sonic boom.
MACH ONE Whip Artistry is dedicated to the promotion of and education in the art of supersonic whips. The whip is an oft misunderstood and maligned cultural artifact, and the goal of the organization is to debunk the misconceptions, address mythology built up around whips, and educate those interested in the art and beauty of whip cracking and performance.
We offer special workshops, seminars and regular classes in whip handling, performance, and artistry, as well as presentations for communities and organizations.
Who is behind MACH ONE Whip Artistry?
Daniel Trout, is the person behind MACH ONE Whip Artistry. He is a professional media developer and filmmaker, has a background in martial arts, historical reenactment, historical combat for stage and screen. He is a 3-time alumni, and former faculty member of Ohio University where he taught mass media.
Dan has also been fortunate enough to crack whips with and learn from some of the best and brightest whip artists and artisans in the US today. His sixteen years of intense practical and academic exploration of the whip have made him an authority on the subject, and after years of debate and discussion with his peers, he has decided to begin offering classes and sharing his accumulated knowledge and passion for the subject. He resides in Columbus, Ohio with his wife Jennifer. To learn more about Dan, click here.
What sort of whips do you use?
MACH ONE Whip Artistry teaches a solid foundation in whip manipulation for bullwhip, stockwhip, snakewhip, and the florida cow whip/hybrid whip designs, (for a more detailed description of these types of whips, see the Supersonic Whips page,) However, for simplicity, uniformity, and faster learning curve, our courses for beginning students teach the fundamentals whip artistry using the Australian design style of bullwhip.
For beginners, we recommend a 5-7' bullwhip, and can recommend a great many other whipmakers fine work. However, student wishing to supply their own whip for MACH ONE coursework, MUST have their whip inspected and OKed by the instructor prior to beginning coursework.
Who learns to use the whip and why?
There are any number of reasons to learn to crack a whip. The whip is an incredibly dynamic and responsive tool. Actors who wish to build upon their stage combat skills will find the whip to be a fantastic outlet for character expression. Dancers, magicians and jugglers who want a very lively, exciting prop to add into their shows and routines will find no better item for that than the bullwhip. Martial artists will all find the whip an excellent training tool for body alignment, kinesthetics, and Chi flow, and of course fans of Indiana Jones, Catwoman and Zorro will greatly enjoy learning a signature skill of their favorite heros.
Where are you located?/How do I sign up for lessons?/How Much Do You Charge?
We are located in Columbus, Ohio and currently have no "permanent space" for our services, but instead rent space from dance studios, martial arts schools, and theaters, depending on the needs and focus of the individual class/student. We can also come to you, if need be. Have space, will teach. If we come to you, all locations MUST be inspected and cleared with the instructor prior to class to ensure the location will be safe and adequate for the needs of the coursework.
While we may occasionally do outdoor demonstrations or workshops in public places like parks, we find that there are quite often too many uncontrollable variables that do not promote a good learning environment: Weather, spectators/pedestrians, noise nuisance issues, etc. etc. If we are getting together to crack whips and have fun, this is fine. However, for a class that students are paying for, we want as much control of the environment to keep the student safe, and give them our undivided attention. Class fees depend on the length/focus of the course, the number of students, (groups will obviously pay less individually for instruction, though more than 4 students at a time can be detrimental, as the instructor can only give so much attention,) and the cost of the space rented, (or if we come to you, the expenses involved in that.) For a general idea of our fee structure beyond this, please see the Classes page for further details or send us an inquiry here.
Why do you charge for whip lessons? Can't I learn from books/DVD's/YouTube/free public whip hangouts?
The answer to every one of those "Can I learn from..." questions is of course, "Yes, you can." There are a great many books, groups, online videos, and DVDs out there that teach an excellent, solid foundation in whip cracking. In fact, you don't even have to go looking elsewhere for them, as we provide access to a great many of them in the links section, and encourage our students to seek them out.
We feel that learning the whip is like any other skill. Yes, you can get there with practice on your own, just like you can teach yourself to play guitar, piano, etc, but if you're serious about it and you want to progress steadily, you will benefit greatly from working with an experienced whip artist. Whip handling is like a lot like dancing and martial arts in that it is very physical, and you cannot easily view yourself from different angles to see if your technique is solid. It can also be very difficult, (and dangerous,) if you're cracking the whip incorrectly or with poor technique.
Those free "Public Whip Hangouts" can be beneficial for correcting that, but you run into the same problems there as you would trying to learn guitar by hanging out with a bunch of musicians. You might indeed learn how to hold the instrument, and you might pick up a few power chords, and if that's all you are after, great. But chances are, when those musicians are "hanging out," they're there to play. They're there to have fun and make music. Whip artists are often the same way. Those public get-togethers are play-time, and a chance to exchange new tricks, techniques, and ideas. They aren't usually about building solid skills and cultivating good technique. Our courses focus directly on that, and our instructors, while they have a great time, aren't there for the fun of it...They're not there to play with you. They're there to work with you. Their class time is devoted to the skill development of their students. Plus, we have found in our own experience and in discussion with other professional coaches, (whip and otherwise,) that students are more apt to pay attention and engage in the coursework when they are paying for it than when it is provided for free.
Aren’t whips cruel?/Don’t they symbolize oppression?/What about their use on slaves in the South before the Civil War?/Is this a “Kinky Sex” thing?
As stated earlier, there are a LOT of erroneous pre-concieved notions that people have concerning whips. The first problem is that there are a great number of completely different historical and modern tools that are referred to as "Whips" that have very different designs, functions and uses. Much of this erroneous information is addressed further in the whip history section of this site, however to address this more directly here, the type of whips we train with at MACH ONE are not the same type of whips used for punishment and torture. Those are the Striking Whips described in the Whip History section. The whips we use were designed to humanely and safely move herd animals from one location to another. While there is no debate that bullwhips of a similar appearance to the bullwhips we train with were used for punishment and oppression of slaves prior to the Civil War, the design and intended purpose of the whips we use is very different. Likewise, the bullwhip is often associated with BDSM culture, but its use there, like most things to do with the whip, is highly misunderstood and misconstrued. For sake of brevity here, and to prevent from doubling effort, we recommend checking the relevant entry here at Andrew Conway's Bullwhip FAQ, (direct link to BDSM section is not safe for work.) Our friend, Robert Dante, who is one of the worlds authorities on the use of the bullwhip in the Fetish Community, addresses this with far more skill and experience than we wish to go into here.
Do whips make good weapons?
This is a fairly common question, and unfortunately there is no easy answer. Ask ten different whip makers and performers, and you'll probably get fifteen different and conflicting answers. We encourage you to draw your own conclusions, but consider the following:
First and foremost, there are multiple types of whips that were specifically designed to be used as instruments of torture and combat, (such as flails, scourges, cat-o-nine tails, and the African Sjambok,) but the supersonic whips that we are using were never designed to be utilized as weapons. These two completely different families of whips are often lumped together, (you can read more about this in historical information on this site.) Supersonic whips were specifically developed as farming tools, but almost every historical weapon, (especially those of Asian martial arts,) started out as farming tools. The supersonic whip is no different. Due to the physics involved in cracking a whip, the tip of a supersonic whip is very narrow, and at the point of the crack, it is traveling at a speed of roughly 1400 feet/second. That is faster than the muzzle velocity of a bullet leaving your average handgun. The end of a bullwhip can slice through skin like a scalpel, break small bones, (like those in the hand and face,) and even sever fingers, ear lobes, etc. Whips can be dangerous, and should be treated with the stringent safety precautions as one would take handling knives, swords and firearms. But the practicality of the supersonic whip as a weapon is still very hotly debated.
Our founder, Daniel Trout, approaches it from this stance:
Most states in the US classify the whip as a farming implement and nothing more. I'm happy with it that way. However, the State of Ohio, (where I'm from,) also pretty much considers any item, be it a knife, gun, pitchfork or pencil, that is being used to harm another person, as "Assault with a deadly weapon." I am a big fan of this definition of "Weapon." Any random item is just a random item until it is used with intent to harm. So legally, the whip isn't a weapon in Ohio unless you use it as one (and I don't recommend that you do.)
Sadly, the big debate of "whips as weapons" continues. I feel that ultimately the effectiveness of any weapon against any other weapon boils down to the skill of the people holding the weapons. Every weapon has its strengths and weaknesses, and a skilled combatant will maximize those strengths while working to minimize those weaknesses. It's hardly practical to carry a sword around on the street with you, and drawing a sword on an opponent armed and skilled with a firearm is nigh-on suicide. Yet, that hasn't stopped various sword styles and forms from being taught to martial artists for centuries now. Why should whips be any different?
I've worked alongside and trained with a bunch of different folks from martial arts masters, to bar bouncers; From tactical military trainers to professional bodyguards. Consequently, I've met folks I wouldn't want to go toe-to-toe with if all they had was a gum wrapper, and I was armed with a thermonuclear weapon. Likewise, if I was faced with an unavoidable situation where felt my life was in danger, and all I had was a bullwhip while facing an inexperienced and nervous opponent armed with a knife, sword or maybe even a gun, I'd probably take my chances with the whip. You deal with the situation at hand however you can and hope for the best.
All of the endless hypothetical scenarios presented both for and against the effectiveness of a whip in a fight become as convoluted and ultimately as pointless as an argument over who would win in a fight between Batman and Wolverine.
One stance that I will not budge on one bit in the whip as weapon debate is in the area of efficacy in martial arts training. As previously stated, the goal of martial arts weapon training is not to learn how to kill the other guy...It is most often about learning how to live a healthier, better, more vibrant and self-assured life. To that end, I feel the whip is more effective as a training weapon than just about anything else available.
Do you make/sell whips?
In a word, no. I don't. I teach people how to use them, and can aid folks in selecting a whip from a whipmaker that is right for them. I've got a fairly good track record of talking to a newcomer to whip cracking, working with them a bit, and then helping them select the perfect whip for them. I know a bunch of really great whip makers, (see the links section,) and can either put them in touch with the maker, OR can order the whip directly for them. I DO NOT get any kickbacks, discounts, or special treatment from any whip maker for this. I just want to help skilled artisans get business, and help folks get the best whip possible for them. It's to get you a good tool to train on until you decide exactly what you want.