The Flipping Arena

I was just thinking the other day...I watch your guys' flipping videos, and am always thinking to myself, "I can't wait to get that good", or even those that have started out and thinking, "Nice progress!", but I was wondering, what started you guys' off on flipping?

I'll start: I've always loved swords, even as a little boy, never really found what made knives so special. A few years ago, I got a rapier for Christmas. That's where my obsession with collecting blades began. Then the following year, my friend brought his butterfly comb to school so he had something he could flip at school, and taught me how to do the basic horizontal, the basic horizontal, and some trick he made up by mistake in two classes. I thought it was really cool, but kinda' forgot about it soon enough. Then the following year, I went to his place for his birthday, and he had this old cheap balisong that he modified and beat to Hell and back, and his Kimura III. I loved his Kimura, and played around with it a little bit, but spent more time with the CCC. He ended up just giving me (He said lent, but he never got it back...) the CCC, and I played around with a few very basic tricks constantly. People got really sick of hearing that knife, it was so noisy. One day I sold my guitar since I couldn't play it, and everything that went with it for $250.00 to some old friends (the same ones that recently bought me my BM 51, actually), and bought myself the Kimura VII. That's whenI started learning more adcanced things, and balisongs kinda' took over my life.

So there's my...probably rather extensive story. So how did you all start?

My father collected switchblades, everthing from old push buttons to OTF microtechs, he bought a few jagurars and once he let me get my hands on them, it was all over. He bought me a 43 and few other nice pieces when I was about 10. Now that I make a little of my own money, I continue to make my collection grow.
I have been flipping for a long time, but have not learned much through out the years, I got to meet a small group, but some of the best flippers that hang around here one day at a knife show. After watching them flip in person and seeing how dedicated they really are (you can tell by how often they don't drop the knife), I have not set my 43 down since, been dropping it like crazy learning new moves though .

Not much to tell... I changed job and inherited a Balisong that had been left in my desk drawer by the previous occupier. It sat their for a good 6 months before I got curious and happened to search You Tube. I watched CL's tutorial on the full twirl and practised that solid for about two weeks... until I snapped the handles. Got wicked withdrawals after I couldn't flip anymore, searched the forum's and came across this place. I ordered a Tsusami kit and the rest is history.