Between 2009 and 2011 a very special column appeared in M-U-M, the in-house magazine for the Society of American Magicians. Conceived to be an introduction to sleight of hand aimed at beginners, the thirty-six lessons ended up being one of the most detailed courses in conjuring to date. The topics covered included all aspects of magic; cards and coins, balls, ropes and cups, stand up and close up, interspersed with real-world performance hints and tips from someone who has spent time in the trenches.

This e-book version contains all thirty six Basic Training columns, plus two extra lessons on the Classic Pass and the Top Change.

Download a sample of the ebook.

Contents

• Some words from the Original Editor
• It all began with an email
• On teaching
• The Lessons
• The Ghost Count
• The Double Lift
  • Open position and the cage defined
• The French Drop
• Presentation
• Card Controls
  • Multiple cut to table (Ron Bauer)
  • Spanish Control
  • A Simple Pass
• Let's do the Twist
  • Jordan Count
  • Through the fist flourish
  • Twisting Daley's Aces
• The False Transfer
  • A Simple Vanish
  • Hang Point
  • A False Transfer
• Forces
  • Cross Cut Force
  • The Backslip Force
• The Hamman Count
  • Hamman from a dealing grip
• Be Prepared
  • The Line
• Ambidextrous Magic
  • Heel Clip Simple Steal
• False Shuffles
  • Overhand Chop Shuffle
  • Riffle Shuffle Control
  • Up The Ladder Cut
• Thumb Tip Tips
  • Silk From Bill
• Hindu Shuffle
  • As a Control
  • As a Force
  • As a Convincer
  • The Last Turn
• The Chop Cup
  • Paul Wilson's Lean Chop
  • Ian's First Phase
• Shells
  • Into the Fourth Dimension (Jay Sankey)
• On Venue
• The Birth of a Show
• Ambitious Card
  • The Easiest Second Deal in the World
  • Gary Kurtz's Convincer
  • Wesley James' Load Up Move
• Multiple Selections
• Classic Palming a Coin
• The Three Ball Trick
• The Unequal Ropes
• The One Way Deck
• Spellbound
• Changes
  • The Too Perfect Theory
  • Card to Envelope
  • The Book Change
• Stacked Decks
  • Eight Kings
  • Si Stebbins
  • Three Way Mind Reading
• Knots
  • Cut and Restored Get Ready
  • The Knot Routine
• Juggling
• The Classic Force
• Sleeving
• Cards to Pocket
  • Gordon Bruce's Load
  • Francis Carlyle's Homing Card
  • Ad Lib Jacket Load
• The Muscle Pass
• One Coin Routines
  • Ian's One Coin Routine
• Adaptability
  • Instant Card Reversed, Tabled
  • Instant Card Reversed, Standing
• Final Thunks
• The Classic Pass
  • The Trapdoor
  • The Hinge
  • The Classic Pass
  • Blocking the Pass
• The Top Change
  • The Standard Top Change
  • The Overhand Top Change
  • The Snap Top Change
  • Blocking the Top Change

1st edition 2016, 250 pages.
word count: 152900 which is equivalent to 611 standard pages of text