We’ve enlisted the help of the one and only Card Ninja, Javier Jarquin, to teach you some secret card and kick techniques. This way, you can practice your moves before you show up to a performance of Card Ninja at Stage 42.

If you’ve already seen Javier in action, that’s okay! You can still break out these moves for family and friends at fun gatherings and tell them all about your New Victory experience.

First up, Javier is going to show you how to do a basic card throw to impress all of your family and friends.

Step One: First, you need to get a card. Any card will do! Put the card in between your two fingers like this:

Step Two: The second move is the curling of your arm and hand. You’re gonna curl your hand in and around, and then quickly extend your arm and hand back out. At the very end, you’re just going to relax your fingers, so the card flies out. Flick!

Take some time to practice this flicking motion. After you feel like you got it, try it one more time! A strong flick will help the card spin more and keep it flying. That’s the basic throw!

Step Three: Put it all together—ta-dah! 

Next up, Card Ninja is going to teach you how to complete a side kick!

Step One: Practice pivoting on your supporting leg. Turn your heel towards where you’re going to kick, and then back.

Step Two: Pick up your foot, extend your leg out nice and straight, and then back and straight, and then back down again.

Step Three: Put these together. Foot up, pivot out, kick out, back down.

Step Four: Make sure you’re throwing your hip out as you kick for power. 

Step Five: Then, start working on getting it a little bit higher. 

[DON’T DO THIS!!] Don’t kick out with your toes extended. We’re not kicking with our toes. 

[TIP: Try this instead!] Use the side of your foot or your heel.

Once you’ve got this, try two in a row. There you go! 

Up next, we’re going to learn a spin kick! Here’s what the whole move should look like:

Step One: Practice swinging your leg in a crescent-shaped motion from the inside to the outside. Don’t forget to keep your leg straight for this move!

Step Two: With your kicking foot behind you, use your other foot to step across it. This is the leg you’re going to spin on. 

Step Three: Now that you’ve got that motion down, you’re going to spin all the way around on the balls of your feet. This spin is where the power for your kick will come from.

[DON’T DO THIS:] When you spin, don’t spin on your heel. It’s very hard to control yourself on your heel. 

 [TIP: Try this!] Instead, come up on the balls of your feet.

Step Four: As you do the spin, add the kick. Start low, start small. Then gradually work on kicking faster and higher.

Once you’ve got it, go for two in a row!

Lastly, Card Ninja is going to teach you how to do a simple card spin. This technique is another easy way to get your card to fly. 

Step One: One, you’ll need a card. 

Step Two: Hold the card really lightly in between your fingers. Then you’ll use your other hand to hit the corner of the card. As the card is coming up, get it to spin out of your hand.  

According to Javier, this is the easiest way to get a card to fly. 

Want another technique? You can also hold the card flat and hit the corner from behind to launch the card forward. It’s the same idea!