how did you start origami?

[dinogami]

My dad was doing origami since before I was born (in 1970); as a little kid, I used to pull out various of his books (Honda, Harbin, Randlett, early Kasahara, etc.) and ask him to make stuff out of them...and I'd sit and watch. I didn't try to do any of it myself until I was in high school; I was bored and didn't have a hobby, so I decided to try origami by pulling out the same old books (Montroll's first two had been added to the collection by this time) and teaching myself. My first really complex fold was Montroll's Pegasus...and that took a zillion tries! By this time, I was secretly folding stuff under the desks in school (much to the chagrin of some teachers) as well as in my free time. I've been folding ever since, though I've had less time in my various career stages in more recent years...

What's perhaps most interesting is how my dad got into it. I don't know the details, but I know he'd been doing it since at least the early 1950s, well before origami even began to get popular in the U.S. He'd never been to Japan, so I don't know who initially turned him on to it, but since he was in upstate New York at the time, I have to wonder if Lillian Oppenheimer or Alice Gray was involved in some, even indirect way...

[HopefulFolds]

My grandma taught me when I was like 6.

[Origamist388]

I've stumbled across an origami-video when I was watching a video about drawing.It was a video on the jumping frog,and I'm folding for about 2-3 years now.I actually haven't been folding for about half a year.My first model "after the break" was the dwarf from Eric Joisel.I also fold alot more from CP's now!

[RollerCoasterBug]

Alot of Everybody's starting books seem to be Lang's Origami in Action, however, my first book was Works of Kamyia Satoshi 1995-2003. It didn't start that way though. I saw my friend in 7th grade fold a 8 point star. I tried copying what he did, and got the shape. Basically the whole entire year of 7th grade I folded like that. I did a little bit of beginners' designing in the 8th grade thinking that those east stuff was all that there was. In the 9th grade my Chinese teacher taught me how to fold a traditional rose. When she forgot a few steps, she told me to look them up on the computer. I saw modules and got hooked on those. Later, looking for more modules, I saw the Ancient Dragon. In my head I was thinking, "The head is made of so many parts, and the wings are one piece hooked to the body..." I later somehow managed to find the ancient dragon's instructions on the internet for free (not a download) and to my amazement, one piece, no cutting, no ripping. Because of my inexperience, I could not fold past step 64, or something like that. I did all I can so I can make that dragon. When I finally reached the point where I thought I can make it, the online instructions had been removed because of the copyright issues. I begged and pleaded to get the book from the only place in the USA that sold it, Origami Tree (san fransisco). My grandma didn't like the price of the book and It's shippping and handling, so she said she'd get me the origami insects 2, but to my suprize, She got me the very last USA copy of kamyia's incredible book. a week later, I got the Origami in Action. I am now teaching my sibblings of of of that very book, but they aren't as interested as I am. My brother, though, is following close in my foot steps. He's in the modular stage.

[phoenyx]

I was about 3 and my father taught me a crane. I was enthralled, but I stopped for a while and started again recently(a year ago). Now I fold frequently. My first book was Beautiful Origami, with simple models only. Since then I have acquired The Origami Handbook, by Rick Beech, The Origami Omnibus, by Kunihiko Kasahara, and several of Duy Nguyen's books, though he cuts slits too much for my tastes. I am now 14, and still a beginner, though I want Satoshi Kamiya's book so I can see what such a master uses in his origami. For any of you who have talked to me before, you know this is the longest, most intelligent post I have made so far!

[RollerCoasterBug]

Well, everyone was once a beginner. We will, has, and still be advancing. phoenyx, Works of Satoshi Kamiya 1995-2003, is the book I think you're talking about, and I don't recomend it for beginners. There are alot of intermediate/advanced models in this book. But it's worth a shot, if you want to give it a whirl.

[phoenyx]

yes i know that, I enjoy challenging myself to get really hard models right. although i am a beginner, i love origami and plan to continue forever.

[RollerCoasterBug]

That's great phoenyx! Origami isn't just something to do, it's an art, and (I know some will argue) is a sport. But, don't push too hard of a challenge on your self, it will cause stress, which a beginer does not need. Stress on a beginner from attempting advanced models, can brake some of them away from the origami world.

[Origamist388]

If chess is a sport why origami wouldn't be a sport?
One thing I really hate about non-folders (sounds like I'm talking about another human kind ) is that they don't know that origami IS an art!

[garrasdecaiman]

mine was creative origami by sensei Kasahara
I found it at an aunts house and basically stole it when I was about 8 but since I couldn't speak a word of english I took a very long time to get through it, after that it was tomoko fuse's marvelous origami boxes, sculptures by master montroll, sea life,etc etc, and now tanteidan, kamiya,

I'm currently learning to read crease patterns, trying to design my own models and teaching everybody who wants to listen to me enough (I try not to get too deep into circle packing and hazuita hatori axioms in the first class, although sometimes I just can't resist the temptation),
and will try to, if not be a good contributor to this forum at least not to be a bother.

anyway sorry to bother you whith all this rambling

X

[RollerCoasterBug]

Stole! wow, there's how to be desprate! I'm just kidding. I agree that teaching hazuita hatori axioms to people who are interested in origami (even slightly) is bad on the first lesson, but irresistable. It took me until I was 16 (which I am now) to get my first book. But I've been folding for almost five years now!

[garrasdecaiman]

yeah when I start teaching the very beginning folds it takes most of my concentration not to get into multiple sinks-unsinks and petal folds, but hey most people come back for at least another lesson, and many of them are on their way to being origaddicted.
And by stole I mean practically, I just took it from her home and when she realized she asked me, I said yeah but you can have it back I´m already bored with it. And it was gifted to me after that.
Oh also origami theory is just delicious, when people say so it´s just folding little papers right, how hard can it be?, I just go into origami lingo mode.
X

[phoenyx]

I love tomoko fuse stuff!

I go origami mode too all the time . People are what Like when you check out at a craft store after buying paper and the clerk is like, wow what is that stuff even for and you are like, origami stupid and they say, oh I use it to cut up and put on posters and you are like, ,omg you did not just say that! and run out of the store away from evil scissors and clerk.

he he i love your word garrasdecaiman... i am definitely origaddicted!

[folder]

I started doing origami because of my other other passion - sleight of hand . I have been doing both magic and origami for over 35 years. and as an added bonus, chicago public tv had a show with taught origami. as you may know 2 of the origami's best were also world class magicians.
harbin, and neil elias. I had the honor of knowing neil as i would see him at various card magic conventions, etc. and he was also a very good friend of my card mentor Ed Marlo. So I have had the pleasure of seeing origami grow in both complexity and interest to the general public. it was'n too long ago that the "demon" by kawahata and Montroll's "beetle" were the height of complexity.

folder

[ummm]

for me, it started off back in fifth grade. i had transfered to a different school that year, and a lot of people liked origami at my new school. at first, i did not know what the heck origami was, and every time i heard that word, i would think, '' what the heck is this origami?''. i also remember i used to think it was some fantasy book series . and when i finally asked a new friend of mine what origami was, he showed me. he made an origami hammerhead shark and gave it to me. i was so fascinated that i saw him make that from notebook paper that i have been hooked on to origami ever since. nowadays, mostly everyone in my grade says i am the best person at origami in the grade