Last Updated on June 27, 2021 by Staff
The Muppet Grip is a variant of the Dangling Stick grip. A key characteristic that Dangling Stick inherits from Chicken Claws is dangling of the bottom chopstick. Throughout the alternating motion of extending and closing tips of chopsticks, the bottom chopstick dangles almost freely, held onto by only the base of the thumb against the purlicue. Another characteristic inherited from Dangling Stick is the blatant disregard for the proper use of the tip segment of the thumb. Only the base of the thumb is used when closing tips of chopsticks.
On top of these deviations from the Standard Grip, Muppet Grip adds another change. It replaces the middle finger with the ring finger. Thus the top chopstick is no longer caged in by the index finger and the middle finger. Instead it is sandwiched by the index finger against the ring finger. This difference is illustrated in the image below, showing the closed postures of the Muppet grip compared to the Dangling Stick grip.
The closed posture of both grip types are shown below.
The etymology of this grip is evident. Just look at the two videos shown below.
Muppet Grip is, in most ways, equivalent to Dangling Grip. It suffers from the same issues plaguing Dangling Grip, including lack of leverage. Users of Muppet Grip may learn to twirl chopsticks with Standard Grip, thus increasing their leverage on food items. This can be done by mastering the 1-on-2-support technique for holding the bottom chopstick, and the tripod hold technique for manipulating the top chopstick. It would be nice to be able to switch chopstick grips mid-dinner, to entertain your guests.
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More on Dangling Stick
The Dangling Stick article houses more details on that grip, including its finger dynamics, its apparent crossedness, and how it leverages gravity to assist when extending chopsticks apart. Head over there next, as these mostly apply to Muppet as well.
Taiwanese: 布袋戲
This grip is known as 布袋戲 (pò͘-tē-hì, or pòo-tē-hì) in Taiwanese. The Muppets are not a thing in Taiwan. But glove puppetry is.
