Linking and Unlinking Rings

The Linking Rings is a very old trick that has gone through many changes. One person responsible for
that change was Richard Ross when he did his world champion four ring routine in slow motion. It was a thing
of beauty. Ross replaces the fast method of carelessly linking the rings and created a series of moves that helped
him win FISM (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques).
Even from a magician’s perspective it seemed just like magic when Ross took two rings and they slowly
melted together. Timing and misdirection is the key to this way of linking.
I’ve been doing the rings for years, but did the standard eight ring routine. I always wanted to do Richard
Ross’ routine and never bought his book. I heard that his book was in the Magic Castle library, but I wasn’t as yet
a member. So instead, I created my own four ring routine.
When I practiced, I did it for my roommate who was an assistant to Mark Wilson. She saw every time I
secretly linked the rings. I told her that was because being an assistant to a magician, she knew the subtleties, but
didn’t back down in her assertion. It was a good thing, because that made me work at it so it was undetectable.
I soon auditioned for the Castle and got in. After being a member I went to the Mecca that was their
library. I was in heaven. I looked up Richard Ross’ book. I read his routine and of course liked it. However, even
though my quest was to learn his routine, I had grown fond of mine. But, I did learn the correct method to link-
ing and unlinking the rings. Richard Ross has the best linking technique. It’s based on Herman L. Weber’s meth-
od in his book, Lincoln Rings.
I will share that with you now, with a few subtleties of my own.
Like I stated earlier, timing and misdirection is the key as well as knowing when to control the atten-
tion of the audience. This linking is not done on the beat. It’s done on the offbeat. Meaning, you will link it long
before they are aware that you are doing so. That’s how my roommate was able to catch me. The beauty to Ross’
method is that he knows that the shinning metal confuses the audience’s eyes. They don’t know when it’s linked
and when it’s not.
The ring with the gap is called the key. You must develop a natural way of handling it. Never grip the key
like a ton of bricks with a death grip. This is a sure sign that you are hiding something. There are many ways of
holding the rings depending on the linking method. For the Ross’ method, hold the rings with the index and
middle in front and the thumb in the back. The rest of the fingers are held open.
Eventually the single ring will pass through this key. But, I find that if you move the right index finger
as you are doing it, there is a danger of the audience noticing it. You don’t want the index finger to open which
would be a tell-tale sign to the audience that you are doing something secret. Every eye will go to this finger. This
was how my roommate was able to catch me.
My own subtlety on it is to treat this finger covering the gap as a locking key. Think of it as an extension
of the ring. This “locking key” is a strong steal spring that does not open on its own, but must be pushed against
like one of those clips you have on your house keys.
If you have ever pushed something in it, you can feel the resistance of the item. The spring of the clip
makes it difficult to open unless you push real hard against it. When you do and it does open, the spring snaps it
shut. That’s the feeling you want to recreate. Now this right index finger must not move on it’s own. What I mean
is that when the rings are linked and unlinked, you do not want this finger to show a visible movement tipping
off that something is happening.
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 With the right hand, take the key ring as in figure 1. Notice in figure 2 how the index finger is extended
past the gap in the ring as if it’s an extension of the ring. The left hand holds the its ring just like the one in the
right, even thought there is no gap to hide. See figure 3.

Fig. 2

Fig. 1

Fig. 3

The single ring in the left hand is brought behind the key. Notice how the rings are up towards the face.
See figure 4. See figure 5 for the magicians point of view.
Remember, no magic is happening yet. Notice in figure 4 how the eyes are not even looking at the rings.
No focus should be on the rings at this point. If you are using patter, this would be the time to talk about the
properties of the ring or any other set-up to trick. This is the home position.

Fig. 5

Fig. 4

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 The hands move up so the fingers briefly meet at the top. Both hands twist towards each other as in
figure 6 as the arm and hand’s move in the direction of the arrows until it goes to chest level. Stop when you get
there. Figure 7 is from the magicians point of view

Fig. 6 Fig. 7

This is the point Ross secretly links them. As the hands move up, the ring in the rear approaches the
gap. He does it more at the top of the rings, but I like to do when the ones in the left hand reaches the gap. Once
again, notice the point where is says, “opening”.
When the ring in the left hand comes to this gap in the key, it presses forward against the right index
finger. Remember, it’s like a steel spring. The ring in the left hand pushes against this “spring” until it’s free. As
soon as it does, the index finger snaps back into place. Remember, there no movement of this finger. The rings
are now linked at this point. But, do not... I repeat… do not reveal this as of yet.
Then move the hands back into the home position by moving them in opposite directions; the right
hand to the right, the left hand to the left. See figure 8. This reverses what you just did. Like I stated before, be-
cause of the shininess of the rings, the audience will not be able to tell that they are linked. Do not reveal it from
your face.

Fig. 8

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 Now the linking will start very slowly as if the metal is melting through each other. Rub the in a very
small circular pattern. Start to separate the rings. You want to convey that the rings are not linked yet. The magic
has not worked yet. Move the hands until you get real close to the point where you can go no further. See figure
9.

Fig. 9

Rub the rings again. Now make a slight pulling of each ring in the op-
posite direction. The rings have now “linked”.
Pause to let the effect sink in. Fig. 10
With the left hand, drop the ring and let it dangle so the audience can
see that it is indeed linked. Hold it up with the right hand to show it as in
figure 10.
Unlink:

To unlink, the left hand picks up the ring that is free. Move the hands up as you
did before into the home position. Stop.
Then once again, twist the wrists inwards towards each other. See figure 11. Un-
link the rings and bring the rings back up again into the home position. But, don’t reveal it as yet. Here you will
do the most beautiful of Ross’ move.
Start to rub the rings again. As in figure 12, move the hands away from each other as stop when you get
to the point where two ends meet. They are unlinked, but once again it’s difficult to tell it. Even in the illustra-
tion, it looks like it’s still linked. Pretend like you have reach a resistance to the two rings as if they are still linked.
Miming this as if it will not come free.
Pull back a bit and rub the rings. Then slowly move away and make it look like the metal just melted
away.

Fig. 11 Fig. 12 Fig. 13

Practice in front of a mirror so you can appreciate how magical this looks.

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