Steven Youell – The Classic Force

The Classic Force has sparked numerous intense discussions online, and I was involved in one of the earliest debates. This was back in the days of dial-up modems, so it was quite a while ago. The conversation was with T.A. Waters, and it escalated when I claimed I could Classic Force the four Aces on four different individuals consecutively without them realizing it was a force. Mr. Waters contested this, arguing that it couldn’t be achieved without some form of coercion, which would alert the audience.

He remained unconvinced until he witnessed it firsthand, which was a reasonable stance, as the term “bullying” can be quite subjective, especially in the realm of card magic.

Years later, I handed my nephew a video camera and promised him that if he filmed me playfully annoying people at a mall, he could enjoy looking at pretty girls and choose whatever he wanted from the food court. Here’s a glimpse of what we captured:

Many magicians hesitate to master the Classic Force due to several misconceptions:

• They think the timing is overly challenging to master.
• They believe the Classic Force is less dependable than alternative methods.
• They worry that a mistake during a performance would leave them unable to recover.

I’ve authored a comprehensive monograph on the Classic Force that tackles these concerns head-on. I genuinely believe that if you’re eager to learn this technique, you won’t find a more effective resource. And the best part? It’s only $12.00!