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Behind the head grip
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I didn’t meant to condone locking the fingers. That’s a bad idea for exactly the reason you said, no way to catch yourself if you fall. I just meant to say as far as all the standard grips go, it seems the key to SM is just patience no matter which grip feels most comfy.
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…And this is why I love this forum. You realize, ladies, that this could have totally exploded in some kind of poop-fligning estrogen-fest, and I probably would have been like "Oh yeah, that’s women for you." I’ve worked with, and spoken to, a lot of women who WOULD start freaking out, just because you disagreed! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rambo.gif
And yet, you guys simply talked it out! It was heartwarming, and makes me wonder if it’s just the town I live in! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
Anyways, I’m not necessarily going to be full-on shouldermounting yet! I know it’s one of the hardest inversions to do, and I know I don’t have the strength for it…but as previously suggested, I might try it from the floor, just to see about the core strength and arm strength required, and also perhaps to exercise those muscles, so that one day I can SM gracefully.
I think I understand Veena’s reasoning behind keeping the hands farther apart, because this can give a person more leverage, and requires less strength (perhaps only slightly), but PDR, could you describe yours for me? Are you suggesting keeping the thumbs and hands together, and cupping the pole behind my head? Or something else?
Sorry, I’m a little sick, and get kind of confused https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif -
Ok! I have learned a hell of a lot on the shoulder mount https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif Everyone’s response was great and actually made me more confident in trying the shoulder mount. NOW I CAN DO THE SHOULDER MOUNT https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif I will still continue to practice from the floor to build strength (more on core) so that I can roll up into it a little more graceful. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_salut.gif
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Runemist: Nope, I use the standard cup grip. It is less stable than some other grips, but it was what felt best for me, so I took particular care with building my strength so I wasn’t taking any unnecessary risks. Just anatomically, that was what was most comfortable with me. I’ve had some troubles with my elbow so some of my first attempts at veena grip and foreward grip, I felt a pinch in my elbow. Now that my joints are stronger, veena grip works too. Using standard cup grip just felt more comfortable to me, and I did go to wikipole and try them all. Cup felt best, so cup’s what I stuck with. What’s really important if you’re going to try any grip, and I think veena put this in her awesome SM lesson, is that the pole be on the correct shoulder for whatever your dominant hand is. Just watch her SM lesson, she talks you through the positioning really, really well.
I wonder why I’m a weirdo and cup felt best. Maybe it’s just because my biceps are so strong, and cup grip utilizes that.
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Now see poledanceromance, you just gave the perfect example of something that isn’t said enough. Everyone need to work within there bodies abilities do what is most comfortable. If a move is painful don’t do it. A good example is when you talked about your elbow and the Veena grip. In ANY exercise or sport your far less likely to have an injury if you work within your Range of motion, everyone is different. I also first learned the SM with the cup grip so your not a weirdo. LOL https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cyclops_ani.gif Remember ladies safety first https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_safesex.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_safesex.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_safesex.gif LOL
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LMAO!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
500 points to Veena for hilarious usage of safe sex icon!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
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poledanceromance your not weird I do the cup grip too…the other grips feel weird to me…everyone’s different though https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
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I really meant no harm! When I first started dancing, I saw the SM done with interlocked fingers. That’s how I tried it, that’s how I learned it, that’s how I practiced it, that’s how I still do it. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_eek.gif But even though it worked for me, the general consensus is that it’s definitely NOT a good way for beginners to learn and for that I’m really sorry. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif I really appreciate everyone’s feedback!
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No, no silly don’t apologize! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_geek.gif Its all good https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif
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I agree with not locking the fingers together. As mentioned it’s not safe as you will have a more difficult time catching yourself if your hold fails, plus the closeness of the hands provides less leverage. It’s also very bad for the joints of your fingers to put that sort of pressure on them with this grip.
I learned with and prefer the cupped hold however I now can use any grip for the sake of teaching. In the cupped hold your hands would be approximately 6 inches apart for better leverage…I think any further than that and your hold actually becomes less stable once your hips are above your head.
(another tip is elbows should be slightly forward)
A good practice is not so much the leg kicks as she shows in the video from Studio Soiree (though those are good for new/beginners to practice) but as a student gets stronger and ready for this move we recommend half lifts…rolling both knees up together in a reverse crunch up to the pole.
The closer your center of gravity is to the pole, the easier it will be to lift…legs stretched out and away from the pole makes turning up and over more difficult.
So our students are doing half lifts or reverse crunches until they feel more stable and gain the strength to go up and over.
I don’t know what the Veena grip is? I tried to find it but can’t search as the "terms are too common" for the search function and I saw one video on youtube…it appears that after you lift half way you SWITCH from both hands in the cupped hold to what I know as the princess grip where the top hand is turned thumb up while the bottom hand stays cupped.
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Heres a pIc
https://www.studioveena.com/StudioVeena" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;You do not switch the hand during mid move….I have, and you could, but thats not the point of the grip….. your low arm will be on the same side as shoulder that is resting on the pole, that elbow points forward, and is just above the head, in a cup grip. The top arm is fully extended and knuckles are facing forward, (your not using a cup) its like a Chinese forward grip but with the arm fully extended. This gives you a lot of control at the top of the shoulder mount, so its great for super inverts….Jenyne called it the Flip grip, but when I first came up with the hold, Fleur and I had never seen it so we just called it the Veena grip. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/alien.gif
video with it…at 2:24
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snLkNp6Vyeg&feature=fvw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; -
Jenyne’s flip grip! That’s the one she advises to use for the shoulder mount flip.
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Alright, so one hand is in the front, which is extended, thumb going around the pole and fingers together, and the other arm is bent, and hand is behind the pole. Did I get that right? That’s the "Veena grip?" This is the one I should try? Depending, of course, on how comfortable I am with it. I might be comfortable with another, we don’t know https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif
So, that’s the second way I’ve seen it done, technically. The first is the one with both hands behind, one mostly extended up and one slightly closer to the head, and this one. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif -
So here are the different shoulder mount variations that ive seen and the most common name for each. Veena, youll have to tell me which one is the veena grip…
Cup Grip – this is the grip i teach to beginners. imo, its the safest and you get the most leverage. I also teach it from the floor, as you learn to utilize the correct muscles to execute it in a controlled way, rather than relying on some momentum from a kick to get up. good for a shoulder mount flip into split next to the pole.. also some use it for the shoulder mount flip onto the pole, i feel it torques the wrist too much though.
https://www.studioveena.comhttp:://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3744/dscn1153u.jpg
Apprentice Grip – this is a good grip for shoulder mounting into a sm flip. youll see the australians use this grip quite a bit. This grip takes more strength in the arms, and abs to lift into but it is a secure grip for sm flip on the pole and holding a super invert type poses.
https://www.studioveena.comhttp:://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6629/dscn1164xs.jpg
Flip Grip – I believe this is the one that jenyne teaches..? This one is also good for a shoulder mount flip as the position of the top hand eliminates torque and ends in and upright position after the flip. Ive been trying to do this one more lately, but it feels a bit harder than the cup grip.
https://www.studioveena.comhttp:://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7238/dscn1160z.jpg
Princess Grip – This is the one that i first learned. Like veritcaltherapy it was the way that i saw it done before i ever knew there was another way to do it or that it was even dubbed a ‘shoulder mount’. I still use this grip from time to ime, but i tend to use the cup grip more nowadays. It is a pretty secure grip if you have the range of motion in your wrists and fingers. **please not i was using my timer to take these of myself and i was rushing to get into position before the shutter snapped.. the bottom hand should be a bit closer to the elbow of the extended arm..**
https://www.studioveena.comhttp:://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1816/dscn1169m.jpg
Funky grip – dunno what this one is really called, but i call it the funky grip. Ive seen very few people use this variation and my jury is still out on whether its safe, good for the wrists, reliable.. ect. After seeing someone in a workshop use this grip, i tried it and it did not feel secure. but the girl who used it, learned it that way and it was what was comfortable for her… she executed it in a controlled way and seemed confident with it.
https://www.studioveena.comhttp:://img532.imageshack.us/img532/8558/dscn1161.jpg
Personally, ive never tried the interlocking of the fingers. But i feel like it can be risky. You always want to have your hands ready and available to react and catch if need be. Even the pros slip up time from time. Having the fingers interlocked would cause you to have less of a reaction time with your hands. I guess its not a wrong way, but its definately a risky grip and should not be taught to beginners.
Listen to your body and figure out what feels good for you..!!
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Isnt the apprentice grip the same as the "respect grip" I remember seeing a bunch of shouldermount grips on wikipole. the bottom one you call funky is the chinese grip used in circ.
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