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Useful aysha tip
This seems like one of the most commonly asked about pole moves on this and other forums, and has taken me awhile to learn. But I learnt a great tip at a lesson on the weekend that made a huge difference.
There were some claims made in the class that I have some doubts about (Felix Cane invented the twisted grip aysha, but it only counts if your left hand is closest to the floor, and there should be no danger in placing full body weight on a severely hyperextended and unstable elbow – that doesn't all sound right, does it?) BUT the actual technique advice was really useful.
For both the split and twisted grip aysha you're meant to hang off your top (ie, closest to the ceiling) hand more than support yourself on your bottom (closest to floor) hand.
When I tried this it completely squared up my body, and helped me find my balance point. All of a sudden I can just sit in a split grip aysha idly playing with leg position with no trouble. And do a twisted grip aysha with my crazy hyperextended left arm closest to the floor – I can't even do a butterfly with my left hand down, but I suddenly had a solid aysha on it. I think all of the girls in the class got their SG aysha that session and the studio doesn't teach elbow and forearm grip versions, and I don't think the extended butterfly has been covered at all yet. And yet, here was an aysha! It was crazy town! (But, plenty of more advanced moves requiring strength had already been taught, so it's not like it was being taught dangerously early, more that butterflies are taught weirdly late)
So it seems like a fairly powerful tip.
Having said that, I'm sure it won't work for everyone because they might be doing something different wrong. And I'm not sure I would chose to teach a sg aysha before a butterfly myself… but to each their own. Still, I thought I'd pass it on!
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24 Replies
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Thanks so much for this. I'm onto this move now 🙂 I can do an extended butterfly and the d-shape in split grip… I'm reallly trying to get this move 🙂
I will try to remember to hang off the top arm!
How do you get into the split grip? From cruicifix and then lower the legs? (I always try from a D).
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I wish I'd read this before I went to class tonight! I've been struggling with this move for SO long!! Will have to try next time:)
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I wish I'd read this before I went to class tonight! I've been struggling with this move for SO long!! Will have to try next time:)
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I first got into the split grip from and inverted crucifix and then slid down into a jacknife. I first got the twisted grip from an inverted D.
On the weekend we were told to start in an inverted crucifix, get into split grip, and then slide our legs down the pole (so they'd be bent rather than going into inverted D). But then we quickly had to move onto entering from a scorpio.(Right leg is inside leg and hooks the pole. Bring hands into split grip with right hand down, bring left leg over in front of your body, release into aysha.) Apparently some people find that easier, but I know I certainly dont :p
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Not to derail your thread, but I like to go into Aysha from a Caterpillar. If you do a strong caterpillar (so your thighs are parallel to the floor and butt is HIGH) then place your hands, your butt is already in the right place and you can begin to release your legs. I don't know what you mean by an inverted D (maybe same thing?)
Interested to go try your Aysha suggestions tomorrow. I get some pain/fatigue from TG, maybe I need to think of it differently.
Who taught your class?
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yesterday was an epic fail 🙁
GRRRRRR!
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Aww that sucks, sorry to get your hopes up. Chances are it will just "click" one day soon and you'll be like "What the hell???"
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No worries… it will come on its own time 🙂
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Just found this thread and am excited to try the tip of hanging from top arm. I can forearm grip aysha but have been struggling with split grip, TG, and elbow grip forever!! i am strong enough to hold themove i just keep losing balance and falling out of the move and am soooo frustrated i could cry!!
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@lilblondie – I had a similar issue with the TG when I first tried it, so I tried really strengthening the shoulders at the gym, it helped a lot. Because your top arm is straight, you really have to use your shoulder muscles to keep your body up.
I get into my split grip and twisted grip aysha from a cartwheel, although I wouldn't recommend learning it that way because you can really injure yourself if you're not used to the movement and holding the position. As for my elbow grip, I'm the same as lilblondie – I get into it from a catepillar. Amy has some great tips on getting into the elbow grip aysha, without her blog, I wouldn't have been able to get it so quickly:
http://aerialamy.com/blog/2011/07/12/tuesday-tips-elbow-grip-ayesha/
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thanks for the shoutout aerialvixen!
cinara, this is really itneresting! i love to hear new tips on how to help students get into stuff. but i'm curious– most of the time students have difficulty with grip on the top hand and usually don't build up the confidence in their grip until well after they've done extended butterfly. just curious– what size poles were you doing the workshop on? i wonder if that makes a difference.
for the split grip ayesha, i find that when people try to hang off the top arm, they end up with their hands very far apart, chest close to the pole. i've seen a lot of aussie polers do their split grip ayesha this way, but i favor a more pulled out ayesha, if that makes sense– which makes it more of a power move pushing through the bottom arm and using the top arm just to keep your body from falling away from the pole.
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just realised I hadn’t read cinara’s comments properly… For split grip my bottom arm holds most of my weight and I have a bent upper arm that controls how close/far my torso is to the pole. I generally lean away from the pole for an ayesha (which I think is what Amy is referring to when she said pulled out). As for TG, my top arm is straight and I hold a lot more weight in the top compared to the bottom, so it is almost as though I’m hanging off it, but you still need strength in your shoulders to keep you in place…
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Amy, we were on 38mm brass poles, which probably explains why top hand grip wasn't a huge issue! I'm still struggling to get a consistent split grip aysha on 50mm, so that's probably a good thing to think about.
I found that placing weight on my bottom arm was just too much stress on my forearm and I got some nasty strained muscles. Also, since I have to learn left hand down and my left elbow straightens 20 degrees past straight, I don't think it will ever support my weight from below.
When first learning an aysha with this technique it is very close to the pole. We seem to mostly get the distance from the pole by going into a deeper straddle and making our backs closer to parallel with the floor. So it's a matter of tilting away rather than holding ourselves away. Now I've got a bit more confident I think a more accurate description would be that the top hand takes all the weight and the bottom hand is just there to push you away from the pole.
I've never been able to figure out having a bent upper arm in an aysha – well except for an elbow grip. I tend to twist sideways. I keep my arm bent for cup grip, but that doesn't feel stable until I'm almost in an iron x! Maybe I have weird shoulders?
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Cinara- Can you post a video of your positioning?
@ Amy – Just so you know- I had been trying unsuccessfully at elbow grip Aysha as well- until I read your blog! I am soo othankful to you because it just wasnt clicking before!
Your common mistakes hit it on the nail for me. I had my daughter read them to me as I tried and made the corrections – grip close to my knee, round my back…and just like that had the eg ayesha! So, THANK YOU!!!
Before it had seemed like a way off dream!
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Wow, thanks Paulettepoles! That definitely gave me the warm and glowies on a dreary morning =) I really appreciate that you told me, i love getting feedback =))
Cinara, I have a hyperextended elbow as well- definitely not as severe as yours, but I understand your frustration. this may sound dumb but have you consciously looked down at your elbow as you set it, to make sure that you are NOT hyperextended? meaning, get your arm to "straight", make sure the flat of the pit of your elbow and the flat of your wrist are aligned, and then bear weight on that? i have quite a few students who hyperextend (all asian, for some reason) and that helps them a lot, in bracket holds and in cartwheel mounts. just a thought =)
if you're having issues with the bent arm ayehsa, it's likely that you are pulling in with the bent arm instead of bracing against the pull of your body– in other words, pulling in too much through the bicep, causing you to twist. the sensation, if i were to describe it, is more like a row– keeping the elbow bent by engaging the muscles in the back, engaging the shoulder and pulling the scapula into neutral to keep the shoulders squaer with the pole. does that make sense? it's easiest to feel in a cartwheel mount, for me personally. i got the cartwheel WAY before i had the confidence to drop into a SG ayesha because of grip issues — the same way I got an iguana mount WAY before i got a crosos ankle release into lunchbox. sliding down into a move alwyas feels scarier for my grip then setting hands and going up into it.
it's too bad, i think that the SG ayesha that they taught is really only possible on a very skinny pole (becausey ou are relying on the grip of the top arm) and it's very different because your'e really not engaging teh same muscles. that's not to say you didn't get it! you did. but i'm not sure that it's transferrable to teaching students on a 50mm. =T
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