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beginner class and one handed spins!
Okay, so it has been difficult getting back into poling since I took about 6 months off because of my health. I decided I needed to get off my butt so I thought I would go back to a studio that I went to once but purchased several lessons from there (before I found out about StudioVeena).
Let me start by saying I went to a BEGINNER class. Over half of the students have never touched a pole and the other students have only been to a couple of classes. They started these students doing one handed spins! Yes, you read that correct. They taught the fireman spin and then taught it with only one hand! Then they did the flirty firman but only with one hand. They taught 2 more spins and both of those were one handed spins too! I couldn't believe it!
Every time I saw a woman start to do one of these spins, I just cringed because I was so afraid someone would get seriously hurt. These women would start to spin and then just fall (some crashed) to the floor – some of the falls were pretty bad. No one was successful on their spins.
I couldn't believe this! I had purchased 10 lessons from this place and I still have 8 more lessons to go. I am totally afraid to go back there. I feel that is not a safe place to be!
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8 Replies
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Is this just one instructor that is doing this? Are you able to speak to the owner? I have been to studios where they taught bracket spins to beginners and I waitied until the instructor was close and asked her if I could do it with a different hand position. She questioned me and when I told her I had injured myself doing it the way she showed she allowed me modify it. I did not want to disrupt the class but I also was not about to do something that I knew was incorrect.
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A similar situation happened to me. I went to a beginners class and the first thing the instructor showed us was a fireman spin and then a side spin! I had taken a few classes before so it wasn't such a big problem for me but for most of the other girls it was their very first lesson and they didn't even know how to hold the pole. Some of them fell flat on their butts. The instructor was acting like she was totally expecting us to do this and we just weren't trying hard enough. I didn't go to that studio again. Was too afraid of what would happen if she started us on inverts on our third lesson!
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Similar story with me too. First and only pole class I have ever attended – a beginners class, of course – and we were learning INVERTS. How did we get into them? Kick and hope for the best! How dangerous!
I already had a lot of core strength before I started poling, but no arm strength at that point. Most of the other beginners could barely even kick up very high and had to have the instructor spot (or perhaps I should say "lift") them to get upside down on the pole. Needless to say I have not gone back (partially because I didn't want to spend all the money on lessons as a broke college student!)
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Hang in there. (no pun intended.) Maybe they have a "beginner" beginner pole class? Most spins can be practiced two handed, even flying spins. Once you feel strong enough you should then remove your additional hand. Talk to the owner or try another instructor. Maybe see if they have another class that is more beginner. At our studio we have a pole class that your feet don't leave the floor, you are building strength without the fear aspect of lifting your feet off the floor and having to fold your body weight.
Sometimes an instructor can be distracted by the amount of students in the class and forget to talk about techniques, even though this is the most important chat you should have with your students. Shoulders down, don't over grip, stand tall……… then spin? -
We didn’t start learning bracket grip spins until about 7 weeks into our beginner level 1 class. And we ALWAYS learn modifications. Inverts weren’t done until after about 16-18 weeks, and we work all of these muscle groups in a 40 minute training before the pole work begins.
Some studios are seriously crazy. I went to a different studio before finding my home studio, and they tried having me climb the pole and do hustler rolls before my first class even ended.
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I think sometimes because they are SO advanced instructors forget the beginner moves and how difficult they really are when you first start poling! It’s no excuse for poor instruction but simply telling them that you are struggling or asking for an alternative easier move/variation of that move might remind them of your level.
In one of the classes I have been to the instructor has never mentioned putting matts under your pole, but I always do and so others have followed. Sometimes you can be a good teacher too 🙂 -
Check in with the studio, your instructor and the studio's class levels. If you don't feel they are the right fit for you, explain why to the studio manager, note that you are new and most importantly have used only 2 of a 10 card session. I'd see if they would pro-rate a refund and move on if you come to the conclusion that this is not the place for you at this time. Framing your reasons in a positive manner hopefully keeps the doors open to a return when conditions are different for both parties.
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