[carriej]

Awww…hell yeah! Sissybuns, this has been one of the best posts ever! Thanks for sharing the order of how you learned the moves!!! Sometimes, talking it out really helps! I didn’t even know that a reverse aysha existed but after watching some vids decided to give it a shot since you said you learned that one first and guess what…I did it! It was a little shaky one (no where near what you do) but I did it! I’m gonna stick with this one for awhile and practice on both sides to build up my arm and core strength before the I give the regular aysha a go! Thank you so so much! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

My hub jokingly sent me a text this morning bf work saying to learn a new move to show him tonight. I got an archer and a reverse aysha today! Can’t wait to see the look on his face! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_queen.gif

One question on the reverse aysha: as I keep trying it, I notice that my woman area is still touching the pole when my legs go out. Is that how it’s supposed to be or will I get further away from the pole as I get better? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_confused.gif

[carriej]

I’m with littlec, I just need to freakin do it already! I might try it split grip cause that’s how I feel best about extended butterfly. It looks like you just stick the other foot off. Well, you made it seem easy, we’ll see! Did you learn split grip first for extended butterfly and straight edge? Do you think straight edge or straight edge split is easiest?

[carriej]

Whew…I just got another pole move I’ve been trying forever so I’m not too upset that I’m not getting this one yet! I figure if I’m working on about 3 or 4 moves, I’m bound to get one of ’em sooner or later! haha. Anyway, I can get smushed up with my butt up in the air and can get the forearm position but as much as I try, my legs will not go up the pole! hmmm….

[carriej]

I’m in the same boat.

I’m just now trying to link up moves with transitions in between. In my pole class though, our instructor will work with us in one session on like one cool walk to do around the pole, two different spins, a posing moves (like a hip roll wth one leg on the pole), and a trick. She’ll start the song and then you do each thing one at a time with the cool walk in between.

I’ve told the instructor that the transitions are the hardest part for me and they said that it basically is for everyone at the beginning.

The instructors where I go say they never use routines, but just have a list of moves they’d like to do in their head and then just stay on beat with their moves and walk.

[carriej]

Absolutely! When I pole at home, it’s usually more of working on a trick over and over and not a real "dance". So, then I go to pole class and learn a few things and then have to dance to at least 2 or 3 full songs at the end. I felt like such a dork cause I can do some kick ass tricks but SUCK at transitions, at least for now! Last pole class, I finally felt really good about a whole dance.

This is what helped me…different walking moves to break up in between the tricks and spins. For example, drag your toes when you walk around, high step your foot to your knee on each step (like a horse?). I actually felt super sexy on the swing step (inside forward, outside forward, inside backward, outside forward and repeat) and a walk where you step backward on the opposite foot after every forward step.

Plus, for me, the slower the song the better for now so I have the chance to think about what I’ll do next! Fast songs get me all discombobulated! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif

If I can only come up with a way to not feel like a dork when I end up on the floor after sliding down the pole and when we have to run our hands over our body in class, I’ll feel much better.

[carriej]

Yeah, my arms are pretty much in the same position for regular and extended. What I’m saying is that for my regular butterfly I start with a crucifix (take both arms off) then position them which is fine for me but that for an extended one I never take my top hand off the pole which helps me keep my top arm a little higher than if I had taken it off and repositioned. I feel like that gives me a better starting point.

[carriej]

What????? I have to just be quite honest here…I have no idea what all of this means! I can picture a shoulder mount in my head. Can’t do it yet, but can picture it. But when it comes to thinking about a reverse SM, my brain can’t fathom how that works. I read the description but…huh? If someone could point me to a video section that would be great! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif

[carriej]

I just got this a couple weeks ago at pole class. Two things that helped me.

1. This is what my instructor suggested and it worked the first time. Go into inverted crucifix and keep your inside hand where it was during the invert (just never move it). Then your outside arm goes down to the bottom of the pole. This had my hands in a very comfortable position for the move.

2. The big wall mirror in the studio helped me to look at myself when upside down which helped me to find my balance to really extend. Then slowly take the one leg off the pole and slowly slide down to the ankle of the leg still on the pole.

Hope this helps! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

[carriej]

Yeah, I know this forearm pain well. Years of hard rock climbing led to tendonitis in my left elbow and just like Roxy I couldn’t even pick up a soda. It’s one of the most common injuries that climbers get. I tried to push through the pain and eventually had to take a couple months off. I found that wearing an elbow tendonitis band on my forearm most of the day helped as well as anti-inflamatories.

The tendonitis seems to be starting up again with pole. Even when I try to modify moves so less weight is on my left arm, it still hurts. Sometimes, simple things like one armed spins hurt my left arm. So, I think I’m going to try to find a balance between taking it easy but not completely limiting myself. I plan to start wearing the band again for extra support.

[carriej]

I think it is so dead-on what loopie said about getting upside down and then her brain spills out onto the floor. This is how I felt forever trying to the get extended butterfly!!! I would get upside down and then all of a sudden didn’t know if I was pointing my leg behind me, in front of me, straight up at the ceiling??!! I finally learned it at pole class where I could look at myself while upside down in the mirror!

I’m gonna begin attempts at Aysha today! Wish me luck and patience!

[carriej]

I have no idea why but the iguana mount is one of the easiest moves for me (but I suck at some other ones that you guys seem to get with no problem)! Anyway, I did practice headstands against the pole for awhile first. Then, I learned to put my hands in the iguana mount position and kick up just like a headstand. As soon as I was able to hook one ankle/foot behind the pole just one time to help balance, I got the move. It does hurt my elbow really bad though (tendonitis).

[carriej]

This forum is so great! I’m in my 20s now and I agree that I hate when older people talk about all the things they can’t do because they’re "so old"!

It was so cool the other night when I moved up to intermediate pole class because right after our class is the advanced/pro class. The advanced ladies were coming in and everyone was talking about the H1N1 vaccine and one of the advanced women said she was considered too old to get the vaccine and mentioned that she was almost 60! So freaking motivating! I was thinking, "Hell yeah! Here I am busting my behind in intermediate and you’re rocking out the advanced class! Damn, I gotta start practicing more!"

There are so many things I want to try out in life (water skiing, trapeze, arial hoop, arial silk, more pole, scuba…) I plan to keep on regardless of age. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_queen.gif

[carriej]

Roxy-pink-
it’s so funny how we all learn in different orders! I’ve been trying butterfly for almost 3 weeks and just could not get it! I finally got it tonight but the only grip that I can do it in so far is forearm. I feel like it gives me extra strengh or something! I haven’t figured out the regular or elbow yet! At least I just got the body position.

[carriej]

WOOOOHOOOOO! I switched which side I invert on so that my legs are switched as to which is in front and back and then I can release the proper leg! I am so psyched! Are you all able to the butterfly on both sides or just your strong side? I can’t do it with my weak arm down!

[carriej]

I find that it’s more about pushing up with your legs than pulling up with your arms. It’s funny. Here a flashback: When we were kids my brother could climb up anything. We had this super fat (like 3 or 4 inches) fireman pole that my dad put up next to our swingset and my bro could always climb all the way to the top anytime he felt like it. I tried and tried but never got anywhere even though he tried over and over to explain it and help me. Now that I got my pole I realize it’s about push not pull and that at least one foot has to stay behind the pole. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif