Handbalancing and stuff lately
Jun. 18th, 2016 06:10 pmStill going well, in a certain way. It's a long slow process, this learning of handstands, and one thing that helps is making peace with that fact.
("Effort needn't be struggling and straining, it can be relaxed perseverence.")
I wanted to write how on Wednesday I worked on mexican handstands w/o a spot for the first time maybe ever, and how my walking is such an interesting exercise in something that feels wrong but goes a little better every time. And how I finally jumped into standing hand-to-hand with a base whose timing I've never been able to feel before, twice, in acro, and it felt good. I didn't, though, so anything deep I meant to say about those things is gone.
Today I took a 2-hr workshop with a Cirque du Soleil handbalancer (you saw her if you saw Amaluna), and she ran the whole thing basically as private lessons, working briefly and individually with each of the 12 or 13 people there. I think it might have been a pedagogical shitshow, but it was fun -- with the rest of us just practicing and hanging out, it felt like an open studio just for handbalancers. It was nice to see
serrin, and to see such a range of people all in one place.
I got some really good holds of my own, broke my record on consecutive Charlie Chaplin kicks -- 14! -- and traded spotting with a friend. And, along with everyone, laughed merrily at the teacher's critique of Pokemon's form as she tried to teach him a figa, 'cause it's good clean fun to watch your coach getting coached.
The performer gave me a "press against the wall" exercise in my five-minute private lesson, with a progression to work through. The idea is to let my head touch the wall, and press up starting with my feet on blocks (I can just barely do this, not every time). Once I can do 10, add light ankle weights and again practice until I can do 10. Then do it from the floor without weights, and then with weights, and only then try it in the middle of the room. Is this a good progression? It might be! I think I'll try it.
heisenbug, watching this, said he finally understands what a disadvantage my long torso provides me with handstand presses. True! See also: long and skinny. I'm going to get it though.
("Effort needn't be struggling and straining, it can be relaxed perseverence.")
I wanted to write how on Wednesday I worked on mexican handstands w/o a spot for the first time maybe ever, and how my walking is such an interesting exercise in something that feels wrong but goes a little better every time. And how I finally jumped into standing hand-to-hand with a base whose timing I've never been able to feel before, twice, in acro, and it felt good. I didn't, though, so anything deep I meant to say about those things is gone.
Today I took a 2-hr workshop with a Cirque du Soleil handbalancer (you saw her if you saw Amaluna), and she ran the whole thing basically as private lessons, working briefly and individually with each of the 12 or 13 people there. I think it might have been a pedagogical shitshow, but it was fun -- with the rest of us just practicing and hanging out, it felt like an open studio just for handbalancers. It was nice to see
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I got some really good holds of my own, broke my record on consecutive Charlie Chaplin kicks -- 14! -- and traded spotting with a friend. And, along with everyone, laughed merrily at the teacher's critique of Pokemon's form as she tried to teach him a figa, 'cause it's good clean fun to watch your coach getting coached.
The performer gave me a "press against the wall" exercise in my five-minute private lesson, with a progression to work through. The idea is to let my head touch the wall, and press up starting with my feet on blocks (I can just barely do this, not every time). Once I can do 10, add light ankle weights and again practice until I can do 10. Then do it from the floor without weights, and then with weights, and only then try it in the middle of the room. Is this a good progression? It might be! I think I'll try it.
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