Handbalancing and stuff lately
Jun. 18th, 2016 06:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flexagonStill 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![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
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
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.
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no subject
Date: 2016-06-23 10:38 pm (UTC)anyway -- i wanna see video because i still wanna help you figure out your press, and am curious what your form looks like in this version.
sounds like an interesting (and unusual) workshop. remind me (privately obvs) who pokemon is and why that nickname?
no subject
Date: 2016-06-26 12:02 am (UTC)I will try for a video tomorrow. Tried already once on Thursday, but couldn't get a representative take with the crowded gym / unfamiliar equipment / etc. Tomorrow at Esh it should be easy -- the video I mean, not the press part. :)
My presses feel best off the floor, with a spot. When they feel good is also when the coaches say they are good, when it feels like I curl up my spine and then forcefully uncurl and that's the up. Pressing from an elevation doesn't feel like I can ever get that "curl" feeling -- physics-wise I suppose it would involve more open shoulders and a tighter curl, to get it -- and pressing up to an elevation feels impossible.
I'm happy to try the wall thing, but I don't really expect it will be my missing link. I've done so many people's "missing links" or "last thing" they needed and none of them have been MY last thing.
Sent the PM already. Not all my nicknames have deep thought behind them. :-)