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#AerialAntics - Week 3


Wait, what happened to week 2?!


In class, the girls and I shortly talked about the hurricane weather from the week before; since some of us didn't show up while others did. As we talked we stretched out on our own. Then our instructor came over and had us find our silks for the day.We reviewed a straight arm hang. From that position we completed 10 leg raises.


Afterwards we reviewed our leg stands. Then moved on to "Climbing" at least once. Essentially for as long as it takes you, you're holding on to the rope with both hands.

  1. You release your foot hold on the silk

  2. Shimmy your legs up further while pulling yourself up (arms)

  3. Then attempt to relock into that basic leg stand.

Let's just say I couldn't get it. We practiced that maneuver twice on each side.


There's always a developmental stage


Moving on, we practiced our basic foot lock and stand. This time the instructor got up and showed us what the new maneuver looked like. It's called a "Cocoon", where at the end you're encased inside the silks and it's wrapped around your back while you're sitting right above the ground. We looked at her like you've got to be kidding us. Now the end result sounds easy right? That's not what we were concerned about.

  1. So, the first thing you do after getting into your standing foot lock is separate the rope into the two ribbons.

  2. Then you stick your free leg (the one not in the foot lock) through the ribbons along with the same side shoulder. This way one ribbon is in front of you (middle of your chest) and the other behind you (middle of your shoulder blades).

  3. Now, with only your ability to balance yourself; you let go of the ribbon on front of you to grab the one behind you.

  4. The one behind you is the one you're going to spread apart until the fabric hugs you on either side of your hips.

  5. Lastly, you're going to slowly sink down into a sitting position.


You must continue to hold onto the ribbon that you've spread apart behind you. Your grip is critical for not falling. And that ladies and gentlemen is how you get into your Cocoon. As always to get out of it you repeat the same steps backwards.


Sitting pretty in my Cocoon!

I think I'm ready to fly!


Our next new maneuver of the day is a "Sail". Starting from step 4 of the Cocoon, if you remember correctly one of the ribbons is positioned in-between your legs and rests in the middle of your chest.

  1. As you're holding the spread apart ribbon behind you maneuver your free leg (left leg) around the ribbon in front of you.

  2. The ribbon should now be on the left side of your body with nothing else keeping you balanced.

  3. Once you're free of that other ribbon you start to lean your body down. Make sure your arms are at a 90 degree angle and that your elbows are tucked in and properly facing forward not outward.

This is the tricky part now because all you have is your grip on the ribbon behind you and the foot lock on your right leg. This time we ask that you don't face plant on the mat. This can lead to you injuring your neck to injuring your foot/ankle that is wrapped up in the silks.

They care way more about the proper form then they care about you doing the move with the wrong form. I managed to do this, but just barely.


Hopefully I'll have a picture for you next week!


I'm not ready to go upside down, but sure let's try it!


Alright, the very last thing we practiced was a "Ball". Our instructor showed us how you get into it, and she did it so gracefully you'd think that it was as easy as riding a bike. No.

  1. So get into a should lock off. This maneuver will test your upper body strength, not to mention your willpower and self confidence.

  2. Essentially all you're doing is spinning your body upside down and hanging from the silks.

  3. Your back needs to be straight and your legs are tucked, pelvic in to keep you up.


I didn't quite get this one, but boy did I try. I kept launching myself back into that flip. I would at least get into the air but my body and gravity would put me right back where I started. At one point the instructor pointed out what another student was doing and said that for right now we could "cheat" our way into the position if needed.


So when you double yourself backwards try to catch your legs on either side of the ribbons attached to your arms. Then wiggle your way into the Ball. I did it once but I couldn't hold it, and that's okay.


The beautiful thing about aerial arts is that everyone works at their own pace. Sometimes you're successful right off the bat. Other times it'll take you anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to get a maneuver down.


Don't forget to check out more of my #AerialAntics from the other weeks!

 

What have you done to go #BeyondYourWindow recently? Share on social media with the hashtag, comment below, or send me a private message!

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