Order to learn in

Dazzler · August 13th, 2019, 12:29 AM

I've been skating as a hobby since the spring and want to learn more artistic skating. I live near a rink but there are no lessons or coaches. And though most of the more experienced skaters are happy to help anyone who wants to learn something they can do, none of the current regulars have any real artistic experience and we're all basically learning from youtube.

I could always skate, but this year I've learned to crossover, skate backwards, transition, side surf, slalom backwards and forwards, arabesque backwards and forwards on both legs and can move that into shoot the duck, but I can't come back out of it on one leg. Skate backwards, forwards and sideways on heels or toes. I can do the barrel roll. I can 3 turn, though mainly forwards outside edge, so my current goal is to get all of the 3 turns.

Jumping. I can jump 180˚ to change direction. I can bunny hop and do a sort of half mapes (the one recently posted on Dirty School of Skate). I can waltz jump, though I saw a video of me doing it and it's so obvious that I'm completely in my head through the lead up and jump, it's not remotely natural. So obviously I need to keep at that until it does feel natural. In my socks, I can do a mapes jump and I can sort of do it in my skates on carpet but am still too nervous on the rink.

My spinning is bad, at best I can do a 1080˚ on two legs but it's messy, I move to one side and more often than not, I'll stumble out of it. I haven't tried one leg spinning obviously, though I just got a spinning board, so plan on practising on that, to help with posture.

But I learn everything as a mish mash. I see a video, like the look of something and then work towards it and only after a while (days/weeks/months) do I work out that I needed other skills first. Or I hold off on learning something I assumed was more complicated, only to realise that it was easier than I assumed and if I'd learned that first I'd have saved myself time and falls. Is there any resource to help me figure out, even roughly, in what order I should be attempting to learn? Without any sort of coaching, it's really difficult to know what needs to come first.

rwsz · August 14th, 2019, 10:54 AM

u learned a lot already, not sure if its correct or not. probably next learn 1 foot turns, forward to backward then backward to forward. from there learn your edges inside and out. to skate art arms and positions of arms and legs are important. u can learn a lot of those trying some figures if they have figure circles. then from there the jumps and spins will be easier, and in those body positions are very important also.

Dazzler · August 23rd, 2019, 12:01 PM

Arm position is one of the hardest things for me. A lot of the best skaters in my rink are coming from derby so while they do the things I'm working on like three turns and waltz jumps, they have completely different posture and arm movements. Being the only one in the rink who has my arms out like a figure skater makes me feel like I have pretentious notions, holding my arms out all fancy to make people notice me doing jumps that other people do without such fuss.

But I know that while I don't need to bother so much with my arms just to be able to waltz jump or three turn, I will need them to be right going forward, so I have to keep doing them.

August 13th, 2019, 12:29 AM	#1
Dazzler Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 42	Order to learn in I've been skating as a hobby since the spring and want to learn more artistic skating. I live near a rink but there are no lessons or coaches. And though most of the more experienced skaters are happy to help anyone who wants to learn something they can do, none of the current regulars have any real artistic experience and we're all basically learning from youtube. I could always skate, but this year I've learned to crossover, skate backwards, transition, side surf, slalom backwards and forwards, arabesque backwards and forwards on both legs and can move that into shoot the duck, but I can't come back out of it on one leg. Skate backwards, forwards and sideways on heels or toes. I can do the barrel roll. I can 3 turn, though mainly forwards outside edge, so my current goal is to get all of the 3 turns. Jumping. I can jump 180˚ to change direction. I can bunny hop and do a sort of half mapes (the one recently posted on Dirty School of Skate). I can waltz jump, though I saw a video of me doing it and it's so obvious that I'm completely in my head through the lead up and jump, it's not remotely natural. So obviously I need to keep at that until it does feel natural. In my socks, I can do a mapes jump and I can sort of do it in my skates on carpet but am still too nervous on the rink. My spinning is bad, at best I can do a 1080˚ on two legs but it's messy, I move to one side and more often than not, I'll stumble out of it. I haven't tried one leg spinning obviously, though I just got a spinning board, so plan on practising on that, to help with posture. But I learn everything as a mish mash. I see a video, like the look of something and then work towards it and only after a while (days/weeks/months) do I work out that I needed other skills first. Or I hold off on learning something I assumed was more complicated, only to realise that it was easier than I assumed and if I'd learned that first I'd have saved myself time and falls. Is there any resource to help me figure out, even roughly, in what order I should be attempting to learn? Without any sort of coaching, it's really difficult to know what needs to come first.

August 14th, 2019, 10:54 AM	#2
rwsz Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: mass Posts: 6,700	u learned a lot already, not sure if its correct or not. probably next learn 1 foot turns, forward to backward then backward to forward. from there learn your edges inside and out. to skate art arms and positions of arms and legs are important. u can learn a lot of those trying some figures if they have figure circles. then from there the jumps and spins will be easier, and in those body positions are very important also. __________________ Ciao Rick

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August 23rd, 2019, 12:01 PM	#3
Dazzler Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 42	Arm position is one of the hardest things for me. A lot of the best skaters in my rink are coming from derby so while they do the things I'm working on like three turns and waltz jumps, they have completely different posture and arm movements. Being the only one in the rink who has my arms out like a figure skater makes me feel like I have pretentious notions, holding my arms out all fancy to make people notice me doing jumps that other people do without such fuss. But I know that while I don't need to bother so much with my arms just to be able to waltz jump or three turn, I will need them to be right going forward, so I have to keep doing them.