14 months and learning some basics

dustbunny started this discussion · 9/14/2010

I don't know whether this is funny 😂 or sad 😢 I have been poling for about just over a year now, and since I stopped going to my studio in the spring (both financial and time constraints) I have been practicing at home and watching Veena's lessons. I would call myself an intermediate level poler, I can do quite a number of tricks, (recently got my first knee hold) not all pretty but they're there, but it seems I am lacking in some of the most basic of basics. At first I kinda skipped a bunch of Veena's lessons, (I'd read the title, say, "I can do that already" and look for another one) but eventually I have gone back to the beginner section out of curiousity, but also because I want to work on polishing moves to make them "performance quality". As I was looking through them I realized that I was doing some things wrong...so here is the big announcement: Been poling for over a year, and I just learned to do a proper POLE SIT!! *shakes head* If you haven't tried them, Veena's lessons are great. And you don't have to be a beginner to get anything out of them!

12 replies

hookedonpole · 9/14/2010
I did the same thing when started veena's lessons. Needed to clean up and do some things properly. Also, even though I knew how to do something decently, learning actual points of contact was a huge help to improve.
HannahElizabeth · 9/14/2010
Hopefully now you can do a pole sit you'll be able to learn loads of new moves 🙂 I can't do the iguana mount which is classes as intermediate where I am but can shoulder mount and do the advanced moves... Iguana scares me in case i fall on my head! 🤸
dustbunny · 9/14/2010
Yes, I am hoping that polishing up the basics will help improve other moves and hopefully push me to the next level. I want to compete someday! Not at a national level or anything (I'm okay with the fact that I will never be Miss Pole Dance Canada) but an amateur competition would be so much fun!
megs982 · 9/14/2010
I can't do the iguana mount which is classes as intermediate where I am but can shoulder mount and do the advanced moves... Iguana scares me in case i fall on my head! 🤸 That makes two of us lol. I can do alot of the advance moves but scared to death of that Iguana mount. Also doesn't help that my first class at the local studio i watched a beginner who wasn't ready do it..then slide onto her head 😲
HannahElizabeth · 9/14/2010
I can't do the iguana mount which is classes as intermediate where I am but can shoulder mount and do the advanced moves... Iguana scares me in case i fall on my head! 🤸 That makes two of us lol. I can do alot of the advance moves but scared to death of that Iguana mount. Also doesn't help that my first class at the local studio i watched a beginner who wasn't ready do it..then slide onto her head 😲 Yikes yes I can see how that would put you off! If I had the abs strength to slowly lift myself off the floor I would feel much more confident but I just don't have that strength yet (and I don't know the technique to do this properly), I just don't like the idea of launching into a a vertical position... head first! 🌸
mizvix · 9/14/2010
i'm the same withthe iguana. i can lower down to the floor that way but i hate going up! it's one of those move that i did a couple of times to say 'yes, iguana, done' and have swiftly moved on! slippy hands scare me a lot too.. 😮
Veena · 9/14/2010
I'm so happy to hear the lessons are helpful. 🥂 I feel its very important to understand the basics because most pole moves develop from basic moves. 🌸 Also the iguana (pencil mount as I call it) is not an intermediate move in my lessons its advanced.
HannahElizabeth · 9/14/2010
I'm so happy to hear the lessons are helpful. 🥂 I feel its very important to understand the basics because most pole moves develop from basic moves. 🌸 Also the iguana (pencil mount as I call it) is not an intermediate move in my lessons its advanced. Good good, yes I definitely think it should be advanced. It's intermediate on the Vertical Leisure site and on a few others too, but I'm surprised because they're putting it in the same category of difficultly as the crucifix.... Wish it was! 😨
BACE16 · 9/14/2010
I've polished and relearned tons of moves from DVDs and online that I thought I learned in the studio. The studio I went to didn't even have consistent naming between classes or teachers. I was very afraid of the Iguana too...because they called it "the suicide" or "<teacher's name> suicide"!! I can get into the Iguana (I like that name better) without a problem, but the shoulder mount still scares me.
HannahElizabeth · 9/14/2010
I've polished and relearned tons of moves from DVDs and online that I thought I learned in the studio. The studio I went to didn't even have consistent naming between classes or teachers. I was very afraid of the Iguana too...because they called it "the suicide" or "<teacher's name> suicide"!! I can get into the Iguana (I like that name better) without a problem, but the shoulder mount still scares me. I've got the shouldermount, although the first time I got up from it I realised I hadn't planned what to do when I was actually up there ☀️ My ceilings are low so my pole is on the minimum length so I had to grip loads with my ankles and slide my body does as I wasn't used to my arms being by my shoulders in an invert..... But its such a great feeling when you get it 🥂 Hope I havent scared you though! next time I did it I made sure I was mentally prepared to do an inverted crucifix from the shoulder mount... that helped me 🙂
dustbunny · 9/14/2010
If I had the abs strength to slowly lift myself off the floor I would feel much more confident but I just don't have that strength yet (and I don't know the technique to do this properly) I started learning how to lift my feet off the floor from an elbow stand today, it's not pretty, but i did it! Now I don't have to kick or swing my feet up. While doing it I realized that it must be the same technique as lifting into the iguana/pencil mount. Which I am not ready to do yet...or rather, I do think I have the strength to do it, but like most moves my sweaty hands really don't even allow me to try. Anyway my point was, if you want to work on the lifting your feet off the floor without jumping or kicking, doing it from an elbowstand rather than the iguana/pencil mount position might be safer and make you more confident the next time you do try that iguana/pencil.
EVamp83 · 9/15/2010
lol, I'm doing it the other way around 🙂 I've been doing the iguana mount for a while now (not as scary on skinny poles, since hand grip is way more secure on those) and by improving my lift into pencil, I'm trying to get ready to lift my handstand some day. But on topic, although I'm an advanced poler I'm planning on going through all V's lessons once I get my own pole and my subscription!