hipshaker started this discussion ·
Hi all, I'm confident with my caterpillar but cannot seem to do the butterfly. Friends sometimes hold my leg whilst in caterpillar and I can then let go of the other leg - but without help, I find it impossible 🙁 It feels like I don't trust my legs - or is it my arms? Anyhow, confused and would love to one day get the butterfly..
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Charley ·
Can you do the butterfly from any other moves? Like Gemini?
Hi Charley Oh never thought of that!
Charley ·
😀 If you are new to the butterfly - it's much easier to begin practicing from the gemini. Once you get a really firm grasp on the move - it will be much easier to do out of a caterpillar. Doing it out of a caterpillar requires you to hold yourself up and out for a second while you get your grip - so it takes more strength.
Veena ·
Are you trying to to the Basic Butterfly (using an elbow or forearm grip keeping your body close to the pole) or the Butterfly (using a split grip holding the body away from the pole)? Make sure you understand the proper positioning for the leg that is on the pole. If your leg is in the right position you wont need someone to hold your leg in place, just like in the caterpillar the leg should be pulling against the pole. The point of contact of the leg that is on the pole will be, behind the heel, along the inside of the knee. If you moving into the butterfly from a caterpillar there is no reason for you to be shifting anything around you will simply remove the opposite leg off the pole. Be sure that your hips are squared. 😀
Squared hips was the singlemost best piece of advice I got when I first started doing the butterfly. I instantly felt so much more secure....plus it was prettier! When I started, I would push out as though I were going into caterpillar, but then just drop the inside leg and do butterfly instead. Tricked my body, I did, mwaahahahahahaaa! Good luck--it's a lovely move! Someday I will have mine fully fully fully extended. Getting there, lol.
Thank you so much 🙂 Got a pole class in three hours so will try it then. Veena, I'm doing split grip butterfly with square hips... so in theory is *should* work. I'll get the instructor to check that my leg's in the right place .. will report in a few hours how it went! ☀️
BUHU back from the gym and failed! But still determined to one day get it 🙂 Tiny progress though, managed to (embarrassing) only twinkle my toes instead of letting go of foot / leg, so it's going in snail pace...
Maybe this will help: Invert and stay in that initial position, dont go into caterpillar or snake. for me I think this is critical and makes the move so much easier place your strong hand down and extend your elbow now look at that hand, this will square your hips then it should be very easy to remove one leg from the pole (i'm not at home with my pole to be sure on which leg, but I'm pretty sure it the right leg if your right hand is down). Sorry I'll try it out later and confirm. I hope this helps Sunny 🤸
Hi all (again) I invert standing on the right hand side of the pole, and when I'm in caterpillar I have my right hand down and left one up. So did a standard invert over the weekend, but found that it made most sense to (as I invert on the RHS) to move left arm down - but it's my weak one so couldn't do it 🙁 Is it possible to invert on the right, and still move your right arm down to go into butterly? Will try again tonight.. there *must* be a way to nail this
Things that help me: I invert on the left side of the pole because I am right handed. I end up with my left leg in front and right leg in back. But when you get into butterfly, your front leg becomes your back. Make sense? So my left leg is back and my left arm is down. I tried originally only with my right down and could NOT do it. The other thing is push your butt up as far as it will go.. so your legs are about ninety degrees. Otherwise you'll feel like gravity is pushing you down.
Things that help me: I invert on the left side of the pole because I am right handed. I end up with my left leg in front and right leg in back. But when you get into butterfly, your front leg becomes your back. Make sense? So my left leg is back and my left arm is down. I tried originally only with my right down and could NOT do it. The other thing is push your butt up as far as it will go.. so your legs are about ninety degrees. Otherwise you'll feel like gravity is pushing you down. I have always done--and seen others do--butterfly exactly the opposite. Maybe I'm just not understanding your post? I also invert on the left side of the pole, so if I go into the butterfly from a basic invert, I'm upside down, my left leg is in front of the pole, I just leave it there, drop my right arm down to split grip position, drop right leg back, and voila! Butterfly. For me, keeping the hips squared to the pole was huge, and I think it's because that side of your body is really extended, thanks to that and being the bottom of the grip and that leg being the one that's dropped. You will get it!!!
How's the practice going? I've never gotten into it from a caterpillar... they still scare the crap out of me... Caterpillar and Straight Edge/Aysha are moves I still haven't gotten yet, but Butterfly and Extended Butterfly, easy. Weird, non? From the ground I invert and hook my gemini leg and keep the leg I'm going to extend straight and already out, keeping my top hand on from the invert, then put my other hand in split grip below and twist to a Butterfly. If I'm doing it aerial I do a chopper, then hook the gemini leg and do the same thing. I've never even thought to go from a caterpillar. Should do that!
Thank you everyone, I'm very pleased to say that I DID IT! 🙂 You guys gave the perfect advice, after inverting and moving one arm down, sliding around with 'straight' hips it worked 🙂 Even with left arm down which is the weaker one for me. So happy right now. Finally after months of trying the caterpillar way!
YEAH!! You ROCK
When you invert, your inside hand is lower than your outside hand. Once you're upside down, your top hand (or outside hand) will be closest to your knees. This ones stays put! The other hand (the one with the armpit touching the pole) is the one that you let go of, rotate your body, and then put at the bottom of the pole. (And then look at it, to help square your hips). So yes, if you invert with your right side closest to the pole, it should definitely be your right hand reaching down to be the bottom arm for the butterfly.
Well done hipshaker!!! 🙂 I've got to say, I didn't learn my butterfly from a caterpillar either. I learnt it in a similar manner to MilienElayne. It took me a while to get the extended butterfly (and I still have moments sometimes where I don't trust my grip), but I always go into butterfly in this manner.
Can't wait to show it to my instructor at the gym, class in 2 hours!
I feel your pain..I just got the Butterfly today after a long crazy night of work and it just *clicked*. I invert RHS (tried on my ND side and just feels wierd) So my DH which is my right is down and like Veena's amazing lessons says to caterpillar off to the side and --bang, just happened. Still needs to be "refined" but I can work on that later. I just can't remember which leg I took off the pole 😲 I thought I would never be able to do it because I was under the impression that you should invert to the LHS that way your DH (my right) is on the bottom ..idk. I'm just learning on this...but it is fun and challenging.
