Cradle into Butterfly (and other transitions)

maurer rose started this discussion · 4/27/2012

So far I've practiced the butterfly only by inverting and then placing my inner arm. I'm trying to get into the butterfly starting off as though I'm going into a cradle spin but extending one leg up. No success yet. Any advice for this move? What are other ways to get into and out of butterfly or extended butterfly? So far I know butterfly into flat line scorpio...

12 replies

maurer rose · 4/27/2012
Forgot to mention I'm trying it on a static pole. I've seen a few video clips on spin.
nichtooks · 4/27/2012
I struggle with this move a little bit, but it helps me if I get my top foot hooked around the pole slightly, then bend my bottom knee and push up with my bottom foot to give me a little momentum. I also sometimes forget that my body needs to twist round with my foot, once you get that turn with your torso it's much easier. Not sure if that makes any sense 😕 but it hope it might help in someway.
chemgoddess1 · 4/27/2012
The big thing for me on this move is to remember to lower that bottom hand. If your hand stays where it is for cradle it is really really really hard to push yourself up and into position. Once you get the foot up there slide your hand down the pole a bit and then try. I have been doing chopper, side V, butterfly, inverted crucifix, reverse climb, shoulder dismount lately.
Kyrsten · 4/27/2012
What chem said.... let the bottom hand slide down and push out with it. You can handspring into a butterfly too... it feels similar to cradle to butterfly, just skip the cradle spin and kick your leg right up there. A lot of girls seem to find it easier for some reason. I like butterfly into jade or a hip hold, it looks really dramatic if you can get it smooth by dropping the bottom hand and swinging the hanging lang around. Caterpillar is another one.
Spinnesque · 4/27/2012
Last week I got Apprentice into Butterfly for the first time which I love but have never quite managed before...and the secret I was missing seems to be the same - sliding the bottom hand right down, and letting your upper body drop with it to really push ur hips upwards :)
mikkixx · 4/27/2012
I find that the easiest way to get into butterfly is from a gemini/outside leg hang - put your outside hand under your top knee, reach your inside arm down into split grip, rotate your top leg so it's vertical against the pole and you're there!
Black Orchid · 8/20/2012
is there also a trick to how close your upper hand needs to be to your top/hooked leg ( ankle or lower down the leg)? I seem to recall some good advice about this in general about extended butterfly.
Krista Bocko · 8/20/2012
Ooh, I just had a thought--if you cradle into butterfly, can you reverse it and butterfly into cradle?!? hmmm! I like to butterfly from a shooting star. Black Orchid--not sure. I don't move it. I'll be watching this thread to see if anyone has advice!
Krista Bocko · 8/20/2012
I also like to butterfly into scorpio.
maurer rose · 8/20/2012
Ha, that's funny that this post got churned up again. My class has been working on this move recently, and I'd managed some successes even before we started working on it. I guess we're not technically doing it from a cradle spin. I don't think I was even doing it from a cradle spin even though I was walking into it. I just thought of it that way because I had the same hand positioning as I would use for a cradle spin and launched off the same leg. On spin, you really can do this from the cradle position, but on static you just have to take your leg straight up to the pole. Basically we're going into a side V first (Jamilla calls it the "Jamilla" on her DVDs). Then into the butterfly. @Sparrow - you can come back down into the Jamilla at least. I would imagine one could get back into a cradle.
Kyrsten · 8/21/2012
I tried butterfly back to cradle once and it was doable, but it looked really ugly. At least on me lol. My favorite butterfly combo is the jade to extended butterfly.
Krista Bocko · 8/21/2012
Thanks Kyrelle, I think I'll skip it! I was trying to envision it and it seems anticlimatic.