How 'bout that knee hold!

2dyzzi started this discussion · 5/6/2010

Dang does that ever hurt! I watched Veena's "Star" lesson and thought "Hey that doesn't look tooooo hard!" 😮 Um yeah! Wrong! Ow! Mega bruises! Total fail! 😲 The whole push your hip forward thing is pretty tricky, especially when my knee is no where close to being able to "hold". I think I actually heard laughter coming from my knee pit - not sure what that says about my mental health 😜 I just saw the actual knee hold lesson so hopefully the chair and/or elbow will help and eventually my poor knee pits will adapt. And I thought I had strong hammies!

12 replies

amy · 5/6/2010
dont mean to overwhelm you, but i thought i'd let you know... there's a couple threads on here about how to do a knee hold without hooking your feet together. it sounds like it would be harder, but i find that it's actually MUCH easier for me to hold, and WAY less painful. i learned it from jenyne butterfly who noted that in a traditional knee hold, with the feet hooked together, it puts a lot of pressure on the kneecap of your top leg (because you're squeezing a huge pole in the knee pit and then clamping it down) and i was bruising a lot on the backs of my knees. she does the knee hold without the feet hooked because she actually finds it less painful as well, and you can also point both of your feet with the unhooked version which looks prettier IMO. you are also able to spread your knees much further apart and put the pole along your bottom shin instead of focusing it on one spot on your shin bone. i've shown friends this version of the knee hold, and they were all able to get it within the first few tries and also found it much less painful than their hooked feet attempts. just throwing that out there! (here's a pic of what i mean: http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb247/vimsnafu/pole%20movement/CopyofJenyne12-2-08-11.jpg)
glitterhips · 5/6/2010
ooh i need to try that! i can do the knee hold but holy crap does it hurt! does anyone know where the thread for that is?
amy · 5/6/2010
https://www.studioveena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3338 💣
chemgoddess1 · 5/6/2010
I cannot do the unhooked version and I think it may be because I have pretty much nothing when it comes to center splits. I will note that the further you push your hips the less it hurts. My biggest problem with this is sweaty knees! And let me tell you....your knee rolling over the pole when you lose this hold is not a fun feeling!
Veena · 5/6/2010
Yep, I teach you to keep your knees spread as far apart as you can....the crossing of the feet can help many feel locked into the position. 😉
2dyzzi · 5/6/2010
But guys for the star you can't cross your ankles because your one leg is extended right? Granted the extended leg/foot is probably relieving a lot of the pressure, but still! Veena you make it look so simple and painless in your lesson! If only I could press my hips forward maybe I could get it... Oh and I'm trying to get it from the floor so maybe its easier to get into from gemini? I just don't trust me knee enough to try the gemini yet. I thought I'd break it in with the star from the ground. Hmmm.... And yes thank you for the advice and the pic... I can see how crossing might be more painful and harder on the joint. Yet I can appreciate how some would feel more secure with ankles crossed. I'm gonna try both but aim for no crossing and see how it goes. So many talented, experience Veeners to help! 🌸
Veena · 5/6/2010
As long as your comfy with your gemini, trying it from that move is totally fine, and some find it easier...I demonstrate it from the floor/standing because your less likely to fall. Also, if you look close at the lesson I'm not crossing at the ankle....just the tops of my feet lock together, by the toes. I have always had difficulties trying to actually cross at my ankles. ☀️
2dyzzi · 5/7/2010
As long as your comfy with your gemini, trying it from that move is totally fine, and some find it easier...I demonstrate it from the floor/standing because your less likely to fall. Also, if you look close at the lesson I'm not crossing at the ankle....just the tops of my feet lock together, by the toes. I have always had difficulties trying to actually cross at my ankles. ☀️ Ya pretty much guaranteed to fall from gemini... Your so right tho - its more like feet crossing! Yay thank you.
smokinangel · 5/7/2010
Once you get the knee hold, how do you keep it? I can do it if I'm CRAZY warmed up (and the pole is pretty toasty too). But you see performers do it all the time at the top of the pole, which I doubt is warm, so how the heck do you hold it on a cold pole?
2dyzzi · 5/8/2010
Good questions!!
Veena · 5/8/2010
Your body is warm....that helps a ton, even on a cold pole 🥂
MilienElayne · 5/9/2010
You could try a knee hold variation (I have it in my latest vid) to help train that knee pit and practice getting the hips turned out, and try all the different versions of 'star' or cupid to see which hand grips and leg placements make you feel more secure, then you can feel more confident to put more weight on the legs?