Stronger Aysha-Tips Please

ORGANIC ANGEL started this discussion · 5/16/2013

Hi Veeners, I never truly feel strong in my Aysha. I've been poling 8 yrs. and I pole currently 3-6x a week. I'm an advanced student and certified Pole Moves instructor.I know all of the points of contact correct positioning etc., but I never feel truly strong once I'm in that upside down "V". Are there moves that some of us just don't get? Yesterday I was doing a variation once I got to it b/c I could tell I was going to be weak in it, and I like what I did instead. Any tips for a stronger Aysha? Thanks! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maMbbp3iW0o

26 replies

darcit · 5/16/2013
Have you tried other grip variations? I find that when I teach this the elbow grip is often the hardest for students, and the one that they master last. I usually start with a split grip aysha which is entered from extended butterfly - but without dropping the leg back over the head away from the pole. Looking at your video it seems like you can go into the move just fine - but it's the balance once you get there that's the big issue. Another thing to try that might help with the elbow grip aysha is, once you're in the catapillar with your hands (well, hand and elbow) propperly positioned, rather than just pushing off the pole into the V, slowly straighten your legs keeping them in contact with the pole. This will push your butt away from the pole and put you in a more stable position before you open your legs to remove them from the pole.
chemgoddess1 · 5/16/2013
I am most stable in elbow grip....yes I know I am weird. For me the hardest part was finding the distance that my arms needed to be apart in order to get the balance point once I lowered my legs. I have a short upper body and long legs so my bottom triangle needs to be pretty tight. Amy did a really good write up about elbow grip ayesha: http://aerialamy.com/blog/2012/05/24/from-the-archives-elbow-grip-ayesha/
polergirl · 5/16/2013
I am definitely most stable in EG as opposed to others. It looked to me like you popped into it pretty quickly, and you weren't balanced or stable before you went into it. My recommendation is to caterpillar up and make sure your hips are set back from the pole. Then tilt your pelvis under--you do NOT want to do an aysha with an arched back (which it looked like you might have been doing) because it'll pull your equilibrium the wrong way. Last, unfurl your legs--they should be in exactly the right position if you've caterpillared up properly, and all you'll have to do is unfold them away from the pole. I have my students pull knees away first, while still maintaining a little grip + balance with ankles. Then, when they feel stable there, we start to loosen the ankles and unfold the legs into the V. Your legs will help counterbalance you, which is why you want to keep the pelvis tucked and back straight rather than arched.
ORGANIC ANGEL · 5/16/2013
That's great advice everyone! I also asked this on FB and got a couple great tips: look at your crotch lol and scoop your abs, it should be more like a curl first. I was too weak to even try it today once I was warm lol. Today was supposed to be a rest day but I couldn't resist it;)
Dramatical · 5/16/2013
First off: Great body and legs. You look quite flexible and I see a ton of potential. A few suggestions before the ayesha: Try to control your movements a bit more. You move very quickly from move to move, which results in less balance and strength building. Try to hold the pose for at least five seconds, and you will see a difference in strength just from that. On to the ayesha: I think I see exactly where you're going wrong, and I don't believe it has much to do with your torso. If you put your elbow out in front of you and bend it in a right angle, you should be looking at your wrist, with your elbow in line. In the video, you are placing the pole in your elbow without it being at a right angle straight in front. This results in your bicep having less control than it should, which is a real fundamental part of the move. Your elbow should be very stable and if positioned right your hand should be just under and to the right of your chin. Basically, move your elbow up. Cheers.
ShonaLancs · 5/16/2013
Have you tried going right back to basics with this move? As in doing all the prep moves first. So caterpillar, triangle then bring legs into Ayesha? I know you have been poling for a long time so if you have always had trouble with the Ayesha you have got into a pattern of a troubled Ayesha so your muscle memory will be working it that way. If you stopped going into it as though its a move you can do and take it right back to basics it might retrain your muscles the right way rather than the way they are now which means you're not getting it. Does that make sense? I haven't been poling anywhere near as long and I am not a teacher but taking it back to basics works for me. I just treat the move like it is new and eventually it comes good :-)
ORGANIC ANGEL · 5/16/2013
Thanks dramatical and shonalancs:) Dramatical, if I'm upside down, which way should I be sliding my arm, up or down. ShonaLancs yes I do caterpillar all week long and just do that to Aysha. It still always sucks:( I'm really sore today but I'll post tomorrow a vid of me doing it or by Monday if I dont get it up then.
ShonaLancs · 5/16/2013
I don't mean caterpillar Organic I mean the triangle move first which enables you to get your balance (sorry I wasn't clear). That's how I was taught to Ayesha. That will stop you from going into it super quick like you do in the video :-)
Storypole17 · 5/17/2013
I agree with you trying to hold poses longer :-). It will make you stronger. Also - I would get it solid on static first before doing it on spin. At least for me, I feel unstable when working on a trick on spin. Also, I too struggle with elbow grip - have you tried forearm or natural or twisted grip? It's strange - I have a super strong twisted grip Ayesha but the elbow grip is so hard for me :-P.
Mary Ellyn · 5/17/2013
I agree with slowing it down. Make certain you have your position solid before you begin to move your legs off the pole. When you reverse climb, get your hips as high as you can and your elbow should be pointing upward so that your elbow is higher than your wrist and close to your knees.
ORGANIC ANGEL · 5/17/2013
I'm gonna try as soon as hubby is home from the store!!! Thanks for all of the tips ladies!
monica kay · 5/17/2013
yah- your torso is too parallel to the pole. not stable. your torso should be angled - head to the pole and hips away. (you mentioned "look at crotch") that angle is what creates stability.
ORGANIC ANGEL · 5/18/2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEU76aaY9jU grrrrrr....still feel sooooo not strong in it...
Mary Ellyn · 5/18/2013
Better! Look at your profile in the video...your hips are not further from the pole than your shoulders. You need to get a better angle so that your hips are pulling your body away from your elbow grip. Your lower hand is too low, too far away from you. Your upper arm needs to grip with the elbow higher, closer to your knees. the elbow should not be straight across from your shoulder but up above and higher. Take it slow as you back away.
polergirl · 5/18/2013
Definitely better. You're still arching your back--quite a bit to my eye. Tucking your pelvis under and flattening your back will help a lot as far as your balance. And Mary Ellen is right about keeping your hip further from the pole than your shoulders. I commented in the butterfly thread about having strong triangles, and aysha is 100% a move that requires triangles in order to feel secure. I will say that I often do a EG aysha with my elbow straight across from my shoulder but that's to allow my torso and hips to angle wayyyyyyyy out for a more dramatic line.
Saphyre · 5/18/2013
I've just started working on this as well, so thanks for getting all of these tips for me!! Haha! Good luck to you!!
ORGANIC ANGEL · 5/19/2013
I had some ladies send me pics and My booty is stacked over my shoulders.It should be wayyyyyyyyyyy out more. I felt like I was in a "triangle" but I hadn't popped my hips out even further. I will continue to try this:)
megan12 · 5/19/2013
Definitely tucking your pelvis helps with stability. I get into position and then let the front of my calves slowly slide off the pole until they are totally off the pole. Like someone else suggested, you could try split grip from extended butterfly. In this position, you need to make no adjustments to your body like in EG caterpillar, you simply have to be able to balance yourself.
ORGANIC ANGEL · 5/19/2013
I am able to split grip but I consider it an inverted "v" rather than an Aysha....
ORGANIC ANGEL · 5/21/2013
So here's my progress.Thinking I'll have it in a week or so completely. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rwV4O4gD6Y
polergirl · 5/21/2013
Looking SO much more solid! Hips out, good triangle. Yay, that's awesome! One note in helping to make it even stronger--see how concave/arched your lower back is? You really want your lower back to be flat, with pelvis tucked (think of contracting your low abs to pull your pelvis toward your navel. You'll be astonished at how much of a difference that one small change will make in the stability of this move. It's hard and counterintuitive for pole dancers, because we spend every other waking moment sticking our butts out. ;) Maybe it will help to think about how your hips need to be tucked for a jackknife, which uses a similar counterbalance.
ORGANIC ANGEL · 5/21/2013
This move is sooooo tough! I'm amazed at the girls who can get it in a flash!
polergirl · 5/21/2013
I got it quickly, but there are plenty of other moves that didn't come easily to me at all so I think it balances out, haha. Aysha is kinda like the shoulder mount in that it's easy to lose if you don't do it regularly. Your balance gets all wonky and it feels brand-new all over again, IME. So once you've got it, keep it, lol.
ORGANIC ANGEL · 5/21/2013
lol, I do the shoulder mount all week, every play, b/c it's such a builder for the body. I did get that one quick-about 3-4 mo into pole and inverting was within a month...so I guess the Aysha is my trade off...
zoeyxxxx · 5/21/2013
I can only do this in forearm grip. and for the life of me I cnt get elbow grip. I dnt think its a strenth problem for me just a fear as I dnt understand it at all xxx

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