Which Ayesha should be done first?

LatinPoler started this discussion · 8/24/2017

Hi ladies!! There are different grips for Ayesha: forearm, elbow, split grip. I know that Veena lists forearm and elbow first on her lessons, but I think I'm better trained on split grip from Butterfly, Extended Butterfly and Inverted D and not that much in elbow/forearm grips, so I was wondering if I could try split grip Ayesha first... what do you think? My Caterpillar is strong. Thanks!

8 replies

MdawWat · 8/24/2017
There are people who get split grip first. I think it might even be a little common among former gymnasts. I have known girls who went for twisted first to have lots of success only to disappear from class for months shortly afterwards so I would listen to the caution that everyone puts out there about that. I don't have a very good right side up elbow grip but it a miraculous thing that works for me when inverted. If you try it, you may find it is easier than you think. I find forearm grip a little more challenging than elbow. There was another thread on here where lots of people agreed with that I think.
AllysonKendal · 8/24/2017
Split grip is my go to! Same experience as you... it became trained from butterfly and Ayesha was the next logical step. I still don't love elbow grip, but it's ok... I never do forearm. Ever.
Veena · 8/24/2017
Everyone learns differently and some are fearful of certain positions and this makes learning those moves (even if they're technically fundamental, scary!) Fundamental moves (not to be mistaken for basic or easy!) are the key and if you've never learned a basic butterfly or struggle with caterpillar and cat climbs then it's common to be accustom to split grip because it's often what's first learned while inverted in a leg grip. You don't HAVE to use a elbow or forearm grip but it will be used in some transitions like flag inverts and flag dismounts and variations etc. I know if you're not getting a good connection into the elbow pit before reaching into forearm grip it will not feel secure and I think that's where most people get lost. Forearm grip is just like elbow but you reach the hand down to the pole! I believe I talk about elbow grip and forearm in the Veena's tips for caterpillar. https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/56fd59e3-ea38-48a6-9362-001fac110003 The main problem with skipping elbow or forearm grips is the issue of shoulder and forearms not being ready to take on all of the body weight in that position. Having one arm bent allows you to use the biceps strongly and that can take some stress off the shoulders. :)
MdawWat · 8/24/2017
Thanks, Veena, you are so awesome. My first success with forearm grip came with pretending I was going to elbow and switching last minute. I have felt a little wobbly lately, but based on your advice I think I will go back to focusing on that strong connection in the elbow pit to maintain better security in the move.
grayeyes · 8/25/2017
I went back and looked at my IG to see what I did first. While I said I did elbow grip first I meant forearm grip because I didn't do elbow until much, much later. So I did forearm grip and then split grip shortly thereafter. Elbow grip for me was ages later.
LatinPoler · 8/25/2017
Thanks everybody! So now I don't know what to do :-) I think I will try both. Of course I want to protect my joints, that's why I wanted to try elbow or forearm grip first, but I feel safer gripping with my hands as in split grip. I've been poling for almost two years now and doing inverted split grip for about one year, so I hope I'm ready. I guess it is a mental thing too. I do caterpillars in forearm grip mostly, but letting go with my legs for caterpillar climb for example scares me. In split grip your body is already away from the pole so I feel like I'm losing less grip if I let go with the legs.
dustbunny · 8/25/2017
Everyone is different. If you like split grip and are comfortable in extended butterfly and inverted D using split grip then I think a split grip aysha makes the most sense. But try a few different options too, you may surprise yourself.
firebird · 8/25/2017
Glad to hear everyone seems to agree and accept that we are all so diff and that really comes to bear on how we take on Ayeshas... I thought elbow was a great go-to for a 1st-timer as that's what I got 1st after mastering the cat climb... and of course there's all the warnings with twisted grip tho I personally never had issues as I always have been comfortable in any upright twisted grip pose/move/etc... So turns out I learned my next Ayesha hold as a Twisted Grip in a workshop by *descending* (really unraveling) into it from a Scorpio -- wow how solid I felt!!! Soon after that came doing the same from a layback, then a BM... I was loving TG as much as anyone does, but I also immediately started noticing the *funky* feeling in my bottom shoulder (no NOT the twisted top one!) *AFTER* I would come out of it... I never sustained any injury from this but I started suspecting that *funkiness* I was feeling was indicative of the kinds of problems that hold can cause for an Ayesha, as we all are pretty fairly warned... I can't imagine for anyone who struggles more with twisted grips being more uncomfortable or unnatural due to tighter shoulders, etc -- how THEY would fare with a TG Ayesha... No Bueno... So to be safe, I started easing away from playing with that hold much anymore and sticking with practicing other holds... Wow that darn Split Grip always eluded me, BUT along the way thanks to an awesome David Owen workshop I discovered I had a rock solid CUP GRIP Ayesha!!! What an awesome feeling that was and I feel so in control with that hold I STRONGLY encourage all Ayesh-ers out there to give it a try. Such a natural comfortable grip, and like Veena talks about above, u can keep that elbow bent and it's such a relief of ur body weight burden on your upper body by spreading it out more... and like one of the other posters here mentioned feeling more control or security by having more distance from the pole -- YUP! Ditto! And in cup grip, problem solved: you get all that distance you could possibly want from the pole to feel more locked in with good lateral force (push into the pole)... Now to make matters more complicated is what happens when instead of coming DOWN ("descending") into an Ayesha, you lift UP into it -- what a different story, at least for ME. My best most solid *handspring* turns out to be a SPLIT GRIP one yet in SG is my weakest Ayesha when descending into it!!! Go figure! Next most secure handspring hold is Twisted Grip but I hate how trapped I feel in those holds... & the idea of cup and elbow handspring scares the crap out of me... I maybe just need a spotter to try it, but for now lifting UP into Ayesha I'm all about the split grip. Yes confusing and I kind of know intuitively what's the deal and why this is the case... But to explain clearly in words why this weird variation in arm/hand holds in descending vs Ascending (i.e. Via handspring) Into Ayeshas, works best for me -- not sure I could pull off such an explanation .... Hang in there! You'll prob OWN all Ayeshas in no time!