Flying Trapeze: One Handed Take Off

I am official in the intermediate trapeze level. Tonight I learned a one-handed take-off.

A few of the staffers have been asking me for weeks if I'm a one-handed take-off yet. And as of tonight I am! Wa-hoo! I am finally getting there.

To prep, I watched videos online. It looks easy. Like when you jump off the board, your second hand comes to the bar, so you're never really hanging one handed off the trapeze. (Could I hold myself with one arm? Kaz said yes, but it would hurt.)

Kaz took me aside at the beginning of the class. We used the practice bar (the kind I caught with my single reverse) and by holding on to one of the rig poles.

You stand on the board like normal. You put your right hand on the bar, like normal. But here's the difference. When you bend your knees on the "ready" command, you're also going to dip the bar down and to the right. On hep, you snap the bar up to center and kind of jump and grab the bar with your other hand at the same time. You want to catch the bar at eye level. (My interpretation. I could be really off!!!) That jump/ arm and bar swing combo will give you more momentum. (In my mind it's sort of jump a gymnastics punch into the air.)

And I was thoroughly confused by the explanation.

It looked so easy in the videos, I said. "Is it easier to do than explain?" I asked.

Then, I climbed up to the board and practiced a few times. Only I was doing a set straddle, so my hand goes in the middle of the bar, so I just pull the bar up and down—not so much right.

The first time off the board, I felt like I stalled. I thought the staffer wasn't going to let go of my belt. So I stuttered off the board. AND then my arms got all tangled up.

Because I did a set whip instead of a set straddle.

I thought I remembered the trick last week, but I didn't. (My muscles remembered something close.)

And I confused the line worker, so I just sat down on the net and laughed.

I am the queen of epic fails.

I went over to the practice bar and practiced the set straddle. Hands together, feet outside on the bar in a frog position. Ahh, that's better.

I tried the take-off the second time. And I'm bending my arms, and pulling up on the bar. Which also isn't right. (I have been practicing my pullup, so this makes sense.) I went over to the Tivo and watched this. My arms were so bent. NOT GOOD.

So now there are lots of things to remember: KEEP MY ARMS STRAIGHT. LOCK THEM OUT.

Kaz also told me to really exaggerate the motion. To swing down a lot, and explode up/out (I don't remember which, but explode).

(We had a discussion about down/forward and which direction to go, which confused me since I am completely dyslexic with directions. Seriously, I have this alien sense of direction and don't see them like other people do.)

I had one swing where I went out, and then realized my hands were supposed to be together, so I shifted my hands mid swing, so I could save my straddle. (I think they were ready to bring me down. But I can muscle it. Maybe not safe, but ha ha).

My hands weren't together, because I WASN'T LOOKING AT THE BAR ON TAKEOFF.

Not sure what I was looking at. I was probably worrying about straight arms, so I didn't think to look at the bars (SO MUCH TO REMEMBER)

Other corrections for the night:

1) It's a set straddle not a set split. So toes down more and not out. (What's the point of having a killer middle split then?)
2) Don't kick up my feet when I let go for my catch. (I swear they told me last week to explode more and kick my feet, but apparently I remembered it wrong. Haha.)
3) Don't look for the catcher (with you hands). It makes their job harder when you're both searching for each other. Just present and let them find you. I got this correction twice. I know not to do it. But on some primal level, my brain thinks I must.

I got both my catches for the night (same as last week). I'm not piking as much on the catches (still a baby amount directly after) but it's getting better. My sits are getting better after the catch releases.

Next week: LEARNING MY SWING!!!

I will really feel like I made it when I learn my swing. Wa-hoo!