Technique Tip - Bonus Belay from Single Foot Lock

Fun fact: Every time I post a Belay-related skill on Instagram, it gets about 30% more attention than everything else. Maybe it’s just me... or maybe the aerial world is belay-obsessed! 🤭

Honestly, I get it... once you’re in, it’s like a built-in rest-portunity (yes, that's a made-up word), and there are plenty of lovely shapes and skills to follow!

Belay opens the door to many entry options and this week I'm sharing one of my faves:

Bonus Belay 💫

Why the name? Because when I first learned it, I thought, “Wait… this is a thing? What a bonus!”

It’s a sneaky little pathway you can enter from a single foot lock on one silk (there’s also a ​Hip Key version​ - that tutorial’s on APTV!), making it approachable for beginner aerialists. It may take several tries to wrap your brain (and your body) around the pathway, but once it clicks, it’s SO satisfying.

🎥 Watch the video walkthrough below + get my top tips!

💫 Step-by-Step Breakdown

• Start in a single foot lock on one silk.

• Bend your free leg and key over to the side - knee points toward the floor with silk in your hip crease.

• Free silk passes behind you and below your bum.

• Reach your top hand in front of the pole to grab the free silk and pull slack upward.

• Your bottom hand grabs the same silk behind you and passes it to your top hand to make a loop behind your back.

• Place the loop on like a shirt, bringing it overhead and around your upper body.

• Sit your chest up tall, keep holding the silk for stability, and pull the slack out and away from your body to adjust the loop size.

• Begin to lower yourself into belay slowly and with control.

• Optional: Pause with your foot lock still on and extend your free leg behind you into an arabesque before entering fully.
  

✔️ To Enter Full Belay

• Once you're lowered into the shape, sit your chest up again.

• Pop off your foot lock, and just like that - you're in belay! ✨
  

🌀 To Exit the Belay

• Step into a regular climb.

• Pass your shoulders through the loop.

• Grab the fabric above the belay loop.

• Pull slack out of the looser side, then re-step to exit cleanly.
  

✨ Watch-Out Points

• ✅ Make sure the free silk passes below your bum, if it's just behind your back, the wrap won't hold properly.

• ✅ Top hand goes in front of the pole, not behind, this is a common misstep.

• ✅ Remember the sequence: Sail → Loop → Shirt, that’s your pathway!
  

Once you’re in belay, there’s so much room to play, from flowing transitions to stunning shapes. ➡️ Click here for more belay variations & inspiration on APTV!