When I first began aerial back in 2007 there was no Instagram, no endless scrolling of aerial skills and when you Googled 'aerial silks' not much came up. Gee whiz have times changed!
In my first few years of training I knew all of about 20 skills - basic climbs, a few foot lock skills, splits, cross back straddle, hip key, single star, double star, dive roll, front balance, back balance, double and single ankle hang and my 'signature' skills that I couldn't get enough of were Creature (that back bendy skill where you pull your feet overhead) and my favorite of them all - Windmills.
I even booked performances knowing these 20 or so skills. I didn't have the luxury of an app at my fingertips with thousands of skill options, but what I did have was a solid foundation and clean technique within the skills that I did know. Oh, the simple days!
Now there are so many options out there it can be difficult to hone in on one particular skill before moving on to the next. But here's the thing, in order to master something it requires practice, patience, repetition and more repetition!
If you've been following me for a while you've likely noticed my teaching style is rather detailed. I can dissect a skill into small attainable steps and can easily point out the 'what not to do's'.
I've done exactly that with one my favorite skills - Windmills aka Wheel Downs. Sometimes realizing your mistakes is half the battle in overcoming them!
Watch the video below to find out which 'Windmiller Type' you are!
#1 Flopper – Your upper and lower half collapse toward each other when rotating
#2 Archer – Your lower back arches when rotating
#3 Grabber – You grab the tail too tightly or reach above for the pole
#4 Reacher – You reach behind your back when rotating
#5 Speeder – You’re not in control & miss hooking your knee at the end
#6 Loosey Legger – Your legs & feet aren’t active enough
#7 Teeter Totter– Your torso sits up too high when facing upward in your rotation
#8 Hip Rotator – Your hips rotate while you turn
What’s your verdict? Maybe you’re an Archer and a Grabber. Possibly a Flopper and a Reacher? Or maybe you’re a Speeder and need to work on control. No matter if you’re guilty of just 1 of the types or all 8, you CAN improve!