What? Is that all there is to it?

[dreamshark]

I've been trying to remember how to do a Front Inside Mohawk for the last 8 months or so, and it turns out to be so easy I was sort of doing one all along and didn't realize it. Huh. That's when you're skating forward on an inside edge and then "turn" to a back inside edge on the other foot. Thing is, it's not like a 3-turn, where you actually pivot on the middle of the blade. With a mohawk you're skating forward on your left foot, you draw the right foot up next to the instep at a right angle ("second position" if you're a dancer) and then just kind of lean back onto the right foot while you remove the left foot from the ice. And just like that you're skating backwards on the right inside edge. I guess you also rotate your hips and shoulders a little bit, but really you just shift your balance in the only obvious way so you don't fall over. Maybe it's a little harder than I think it is, since I can only do it from left foot to right, not the other direction. But I think that's mostly because I'm still not all that comfortable skating backwards on my left foot. I can do the move, I just don't like where I end up.

A 3-turn is way harder. In that one you have to pivot 180 degrees on one foot. Preferably without flailing arms and legs or ending up in some weird position with your chin a foot away from the ice. However, if you're not too picky about form, I started doing a Right Forward Outside 3-turn this week too! I managed one for the first time on Friday at Open Skating. Not just one - I did it 3 or 4 times with only one foot on the ice (on most of my attempts I chicken out and leave the other foot on the ice). It took me most of the hour on Tuesday to loosen up enough to do it again, but I did manage a few not-too-bad Right Forward Outside 3-turns. Again, my left foot is far behind my right. It will probably take me another 3 months before I can 3-turn on the left foot.

Comments

[hakatrip.livejournal.com]

I too find it much easier to do moves on one foot rather than the other. I have a definite preference when it comes to turns. I've been working on ambidextry? ambifooty?

Front inside Mohawk

[mmagidow.livejournal.com]

You take your clippers, buzz the sides of yo haid, leaving a 1.5" wide area running from your hairline in front to the hairline in back. Then, very carefully, you buzz along the exact middle of the remaining hair. Clip the top edge to suit.