Dragon Tail Struggle

I fell in love with this move first time I saw it, but it was a long way until I managed to get it right. It was absolutely terrifying to get into, constantly feeling like falling off the pole. Oh, I should mention the pain too, very similar to good old Superman.

Once I felt like my hand grip was holding OK it was all about finding that spot that didn't hurt like hell. Don't remember exactly when it all fell into place and was pretty comfortable and secure. It probably took between 2 and 3 months. However, it was just the move, unpolished and quite clumsy looking. I was determined, but a lack of flexibility got in a way as usual. Fortunately for me and hundreds of fellow polers with the same problem, Dragon Tail doesn't have to be a split. You can bend your back leg, which I did, and it will look just as good as a split version. The move still looked quite pathetic as per video below.

November 2015. I've secured my grip, but my legs are clearly living their own life not resembling a proper Dragon Tail shape at all.

NZAPP performance, May 2016. Dragon Tail actually looks almost right, although I want to smack that nasty front foot for not being pointy at all, also my body is too close to the pole

So it slowly improved over time to be good enough for my NZAPP 2016 competition, but there is a lot to work on. Like those not so pointy toes. My Dragon Tail is still a work in progress and hopefully one day I'll show off both split and normal version.

One more important thing to consider before you start learning Dragon Tail, or any other more advanced pole trick is to talk to your instructor first. We all get excited about those mind blowing combos on Youtube and Instagram, but sometimes we're simply not quite there yet. I know the feeling when you want to nail that Aeysha, or swing into a Deadlift and sure you can do it. Happens to us all :) So just to avoid disappointment, talk to your instructors, they may say you're ready, or get you working on some other moves, that will help to build up strength for that very special trick.

Comments

Layback Trouble

It may seem silly to a lot of pole dancers, including beginners, that I'm covering this topic. Lots of people get their Ful Layback in the first two months, others however are struggling with it for quite some time. When I first started pole dancing, most beginners moves were quite easy for me. Onehanded Layback was not a problem either.And then I tried the Layback, and it didn't work. At all. The problem was in a fear, irrational of course, my grip was holding OK, but my brain wasn't convinced. Those last centimeters seemed like a gaping abyss I'll fall into, should I let go off my hands. It was extremely frustrating. I enjoyed pole so much and wanted to progress faster, inspired by students from more advanced classes. So annoying to get stuck with something simple, according to other students. Embarrassing as it is, I gave up on the move, telling myself that there a lot of other exciting stuff to learn and Layback can wait just a little bit longer. After t...

Beautiful Butterfly

Butterfly deserves a separate post. It is pretty, easy and fun. Butterfly is such a pretty shape. It doesn't require any extreme flexibility or strength, but looks absolutely stunning It was my very first 'advanced' move, or so I thought at the beginning of my pole journey. It's funny how my perception of a 'cool move' changed with time and experience, but I still consider Butterfly beautiful and worth putting in a routine. Just for a change I had no particular struggle with the Butterfly, apart from a minor body positioning issue. And that was back when I had to cheekily jump into my Invert (yes, we all did that). Facing the pole, while holding a perfect shape seemed to confuse me a little. My body tended to turn either to one side or another. I could still easily hold the move, but the shape was a bit crooked and imperfect. Not sure exactly how I overcame the issue, just lots of practice, I guess. And I did practice it a lot, alongside wi...

Deadlift

Something extraordinary happened just about a week ago, after more than a year of struggle, I suddenly got my Deadlift. It is really hard to believe :) Just as usual I halfheartedly tried it without any hope for success, just as a part of my training where I did 2 - 3 attempts during every practice session. And "Holy Shit! What just happened?!" I did it! I would like to say something inspiring about me consistently practicing, conditioning, doing complimentary training and stuff, but that's not quite true. It just happened. There was no getting closer day by day, or even clumsily making it happen for the first time. Deadlift turned from non-existent to quite a decent looking in just that one session. I never tried an aerial version before, as obviously thought it would be harder than doing it from the ground, but decided to give it a go anyway, cause why not? And it worked marvelously! To be honest I thought I was just deceiving myself, doing something wr...

Pole Fitness: progress and challenge

Search This Blog