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Superman Superpain

I'm sure every single pole dancer at some point of their pole journey wished to get a perfect Superman. And by that I don't mean to find a super attractive boyfriend to show off their fantastic pole skills to :)

Superman is a pain. Literally. When I tried it for the first time it felt like my skin was burning and freezing at the same time. Every attempt left fresh bruises that just wouldn't go away. Not sure what is wrong with this particular trick. It takes ages to find a spot that doesn't hurt like hell, but then it miraculously stops being painful and you're sweet just hanging there for ages. At least that's how it was for me. I managed to hold the move fairly quickly after I first started working on it. It didn't look too bad either, but damn, the pain was unbearable! You can always keep a poker face and pretend that nothing is going on, but if it hurts then the move is not well executed. I do realize now, that the problem was in my body positioning. Not sure if it was due to my "attention to details" or something else, but I clearly missed that part where you are supposed to drop your body down and relax into the move. I wish I could apply it at an earlier stage of practice. Maybe it felt scary or awkward and my body resisted that drop that will make Superman a lot easier. Instead, I crossed my ankles and tried to squeeze as hard as possible, hence the pain.

May 2016. Superman is one of the moves I'm 100% satisfied with


The other problem encountered on the way to a perfect Superman was how to get into it. There are so many different ways to do it, but I was stuck with a single option Butterfly - Flatline - Superman, followed but a clumsy collapse on the floor. Not the best way to finish your combo.

December 2013, before my long break from pole. Clumsy Superman combo

It took more time to diversify my entries, than a move itself. I have recently discovered that Pike/Jade – Superman transition works quite well and look very pretty. Among the more standard, beginner ways to get into your Superman are from a Spinning Crouch or knee hook from a floor. What works the best completely depends on a personal style, skill level and technique.

On a bright side, Superman is one of those rare tricks that I can do equally well on both sides. There is a slight difference of course, but in general it is almost just as comfortable on my bad side. That gives me a bit more room to play around with the move and incorporate it in more complex combos without ending up on a bad side of a move that follows. Turns out, there are still so many different ways to get into Superman, I had no idea about. It is always good to nail standard spinning crouch entry, but Superman trick gives you a lot of freedom for experimenting. Same goes for getting out of it. Ideally you can do Titanic, but well, nowhere near there yet. But even on a beginner-intermediate level there are so many cool ways to finish off your Superman combo. I’m still working on a tumble down, but it will take a lot of time to polish.

June 2016. Superman-Jade-Tumble combo.

So this trick is a must-learn not just because it is pretty, but because it will widen the range of combos you could do immensely. Plus, just like Aeysha, Superman is a signature move. Nailing it will boot your confidence and open new opportunities of a never ending pole journey.
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