What was the first move you ever learned in your skating discipline?

[FSWer]

Say I was just wondering..what was the first move that you ever learned in the discipline that you do? If you skate more then one...please name the first move in all.

[*JennaD*]

ummm mine was probably a 2 foot spin...but I really have no clue, I don't remember! :roll:

In dance I never really learned how to do swing rolls or progressives or anything...my coach just taught me the dance!

[jazzpants]

Forward Stroking...and this is in FREESTYLE, not ice dance, (though I would think I'd be taught the same thing too if I was an ice dancer.)

[Casey]

Forward Stroking...and this is in FREESTYLE, not ice dance, (though I would think I'd be taught the same thing too if I was an ice dancer.)
That's what I thought when I read this thread - wouldn't it be the same basic steps for everyone? I doubt most people even have a discipline in mind when they first step on the ice.

[FrankR]

Hello,

Actually, the very first thing they taught is in group lessons when I started skating was how to fall. They acutally made us grab onto the wall and lower down to a seated position and then let go of the wall and allow ourselves to fall down onto the ice. They felt it was important to train us not to flail our arms and legs as we fall as that tends to make falls worse and causes injuries. Then the next thing we learned was how to get up properly. To this day I still remember that first lesson. :)

Frank

[Shinn-Reika]

RFI 3
seconded by RBI hydroblade.

Consequently my two favorite moves are RBI Hydroblade and RFI 3 to RBO spiral.

[Figuresk8_katie]

Well...I skate in Canada so in order to enter the test stream, most clubs require that you move through the Skate Canada CanSkate program which teaches all the basics. It's 7 levels (1-6 are intro and 7 is considered pre-preliminary)

Anyway, level 1 and 2 are the basic "learn to skate". Fall down, get up, turn in a circle, snowplow stop, skate forwards, walk backwards...you get the idea.
Then levels 3 and 4 start to introduce crossovers on a line, circle thrusts, 1 foot spins, jumps forward to backward on two feet, etc.

Levels 5-6 start to introduce speed, a variety of stops, 1 foot jumps forward to backward, one foot spins, crossovers on a circle and in figure eight patterns, two foot sit spins, edges on a line, mohawks...

Level 7 (pre-preliminary) introduces waltz jumps, salchows, toe loops. Sit spins, one foot spins with crosscut entry, full edges on a line, mohawk and three turns, crossovers forward and backward, progressives, chassés, swing rolls, etc.

Once you've finished CanSkate you usually move onto the next level your club offers if you're planning on pursuing skating. Usually with your coach you start fine-tuning...
- spins with crosscut entries (usually one foot spins, then sit spins, then camel spins.)
- single jumps (in order, usually, waltz jump, salchow, toeloop, loop with forward entry, 1/2 flip/1/2 lutz, then full flip and lutz)
- footwork is always worked on for a solo (contains mostly mohawks and three-turns)

As far as tests are concerned...most of the time coaches get their students to test a few dances maybe dutch waltz, canasta, baby blues, and a junior bronze or two first. After that they may test preliminary elements. Usually by this time the skater has a preliminary solo and may test it aswell. Sometimes, coaches opt to test the 1st skill set first.

Anyway, this has been a long post...

-Katie

[Raye]

Years ago as soon as I had passed the Dutch Waltz, my coach at the time started teaching me the European Waltz. He said that it was a good excercise in edges, three-turns, balance and lean-changes. While I have never tested the European Waltz, it is a favourite of mine, and it still forms part of my warmup routine.

[Mel On Ice]

first moves were stroking. first move that made me feel like a skater was a spiral.

[Skate@Delaware]

I started lessons mid-season, so the first thing i learned was:

FORWARD OUTSIDE EDGES!

But, some of the other adults in the class were working on their toe loop 8O ! I immediately went up to the instructor and told her I thought I was in the wrong class, because I could barely skate! She told me I'd be fine and had me work on edges.

[MannyisHOT]

I learned how to fall and get back up, fall and get back up, fall and get back up... no boards or anything....

[diagetus]

My first moves are fresh in my mind, since I've just started skating. On rental skates I learned a forward push. Then I learned how to fall backwards, but not by my own choice! 8O

Once I had my own skates, I started with a forward push off when I first got on the ice. Next thing I tried was a T-Stop and then a Hockey Stop. After that I started thinking about what might happen if I fell over those gigantic picks sitting on the front of my blades. So the next thing I learned was falling forward. I also practiced walking on the toe picks figuring that if I walking on them for awhile that would get the pick stubbs out of my system. Well, it didn't exactly work that way, but I did get a better feel for the location, tooth, and size of my picks.

[Mrs Redboots]

"My Discipline" is ice-dancing, and one usually has at least the basics down before starting that! I rather suspect we were shown how to (pretend to) do the Novice Foxtrot, a very simple dance consisting solely of a progressive followed by a swing roll in one direction, and the same in the other direction! At that stage, of course, it was very bad crossovers rather than progressives....

Even now, I find the dance a challenge - obviously now I'm using my edges better, doing progressive runs instead of crossovers, etc, but it's great for focussing on all the things we dancers need to focus on - forward and backward extension, toes, heads up, shoulders back, weight in the right place, etc.....

For couples dance, the very first thing we were required to do was to get into Kilian hold and just stroke together round the rink. We still do that a lot, too!

[samba]

Hello,

Actually, the very first thing they taught is in group lessons when I started skating was how to fall. They acutally made us grab onto the wall and lower down to a seated position and then let go of the wall and allow ourselves to fall down onto the ice. They felt it was important to train us not to flail our arms and legs as we fall as that tends to make falls worse and causes injuries. Then the next thing we learned was how to get up properly. To this day I still remember that first lesson. :)



Hi Frank

Gosh I wish I realised that there was a way to fall, the only way I fall is either on my head, my butt or my knees and they all hurt.

Cheers
Grace

[Mrs Redboots]

Hi Frank

Gosh I wish I realised that there was a way to fall, the only way I fall is either on my head, my butt or my knees and they all hurt.

Cheers
GraceYou're too thin, Grace! Those of us who have well-padded bottoms (and, all rumours to the contrary, mine still is!) don't have quite such a bad problem.....

[CanAmSk8ter]

Hi Frank

Gosh I wish I realised that there was a way to fall, the only way I fall is either on my head, my butt or my knees and they all hurt.

Cheers
Grace

The right one is the butt. Not exactly fun, but knees and head have much greater potential for serious damage ;)

[*IceDancer1419*]

after killing my right knee from falling on it too hard too many times (it's not REALLY dead but sensitive, and coach suspects soft tissue damage 8O ), I do think that falling on my butt would be nicer :roll: Then it *usually* just gets bruised... though I have a semi-bony butt so that might not work either :roll:

Which is why I get to look dorky in knee pads! :D :lol: