Casey's Practice Hour

[Casey]

Okay, I'll admit it, I usually just have fun when I skate, playing random music on my iPod and skating around randomly to it. But I decided a bit of structured practice would be a good idea too. So I came up with the following set of stuff, and I found that it takes me about an hour to work through. For each thing in the list, the goal is to get 5 "good" ones - that being subjective to your own personal skill - you know when something isn't good. ;) As a rule of thumb, it should take you 7 tries to get 5 "good" ones, otherwise you're not setting the bar high enough (or if it takes more, you're struggling too much and the bar's too high).

1. Forward outside edges on a line.
2. Waltz jumps.
3. Forward inside edges on a line.
4. Toe Loops.
5. Backward outside edges on a line.
6. Salchows.
7. Backward inside edges on a line.
8. Loops.
9. RFO3-->LBO3... edges (I dunno what these are called, but you do a RFO edge, 3-turn at the peak, come back to the line and change feet, then do the other 3 at the peak, and repeat until you get to the other end).
10. Flips.
11. LFO3-->RBO3... edges.
12. Lutzes.
13. RFI3-->LBI3... edges.
14. Axels.
15. LFI3-->RBI3... edges.
16. Scratch spins.
17. Forward power pulls.
18. Back spins.
19. Backward power pulls.
20. Sit spins.
21. Spread Eagles/Ina Bauers.
22. Camel spins.

Notes:
- If you can't do something, put in a reasonable substitute. I can't do lutzes, so I do half lutzes there. I can't do axels, so I do waltz-loops there.
- If you're better than this list, you'll have to come up with appropriate substitutions on your own. :)
- To fit it all into an hour, you've gotta work pretty hard at it. It'll push it close.
- You may opt to make combos out of any of the jumps, but try to always do one really good one with nothing else added.

[vesperholly]

I always warm up with stroking first, then spins, then jumps, then moves. Sometimes moves before jumps if I have a lesson. If I have extra time at the end of a session, I'll either go back to spins that gave me trouble earlier, or I do some extra moves work.

I can generally fit this in a 60-minute session:

- Forward russian stroking 1 time around
- Backward russian strokine 1 time around, end with long landing position held in big circle
- stretch at the boards
- running RFI 3-turns in a circle with hands in front like a stretched-out backspin
- backspin (2-3 times, try to get fast and centered)

(will do the following spins a few times, depending on how good/bad they are. if I'm having a bad spin day, I just try to do a respectable one of each once and move on)
- camel spin
- camel-layback
- camel-layback-back sit
- layback
- sit change
- back camel
- flying camel

(these I can do the first time, so I only do one good one)
- 3 waltz jumps in a row, salchow, toe loop in sequence
- loop from crossovers, step into 3-turn loop
- flip
- flip-loop
- lutz
- lutz-loop

(these I'm not consistently landing so I spend more time on)
- Axel
- double sal
- double loop
- Junior MIF (entire test runthrough in order - takes 15 min so I sometimes omit double loops if I'm low on time)

Usually in between the harder jumps (axel and up), I'll do exercises depending on what I'm doing on the jump. For instance, if I'm not getting good rotation on the axel, I'll stop and do a backspin from a pivot, then jump and see if that fixed it. Or if my check is poor on the double sal, I'll do a few LFO 3-turns along the boards and focus on keeping my hip and shoulder back on the LBI edge.

I always end my sessions with a nice loop or two to finish on a good note.

[Mrs Redboots]

I do stroking, runs (progressives) round the circle and latterly those deep lunges on one foot. Coach wants me to focus on doing semi-circles with these, to be sure I'm on an outside edge, and to be sure I have my weight right over the skating leg.

Husband always takes several laps: all four edges, and then usually a lap of (excruciatingly bad) swing rolls - don't know why he can't swing solo, but he never has been able to could.

Together, we start off with a very fast lap of forward stroking in Open Kilian hold, finishing off with four pushes down the rink. Then we get into waltz hold and do one lap of plain vanilla stroking, one of chassés and one of swing rolls, each lap we change position at the end of the rink so that the other one is going backwards.

Then we work on whatever needs worked on - usually, at the moment, skating backwards in Kilian hold, skating generally in Reverse Kilian, and doing waltz 3s round each other. Occasionally we do runs round the circle, in both Kilian and Reverse Kilian hold. We also practice our spin. And, of course, if we are polishing dances for competition or test, we work on those.

[Casey]

9. RFO3-->LBO3... edges (I dunno what these are called, but you do a RFO edge, 3-turn at the peak, come back to the line and change feet, then do the other 3 at the peak, and repeat until you get to the other end).
11. LFO3-->RBO3... edges.
13. RFI3-->LBI3... edges.
15. LFI3-->RBI3... edges.
Here's what I'm talking about. These aren't the best examples, but you can see what I mean. :)

RFO3-LBI3 and LFO3-RBI3 edges (http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-11/casey-rfo3-lbi3_and_lfo3-rbi3_edges.mpeg)
LFI3-RBO3 and RFI3-LBO3 edges (http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-11/casey-lfi3-rbo3_and_rfi3-lbo3_edges.mpeg)

[icedancer2]

Here's what I'm talking about. These aren't the best examples, but you can see what I mean. :)

http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-11/casey-rfo3-lbi3_and_lfo3-rbi3_edges.mpeg
http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-11/casey-lfi3-rbo3_and_rfi3-lbo3_edges.mpeg

Casey, I don't know why, but I can never open these files. Maybe you could put them in another format?

Thanks.

[Casey]

Casey, I don't know why, but I can never open these files. Maybe you could put them in another format?
I've got no idea why - MPEG is pretty darn standard. I don't have anything to convert them with but I can look into it later. Maybe your computer is just confused by the 4-letter extension? Would you mind trying this one as a quick test?

http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-11/casey-lfi3-rbo3_and_rfi3-lbo3_edges-TEST.mpg

If it still doesn't work, can you tell me what operating system version you're using and what program you're trying to play them with?

You might try downloading Quicktime - it's free and I had a lot of luck with it when I was using Windows:

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html
(you don't even have to put in your E-mail address to download it if you uncheck all the boxes for newsletters)

I use the linux version of this, so it ought to work too:
http://www3.mplayerhq.hu/MPlayer/releases/win32/MPlayer-1.0rc1-gui.zip (just copy all the files out of the zip to some place, then run it from there - it doesn't have an installer I don't think)

[Bill_S]

I get a 404 error on the link above.

As I mentioned in another post (Camera for a Spin), I have to right click on the link and save it to my computer before playing it. If I try to stream it, just the first second or two of the video repeats over and over. It never goes beyond that repeating initial part.

Win XP, standard Windows Media Player.

[Casey]

I get a 404 error on the link above.
Sorry, I just fixed the link. It's 2007 after all, not 2006 anymore. ;)

[Bill_S]

That repaired link gets me to the file, but I see just the first second of your video repeated continuously unless I download the file first, then double-click it to play.

I don't know what causes that, but the work-around is easy enough.

[Casey]

That repaired link gets me to the file, but I see just the first second of your video repeated continuously unless I download the file first, then double-click it to play.

I don't know what causes that, but the work-around is easy enough.
Could you try this one? It's re-encoded as divx...

http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-11/casey-lfi3-rbo3_and_rfi3-lbo3_edges-MPEG4TEST.mpeg

[Bill_S]

No joy at all. Media Player complains about a missing codec. The MP web site doesn't offer one for download.

[Casey]

No joy at all. Media Player complains about a missing codec. The MP web site doesn't offer one for download.
It's http://www.divx.com/ - you might wanna fetch that later. But I'm hoping to find something that works without any special downloads, could you please try this one first? This one is an older encoding - the same one DVD's use.

http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-11/casey-lfi3-rbo3_and_rfi3-lbo3_edges-MPEG2TEST.mpeg

[Casey]

Once I find something that works for everyone I'll convert all my videos to it, but in the interim, I put a few things on youtube:

3-turn edges 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_YDXP-_K9k)
3-turn edges 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDKnvZlTRr8)

So do these things have an official name?

[mikawendy]

Here's what I'm talking about. These aren't the best examples, but you can see what I mean. :)

RFO3-LBI3 and LFO3-RBI3 edges (http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-11/casey-rfo3-lbi3_and_lfo3-rbi3_edges.mpeg)
LFI3-RBO3 and RFI3-LBO3 edges (http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-11/casey-lfi3-rbo3_and_rfi3-lbo3_edges.mpeg)


Once I find something that works for everyone I'll convert all my videos to it, but in the interim, I put a few things on youtube:

3-turn edges 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_YDXP-_K9k)
3-turn edges 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDKnvZlTRr8)

So do these things have an official name?

Ha, ha, when I clicked your most recent link, I get a message that youtube is down for schduled maintenance. However, from the description you give, I think you're referring to the three turns in the field that are in the Silver MIF test. (If you have a rule book, you can check out the MIF diagrams to see if that's the pattern.) Basically, it's a three turn on one foot and then a backward three turn on the other foot, such as RFO3-LBI3 as you describe. But I couldn't watch your videos, so I'm not 100% sure. (All I know is that it's &*#$#$ hard to get any flow after the BI3 turns!)

Edited to add: oooh, first time using the multi-quote too. Me like. :D

[Casey]

I think you're referring to the three turns in the field that are in the Silver MIF test.
Oh, good. At least I'm doing something more directly useful to testing than I thought then (was just doing it as a 3-turn exercise). :)

But I couldn't watch your videos, so I'm not 100% sure.
What program are you trying to play them in? Did you try the mpeg2test one?

[kateskate]

I start with forward skating with crossovers, then Russian stroking, then one foot slaloms (power pulls) forwards and backwards - one foot down each side. I then may do figure of eight crossovers forwards and backwards. Then at the moment I usually do field moves but I sometimes just do laps of all the edges.

If it's a free skating session I then do all the jumps up to lutz, then 3-jump loop, then some backspins, then axels. Then salchow-loop-backspin, then double salchows. May try double cherry or double loop if I'm feeling brave. I often go back to axels after doing double salchows.

Then spins - upright change foot, sit, sit change sit, camel, camel-sit, camel-sit-change sit, layback, and then may try flying camels.

I then may run through steps and/or programme.

If its dance, I sometimes do figure of 8 three turns and then I do laps of FI and BO double twizzles. Then onto whatever dance drill is current. Then work on compulsories, then free dance. Its more difficult to give a definite structure to practice - depends what I'm working on and what the steps are!

[Casey]

Okay guys - sorry for all the video troubles. I dug out an old laptop with windows xp and played around until I found something that makes windows media player happy without any additional downloads, and have converted all of my files to that format. So, all of the links I posted should automatically work now, except for the test ones which are gone now. And heck, it even seems like they stream fine now (at least from my cable connection) so you don't have to save them first. :)

Links to everything are:
Wednesday stuff (http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-10/)
Thursday stuff (http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/2007-01-11/)

If anybody else needs videos converted as such, I can do it now for any sk8rland.com account (which is currently free if you want one for those who don't know). :)

[Bill_S]

That streams just fine onto my computer. Lots of stuff there!

[Team Arthritis]

Hey Casey THANKS for all those vids, you skate great! I especially feel good after watching that 36 rev scratch spin - it was perfectly centered and never traveled yet the free hip was kept open. Proves that you don't need to get that knee front to spin great (Dick Button vids always show him spinning in that position too!)
:bow:
Lyle

[phoenix]

Mika is right, that's 3 turns in the field. Also on the preliminary MITF test. For the test pattern you do them down the ice using an imaginary axis since there's no line to follow.

[techskater]

Used to be on the PB and Prelim MIF test, now ONLY Prelim

[mikawendy]

Used to be on the PB and Prelim MIF test, now ONLY Prelim

No, that's the forward alternating three turn pattern that you're talking about, which involves only forward three turns (RFO3, LFO3, RFO3, etc.; and RFI3, LFI3, RFI3, etc. down a short axis). The forward alternating three turns were on the prebronze test until recently.

The one Casey is talking about (again, I haven't seent the vid, I've only read the description) is the three turns in the field, which are on the Adult Silver and Prelim MIF tests that goes down a long axis and that involve forward and backward three turns (RFO3, LBI3, RFO3, etc.; and RFI3, LBO3, RFI3, etc.). (There aren't any back 3 turns at the prebronze level.)

[renatele]

3s in the field are on pre-juvenile, not preliminary MITF test.

[Mrs Redboots]

3s in the field are on pre-juvenile, not preliminary MITF test.They are also on the new UK Level 3 Skating Moves test. Alas....

[techskater]

3s in the field are on pre-juvenile, not preliminary MITF test.

When someone mentioned the threes on the Prelim test, I assumed instead of looking at the videos which one it was.