A Mental Breakthrough (Double Axel Progress)

[blackmanskating]

Hey Everybody!!!! 8-) Today was my first day of attempting double axels without the jump harness. :) I hadn't been on the ice in a week because I was on vacation. I was so nervous in the beginning that I could barely get 6 inches off the ice. My coach said the most interesting thing to get me motivated. He said, "Don't listen to the rest of the skating world who says that you have to spend years to learn this jump. You were born to do this so don't back down. Now show me!" My coach made me do high waltz jumps, then axel/backspin, then on to the double. I didn't think I was capable of rotating it. I rotated it but I rocked too far back on my blade to hold the landing. I fell, but I was really blown away that I got all the way around. My coach applauded my efforts and I couldn't believe how much my own mental hangups were preventing me from rotating that jump. After we moved on to my spins, I had so much of an adrenaline rush from the double axel that I did the fastest and most centered camel spin combination I've ever done!!! 8O It made my coach's jaw drop. I couldn't believe that I had that in me all this time. Even after a week off, I've improved how quickly I transfer over to my right side.

Has anybody else had a sudden breakthrough in their skating like that? Was it a physical breakthrough or a mental one?


BlackManSkating

[doubletoe]

Wow, Blackman, that is soooooo awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am really proud of you!! :D

[Morgail]

That's fantastic! Sometimes that happens to me too - I surprise myself by doing one thing really well, and then go on to do something else better than ever.

[fsk8r]

I'm nowhere near doing an axle, but I find that sometimes I get on the ice and have a tingly feeling. it means one of two things - i'm due a fall (thankfully not that often) or i'm going to skate a blinder. however, i've not worked out how to tell what element is going to make a breakthrough. I do like when it shocks my coach - she gets most annoyed when she has to replan what we're working on for the next month. even when it's just skating the rhythm blues in time!

[blackmanskating]

Wow, Blackman, that is soooooo awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am really proud of you!! :D

Thanks DoubleToe!!!! I am so excited!!! I'm wondering if I can do it again tomorrow.

[herniated]

That is sooooooooooooooooo Awesome!!! And, yes I've had similar experiences, not with a double axel though. Chuckle. :lol: -me a double axel.
Anyway, one experience was relearning my Silver moves about 2 years ago. I had just switched to my current coach and was very unsure about my ability to master these moves. He encouraged me and told me I have talent and ability. ( He's seen me skate with other coaches for years) Well, wouldn't you know it on our first lesson I got those back 3's! I couldn't get them for two years!!

Anyway, Congrats again!!!

[blackmanskating]

I'm nowhere near doing an axle, but I find that sometimes I get on the ice and have a tingly feeling. it means one of two things - i'm due a fall (thankfully not that often) or i'm going to skate a blinder. however, i've not worked out how to tell what element is going to make a breakthrough. I do like when it shocks my coach - she gets most annoyed when she has to replan what we're working on for the next month. even when it's just skating the rhythm blues in time!

I haven't worked out when the "breakthrough" is going to happen either. A Spider sense feeling would be great. I don't want to say that the breakthrough happened when I got serious, but rather I became really focused. Now I know what I am capable of, so there is no reason for me to hold back. That is encouraging. Now I want to focus on landing the double axel. Johnny Weir landed his double axel after 2 weeks of working on it, maybe I can too.

[blackmanskating]

That is sooooooooooooooooo Awesome!!! And, yes I've had similar experiences, not with a double axel though. Chuckle. :lol: -me a double axel.
Anyway, one experience was relearning my Silver moves about 2 years ago. I had just switched to my current coach and was very unsure about my ability to master these moves. He encouraged me and told me I have talent and ability. ( He's seen me skate with other coaches for years) Well, wouldn't you know it on our first lesson I got those back 3's! I couldn't get them for two years!!

Anyway, Congrats again!!!

Thanks Herniated!!!! I'll keep that in mind when I do my silver moves test. The only thing I'm worried about are those darn spirals!!! :frus:

[doubletoe]

Thanks Herniated!!!! I'll keep that in mind when I do my silver moves test. The only thing I'm worried about are those darn spirals!!! :frus:

Are you doing your stretches every day? :twisted: (insert whip-cracking sound effect here)

[blackmanskating]

Are you doing your stretches every day? :twisted: (insert whip-cracking sound effect here)

Hahaha!!! Yes I am stretching daily. Although I didn't stretch when I took that week off. :halo:


BlackManSkating

[tidesong]

Thats really awesome for you!!! For me my jumps have always turned out best when I didn't think too hard about them (albeit of course having previously at least walked through the jump so there is some muscle memory and I know what to do at the back of my head) and went into the jump with confidence.

[Sessy]

My flip was physical, I just needed to build the strength. I actually think part of the axel for me will be physical as well, because the reason I'm not jumping UP is because I don't have the muscles in my left leg. My spin breakthrough was actually technological: different blades. But also physical later on... I don't know it seems with me, everything is physical. Maybe because I have a literally endless belief in what I can do (even if I whine that I can't, deep down I know I can) and because things first click in my head and then I've got to do it physically.

Anyway congratulations blackman!!! You're totally my hero!!! :lol:
(post a youtube vid of this magical beast when you can!!!)

[chowskates]

Hey Everybody!!!! 8-) Today was my first day of attempting double axels without the jump harness. :) I hadn't been on the ice in a week because I was on vacation. I

[snipped]

Has anybody else had a sudden breakthrough in their skating like that? Was it a physical breakthrough or a mental one?

BlackManSkating

Congratulations on the breakthrough!

Isn't it funny how some things can suddenly get better after a short break? I have noticed that some of my jumps can be so much better after I have been away from the ice for a while. There have been other things (like the layback!) that I would stop doing for months on end, and when I try it again, I surprise myself.

My flaky theory is that the body needs time to internalise the "right" moves, and though this comes from practise, practise and practise, sometimes taking a break gives it a rest from having to weed out the "wrong" stuff. :?: :roll:

[blackmanskating]

You guys are awesome. Thanks Sessy!

Congratulations on the breakthrough!

Isn't it funny how some things can suddenly get better after a short break? I have noticed that some of my jumps can be so much better after I have been away from the ice for a while. There have been other things (like the layback!) that I would stop doing for months on end, and when I try it again, I surprise myself.

My flaky theory is that the body needs time to internalise the "right" moves, and though this comes from practise, practise and practise, sometimes taking a break gives it a rest from having to weed out the "wrong" stuff.

You know what, now that I think about it, my single axel happened that way. After it wasn't working, we spent a few days just working on backscratch and back sit spins. We switched to axel again and it just happened.

The weird thing is now the double axel muscle memory has all of my other jumps thrown off. I am over-rotating my single axel now and I couldn't land a double salchow to save my life today. The good news is that my double loop got better. I'm actually over-rotating it a little bit. I went 2.5 rotations on my double flip and actually landed forward. :frus: I truly believe that the flip will be the first jump I triple. I gotta get my muscle memory together now. It's all thrown off. I'm not complaining though. I actually think it's a little funny. My coach says it's because my body wants to do triples. :roll: Yeah . . . okay. We'll see.


BlackManSkating

[Sessy]

When you sign with Nike, remember I wear size 5 :lol:

Oh I so wish I could jump again.... *SIGH*

[blackmanskating]

Hahahaha!!!!!! Too Funny!!! Great Movie Quote. :lol:

[Sessy]

I'm serious, I need new nike's, mine are starting to tear... :lol: ;)
So you'd better hit those triples soon.

Actually the few other posts you made, we kind of think alike and even had the same problem on the sit spin I think you mentioned. LOL which is funny cuz I'm a white girl and stuf - WORLDS apart. But I *was* progressing pretty fast for the country I live in and the training facilities we have, and I think the mindset has such a lot to do with it! Cuz everybody's like, you can't land the axel, you can't do a bielman, you can't do this you can't do that and I'm like WHY NOT all the time. I'm SO frustrated at not being able to jump cuz I just *KNOW* I'd have had my axel already if I hadn't done that ankle stuff in february that's still messing with me!!!
Anyway you're like the proof of my theory (which is actually my theory on life as a whole, not just on skating) that it's for a HUGE part about believing in what you can do and not believing people who tell you you can't do things. Makes me wanna get out there again and prove it myself too. I'm SO frustrated at not jumping I'm now... *sigh* I keep dreaming about it. Makes me angry at my alarm clock, lol! :)

A friend of mine's got the same mindset. She started skating at 21, and has been skating as long as I have (no injury though and more competitions but no testing) and is about where I am too... They told her you can't hope for more than singles as an adult, they told me adults don't learn to jump!!! We were like WHAT the freak, we're not settling for less than doubles. And after we both got our lutz I told her I expect to meet her in competition at the nationals in 2017 (we don't have adult ones, you can try till you're 32 for the normal ones though if you can test up to a 2Axel) She said okay.
Another friend of ours is a little younger, started skating at the same time too, and she doesn't even land a decent toeloop yet but she's constantly listening to everybody who tells you you can't do this or that and believes them. She's done rhytmic gymnastics and has a bielman most figure skaters would kill for, but she's too afraid to try it on ice... Where as with her balance and edge control, I'm certain she would get it right straight away.

It's soooo much about the mind, like, 50% of it.

[SkatingOnClouds]

Damn! I want what you're having!!!

Seriously BlackmanSkating, I am really happy for you. I figure it's good karma to be happy instead of jealous. Hoping my turn will come for single axels one day.

Congratulations.

[Sessy]

I'm figuring you need to be a man to do what he's doing though. No way women build up that much strength that fast.

[blackmanskating]

I'm serious, I need new nike's, mine are starting to tear... :lol: ;)
So you'd better hit those triples soon.

Actually the few other posts you made, we kind of think alike and even had the same problem on the sit spin I think you mentioned. LOL which is funny cuz I'm a white girl and stuf - WORLDS apart. But I *was* progressing pretty fast for the country I live in and the training facilities we have, and I think the mindset has such a lot to do with it! Cuz everybody's like, you can't land the axel, you can't do a bielman, you can't do this you can't do that and I'm like WHY NOT all the time. I'm SO frustrated at not being able to jump cuz I just *KNOW* I'd have had my axel already if I hadn't done that ankle stuff in february that's still messing with me!!!
Anyway you're like the proof of my theory (which is actually my theory on life as a whole, not just on skating) that it's for a HUGE part about believing in what you can do and not believing people who tell you you can't do things. Makes me wanna get out there again and prove it myself too. I'm SO frustrated at not jumping I'm now... *sigh* I keep dreaming about it. Makes me angry at my alarm clock, lol! :)

A friend of mine's got the same mindset. She started skating at 21, and has been skating as long as I have (no injury though and more competitions but no testing) and is about where I am too... They told her you can't hope for more than singles as an adult, they told me adults don't learn to jump!!! We were like WHAT the freak, we're not settling for less than doubles. And after we both got our lutz I told her I expect to meet her in competition at the nationals in 2017 (we don't have adult ones, you can try till you're 32 for the normal ones though if you can test up to a 2Axel) She said okay.
Another friend of ours is a little younger, started skating at the same time too, and she doesn't even land a decent toeloop yet but she's constantly listening to everybody who tells you you can't do this or that and believes them. She's done rhytmic gymnastics and has a bielman most figure skaters would kill for, but she's too afraid to try it on ice... Where as with her balance and edge control, I'm certain she would get it right straight away.

It's soooo much about the mind, like, 50% of it.

That is so true. I never try to limit myself to what other people think that I should do. Maybe it's my faith that keeps me thinking outside the box. I believe that I am only limited by what my mind can conceive. I am just thankful to have a coach who feels the same way and believes in my abilities even when I don't. Maybe kids pick up skating so fast because no one is telling them that they can't do it. People are expecting them to and even encouraging them to do triples. I'll be 25 years old tomorrow and I have set a goal to have a triple lutz by age 30.

It's tough being an adult skater even one as young as me. It makes me a little upset that we are not respected, especially when I see a few of the adult skaters trying hard and making incredible improvements. I know an adult skater who is 59 years old and is doing a double axel now. He's an amazing spinner too. He skates on pattern 99's and reminds me of stephane lambiel. I kept thinking, "If he can do it at age 59, then there is no excuse for me not to be able to do it at age 24." The main reason why Johnny Weir is my favorite skater is because he started skating late at age 12 and rose to the top of the U.S. podium in 8 years and did it 3 times in a row. If that's not tenacity, then I don't know what is.

I'll tell you what; alot of people noticed my double axel attempt yesterday. It made quite a few of them shut their mouths because a lot of coaches criticize me and my coach because of the elements that I work on. They remember me as the only black male in LTS a little over a year ago. Things change. Sessy, if you can't see yourself doing anything else but jumping, then get out there and jump as long as you're taking care of your body. Don't believe everything you hear. I have never worked this hard. It feels great to step up to my own challenges. Proving everyone else wrong is the icing on the cake.


BlackManSkating

P.S. What color Nike's do you want?? LOL:lol:

[doubletoe]

At the adult skating camp over the weekend, I got to talking to Silvia Fontana and I asked her why it was that she was so encouraging to us adults. She told me she relates to adult skaters because she didn't land her first triple until she was 19! In ladies' skating, that is practically unheard of, so she must have had a lot of mental strength to tune out all of the naysayers and do it anyway! (You go, girl!!) What a great role model she is.

[blackmanskating]

Damn! I want what you're having!!!

Seriously BlackmanSkating, I am really happy for you. I figure it's good karma to be happy instead of jealous. Hoping my turn will come for single axels one day.

Congratulations.

Thank you SkatingOnClouds. Once you get the single axel, the double sal comes rather quickly. You'll see. I promise.


BlackManSkating

[Sessy]

I wish I could. The stupid ankle hurts just at stepping out of bed. Seriously, much longer of this and I'm just gonna start jumping clockwise. I'm already over-rotating my clockwise loop on the floor with the free leg crossed in front, I reckon I'd learn the other jumps too.
Damn it makes me SO depressed this ankle poo!

That is so true. I never try to limit myself to what other people think that I should do. Maybe it's my faith that keeps me thinking outside the box. I believe that I am only limited by what my mind can conceive. I am just thankful to have a coach who feels the same way and believes in my abilities even when I don't. Maybe kids pick up skating so fast because no one is telling them that they can't do it. People are expecting them to and even encouraging them to do triples. I'll be 25 years old tomorrow and I have set a goal to have a triple lutz by age 30.

Well, it does take predisposition. Mental, physical. And age does matter some. But I actually find that us adults have an advantage in a sense, we can deal with our emotions better, we can pay attention better. Trouble is, the kids have 20 years to learn, we have maybe 10.

I also like Johnny Weir. Kevin van der Perren started skating at age 9, and didn't do so competitively till he was 17. He's the guy I had the photo taken with (see the which famous skaters have you met thread (http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=23608&page=2)) He won the European bronze this year.

LOL black please ;)


No really I seriously intend to land a 2A one day. I've seen adults at our club get to 2Sal in 4 years. Our club is the ONLY club in the country where adults do that, to my knowledge. So everybody says I'm insane here, but I've done so many impossible things before that I don't believe people anymore when they tell me it's impossible. It's possible if God smiles upon me. I'm not sure if he's willing but I hope with all my heart he is...

NOW GET BETTER STUPID ANKLE!

Really I went hysteric over it last night cuz it's so frustrating not to be able to do anything about it! :x

[xofivebyfive]

You are seriously inspirational.

Just goes to show that if you believe it, you can achieve it.



I stole that from a movie. I just don't know which one.

[Sessy]

He definately is


Still waiting for those youtube videos!!!

By the way, how are your basic skating skills? You don't wanna end up an acrobat on ice either I'm guessing.

[blackmanskating]

He definately is


Still waiting for those youtube videos!!!

By the way, how are your basic skating skills? You don't wanna end up an acrobat on ice either I'm guessing.

No Surya Bonaly over here!!!!! ;) My basic skills are improving; just not as fast as my jumps. I love jumping. It's always been my favorite part of skating. But I have most of the basic footwork and spins. I am having a hard time with brackets in the field but I'm working on it. I am also working on my flexibility. I have to step that up. I am also working on my expression because it is hard for me to show emotion when I skate. I am trying to model my skating after Daisuke Takahashi and Johnny Weir with my own flavor on it. To do that, I have to have more passion and flair to my skating. So basically, I am working hard to develop my "style" to compliment the jumps. Good Choreography will help with that. I'm trying to develop "soft knees" so that things look effortless, fluid, and smooth. My coach stresses it alot so I know it's important.

BlackManSkating

[Sessy]

Good good! I never liked to watch Surya Bonali. Except that backflip, that was cool.