Mohawks

[coach_09]

I'm new here and I need some tips on teaching mohawks. I have never this much of a problem teaching them, but these skaters just don't get it. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions? Thanks!

[dbny]

I'm assuming you are asking about FI mohawks. Do them at the wall, both hands on the wall, and have the student move with you at the wall, watching your feet. Have the student skate backwards on a circle, pick up the foot inside the circle so they are on the inside edge of skating foot, then step forward. You will likely have to demo slowly several times. After they can do the BI mohawk, you can explain that the FI mohawk is the same in reverse, and that helps get the concept across. When placing the free foot on the ice, point the toe down, so the front of the blade touches the ice first. Do take it very slow and easy, as this is a move that can send a skater straight down very fast.

[sk8lady]

I usually teach these on the goal crease as the curve is a better shape for teaching mohawks. I have them look in the direction they're going to wind up facing once they've started the curve, and then "replace" the skating foot with the free foot on the curve while keeping their shoulders level.

[slusher]

I'm a bit brutal. Or weird, no comments on that. Students stand holding the boards and looking at themselves in the glass. Smile, it's the last one you'll see. Arrange feet in a V shape as much as possible. Do a little swively half circle with feet in V shape. Put all weight on back foot, (usually the right) and pretend that that right foot is gliding toe in toward the boards. Remind students to hold tightly to the boards. Now, quickly, you must stop that foot from reaching the boards so kick it out of the way with the heel of your left foot. Good job, you're now standing on your left foot. Or, hopefully you're still standing up.

There's a lot more to teaching mohawks than this, but I like the "kick the skating foot out of the way" because it teaches skaters to go heel to instep, instead of stepping behind themselves and stepping on a blade. (The Harris will come soon enough) Also, it gives the idea that it is a two foot turn because I've got kids that can 3turn a mohawk (3turn step) and just don't get the idea.

[dbny]

I've got kids that can 3turn a mohawk (3turn step) and just don't get the idea.

I see this a lot. I have my students tap the heel of the free foot to the instep of the skating foot before putting the foot down. I teach a lot of adults, and have to be more careful with them, so no kicking the foot out from under.

[slusher]

Kids like the kicking idea obviously. It's almost like, the more chance that they might have a serious impaling bloody injury, or the idea of one, the bettery they like it, ooooh this is risky - as opposed to boring. Mohawks can be boring until they get it, and then it's D'OH, how simple was that!!

With adults, I do a rocking horse idea, with step from one foot to the other to a beat, that gets faster. Rock that horse faster Cowboy!! Then we slow it down, and then it's easy. Probably my biggest fear in teaching adults is having them step on their own foot and fall, because it's a backwards fall and bad.

[katz in boots]

Also, it gives the idea that it is a two foot turn because I've got kids that can 3turn a mohawk (3turn step) and just don't get the idea.

I see this a lot, possibly because 3 turns are taught first. Kids think that a mohawk has to be more complicated, and they try to do all sorts of weird turns with their feet rather than simply stepping from one foot to the other. It's almost like it's too easy for them to grasp after learning 3 turns.

[dbny]

With adults, I do a rocking horse idea, with step from one foot to the other to a beat, that gets faster. Rock that horse faster Cowboy!! Then we slow it down, and then it's easy. Probably my biggest fear in teaching adults is having them step on their own foot and fall, because it's a backwards fall and bad.

If you have closed hips, it's never as easy as you might think - even when it looks easy. It's stepping on the blade that I've done and seen too many times, and yes, it's a very nasty fall.

[Isk8NYC]

I never learned the mohawk as "step behind" the blade. I tried to demonstrate it that way a few years ago and sure enough, I stepped on my own blade and hit my head on the ice as I fell. I like my way better - the tracings look JUST LIKE the ones in the manuals, lol.

I learned a new way to teach these last year and it works really well. I don't even use the boards anymore because it hinders the correct upper-body checking.

Start by teaching them to do a inside spread eagle. Don't worry about form; it's the "one foot going forward; one foot going backward" that they need. Makes them think about which foot is going forward and which is backward. Remind them to bend their knees and to try and keep the feet closer to each other.

The next step is to DRAG THE TOEPICK of the entry free foot backwards while skating forward on an inside edge. That gives them the feel for turning the foot before stepping down.

Progress to actually stepping down onto the BI edge of the other foot. Remind them over and over to "turn the free foot backwards" or "point the free toe backwards" BEFORE THEY STEP DOWN onto the edge. I usually hold both their hands and have them go around me. I shift their arms from the front foot to check the back foot and remind them to "look where you're going."

Then teach the the upper-body check and remind them to "point the free foot backwards before stepping down onto the BI edge." If they remember to bend their knees, they can usually squeak out a few choppy sideways FI mohawks.

For the upper body check, I teach them to "hold a beachball" over their free hip and "switch" to the backward free hip with the foot/direction change. "Check the front; check the back" is another cue that works.

I use spreadeagles as part of the warmup for Basic 7 groups now, after crossovers and three turns. It makes the mohawks so much easier. I've found it takes about 3 group lessons to get the scratchy, jumpy mohawks; about 6-7 for smoother ones that have control.

One of the biggest problems is that they tend to break at the waist and check square with the hips. I tell them to think about having a yardstick across the shoulders of their shirts/jackets and keep their hands inside the circle. If they feel wobbly, they're not bending their knees enough. Both shoulders have to move at the same time from the skating hip to the new skating hip. For privates, I've used a cord to keep their shoulders in control/synch.

[Isk8NYC]

There's a lot more to teaching mohawks than this, but I like the "kick the skating foot out of the way" because it teaches skaters to go heel to instep, instead of stepping behind themselves and stepping on a blade. I like teaching it this way after they've mastered the basic movement. I have them present the free foot to the front, then bring it to the instep, KNEE FIRST (which turns the foot, naturally) and step down free heel-to-skating instep. It's much smoother and it somehow helps with the kids who scratch to a stop on the BI edge. When they step down with their feet closer, the weight change is more gentle, so they don't stiffen the knee and roll up to the toepick.

I'm going to try the "kick it out of the way" phrase; I usually use "stretch the free leg back". Thanks for the suggestion.

[coach_09]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions!!!

Hopefully I will have some luck the next time I work on them with the girls.

[Isk8NYC]

I taught the Basic 2 3-turns last night. (2 feet, not moving)

I had one kid who was WHIMPERING about having to do them.

I wanted to whimper about having to teach them to kids who whimper and whine and whing...

*chuckles*

[Isk8NYC]

Well, I thought it was a new technique, but I see by this thread that Slusher was already using the glass.

I have a student who is just learning the mohawks. I'm teaching it very early because she wants to join the beginner synchro team, so we're focusing on certain tasks rather than the actual Basic Skills curriculum. We've gotten beyond the spreadeagle stepping/toe dragging/"plant the tree" stages to where she should be able to do them without my holding her hand. She has done them alone by intensely concentrating, but I want to make it stick.

By holding her hand, I was preventing her from turning the shoulders the wrong way. That's why she could do it with me every time, but sporadically on her own. By herself, she would step on the LFI edge, then turn to the LEFT and do a baby waltz jump (on the wrong edges) to get to the RBI edge. Talk about doing it the hard way, lol.

I did two drills with her last night that really worked well. I did NOT draw the shape on the ice or use the officials' circle because it distracted her and changed her posture. She would look down at the ice instead of where she was going, so I reiterated my "look before you step" advice.

EDGE / ROTATION DRILL:

The first drill was a series of inside edges without any mohawk attempts.
We did four lengths of the arena, just stepping onto the inside edge, rotating the shoulders so that the skating arm was in front, holding the free foot IN FRONT, then doing a slight swing-through where the free foot is brought back to the instep of the skating foot. When the feet are together, the skater then pushes onto the FI edge of the free foot.

It helped her find her balance and developed the muscle memory that tied the shoulder rotation to the free foot movement.

It's actually very pretty once they get the edges and the rhythm - would make a nice footwork sequence for a low-level skater.

USE THE GLASS DRILL:

During the second drill, I placed her near the boards facing the glass. I had her step onto the inside edge, bend her knee, and rotate the shoulders.

All the while, I kept reminding her that she HAD to keep facing the glass. "You have to see yourself" improved her posture. I was tempted to put sticker "targets" at each end, but I held off. (I think Slusher has them hold onto the boards; I didn't because I'm trying to get rid of all crutches at this point.)

Then I added the swing-through, followed by the actual "toe to the back, step down backwards." She did about 10-12 decent mohawks on her own. I stayed focused on the shoulders, because that's her bigger issue.

What I was happy to find was that the swing-through helped her step down with tighter feet. She didn't get close to the instep, but the foot was being placed on the ice going backwards without any cheater three-turn or jumping.


That was my big brainstorm last night and I really liked the technique. I'm not sure if I can use it during group lessons though because of where our Basic 7 classes are placed on the ice - not enough glass for a big group. It works great for one or two students, though.

[kayskate]

Mohawks are one of the hardest moves to teach at the Basic Skills level, in my exp. I think the 3turn is confusing to them b/c I see many 3turned mohawks. 3turn then step down. For the FI mohawk, I have the kids hold an FI edge w the free foot positioned for the turn. I also draw the pattern on the ice and help them place the foot. I hold their hands and assist them w the steps. The glass/boards method also helps. It takes time, but eventually they get it.

Kay