how does one do a choctaw? I've seen it on a you tube video and as part of step sequences in programs and they look like fun. I won't see my coach till the end of the week and I'd love to try them out on my own beforehand. what i do know is, is that you can begin with a RFI and switch to LBO, and the same is true I guess starting from a LFI-RBO, where do you place the skating and free leg and what are the arm positions. Your tips would be great!

thanks!

For choctaws you should always have the free leg leading the skating leg. Your upper body should face the direction you are travelling. RFI-LBO, hold your left foot perpendicular to the right foot, heel to toe. Right arm in front. The best way to practice choctaws are on a line. Do a lobe of RFI, bringing your upper body around CCW as much as possible, then at the line, stretch out your free leg and switch to LBO.

thanks that was great I can really visualize it and I got the "idea" of it just doing it in front of a mirror. ill try it on ice later.

I did one accidently a few years ago when I was taking lessons and working on mohawks. And of course I had no idea what I did or how I did it, so I am of no use. But yes, they do seem like fun. Actually, anything involving skating seems like fun

I just want to comment that what you have describe is an RFI Open Choctaw. For a closed Choctaw, you do not have the free foot leading. Instead, you would bring the heel of the free foot behind the heel of the skating foot. Open Choctaws are usually done quickly, while closed Choctaws lend themselves to slower, dance type moves (as in the Blues).

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This is an excellent point.

There is another thing about the choctaw is that it is not only an FI to BO - it is any edge to the opposite edge - for instance, a choctaw can be RFO-LBI (like in the Quickstep - Gold Dance), or I suppose anytime you go from a BI to FO or BO-FIU (although mot people don't call them that...).

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I wonder why it is that the B to F direction of choctaws, and mohawks too, are so much easier than the F to B direction.

Okay, so what's a RFO to LBO with left foot pushing off behind instead of stepping down in front? Is it just an incorrectly done chocktaw or would it be considered some type of mohawk?

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It's a mohawk, because you're keeping the same edge quality: outside to outside. RFO closed mohawk, to be precise.

Choctaws change edge quality: outside to inside, or inside to outside. Mohawks preserve edge quality: outside to outside, or inside to inside. They both change direction (B to F, or F to B), and change feet (R to L, or L to R).

As I understand it, open is when the heel of the free foot comes to the instep of the skating foot (this is before the turn: after the turn the free foot has become the skating foot, and vice versa). Closed is when the instep of the free foot is brought to the heel of the skating foot.

rye's correct. The mohawk you described, dbny, is found in the silver-level Tango.

They're not all easier. Most B Mohawks and Choctaws we do are open. Try a BO closed Mohawk...not so easy.

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