Not All Bones Are Created Equal => Not Everyone Splits the Same

Have you ever heard one of your students say they don’t feel a stretch at all, but just that things feel stuck. One person recently put it this way, “When I’m in a seated straddle I can not forward fold over the center at all, there is no pain or stretch, when someone puts pressure on me I begin to feel something but it is very faint.” Our bodies are not all created equal and this article is going to highlight where some of those differences come from – particularly in the hip joint.

When someone can’t do the splits, we want to jump to the classic conclusion that they must be tight and inflexible, but that’s just simple not true. It may be true, but we can also be misled by anatomical variations of the hip joint.

Femur_Torsion_4

femur inclination

In the pictures above, do you notice the differences at the top of the femur? The ball on the end of this femur goes inside the socket of the hip joint. These two people are not going to squat the same, nor obtain the same flexibility level in their splits safely. One of these people will be able to perform a wide straddle with no issues. The other will experience pain and feel much comfortable in a narrow stance.

Hip_Socket_1

Above are two pelvic girdles. The person on the right might run into a block when trying to perform a forward fold in pike position. Below is a side view looking at the hip socket. One is pointing straight out and the other is pointing down and towards the front. Again, this lends itself to people having different positions where they are immediately comfortable and other areas where their bodies are sending them messages that say “Don’t go in that direction!”

Hip_Socket_3

Of course it would be great if every student could get perfect 180 degree splits in every direction, but if we honor the way our bodies are made, this simple isn’t anatomically possible for everyone to do safely. In the end, our goal should be to get to know our bodies better and to use our strengths, improve our weakness, and work safely to find the edge of our individual abilities and potential. Very few people are at the edge of their limits, so its important to keep working and not make excuses, but it also important to recognize anatomical limits that may exist! Most importantly, the race to flexibility is against yourself – never against the next person. Don’t compare your range of flexibility to anyone else’s. Embrace who you are and how God made you – bone structure and all.

 Photos used with permission from Paul Grilley.

www.paulgrilley.com

Staying Centered and Compact, Dance Belts for the Male Aerialists

“Hello, 

I am new to teaching aerial silks and just looking for tips and advice as a woman teaching male students.  There are some anatomical differences for my male students that make certain moves like the thigh lock harvest painful.  I’ve advised my male students to invest in a jock strap or dance belt but not actually sure this will help.  Will this help or is it more about positioning and technique? Any advice on how I can help these students would be much appreciated as there are certain moves they are giving up on. Thanks”

Thanks for the inquiry! You are right about the anatomical difference occasionally getting in the way…literally! Thankfully, Clayton Woodson is an awesome team-member on our advisory board and an expert on this subject. He has been advising me on which moves are “male-friendly” and which ones aren’t as I write my teacher training program. As for the dance belt topic, ultimately, it’s going to be different for every male. Each will have to form their own opinions, but the important part is disseminating the information and at least letting them know that this option exists! It will help in some moves, and others are just doomed. I’ve asked Clayton to chime in more specifics on the resource board. See there for more!

For the rest of you, here is an informative article written by advisory board member Clayton Woodson on the subject of dance belts. Continue reading “Staying Centered and Compact, Dance Belts for the Male Aerialists”

Practice Falling Correctly

Any sport can be dangerous, especially when proper techniques are not taught. Remember teachers to teach your students to tuck their head forward toward the chest if they ever fall. If I didn’t tuck my head when I fell for the first time (and hopefully the last time) during silk training when I wrapped improperly for a drop, then I probably would have been paralyzed as well. Also it is good to ALWAYS train with a mat! Don’t allow yourself to get the attitude that you’ll never fall because you just never know. You could be the most skilled aerialist out there but if something is not rigged right, or something breaks, you’ll appreciate that mat a whole lot.

Its amazing how something so small can make such a difference. Tuck and roll on your shoulders. Continue reading “Practice Falling Correctly”