Mohawk trouble | Golden Skate

Mohawk trouble

Wolfgang

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
I cannot for the life of me get my left inside Mohawk to work. (Right inside works fine)
I've practiced this thing until I'm blue in the face, and still end up doing a kind of 3-turn on my right foot, instead of stepping down with the left and lifting my right simultaneously.
The sub teacher said last time that I should reach way back with my left arm and shoulder when rotating my body box, and I've done that to the point of losing my balance backwards (BAD!!), but it still doesn't work.
I've noticed that really looking over your shoulder (like craning your neck until the muscles scream stop)helps a little.
The 'real' skaters tell me that it's probably because humans aren't symmetrical, and some things are much easier one way than the other, which is probably the truth.
Anyone out there have any little secret tips to share?
Thanks!
 

julietvalcouer

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 10, 2005
Well, the so-called 'real skaters' are right, most people prefer one direction to the other. In my case, I vastly prefer RFI-LBI mohawks to LFI-RBI. The turn feels unnatural in the latter case. (Back to front, it doesn't matter, left or right, or outside or inside.)

What my coach emphasizes when I'm practicing is not to think of it so much as a turn. The more tense I get, the more I torque myself around and the more likely I am to skid on the foot I'm stepping from. So he tells me to think of it as still going forward, just changing feet--think more about keeping my weight over the skating foot. I'm having a hard time visualizing what you're doing (it's not you, it's me being a visual thinker and not very good with verbal descriptions of movement) so I'm not sure if it's something similar.
 

Skate@Delaware

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 4, 2004
Are you shifting your weight when you switch feet? That was one big tip that really helped me; you can't do these with your weight centered over both legs, you actually have to shift all of your weight from one foot to the other (sort of like a little hop but don't hop!). And bend your skating leg more than normal at first until you get used to the shifting. I hope this helps you.
 

Lanie

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
THink of it not as a turn but a step and remember to shift your weight. :) It took me awhile to get those mohawks too.
 

Alsace

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
I've read and re-read the descriptions of these, both here and in books, and I just cannot picture it. Does the tracing end up like an S curve? Do you need to be pigeon-toed to effectively do them? Does anyone have a video clip?
 

Clarice

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
No, the tracing looks more like a C curve, but there's a criss-cross in the middle where the two edges cross. Your toes should be turned out, not pigeon toed. There's a description at www.sk8stuff.com that has some clips of mohawks and choctaws.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Wolfgang:

Are you left handed or right handed? If you are naturally right handed then doing your technical moves such as the mohawk to the left could feel awkward. It's kind of a timing thing. Try not to rush. Bend your knees. Bring your right foot right to the centre of your left boot and let it sit there for awhile while travelling in the left direction - do not look at your feet - look in the direction of your left arm. When you shift your weight to the right foot, step on to your right foot and rotate your head to the right - you will be travelling backwards on the right foot (going left of course). Don't forget to check your hips. It will become natural after you do a few. Practice on your living room floor without your skates. Just get used to bringing your right foot to the centre of your left.

1.14 Turns. What's a mohawk, choctaw?

The mohawk and choctaw involve a step from one foot to the other
during the execution of the turn.

Mohawk. A Mohawk is a change of direction (eg. forward to backward)
while skating on an arc of a circle. It includes a change of skating
foot and retains the same character of edge (eg. forward inside to
backwards inside). The edges before and after the turn are on the same
lobe. Because of the use of both feet, there are only 4 Mohawk turns,
depending on whether the entry edges is inside or outside and forward
or backwards. There are however, many variations on the execution of
the Mohawk turn within this analytical constraint

This quote came from:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/sports/skating/ice/rec-skate/answers/

I hope this helps.
 
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