February 2025

Forums Monthly Challenges February 2025

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    • #18972
      Silks Stars Team
      Moderator

        Toe Split Toss into Front-Side-Catch Drop and Toe Split Toss into Spiral Spin (mini rig). Post your comments, questions and work below!

      • #18973
        Jill.b.lovin.aerial
        Participant

          My comment is WOW!!!!!!! So exciting!!!!! Also, while he’s gorgeous, the 1st video is still Brett.

        • #18974
          Yvan
          Participant

            OMG! I got goosebumps watching her demo 😍❤️… and that gorgeous Deltchev right at the beginning 🫣🤩… I have been working on it for years… and still struggling… maybe Feb 2025 is the month it will finally happen… 🤔😂

            • This reply was modified 2 weeks, 5 days ago by Yvan.
            • #18977
              Silks Stars Team
              Moderator

                Amazing right? Just fyi everyone, the straddle balance she does at the beginning is mainly for inspiration and is not part of the challenge this month (she was killing time in the music to hit the challenge section with the chorus).

            • #18979
              Danica.Liu
              Participant

                Ooooh this one is going to be fun, I’ve already worn out my left toe with the toe pose. My question is related to the drop. I had a similar one with, I think it was Brendan, who did a similar drop to upright, then back up to chair. The problem then, and now, is when to drive my legs down and raise my chest to make that first catch. I’ve watched my video and know it’s on the side rotation, but when doing the drop I can’t quite tell when that moment is yet. Any cues or points, where I need to be more “active?” My fail point is when you are head down, toes up (about 11 and 5 on the clock), I couldn’t get past that today. Will keep drilling, but any tips would be appreciated.

                • #18987
                  Silks Stars Team
                  Moderator

                    Great questions! Added to the list for the Q&A.

                • #18980
                  Meredith_Dale
                  Participant

                    Hi folks – i’m new here and equally excited and intimidated to be a part of this fabulous community.

                    Love the February sequence! It’s so fun and beautiful but am getting stuck on the toe split toss. I can’t seem to get my foot anywhere near the silk to catch for the split, even with the tip to slide my hand lower. I’m just not bendy enough. My silk is also low stretch so it has minimal bounce to help with that step. Any tips or modifications for the toss would be greatly appreciated?

                    I am also struggling with catching behind the head after the drop. I feel like that will be a long term goal for me and I may not get it this month (which is fine, i’m having a great time with just the drop), but if you have any tips or pointers to help with the catch that would be great also.
                    Thanks so much!

                    • #18988
                      Silks Stars Team
                      Moderator

                        Welcome! We are so glad you are here!
                        Typically the first flurry of questions are collected for the coach of the specific sequence to be able to respond directly to the questions in the Q&A. We highly recommend either joining us for the live session or watching the replay. Once the Q&A has happened, we continue to answer questions here 🙂
                        Yours have been added to the list!

                    • #19037
                      ncupps
                      Participant

                        Questions (Demo Video reference):
                        1. (0:43-0:44) When she is using the leg swing to kick her leg back and catch the split, the toe grab leg goes from bent to straight. But, it does not look like her top hand or toe grab leg are sliding on the silk. Conceptually, I don’t understand how to get that toe grab leg straight without sliding the leg down, but maybe that is due to her hyper flexibility (?)
                        2. Related to the above, I now have a burn between my toes. How do I protect from burning the toe “wedge”?
                        3. “Bouncing:” I don’t understand how to bounce, when to bounce, how/when it is safe and how you know, etc. Is it possible to do the sequence without bouncing? It seems like the split catch requires the bounce. But, even moving my hand down the silk, the leg does not get high enough up – not remotely close.
                        4. (1:17) possible duplicate to Danica’s question — catching on the backside at the end of the drop. I did not get this from Brandon’s sequence either. I still don’t understand how this works. Right now, I am not even getting close no matter how much a drive my legs.

                        • This reply was modified 2 weeks, 1 day ago by ncupps.
                        • This reply was modified 2 weeks, 1 day ago by ncupps.
                        • #19048
                          Silks Stars Team
                          Moderator

                            Great questions! Added to the list.

                          • #19053
                            Silks Stars Team
                            Moderator

                              @ncupps: Is the a link for the video reference? Not seeing one on your page

                            • #19055
                              ncupps
                              Participant

                                The time references are based on HER / the silk stars demo video. When I try to post videos or video links here, it is 50/50 works/ does not work. So, my “time references” are based on M’s demo video

                            • #19039
                              kseniya
                              Participant

                                To Meredith from another non-bendy person. I am not advanced enough to give any advice but wanted to share what worked for me today. After struggling to slot my foot on the silk, I decided to also concentrate on my shoulder rotation and try to get the left hand as much to the back as possible and then I managed to get my foot there! Okay it was quite ugly but I was happy:)

                                • #19049
                                  Silks Stars Team
                                  Moderator

                                    Great point! Yes, most of us, even not super flexible humans, can reach opposite foot to hand behind the body. Trying this on the ground to test the pathway can help us realize what is possible and can be translated to the air.

                                • #19040
                                  Akro.Monkey
                                  Participant

                                    Hi there.
                                    The rotation right before the toe part hurts in my shoulder, any tips on this rotation? It reminds me to music box rotation which my shoulder does not like, but I can deal with it by grabbing higher, with this month’s challenge, grabbing higher does not work make it any better. And yes like other the split toss is not going to happen.. simply not bendy enough, any other tips as holding the fabric low? Or maybe another option?

                                  • #19047
                                    TokyoRose
                                    Participant

                                      Hi, I have a bad shoulder and I’m not that flexible. Is there something else I can do in lieu of that toe hook needle split at 26 seconds?

                                    • #19054
                                      Yvan
                                      Participant

                                        Hi! Very impressive sequence this month 🙂
                                        I find the Front-Side-Catch Drop very complex due to the continuous shifts in direction throughout the movement. I’m sharing a small reflection on its mechanics and would love feedback to help me break down this amazing drop more effectively.
                                        In my opinion, the drop consists of three key phases:
                                        The first phase is a full forward rotation where the body completes a full spin.
                                        The second phase is a transition where the body shifts sideways, adjusting for the next movement.
                                        The third phase is a back dive.
                                        I have a few technical questions regarding each phase, and any clarification or explanation of what you feel while performing it is highly appreciated!
                                        Phase 1: Should we slow down the initial forward rotation by for example piking to maintain better control, or the opposite, i.e. generating as much momentum as possible staying fully planked?
                                        Phase 2: How can we ensure the legs stay fully extended throughout the movement? Specially the wrapped leg tends to bend and be pushed to the side in this phase. Should we actively guide the wrapped leg positioning to control the drop direction more effectively? I wonder if a double leg wrap would help here by easing the pain?
                                        Phase 3: The back dive. During the last rotation, I feel it is not safe for my groin area. Often, at least my pants gets caught, causing an abrupt stop. When this happens I unconsciously pike my body and lose all the momentum. What adjustments can prevent this friction and allow a smoother back dive turn?
                                        Looking forward to your insights!
                                        Yvan

                                      • #19056
                                        SarahB
                                        Participant

                                          I love this sequence! Echoing what others say about the drop. Tips on breaking it down and working on the various pieces without the full momentum.

                                        • #19058
                                          Cathy
                                          Participant

                                            I haven’t quite made it to the drop yet since I’m stuck on the toe split toss portion. I can get the toe hold and take my footlock off but it doesn’t feel secure enough to bounce and throw the silk. I’ve been practicing the toss (without the toe hold) from the ground and I think I understand that part but I just don’t feel like I’m secure enough or have enough space to do the toss. Hints and/or alternatives please!

                                            • #19066
                                              Silks Stars Team
                                              Moderator

                                                Added to the list! Since the wraps are very separate, you can practice one without the other, break up the scraps on the toe space <3

                                            • #19067
                                              Dorag
                                              Participant

                                                Hi Mizuki! Can you give us some tips on how to achieve the Deltchev split (even if it’s not part of this month’s challenge)?

                                                • #19069
                                                  Yvan
                                                  Participant

                                                    I would very much love some tips as well, specially abouy how to coordinate the pushing down of the legs with the pulling and pushing of the arms. Thanks!

                                                • #19073
                                                  Silks Stars Team
                                                  Moderator

                                                    Hi Everyone, here are the two variations of this month’s sequence that we showed during the Q&A today. These are great alternatives you can do this month if you don’t get the toe split and/or momentum version of the drop by the end of the month. No Stars will be deducted for these alternatives.

                                                    Split:
                                                    https://www.silksstars.com/community/silksstarsteam/media/5307/

                                                    Drop:
                                                    https://www.silksstars.com/community/silksstarsteam/media/5309/

                                                    Or you can just go to SilksStarsTeam profile and select ‘Media’ to see these options.

                                                    • #19082
                                                      ncupps
                                                      Participant

                                                        very helpful – thanks!

                                                    • #19074
                                                      Laced
                                                      Participant

                                                        Thanks for the links. Still unable to get any replays to load for Crowdcast. Been having trouble for months. Tried phone, different browsers and managed to hunt down a computer this morning and it still won’t load. I can watch the replays later if I manage to catch the Crowdcast and log in live. But if I miss it the replay load just comes up with the play arrow in the middle of the screen with a fail line through the middle. If anybody else has had success fixing their replay issues… any tips? Really want to check in on this months one 😅
                                                        Ta

                                                        • #19075
                                                          Silks Stars Team
                                                          Moderator

                                                            Hi Laced, here is what Crowdcast suggested. We also gave them your email so they will be reaching out to help.

                                                            —If you’re experiencing issues with viewing replays on Crowdcast using an iPhone or a Mac with Chrome or Safari, you might want to try deleting and reinstalling the Crowdcast app on your iPhone. For Mac users, ensure that your browser is up-to-date, as an outdated browser can cause issues with Crowdcast. Chrome is the preferred browser, but if you’re using Safari and encountering problems, consider switching to Chrome or another supported browser like Microsoft Edge or Opera. Also switching from home network to phone data can work

                                                          • #19079
                                                            sailingpages
                                                            Participant

                                                              Hi Laced
                                                              I am also in Queensland, Australia and had similar problems watching the Q&A replays since June last year. I tried on phone and laptop without success. It seems to be linked with mobile internet carriers as I cannot watch on Optus but Crowdcast works on Telstra networks…

                                                            • #19080
                                                              Laced
                                                              Participant

                                                                Oh my gosh see I’m not Telstra. It’s so weird because it worked for years and stopped about 6 months ago!
                                                                So I’ve been emailing them and I just downloaded tunnelbear I’m so not tech savvy I don’t even know wtf a vpn is but it seems to be working this morning with that.
                                                                But yes I tried everything else the uninstall the comp, the different browsers ‘all of them’
                                                                I’m not sure if the free version will cover much but hopefully these replays. So strange when you can log in live but it’s blocking replays 🤷🏻‍♀️

                                                                Thanks for your suggested help though! If you need to I’d try tumnelbear too maybe it’s a qld thing 🙄

                                                                Also hi!! If you’re ever in brissy hit me up ☺️

                                                              • #19081
                                                                Silks Stars Team
                                                                Moderator

                                                                  Ever cleared cookies from your browsers? Maybe if we throw every thing at it, something will happen 😉

                                                                • #19083
                                                                  Laced
                                                                  Participant

                                                                    Haha yes did all those things. Maybe it’s something unique to Queensland/Aus and Optus carrier.

                                                                    Tunnelbear works so at least there’s a way in now lol

                                                                  • #19084
                                                                    Silks Stars Team
                                                                    Moderator

                                                                      Oh my goodness! Well I’m glad you found a way, that sounds wild.

                                                                  • #19076
                                                                    kseniya
                                                                    Participant

                                                                      Thank you for the Q&A! Great tips, I will try to practice the toe toss with a footlock, because I lose toe grip in the process and then my right hand gives up so I am never able to get the foot into the silk (the one time I managed it was a fluke and I was not able to repeat it so far😅). Will also try to bring my body more forward as mentioned by Mizuki, great tip too!
                                                                      I havent gathered the courage to try the drop yet as I never attempted a new drop without my instructor yet but I think I will try it – I have done all those small drops that are sort of part of this drop separately and they are not scary. As for the momentum, I will never understand unless I try:)

                                                                    • #19077
                                                                      kseniya
                                                                      Participant

                                                                        One request – if anyone tries the drop with double leg wrap and with or without the belly wrap, can you please post it here? I need to understand how it will look🤗

                                                                        • This reply was modified 1 week, 4 days ago by kseniya.
                                                                        • #19086
                                                                          Silks Stars Team
                                                                          Moderator

                                                                            If you don’t end up seeing a video of the wrap variations and if the drop combo in new to you, keeping the belly wrap will offer you more tail control in the landing. The double leg wrap is instead of going around the leg once, you do it twice. Can add extra comfort if wrapped high and tight. Happy training!

                                                                          • #19090
                                                                            kseniya
                                                                            Participant

                                                                              Yes I did understand the wraps as suggested, just wanted to have a visual of how dropping with different wrap variations look and if it makes any difference. So far I am trying with original wrap.

                                                                          • #19087
                                                                            TokyoRose
                                                                            Participant

                                                                              Regarding the drop – any tips on getting that final rotation? I seem to be dropping like a rock. It looks like a wonky star drop.

                                                                              Here’s the video.

                                                                              • #19088
                                                                                Silks Stars Team
                                                                                Moderator

                                                                                  Excellent progress! The first place to find a bit more momentum is to take the arch out of your first shape before you let go. Think about pressing the low back, using your core, towards the pole as much as possible and bring the toes forward to make a straight line. Hold this shape for the front rotation and as the pole passes your back for the ‘side’ rotation. As your chest faces the ceiling right before the legs pass the poles, lengthen through the spine once again, this is another place to prep some more momentum. As the drop lands into the wrap, press the hips forward into the wrap the lever the upper body upright. The timing takes a bit to find for the final hip press, arch up. Happy training!

                                                                                • #19089
                                                                                  kseniya
                                                                                  Participant

                                                                                    How many times does it take to drop to start feeling the moment when you need to “press the hips forward into the wrap”🤔 as the whole thing is 1 second long:) I also feel I just drop like a rock and a little bounce that I get on landing is face towards the pole🤔

                                                                                  • #19092
                                                                                    Silks Stars Team
                                                                                    Moderator

                                                                                      It really depends on your previous drop experience. Some things we are looking for is being able to see while the drop is happening, is it all a blur or do you get snap shots? Are you able to maintain activation while finding a sense of calm mentally? These are factors that will help make the drop feel less like something just happening to you and where you actually might get to make a decision or two. Try the drop a few times without the goal of the back catch. Does it have a consistent rhythm and timing? Once you start being able to identify the different parts of the drop, first rotation, side rotation, and landing, then we can use them. If we try to create the back arch too soon or too late using the moment of landing, we will most likely not harness the momentum of our fall. Hope this helps!

                                                                                  • #19091
                                                                                    kseniya
                                                                                    Participant

                                                                                      One more question regarding the drop – is it better to learn it on a bouncy rigging point or on a fixed (non-bouncy) one? We have both types in our studio and I was trying it on a bouncy point, because I was afraid the fixed one might be painful?

                                                                                      • #19093
                                                                                        Silks Stars Team
                                                                                        Moderator

                                                                                          Great question. It will feel different on each kind of point, the fixed point being a harder landing and the bouncy one giving you a bit more give. This also gives us a sense of how the timing of our use of momentum will change. You might have to anticipate the landing to use it to find the back arch on the fixed point, which can lead to trying the arch too soon. The bouncy point means you have more time but most likely have to arch and press longer. You may have more runs on the bouncy point as the system is taking some of the force of the drop while the fixed point, the softest part of that system is your body. The bouncy point may be nicer in the long run, try the above suggestion of riding out the drop staying long and engaged without attempting the back arch to really understand the timing of the rotations and bounce.
                                                                                          Happy training!

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