Skating Technique: turns - Open Forward Inside Mohawk

turns - part 1.

Turns are what allows you to skate from forward to backward and backward to forward. Disclaimer :) this is my understanding of the technique...

Looking back, I'm surprised that the 3-turns and Mohawks, which are turns from an forward edge to a backward edge, are covered by ISI before the actual edges. They are covered in Delta and Gamma levels, which are the last to level of the Intro to Skating (read my view about skating levels here). More then that, my backward skating, when I started learning these turns, was less developed that the forward one. But, as I said two posts ago (Beginner Forward and Backward Skating), the backward skating takes time to develop because anything that messes your posture, messes the balance point on the blade. One thing that messes the posture is the backward push. From this point of view, the 3-turns and Mohawks are just another way to start going backwards, instead of the push... It will be equally hard, but they'll develop at the same time, and at the same time as the edges.

I vividly remember when I was first taught these turns, that I was laughing inside at the "crazy" idea that I will ever learn them. But I did... And I wish I've known at that point, that there are levels of precision expected for any skill, turns included. You first get "the idea" of them, you "kind'a... sort'a" (this is how an instructor in dance class was asking if we've got the choreography) do them. And then you improve them, and improve them more. My coach says that you still improve them on the expert level.

For me the Mohawks came a little easier so I'll start with those. I looked on youtube and most of the instructions there, are for a more intermediate quality, like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p-nKfrM2PU&t=29s
The instructions for a correct Forward Right Open Inside Mohawk (this is the easier side for me, the left one is the same but on the other side) are:
- stroke on an RFI (Right forward Inside) Edge on a bent skating leg with the free leg extended, facing the imaginary circle the edges curves on, right hand forward, left hand back, hugging the circle and hold the stroke for a length equal with your height
- at the point you want to turn rotate the upper body so the right arm and shoulder point towards the center of the circle, the left arm and shoulder press back. The skating foot increases the pressure into the ice at this point as you rise into your knee and bring your free foot at the instep of the skating foot. As a beginner I was bringing the heels together, not the heel to the instep. One tip I've got that helped me correct this was to bring the foot a little more forward then the instep. It helped at the time, but I have the feeling that messed up the turned out of my free foot and I started to bring the knees together too. Now, I'm trying to think of turning the foot out as I take the first stroke, and to lead with the heal when I bring the foot in and keep the knees separated (another tip I heard is make a diamond with your knees)
- immediately bend both knees, as a mini ballet plie, and put the left blade down on an backward inside edge (LBI), pressing into the ice and rising a little, then bend again to hold the edge. The right leg could be extended or kept at the back of the ankle.  At the same time, the upper body checks the rotation, so the right hand and shoulder goes back and the left ones in front, hugging the circle and still looking inside the circle.

Finally I found one video showing exactly what I was doing as a beginner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHCmI7tAc94 
- stroke on RFI edge, right hand forward, left one back, on top of the circle
- turn out your free foot as much as you can, don't mess up with the upper body
- just put the left leg down on a inside (LBI) edge somewhere where you are comfortable, it's ok if it's a blade length apart from the other blade, and it's ok if it's more near the heel than the instep... for now... Now extend the right foot between back and lateral, like 45 degrees  (if it's back it won't hold the inside edge. And really tighten the right side of your lower back and buttock. And push your right arm and shoulder back.

The ISI Delta level also asks for this Mohawk to be put in a 7 step combination:
1 left LF stroke
2 right RF stroke
3 left LF stroke
4, 5 right Mohawk RFI to LBI
6 push with the left inside edge into a RBO
7 turn around keeping your weight on your right hip and step on a LFO

They call the steps 6 and 7, so the RBO to an LFO, a backward outside Mowhak. and while everybody agrees it is a Mohawk, nobody calls it a Mohawk, but simply "step forward", being implied that is from an back outside edge .