And the videos of my tests, retry the first one, pass the second one
1. Forward and Backward Crossovers on circles (focus power) with a swing Mohawk when transferring from the second forward circle to the first backward circle.
I'll write a post about the crossovers technique soon and link it here.
I started from standing at the middle of on an end line with 2 strokes, then forward CCW crossovers on the hockey circle, then a left forward swing roll (not required) continued with forward CW to the right hockey circle, swing Mohawk, then CCW back crossovers, back swing roll (not required) before changing to the last circle of CW back crossovers, finish with a backward stroke holding the extension and step forward and stop. The circles have to be similar in size.
My challenges were
- making all 4 types of crossovers looking as they had the same power (they didn't), so I had to pull back on the stronger ones and obviously push as strongly as I could on the weaker ones
- figuring out where to start the swing rolls and finding a pace for the crossovers to get to finish at the point were I was starting the swing. I worked on this test for around a year, and as I did get stronger and faster I had to adjust the number of crossovers and the place were I started the swing rolls.
- the back swing roll I did just on the second test, coming with some speed after the CCW backward crossovers, at first I wasn't comfortable in stroking backwards and holding the extension forward before swinging.
- the swing Mohawk. The swing is all on an outside edge, but then the edge should be changed to inside for it to become the start of the Mohawk. I could do it at slow speed and using more space but on the tight space between the circles I always ended up getting on the inside edge as I was swinging the leg and that made it look wimpy. This is one of the skills on my "wish" list. After I injured my left hip I figured that the forward swing roll to the right was straining my left flexors and abductors so I stopped doing them. But it's time will come.
I've got passing score of 2.5 on both tests but I do think I was more confident at the second test.
2. Consecutive Outside and Inside Spirals (focus on extension and edge quality).
My straight spirals were pretty consistent on both legs at this point, BUT you need to do 5 consecutive and equal lobes of outside edge spirals on the length of the ring, then 5 more on an inside edge. And you need to keep the extension higher then the hip level for 4 seconds so you need to get on the edge and the leg up very quickly, otherwise you run out of space. My biggest problem proved to be getting out of the spiral quickly and in a controlled way. I was saying when I talked about the spiral technique here, that I wasn't used to square the hips and upper body, but stack the hips and twist the upper body. I think that is easier to hold the edges like that, but it's hard to change the lobes, you have to change the lobes square to the axis, there is no other way. By the second test I've gotten a little better.
Again I've got 2.5 on both tests, but I definitely improved the control on changing lobes on the second test.
3. Forward Power 3-Turns (focus on power)
That is a 3-turn step wide on an inside edge and pull into a back crossover, and step forward into the 3-turn and repeat. My RFO was way slower then the left one, but to be honest they were both slow. This is a power move so it needs to show speed. I also wasn't turning the 3-turns at the middle of the lobes on the first test, i was rushing. That wasn't even my biggest challenge. That was to step forward squared after the back crossover, perpendicularly to the axis. If I wasn't square at that point I couldn't control the next 3-turn.
On my first test I messed up a 3-turn, but either the judge didn't see it, either one mistake was allowed, she didn't comment on it. But still I've got just 2.4 for luck of power. I've got. 2.5 on the second test.
4. Alternative Forward 3-turns (focus on edge quality)I've got 2.5 on both tests.
I talked about outside and inside forward 3-turns technique here and here.The alternative outside 3-turns was the hardest move for me, more exactly the transition between the 3-turns. Theoretically you need to do a controlled 3-turn (figures style) leaving perpendicularly from the axis (forward outside edge) and returning perpendicularly to the axis (back inside edge) with a perfect balance and posture and then twist your blade on that spot from backwards to forward to start next 3-turn. But again, for this test the quality should be 2.5 out of 6. The judges don't expect perfection. And I saw kids testing and forcing the end of the 3 turn close to the axis but not on the axis into the next one, so that's what I set up to do. So, my trick was to snap the turn and really keep the free leg, hip and glutes tight and as I was approaching the axis, open the hips to be able to start the next turn. This move is not on any of the adult MITF tests, it is an award, wicked one...
5. Forward Circle 8 (focus on edge quality and continuous flow). I talked about it here. I've got 2.5 on both my tests. On the first test I was wobbly but I didn't actually put the foot down (as it appears in the video) and after the test the judge complimented me for the "exact" edges and that circle 8. Again, she either didn't see the wobble or it was "exact" for this level.
6. Alternating Backward Crossovers to Backward Outside Edges (focus on power and extension)
I've got 2.3 on my first test, again for "lack of power", and 2.5 on my second test but with the suggestion "more power needed". I'll talk about power in one of my next post, I have enough thoughts and feelings about it to fill a whole post! What I think helped me on this move the most in the second test, was a straighter posture (shoulders rolled back and lift from the waist up, core engaged) on the backward edge. On the first test I was off balance after the back edge so I couldn't push well into the crossover. I knew and I see in the video that on the LBO edge was not over my hip, I'm working now on back swing rolls and I'm close in finally correcting that.
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