Test: MITF Pre-Juvenile part 1

I skated 3 times last week and the hip was fine. My plan is to listen to my body, but ideally I would like to skate at least 4 times a week. I'm working mostly on MITF Pre-Juvenile that was ready for testing at the beginning of the summer but my registration didn't go trough for that session. I plan to test it as soon is revived, the moves are there, but again I'm lacking power.

I'll describe the elements of the test now, and when I'll take it, I'll describe how it all went.

This is a standard test. I've worked on it with pauses, for almost 2 years. I've got the moves rather quickly (like 6 months) but not the power that is asked at this level. And then I hurt my hip and I couldn't work on power...

Here is the judging form where there are drawings with the pattern for each move.

1. Forward and Backward Perimeter Power Stroking (focus on power, F: extension, B: edge quality)
- I do 4 intro strokes then 2 forward crossovers CCW. That is on half the hockey circle (that I will call a lobe) and brings me to the imaginary axis where I do an right inside edge for the first half of the lobe. The next half of the lobe would be a CW crossover. Then a new lobe with a left inside edge and again a CCW crossover.
- Important thing here is the power. Both the first stroke of the crossover and the second one, the under push, need to be pressed and pushed. Speed and lean into the circle will help the power.
- The inside edge need to start at the axis, stroking perpendicular to the axis and the blade should be placed on an inside edge. Update on Nov 2019 to press the inside edge (both forward and backward) and to use the energy from each stroke into the next stroke
- Extension and pointed toe are expected on each of the crossovers strokes and on the inside edge.
- The crossovers strokes are 1 beat each, the inside edge is 2 beats.
- After the last CCW crossover that ends at the axis the end pattern is another crossover and a stroke of 2 beats, right inside mohawk
- The backward line starts with 2 back crossovers CCW (1 beat each stroke) that brings me around at the axis (correction to square the upper body and arms), where a power inside edge is done hold for 2 beats (pull the shoulder and arm back). Then the weight is transferred for the CW back crossover.
- When I started working on this test I thought this was the easiest move from the test, but I've got so many corrections... Looking back is was all about the second stroke on both forward and backward crossovers being whimper and shorter. Of course to fix that I needed a strong alignment on the edge on the first stroke, allowing the upper body to move around the circle, hips under, lean, speed...
2. Forward Outside to Backward Inside 3-turns in the field (focus on edge quality)
- These are quite big lobes, bigger then what I was doing before. Of course I needed a bigger push and that was hard to control at first. 
- Important things are to turn the 3s at the top of the lobe, control the edges, start the lobe perpendicular to the axis, don't do 2 foot transitions
- Here are some corrections and tips, from the millions I've got: turn your head, align the upper body with the circle (at first I was pointing with the arm to the center of the circle to be sure I twisted enough), have the upper body parallel with the boards just before turning, feel the blade parallel to the boards before turning, free hip up, don't think of turning but thing of going back/ forward, count, look up (of course..). The latest tip was that the back shoulder turns the 3-turn... 
- I hurt my hip on a back inside 3-turn, but it wasn't the 3-turn, it was another skater that came with some speed way to close to me and spooked me. After that I was always extra cautions working on these to not be close to people, but how realistic is that? And you cannot work on alignment awareness, while twisting to see who is in your way...
- The hip hurt at different intensities for a year (and it still hurts occasionally). All the 3-turns on that hip (left), disintegrated at points because I wasn't committing in transferring the weight solid on that hip...
- Even without the hip trouble, when  started working at this test I thought these 4 lines of 3-turns were the hardest move of the test.
- Update Nov 2019 for the FO 3-turn. I've been recently asked to press the edge in and out of the 3-turn and  I couldn't do it at first. I was stroking, then releasing the pressure into ice, then press just before the turn, then releasing the pressure at the turn. To make myself hold the pressure I hold the extension longer (that I was asked anyhow to do), until the turn and that made it basically a Ice Dancing 3-turn. So, I've got corrected again, to bring the feet together, when closing to turn, with the skating foot still bent from the stroke, because it is more stable, the to rise o turn, while still pressing into the ice (whaaat? I was doing the opposite, I was releasing the pressure), then bend again. I'm wondering when I will finally understand correctly what I have to do?
3. Forward Inside to Backward Outside 3-turns
- Same (similar) as before...
- My worst 3-turn is the LFI one. The corrections I've got are to really turn my head before the turn and to not drop the right shoulder.
4. Forward and Backward Change of Edge Pulls (focus on power)
- Instructions I remember: set the edge first, press and fall into the edge/bend and pull up, hips underneath, on forward ones keep knees together, point the toe and direct it over the tracing of the circle, on the back inside that means pigeon toe. On the back ones the last piece of advice was to rotate the upper body from the shoulders not just the arms.
- My instructor doesn't feel terrible unhappy about these but I think the kids have more power and speed then me...
- I surely could have practice these more, if it wasn't for the quads burn... And don't get me started on the backward on the bad hip. I think I've aborted half of them...
5. Backward Circle Eight (focus on edge quality)
- These is the hardest move of the test in my coaches opinion. And I've learnt he's always right... So I started to get around the circles fairly quick... somehow.  And I've worked on it  a lot even when the hip was hurt because it didn't bother me. To be honest I still get corrections on this. 
- The first thing is the backward push, not straight back but at a 90 degrees. And there are 2 secrets: don't transfer the weight to the new foot until the push is completed and pigeon toe the new skating foot and lead with the heal.
- Then, for the edges there is the alignment and where your weight falls so you are over your skating hip, and keep the free hip up. There is also the lean, slightly towards the inside of the circle, but definitely not outside the circle because it's taking you of the edge. One tip was not to turn around at the middle but to lift over the hip, bring the free foot straight into the skating foot.
- Then, there is use oh head movement
- Then arms and foot coordination 
- The inside edge got more corrections. Firstly to push back not around and to look outside the circle immediately after the push, that was kind of scary somehow. Then to really keep the free foot over the tracing and at the middle of the circle to bring it straight into the other foot, without changing the hips position. Then, allow the upper body and hips to get square to the tracing of the circle.
6. Five step Mohawk sequence (focus on edge quality and extension)
- There is an inside mohawk, a back outside edge, step forward om an outside edge, and forward inside edge with the free foot forward.
- This requires even steps so an even count to 5. 
- The back edge should fall exactly at the middle of the lobe.
- I didn't get many correction on this. At some point I was making it quick and it looked stepped so my coach wanted more flow. But I've got the BIG correction: to look up! My continuous battle...

Skating technique: Forward Crossovers

The Forward Crossovers are taught in the very first sessions of group lessons under ISI curriculum. A Crossovers has 2 strokes on edges, an outside one, then the free foot comes from behind and crosses over the skating foot and gets on an inside edge while the skating foot pushes.

I don't remember much from the beginning instruction. We surely started with CCW, the more comfortable direction for most of us and that is Left Stroke on Outside Edge then cross with the Right Leg on Inside Edge. I don't think we were instructed to stroke on a LO edge, we may have been just gliding on 2 feet. We were asked to pick up the right foot and to put it over the left one. We were instructed to try by the boards and even off ice with and without the skates on. I understand now that the reason to start with picking up the right foot is to transfer the weight completely over the left one before stepping on the right one. In time that will allow to lean towards the left (into the circle). Next step would have been to understand that we follow a circle and learn to twist the upper body towards the circle, look towards the center of the circle and have the arms right hand forward, left hand back. And we would have been asked to try the other side.
Here is an instructional video I like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cyvQ_vPdgA

Now for the real forward crossovers (let's still talk about CCW):
1.You start by bending, pressing into ice and pushing (read the Forward Stroking and push post) on a LFO edge with strong knee bend, with the upper body twisted facing the inside of the circle but not so much that the arms are over the circle lines (the front arm is a little outside of the circle and the back am a little inside the circle) and looking towards the inside of the circle, the free leg goes 45 degrees laterally not back (to maintain the edge and also it will be easier to bring it forward to cross), pointed tow, straight knee,
- the weight on the blade for both feet, as for al forward skating is an the back of you arch foot.
- press into the ice
- the body alignment is as if the neck zipper is over the skating foot and you feel the weight on left front ribs
- the left hip shouldn't stick out
- back hand higher
- bend the knee and ankle so the knees forms a 90 degree angle
- LEAN! 
- hold the extension for 2 counts
- a good exercise that allows you to concentrate on all these points is chasses on a circle as here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXFAjcVYOME&t=57s
2. Swipe the free (right) leg forward over the left and set it on an inside edge
- under push  with the left foot from the back arch of your foot laterally outside the circle, not back, I thought the toe is pointed pointed but in the first video I shared he asks to flex the foot but to stretch the leg.
- push forward the opposite side of the rib cage, so the right side here
- allow the left hip to go under the right hip
- hold for 2 counts
- bring the foot near the skating foot and repeat
And here is the ice dancers Oleg and Kseniya  instruction on crossovers, with even more tips. The only difference I see from my coach's instruction, is that they rise (bounce) between strokes, my coach wants me to keep the same level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNedknuKF9g&t=179s

Exercise summer group class 7/19/2018. On all 5 circles...
- stay on outside edge and pumps (half swizzles)
- stay on inside edge after one crossover and under pump
- stay on outside edge and push and hold extension for 3 counts
- crossovers

Crossovers are a basic skating skill that even good skater work on continuously to maintain and improve. My CW crossovers are still weaker then the CCW because I lean forward and I loose the right point of balance on the blade, so I keep paying attention to that. I also push the back shoulder forward as shown in the first video to not do... Another realization I would share is that a coach instruction at one point in time will be different from another time. At each point the coach teaches what the skater needs. The instruction would differ from one skater to another at the same level from the same coach, as the coach would customize the instruction. And obviously different coaches tech different techniques and use different words.

I'm not getting corrections on crossovers at the point I'm at. That means that they are good for my level. But after I'll pass the Pre-Juvenile MITF test and I'll work on the Juvenile (equivalent with adult Gold), surely I'll get new instruction as power crossovers on a spiral pattern will be a requirement for that test.

Dec 2020: I've asked for corrections as I felt that my under push is week, it felt like it was sliding from under me. The correction was to start pressing into that edge while the free leg comes around from being extended after the initial push. Then, for training purpose, I should hold the under push as long as the push, so let's say 2 counts and 2 counts... Also, I was skating those with the upper body square to the circle, as the ice dancing chasses and progressives. So I got the correction to really put the back arm back... that also helps with the posture. Also, I was asked to lean more into the circle.

Test: MITF Preliminary - part 2

Here is again the link to the judging form.
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.