Note to forum: This note was originally intended for my group members but
seemed to relate to the forum, so I am cc’ing it to everyone else.
* * * * *
It takes a lot of practice to go from one level to the next. But I
remember when level 5 seemed a bit of a stretch bc I needed to learn
wheel walking and already knew how hard it was from previous tries. Level
6 didn’t seem too scary bc it involved no wheel walking skills, and the
new skills I had to learn were fairly similar to things I had already
mastered or were things I had been doing for years (like twisting 180
degrees in the air).
Level 7 seemed like a stretch when Joe and I talked about it some months
ago bc it includes two wheel walking skills (ww in a circle and one foot
ww). It was the ww in a circle that gave me such difficulties when trying
to pass the level, but the rest of the skills seemed doable, and were.
So I look towards level 8 with the understanding that while some of the
skills are pretty foreign to me now, they won’t be forever, and the sooner
I start learning them, the sooner I can master them. With that in mind I
have been trying some of the skills, and I was psyched last night to have
been able to toofeno 3 revolutions on two different occasions. Suddenly a
skill that was so scary that I never tried it (on purpose) before now
seems well within my grasp.
I write this to encourage those of you who are trying to learn new
skills (for whatever reason) not to give up. Progress in unicycling can
be measured one revolution at a time, and with enough practice, you can
do anything.
Here is level 8, and my personal take on it as of today: demonstrate 8
types of mounts no problem ride one footed with the left foot in a figure
eight done it ride one footed with the right foot in a figure eight
working on it. I can ride in a circle, not an 8 walk the wheel in a figure
eight with a bit more practice; can do L and R circles walk the wheel one
footed in a circle done it ride backward one footed (toofeno) for 10m
halfway there glide for 10m uh-oh hand wheel walk for 10m not even close
pirouette seems doable with enough practice backward spin ditto
Note: 10m = 6 1/2 revolutions on a 20" wheel)
I have also been noticing that certain skills indirectly lead to others.
Any skill that is more about balance than coordination is going to help
with hand WW. Any skill that is more about foot-coordination is going to
help with toofeno. The more I practice forward one foot skills, the easier
it is to toofeno.
See you all soon!
David Co-founder, Unatics of NY 1st Sunday / 3rd Saturday @ Central
Park Bandshell
1:30 start time after 11/1/01