Week 2 - Edging

by Striking Dervish


Week 2 is dedicated to the concept of edging. Edging is essential in order to do more than just move forward.

Some basics about edging

The term edging is commonly associated with ice hockey because the blade on the bottom of an ice hockey skate has edges to it. The transfer of weight to the inside and outside edge is essential for turning and performing various skills.
Quad skates work in a similar manner with a truck underneath the skate that can move from side to side. Applying pressure with the outside or inside of your foot will move your trucks back and forth and allow for turning. Part of the reason why your skates should be fitted well to your foot is so that the trucks respond well to what your feet are telling it to do!
If you have brand new skates, the trucks will likely be stiff, so you’ll want to have them loosened. Please ask a vet or coach at practice if you need to loosen your skates. Many will have a tool and can help you. Usually, the best option is to loosen it a quarter turn per practice or skate session until it feels comfortable.

Two-Footed Edging

To get the idea of how edging works, we start by practicing it on two feet. To turn, you must push down on the side of the skate towards the direction you want to turn. In that way, to turn left, you should push down on the outside of your left skate and the inside of your right skate. Similarly, to turn right, you should push down on the inside of your left skate and the outside of your right skate.

Skiis

The skill we call “skiis” looks very much like someone skiing down a slope, moving from side to side to navigate the terrain and control speed.
Start by striding a couple of times to get moving. Then with your feet together, use the edging concept to make your skates turn in one direction and then switch sides to turn in the other, making a weaving motion. Here are a couple of other points to think about to help with the skill:

• Think of pointing your toes and knees in the direction you are turning.
• Try to avoid only using your knees to turn yourself; more of the motion should be in the feet/ankles.
• Throwing your hips towards the outer point of your arc will help the turn-back to the opposite direction.
• Focus on keeping your upper body controlled; this skill mostly happens from the waist down.
• As in all derby skills, remember to bend your knees!

Weaving Around Cones

Once you have the idea of edges, you can move on to targeted weaving by doing the same ski motion around a straight line of cones. The closer together the cones, the harder the skill will be. Be sure to stay low by bending your knees and dropping your butt. Do not bend over at the waist and lean over. The movement is really from the waist down, so your upper body should not move considerably. Avoid flailing your arms; instead keep them at your side, or if necessary while starting, out to the sides to also make note of whether or not you are tipping from side to side.

Watermelons

The watermelons we worked on in Week 1 can be improved by using the concepts of eding.  Instead of using them to turn by leaning your feet towards the same side of your body, we focus on leaning on the outside of both skates and then the inside of both skates. This back and forth motion will help move your feet out and in underneath you.

Figure 8’s

Figure 8’s are similar to a watermelon where the feet move out and in, but instead of bringing the feet back together side by side, you line them up one in front of the other, switching sides each time. Here are some points to keep in mind:

• Remember to keep your knees soft and your butt down.
• Avoid standing up when your feet come together.
• Make sure you are using both legs. One leg may be stronger than the other, but you should not be moving one leg around the other each time. Work towards evening out the pull from each side to strengthen your legs if need be.

Cutting

Cutting refers to a more sharp turn accomplished by pushing on the edges of the skates harder than is necessary to just make a wide arc. Applied to derby, this allows for lateral movement on the track.

Cutting Cones

Cones are an extremely useful tool for practicing cutting because it serves as a gauge of how tight we can make our turns. When cutting around a cone, the foot closest to the cone should lead in front of the foot furthest from the cone. Concentrate on pushing down on the edges of your skates to turn around the outside of the cone. Some pointers to keep in mind:

• Remember to stay low by keeping your butt down (not lowering your chest). Doing so will provide more balance and motion in the lower half of the body.
• Avoid bobbing up and down between cones by staying low throughout the drill.
• Avoid flailing the arms by keeping them at your sides. If necessary, hold your arms out to the sides to ensure you are not tipping your body from side to side during the drill. Most of the work should happen in the lower half of the body.
• Do not look at your feet. Instead concentrate on the next cone in the series.
• In order to switch you feet between cones, you can figure 8 in between them. Eventually, you will learn how to crossover in between them.

Cutting from Side to Side

Minimum skills testing does not include cutting cones, but skaters must be able to demonstrate the ability to cut from side to side on the track. Practice this by skating along the inside line and cutting out as quickly and sharply as possible to the outside line. Then cut from the outside line to the inside line.

One Footed Edging

Once you have the concept of edging down, challenge yourself to try edging on one foot. Being able to control your direction while on one foot is an essential building block for crossovers and various other derby skills.

One Footed Glides on a Turn

In Week 1, we practiced one footed glides in a straight line. Now we are focused on gliding around the turn of the track while balanced on one foot. The same key points apply:

• Be sure you are balanced over the center of your base leg before picking up the other leg.
• Keep your knee soft to help with your balance.

However, in order to turn, you will also need to focus on your edges! It will take time to find the right balance “sweet spot.” While you work on finding that spot, these things will help:

• You will need to lean your body towards the center of the track. However, don’t “teapot” the top of your body; keep your core tight and drop your inside hip into the turn.
• Keep your nose, chest, and knees pointing in the direction you are going (not towards the outside of the track). One way to encourage this posture is to tuck the arm closest to the inside of the track behind you.

Make sure you are practicing both legs! When traveling counterclockwise on the track (usual direction), that means you are balancing on the outside of your left skate when your left foot is down or balancing on the inside of your right skate when your right foot is down. Very often, finding the balance point of your outside foot is more difficult for skaters, but it very important for effective crossovers to work on it. When you get comfortable going the regular direction, try the clockwise direction!

Circles

For a more focused practice of the one footed edging, focus on a circle so that you are constantly turning. To get started, leave one foot on the ground and paddle with the other foot to gain momentum and get a feel for where you balance point should be. When you are ready, pick up the other leg and see how far you can continue turning with your leg up. Be sure to practice both legs in both directions!

Stopping

Plow Stops

Plow stops or snowplows are the second derby stop we learn. This stop allows for the skater to remain lower and more stable should they be challenged on the track while slowing. The stop is accomplished by turning the feet inwards so that they look similar to a wedged plow.
To execute a snowplow, widen your stance while skating and bring the feet together in a similar motion to a watermelon. Concentrate on pointing your toes inward and pushing your heels out and forward while pushing your inside edges (more edging!) into the ground but leaving all eight wheels on the floor. Your butt should act as a counterbalance by sitting back. Remember to keep your knees soft to increase stability and balance. The foot turn should begin from the wide stance and increase in pressure while the feet come together. The stop should occur completely by the time the feet are approximately shoulder width apart. Stopping while still in a wide stance will hinder consequent movement.

Conclusion

Being able to balance on your skates is extremely important for roller derby. Becoming familiar and comfortable on your edges will significantly help all skills in the upcoming weeks! Play around on your edges at open skates so you can find the right formula for turning, cutting, and balancing. Making yourself uncomfortable is often the only way to really get comfortable, so wear your pads and always remember that falling is learning!

Week 1 - Roller Derby Basics

by Striking Dervish


Week 1 of our boot camp is dedicated to learning how to skate forward with proper form, fall safely, and stop in the first “derby” stop. These elements are essential to learn before anything else, because skating and derby stance are the building blocks for all other derby skills, and we must safely fall and stop throughout training.

Derby Stance

Derby stance is the ideal stance for skating and performing most skills in derby. It ensures proper balance for skating technique as well as (and especially for) taking a hit. Standing straight up on the track is a sure way to get knocked down quickly.
In many things that you do during derby practice, you might find yourself losing balance. Fight the urge to stand straight up to catch your balance. Instead, remind yourself to sit into your derby stance, and you will find your balance much quicker.
For more information about derby stance, including proper form and exercises you can do off skates to work on it, please see The Basics: Derby Stance.

Moving Forward

Watermelons

Watermelons involve leaving all eight wheels on the floor while moving forward. Start by putting your feet in a V shape with heels together. With your weight mostly in the balls of your feet, push your feet outward. Once your feet are approximately shoulder-width apart, pull your feet back inward using your thigh muscles (not by pulling your knees together) until you have reset your feet next to each other. The entire movement should form an oval shape (or watermelon). Repeat the movement, making sure that the feet come back together in between. This position with your feet together is where you will get the power to make the next watermelon. As you get comfortable with the motion, try gaining momentum with several in a row. This can also be practiced at open skates. Don’t forget your derby stance!
The ability to keep up momentum with all eight wheels on the floor becomes especially important when skating within a pack. Making strides by picking up your feet can be a tripping hazard when other skaters are nearby.

One-Legged Glides

The ability to balance on one foot is very important for skating and derby. We practice one-legged glides for this reason.
Make sure to gain some momentum either with watermelons or strides (see below). Once you have some speed, be sure to lean over the base leg before attempting to lift your other leg.
Your knees should remain soft while doing a one legged glide. If you lock out your base leg, you will struggle with balance. Also remember to keep most of your weight in the balls of your feet so as not to fall backward and to keep your core engaged so as not to bobble back and forth.
Speed and leg placement make this skill easier. Make sure you are travelling fast enough before picking up your foot, and hold your knee at hip height to bring the weight of your foot closer to your center of gravity.
You can practice your one-legged glides at open skates. Try to increase the distance you can keep your leg up. You will be tested on the ability to glide for the full length of the track.

Stride

While skating forward normally, you should practice proper form of strides to maximize your pushes forward.
To do so, push your foot down into the floor and back at a 45-degree angle, leaving all four wheels on the floor as long as possible. The stride ends with a slight flick of the foot just off the floor, with the wheel under the big toe being the last to leave the floor.
During the stride, your weight should be over the supporting leg so that it is easy to finish the stride off of the floor with the pushing leg. If you are having trouble with this balance, try pushing with ONLY one foot, thinking of your base leg’s skate as a skateboard.
Finish by bringing the pushing foot back to the starting position so that both feet are together. This is extremely important to find this position between strides in order to get the full push in your next stride.
Again, don’t forget your derby stance! You will get a longer stride the lower you sit into your stance, and therefore, a stronger push forward.  Your knees should never lock out, and your upper body should not move a lot during the stride. While striding forward, your arms should easily move at your sides just like you are walking.
Example of good stride form
From the front:

From the back:

Falling

Falling = Learning

Please try to remember this while you are training. In order to learn new things, you will have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. That will often involve losing your balance and falling. Even the best roller derby skater falls and will not think less of you for doing so as well. We know it means that you are learning and striving to do so. We practice falling safely for this reason.

Falling Forward

Generally speaking, derby skaters want to fall forward to make use of their knee pads, as opposed to falling backward on unpadded areas. Staying on the balls of the feet while moving forward and staying low (derby stance) will encourage falling forward. See below for specific knee falls that we practice to encourage falling “small” and controlled on the track. When we practice these, we commit them to muscle memory and are less likely to sprawl on the track (safety for all) or fall on unintended body parts (personal safety).

Falling Backward

Sometimes falling backward is unavoidable. If you find yourself falling backward, make a quick decision to PICK A CHEEK! This means trying to fall slightly to one side so that you are landing on your natural butt padding instead of straight down on the tailbone. Remember that staying on the balls of your feet while moving forward will help discourage falling backward. If you find that you are often falling backward, check yourself while skating to make sure that you are not rocking back on your heels.

Practice Falls

One-Knee Fall

The one-knee fall is the first and most basic fall we learn. It involves setting one knee on the floor and using the friction of your knee pad to come to a stop. Proper form involves the following.

• Having both legs at a 90-degree angle. Do not sit back onto your skates!
• Having your shin parallel to the floor. In other words, you should be using the front of your kneepad, not the top.
• Keeping your upper body straight and controlled. This involves tightening your core as you fall. (Think of engaging your abs and squeezing your glutes.)
• Keeping your hands off of the floor. Always, always, always try to keep your hands off the floor so that your fingers don’t get rolled over by another skater.

While you are learning, you might set your hands on your thighs in order to control yourself downward. Eventually, you should build up your thigh and core muscles enough to avoid using your hands and keep them at your sides.
For practicing one-knee falls, be sure to come to a complete stop. You should be able to get up within 3 seconds from the stop for testing purposes. Ideally, you will be:

• Looking around you before getting up (practicing track awareness).
• Remaining stable without bobbling back and forth.
• Pushing upward with your weight over the front skate.
• Avoiding using your hands while getting up.
• Immediately transitioning into skating forward once up.

Please note that setting your front toe stop down can be beneficial for balance when getting up and readiness for getting skating again. We will talk more about toe-stop starts in Week 3.
If you need some extra help in getting up for now, you can put your hands on your front thigh to push downward. You will eventually want to gain enough strength in your core and legs to avoid using your hands. One way to build up this strength is to practices lunges off skates.
Be sure to practice your one-knee falls on both legs!

Double-Knee Fall

A double-knee fall is used when a fall has more momentum than could be handled with a single-knee fall. It involves landing on both knees but still remaining controlled.
To fall on your knees, you should be rolling over the top of your skates. Staying in derby stance will encourage a controlled fall because your knees will be closer to the floor. Do not jump into the fall or fall straight onto both knees.
Your knees should not make contact at the same time. Make sure you hear a separated “tap-tap” to avoid landing too hard on your knees.
Keep your upper body controlled while you fall by engaging your core. You should not be sitting or leaning back into your skates, but should be leaning back slightly to avoid falling forward.
To get up, there are a couple of options.

1. Pick up one foot and set it on the floor to get up in the same manner as your one-knee fall. Be sure not to bring your foot around the side of your body (a tripping hazard and a danger to yourself and other skaters). Instead, bring it through underneath your body.
2. Set your hands in a diamond shape in front of you. It is important that your hands remain within the width of your own body to avoid the possibility of another skater rolling over your hands. While leaning onto your hands in front of you, hop up onto both toe stops near your hands, and stand up on your toe stops. This is similar to the motion used when standing up from a burpee.

Whichever method you use to get up, you should strive to do so within 3 seconds of coming to a complete stop. Always be sure to look around you before getting up to practice track awareness.

Four-Point Fall

A four-point fall comes into play when a fall has so much forward momentum that you must catch yourself from splaying out on the floor or falling on your face. Practicing this fall encourages falling “small” and controlled.
In a similar manner to the double-knee fall, you will still be rolling over the top of your skates to avoid slamming onto your knees. This will be followed quickly by a fall forward to the elbows and wrists. (In this way, you can think of it as a six-point fall despite its actual name). In order to properly simulate the application of when you would use this fall (when your momentum is pulling you forward toward your face), the transition from your knees to your elbows and wrists should be one continuous motion, as opposed to landing on your knees and then falling over to your elbows and wrists.
Always practice looking around before lifting your body. This is done to simulate track application when a skater might be coming toward you, and it would be important to stay small. Be sure to keep your fingers off the floor (point of contact is at the wrists, not at the fingers) until you look around and know that it is safe to get up.
To get up, you can use one of the two methods previously described for the double-knee falls.

Stopping

In roller derby, we do not stop by dragging our toe stop behind us as we were taught to do as kids at the roller rink.  To do so would be a tripping hazard with so many people in close proximity on the track.  Instead, we use a variety of roller derby stops, the first of which we learn is called the T-Stop.

T-Stops

In order to execute a T-stop, shift your weight onto one leg and turn your free leg so that your toe is pointed to the outside of your body.  You will then gently set it on the ground about a foot directly behind the base foot and pull it in towards your base foot while gradually applying pressure downwards on all four wheels to provide enough friction to slow to a stop.  Be especially careful not to tilt your foot so that you are only making contact with the two wheels closest to your front foot; this is a good way to turn your ankle!  The end position should form a capital T with the foot behind perpendicular and centered on the front foot.  Be sure to keep your knees soft while completing this skill.  It is very common to lock out your legs and stand straight up, but this will hinder balance.  

Conclusion

Please ensure that you can perform these skills well, as they are essential for the rest of your training! All of these skills can be practiced at open skates with some care given to the space of others. Make sure you are wearing your safety gear when doing so!

The Basics: Derby stance

Fresh Meat Derby Stancing

What is Derby Stance?

Derby Stance: The basic body position that provides stability, speed, agility and power when playing roller derby.

Balance is crucial in roller derby! Bending your knees, tightening your core and keeping your head up are keys to balancing in derby stance.

How to Execute Derby Stance

• Squat down. Your feet and knees should be shoulder width apart, balancing your weight between your feet.
• Bend your knees to a 90-degree angle. They should be directly above your skates.
• Hold your back straight.
• Open your chest up, making sure your shoulders are pressed back.
• Your shoulders, knees, and toes should all lineup.
• Get LOW! Getting low will let your legs work as shock absorbers when you get hit and help stabilize your body.

Why Derby Stance is Amazing

• It’s harder to fall.
• If you do fall, you will most likely fall on your protected knees.
• You can skate faster.
• You can execute a proper crossover.

How can you practice derby stance at open skate?

Leg Burners

Start out by skating one lap at regular speed. Once that lap is completed, sprint half a lap (you don’t have to go incredibly fast, just enough that you will not stop while you are coasting). After you have sprinted half a lap, squat into proper derby stance position and coast half a lap maintaining derby stance and not lifting your skates off of the ground. After you have made it half a lap, sprint again for half a lap, then repeat derby stance for a half a lap. Continue doing this for a lap or two. You will figure out on your own why they are called leg burners. Remember to keep your hands at your sides to avoid supporting yourself with your arms.

Phase 2: While in derby stance, move your feet apart and together repeatedly without your wheels leaving the floor in order to continue to propel yourself while in derby stance instead of just coasting. We call these “watermelons,” and it requires using the muscles of your inner thighs and outer glutes to maintain speed. These muscles are extremely important in roller derby! See how far you can continue this stance without stopping or standing upright.

How to Practice Derby Stance at Home

Wall Sits

Sit with your back against the wall and your thighs parallel to the ground. Keeping your back flat against the wall, hold the position for 30-60 seconds, release and rest for 30 seconds, then repeat. Keep your hands at your sides! Though this is not exact derby stance (since your weight is leaning backward), it will work the leg muscles necessary for derby stance.

Plain Old Squats

Execute a derby stance, bending your knees to 90 degrees, keeping your feet and knees shoulder width apart and your hands at your sides. Hold for a moment and stand up again. Repeat for a set of 10. Repeat for 2-3 sets.

If you are uncertain if you are getting low enough, try using a chair. It should be at the proper height for you to sit in with your legs at 90 degrees. Perform your squats by standing 6 inches in front of the chair and barely touching the seat while squatting.

Common Mistakes

Are you actually getting low?

Many skaters will think that they are getting low, but they are actually bending at the waist instead of at the knees. Focus on getting your thighs close to parallel with the floor. Your back should not be!

The Difference Between Speed Skating and Derby Skating

People with speed skating experience will often revert to speed skating stance, bending over at the waist. This is fine for going fast, but once hitting is introduced, the skater will be less balanced to take a hit.

Knee Pain

If your knees start hurting and it feels like the knee cap is being pulled to the outside, it is because you aren’t getting low enough to engage the hamstrings properly so the three front muscles are pulling the cap out of place. You may not feel it is natural to bend more, but it actually helps to alleviate the pain.