Blue..red..spandex… All synonymous with one of the most iconic of superheroes: Superman. Although he may not be everyone’s favorite- he most certainly is one of the most known. If not for his costume, then for his pose. One arm outstretched above the head in a most intimidating fist and the other lingering ready to pounce at any semblance of a threat. In this pose he emanates power and strength which makes sense why we have adopted it for our beloved pole.
Picture this, it’s your first intermediate class. The previous week you were just learning how to climb the pole and climb down without scraping off all of your skin (which I may add is a very common occurrence for me). Now- your instructor says, “Has anybody gotten their superman?”. For me, this situation was reality and instantly I was intrigued, which must’ve been translated directly to my face because the instructor then wrapped her legs on the pole, turned to the side, maneuvered it between herself, then proceeded to blow my mind and hold herself up. She swooped face down, arm outstretched as if she were flying. Bam. Superman. This was quite possibly the coolest but also probably the most painful thing I have seen so far. When I was in beginner and was shown how to sit for the first time, I thought that my thighs were going to go on strike for better working conditions. When we transitioned from a cross legged sit to a scissors my head was swimming with thoughts like, “This is it for me. My skin will probably just roll off and never come back.” Now I must squeeze my legs together with such gusto that I can hold myself up with one arm?
My first attempt was fruitless but it planted the seed. I tried it from the floor probably 15 times with nothing other than an apple sized bruise forming on each side of my thigh. My skin was raw but I felt proud. Like a tiger that earned its stripes. I booked a practice the following day and during that time I did it over and over. I finally got to a point where I could hold myself up for a few seconds. “This must mean that I am a professional now. How much harder can it get?” I thought. And I thought wrong.
My next class the instructor showed me how I could do it by transitioning from a low hook spin. After that you could say I was really hooked. From the low hook spin I got it on my second try. I have never felt more triumphant. More… super. I went home with plenty of battle scars, but I have never felt as strong and emboldened. Honestly, I felt very much like a super woman.