Let’s talk about how to get a strong and stable HIPKEY with less effort using great technique!

Hipkey is SUCH an important foundational move in aerial silks and is the first step in many impressive tricks and beautiful sequencing. It is important that we have a strong base as we move up in our aerial level so that we keep our practice effective, safe, and strong. In this tutorial, we are going to go over how to enter and hold a hip key using tuck. This means that if you are still building the strength to get into hipkey using the windmill method, you will find this entrance more accesible. Also, if you already can enter hipkey using windmill, this video will be a great review and guide to doing excercises that lead to holding a hip key with great technique. . Now let’s get into these drills!

Let’s strart with tying a knot in the silk.

  1. Toe taps with the knot
    • Get into the silk like you are wearing a backpack
    • Lift your knees to your chest and lower one leg down at a time until your toes touch the floor
    • Life your knees even higher to your chest each time after tapping your foot down
    • If you don’t need the knot take it away! You can work up to this over time 🙂
  2. Toe taps without the knot
    • Grab the silk with both hands and place to either side of you
    • Repeat the same excercise with knees to your chest, tapping one foot down each time
    • As one leg bends, the other straighens and points straight towards the ground

Let’s get into thee second part of this excercise. This section is designed to help us with the scissor piece of the windmill entrance to hip key.

  1. Knees side to side in the knot
    • Enter the knot again, backpack style
    • Lift your knees to your chest and keep your chest facing the ceiling
    • Bring your knees to each side of you, keeping your knees outside of the fabric
    • Let your chest follow your knees as you roll completely over to one side
    • Lift your knees up even higher and closer to your face each time you pass through the middle before rolling over to one side
    • Keep your butt up and imagine you are trying to face it towards the ceiling so that it doesnt sink towards the floor
    • As your knees fall closer to the floor, your butt comes up closer to the ceiling
  2. Hip Key Using Tuck
    • Take the knot out of the silk
    • Lift the booty up
    • Scissor and grab the tissue
    • Lift both knees up
    • Put on tight underwear by bicycling the leg that is closest to the tissue towards the floor as the other knees stays up
    • Roll over by bringing your booty up and shoulders and knees down

GREAT technique is the biggest step in mastery of these foundational skills in aerial silks. I see a world of limitless potential after you really nail the technique and form of a hip key. In our circus residency program, I teach a whole sequence called the Sun and Moon Sequence, where every move revolves around a strong hip key. Apply the knowledge you gained from this video and come train with me in Mexico! We have two month residencies, professional residencies, and different week long retreats happening each month – I hope to see you soon!

I hope to see you soon at one of my Sweet Retreats live aerial intensives at Casa Chango Mexico.
Enjoy the process!