Training in driving at ice and roller skates begins with working off of various ways of braking. To learn to brake much more difficult, than to learn to ride. However the fulfilled skills of reduction of speed and stoppages will allow you to ride in any conditions, avoiding falling and injuries.
That skating was safe, it is very important to learn to brake. And it is necessary to be able to stop at any speed as it is sharp, and smoothly, gradually reducing speed. When it comes to ice skates, here it is necessary to know that sharp braking on skates is possible only at sharply ground edges, the maneuverability depends on sharpness of edges.
The most widespread ways of braking on figure and hockey skates
Serpent (or slalom). This way is suitable for smooth reduction of speed. If you go, doing at the same time small turns by both legs, and the curve of your movement will resemble the serpent, then you will dump speed and gradually stop.
V-stop. This method is also used by skiers and rollers. Braking by the plow allows to dump easily speed if you go not really quickly. For this purpose it is necessary to put legs at an angle to each other, bringing together socks and parting heels. Legs have to be placed widely and slightly bent in knees. To keep stability, it is necessary not only to bend knees, but also quite strongly to strain legs. Braking by the turn on 90 °. The turn allows to stop sharply even at great speed. For the sharp turn it is necessary to put both legs at an angle 90 ° to the direction of your movement on ice. During this maneuver it is necessary to keep balance by means of trunk bending aside, opposite to the direction of the movement. Also for stability it is necessary to bend knees. Semicircle. It is quite effective way of braking on skates at high speed, however it is difficult for the beginning skaters. For reduction of speed and the stoppage it is necessary to expose one leg forward and to press the fad edge on ice that, having described the semicircle, the leg rose perpendicularly to the curve of the movement. Braking by the skate blade edge. At transfer of weight from one leg on another it is possible to stop quite sharply if to press on ice the edge edge, having a little developed the leg the toe aside. Pressure at the same time is made on the inside edge, and the foot which is behind is pivot. The leg acting forward in this case won't be loaded, weight from it is transferred to other leg.
How to brake on roller skates
Rollers, unlike ice skates, are equipped with the so-called regular brake. And though skilled rollers prefer to remove it, it is necessary for the beginning rollers. To reduce speed by means of the regular brake, it is enough to transfer leg weight to the heel and to press on the brake. It is simple to also beginning rollers to master ways of braking by slalom and the plow. Slalom allows not to gather speed at the exit with the hill. And braking by the plow allows to stop smoothly if you go on smooth asphalt at the small speed.