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From: Mark Arnold <mjamja_at_earthlink.net>
subject: [Paddlewise] Greenland technique
Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2003 23:43:45 -0600
Thanks to all for replies on my storm paddle question.

In reading the qajaqusa.org articles on Greenland technique I came across some confusing info.

In Greg Stamer's article the hand movement is describe as starting at the tip of the shoulder and then pushed down and forward to just above the knee on the  SAME side as the pushing hand.  I could swear that in an earlier article and when I took lessons from Greg the hand was described as moving down and forward to just above the knee on the OPPOSITE side of the pushing hand (ie the hand crossing the centerline).  

On one of the video clip descriptions it talks about the paddler's hands crossing the center line.  I could not get the video clips to play so I am going by the text only. 

Not crossing the centerline with the pushing hand would seem to shorten the stroke considerably.  John Heath's discussion of the stroke talks about making the stroke much longer than what most American paddlers were using as Greenland technique when Malliqiaq was visiting.  This would also seem to argue for crossing over the centerline with the pushing hand.

Can anyone provide some clarification.  What is the latest and greatest  thinking on how the pushing hand moves?
 
Mark Arnold
mjamja_at_earthlink.net
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From: Michael Daly <michaeldaly_at_rogers.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Greenland technique
Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2003 03:22:26 -0500
On 2 Nov 2003 at 23:43, Mark Arnold wrote:

> I could swear that in
> an earlier article and when I took lessons from Greg the hand was
> described as moving down and forward to just above the knee on the
> OPPOSITE side of the pushing hand (ie the hand crossing the
> centerline).  

That sounds right.  The other must be a typo.

> Not crossing the centerline with the pushing hand would seem to
> shorten the stroke considerably.  John Heath's discussion of the
> stroke talks about making the stroke much longer than what most
> American paddlers were using as Greenland technique when Malliqiaq was
> visiting.  This would also seem to argue for crossing over the
> centerline with the pushing hand.

Exactly right.  The old saw about not crossing the centerline is not 
valid, either for modern EP technique or for GP technique.  I have 
been "accused" of having a canoe stroke showing in my kayak paddling 
technique and I like the fact that using a GP lets me leave that 
stroke technique in there.  Easier to change to GP than unlearn the 
canoe stroke for EP :-)

Mike
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