General Yuzuru Chat

[PomeloPooh]

3 hours ago, micaelis said:

I think the other thing, not necessarily apparent in this little four second vid, and this is sheer speculation on my part, is that Yuzu's routines are plotted out in some detail before they contemplate when the jumps will come.  They'll have a general idea of the sequence of  the jumps but where they will be specifically in the program is only vaguely known and it's when the other stuff is pretty well set up that they insert the jumps.  It's been remarked that Yuzu rarely telegraphs when a jump is approaching and again that is probably a result of the fact that the jumps are inserted in the program and the program is not built up around the jumps as I'm certain is the case with Nathan and many of the other skaters.  All of this, of course, the choreographers can do because they realize that with Yuzu's ability to enter jumps with virtually no preparation they can, indeed, arrange things so that they provide maximum comfort and maximum artistic effect.

3

 

In PJ's recent podcast, Shae said that unlike most skaters, Yuzu implements jumps in the process of choreographing, to see how it works with the rest of the program. (I'm rephrasing here.) I think it goes along with Yuzu's repeatedly stated idea that jumps are transitions too, an integral part of the performance no different from any other parts.

 

(edit: after spending the last 5 minutes staring at the new pic... I'm seeing Nathan's sp costume (or was it lp?) on Yuzu and I can't unsee it now???)

[sweetwater]

Preview of NHK documentary
Warning: the footage of NHK official practice from 0:11-0:16

 

ETA: Better quality video
Warning: the footage from 00:15-00:19

[SparkleSalad]

26 minutes ago, PomeloPooh said:

 

In PJ's recent podcast, Shae said that unlike most skaters, Yuzu implements jumps in the process of choreographing, to see how it works with the rest of the program. (I'm rephrasing here.) I think it goes along with Yuzu's repeatedly stated idea that jumps are transitions too, an integral part of the performance no different from any other parts.

 

(edit: after spending the last 5 minutes staring at the new pic... I'm seeing Nathan's sp costume (or was it lp?) on Yuzu and I can't unsee it now???)

 

lol that's the first thing I saw, too.

 

And in the footage of him editing SEIMEI on his laptop he said that even at that stage in creating a program he is planning his layout to match the music so the placement and timing of his jumps seems to be the very first thing he considers. 

[SparkleSalad]

19 minutes ago, sweetwater said:

Preview of NHK documentary
Warning: the footage of NHK official practice from 0:11-0:16

 

ETA: Better quality video
Warning: the footage from 00:15-00:19

 

Warning: gorgeousness from 00:01-0:08 

 

So it airs two days before the Team SP... I wonder if we'll know by then if he'll be skating in it. I hope there's at least some new footage full of hope to calm our nerves. I feel like my heart is on track to explode during singles. 

[getsurenka]

41 minutes ago, SparkleSalad said:

 

Warning: gorgeousness from 00:01-0:08 

 

So it airs two days before the Team SP... I wonder if we'll know by then if he'll be skating in it. I hope there's at least some new footage full of hope to calm our nerves. I feel like my heart is on track to explode during singles. 

IIRC, during Sochi JSF announced the representatives two days before the team event, so maybe it will be the same this time around?

[ruruzest]

[sweetwater]

Yuzu statues have already arrived at Kumamoto

 

Source: https://kumamotofukkofes.com/?p=132

 

According to the source, the city of Kumamoto and the skating federation of Kumamoto city will hold a festival called "Kumamoto Fukko Fes" (My translation: Recovery of Kumamoto festival) and exhibit the bench in the festival. They say, "Come and see the bench!" They also say that they are very grateful for Yuzu knowing how he cares about the recovery of Kumamoto and that they wish him good luck in PyeongChang and will be cheering for him in Kumamoto.

[sweetwater]

22 minutes ago, ruruzest said:

Quote

At his peak, he can put together jumps of four revolutions known as quads. In between, there is a rhythmic beat to his routine, as smooth as a Charlie Parker jazz recital. Yet, unlike “The Bird’s” haunting saxophone solos, Yuzuru uses the poetry of motion to weave his magic.

Wow  I love this.

[KatjaThera]

5 hours ago, micaelis said:

If you look closely you'll see that Yuzu is far more relaxed than Nathan.  I think it's probably a product of the fact that Yuzu's programs are choreographed to allow him to move in ways that are totally comfortable.  His ability to achieve top speed with minimal effort is almost legendary, and I think that allows him to concentrate his energies on the moves (jumps and spins primarily) that require an expenditure of effort.  Carol Lane once commented that Yuzu expends no unnecessary energy.  I think that's apparent in this little snippet. 

 

Why this is might be a product of his problems with asthma.  I'm sure all of us know of those times in his early years when Yuzu after a skate has sometimes been on all fours on the ice trying to recover his breath.  Those times seem quite ancient now and I feel that Yuzu on top of probably having engaged in all kinds of aerobic exercise to improve his stamina also makes sure that the programs he skates are designed so that there will be no gasping for breath once the music stops and he takes his bows.  In order to accomplish that Yuzu and his choreographers have designed his routines to give him pauses during the skate to recover his breath (not a strategy that is unique to his team but done with a keen awareness of the dangers if he is starved for oxygen, which is probably an element only his team has to take into account), and I would not be surprised if they've taken advantage of these pauses to put in all the nice little gambits that give his skates the artistic touches that rake in the PCS points.  It's a clever way of killing two birds with one stone. 

 

I think the other thing, not necessarily apparent in this little four second vid, and this is sheer speculation on my part, is that Yuzu's routines are plotted out in some detail before they contemplate when the jumps will come.  They'll have a general idea of the sequence of  the jumps but where they will be specifically in the program is only vaguely known and it's when the other stuff is pretty well set up that they insert the jumps.  It's been remarked that Yuzu rarely telegraphs when a jump is approaching and again that is probably a result of the fact that the jumps are inserted in the program and the program is not built up around the jumps as I'm certain is the case with Nathan and many of the other skaters.  All of this, of course, the choreographers can do because they realize that with Yuzu's ability to enter jumps with virtually no preparation they can, indeed, arrange things so that they provide maximum comfort and maximum artistic effect.

I disagree about the pauses. There may be little breathing moments, but they're still far less than other skaters, so I wouldn't say those are pauses for him to catch his breath. Actually, in her TSL interview, when they asked Tracy about Yuzu not pointing his toes - seems toe pointing is a pet peeve in FS world, though myself as an amateur viewer, I don't see the big deal - and she said he can do it, but those are pretty much the only times when he can relax his body a bit, because of how busy his programs are, and by relaxing, he loses that. She implied, IMO, that it's really insignificant because of everything else he does the rest of the time, so let him breathe and forget the toes.

 

However, you are right about the energy spending. I was just re-reading the first Team Brian book, and he says in there that Yuzu's lack of stamina was one of the things they had to tackle. And that it was caused by his asthma, but also the fact that he didn't pace himself. He went full on all the time, spending the same amount of energy in practices and competition alike and in every element as well, so after a couple of jumps, he was already winded. So Brian and his team focused on getting Yuzu to need to spend as little energy as possible, without sacrificing anything else. Brian also always insisted that polishing his skating skills - and everything to do with PCS - will also automatically make skating more effortless, I guess because it gave him more control. Also, in Jounetsu Tairiku, they were talking about how Yuzu's posture changed when he was tired and Tracy was telling him to use his knees to counteract that and telling him it was good practice to train while tired. (Incidentally, I saw a similar advice given to Javi at a different point.) So, in my view, TCC knows little tricks like that. I think it's far less choreography related and more training related, in that they gave him the tools to pace himself. (I think that's also why Brian doesn't like Yuzu's too strong intensity, because intensity requires energy, and why he praised Yuzu being more relaxed in Helsinki, because he was fully in control and not spending more energy than necessary - despite asthma attack two weeks earlier, as we later found out.

 

Actually there's something else in the first Team Brian book that I wonder if I understood correctly - if someone else who has read that can check - and that is Brian saying - and Yuzu agreeing - that his transitions weren't actually really planned out before and he basically did whatever fit his mood. I think it's probably not quite like that, and rather that his planned transitions/steps were more of a guideline and he could change them according to his mood. But it could also refer to their quality rather than their type. So I wonder which that is. But if there is any truth to my understanding, I think that probably affected his stamina in the past, too.

 

As for jumps, as @PomeloPooh said, we have to remember that Yuzu has always insisted that jumps are an integral part of the program. I actually tend to think that when picking the music, he already visualizes the elements he wants to include (he probably has the layout in mind, with the flexibility of switching the elements around), to see where and if they fit. (It also wouldn't surprise me if he would sometimes dismiss music choices because he can't imagine where a jump or other would fit in. Like: "How about this song, Yuzu?" "Nah, my lutz doesn't go with that. It should be this.") and after that they add in the details. And while working, as Shae said, he throws in the jumps as he visualizes them. It also makes sense he would jump while working on the choreo, because I don't think you can properly figure out how timing works unless you actually do the jumps. And timing is essential for the high quality programs Yuzu aims for. Having to later add another couple of steps here and there to adjust the timing seems a bit needless, when you can just do it from the beginning. And I think this way of doing programs, as a whole, is actually what helps everything look muck more seamless in his programs compared to others. (Nathan's FS at Rostelecom still looked like patchwork to me, where different patches - jumps, spins, etc. - were more or less randomly put together. Patchwork can be nice and thought-out, too, but seamless and smooth like silk it is not.)

 

And yay for un-ninja-ed Yuzu! He does look a bit like someone dragged him out of bed for this lol But it's cute! Now back to ninja mode, Yuzu!

[WinForPooh]

3 hours ago, kaeryth said:

... and he broke his ninja mode for Kumamoto Ice Rink. My heart /No wonder Kumamon loves him.../

He is such a lovely, lovely person. Gosh, I want to just squish him and tell him we'll protect him from everything. Always.

[getsurenka]

Apt timing lol

[KatjaThera]

3 minutes ago, getsurenka said:

Apt timing lol

I thought the Olympics were a family show! And yet they pick UA Biellman to promote it?! j/k

[ralucutzagy]

 New CM?

 

[KatjaThera]

6 minutes ago, ralucutzagy said:

 New CM?

 

I think it's sadly just a TV report of when the original CMs came out...

[ralucutzagy]

2 minutes ago, KatjaThera said:

I think it's sadly just a TV report of when the original CMs came out...

Oh, really ... he looks nice in that suit tho ...