Reader Questions for Bill Butler
RST recently received reader questions for Bill Butler which are posted below, along with his answers.
Ginger Moss of the Chattanooga Rollers asks:
This is a question for Bill Butler and the skate plates used for the jammin’ technique. I’ve noticed a lot of the skaters have setups that have the plate shorter than the boot. How does this help? How much shorter should they be? Do the mounting holes on the boots line up? If not what do you tell a skate shop so they can get it right when you order a new pair of skates?
Bill’s answer as given to RST:
Here’s the key to anybody’s foot size: the plate must equal the distance between the middle of your heel laterally, i.e. from side to side, and laterally, the middle of the ball of your foot. As long as the truck, the axle is underneath the ball of the foot – from side to side – and the center of your heel, side to side, you’re good to go.
Once you get one, you get the other; meaning, if that truck is under the ball of your foot, for the most part, it’s gonna be in the center of your heel because all plates are designed a certain way. But if a person makes a mistake to get a plate, for instance, that’s too long for their boot or foot size and puts the heel axle in the middle of the heel, they can jack up the front because the plate was too big in the first place so that means the plate is gonna be in front of the ball of the foot – it’s gotta be both. You can’t say well, I got the ball of the foot, I got it right. No, you gotta have the ball of the foot and the center of the heel equal, then you’re right.
If it’s a dance plate involved, of course, there’s no toe stop but once the axle is in back or front of the ball of your foot, you’re out of luck. You made a mistake.
When we talk about toe stop versus no toe stop, that’s up to the individual because then we’re talking about what type of skating do you intend to do. If you’re gonna do the Jammin’ Technique, you cannot have a toe stop because it won’t allow you to do the six wheel position which means the toe of one foot is down toward the floor so in ‘X’ number of millimeters, degrees or inches the toe stop will come in contact with the floor which [causes the toe stop to] drag and just doesn’t work for the Jammin’ Technique. The Jammin’ Technique needs to have space in the front of the foot so that you can use the two wheel position when you point the toe toward the floor. You want to make sure you understand that and get it right.
David Vallejos writes:
I’m from NY.. I just began Roller Skating after a 10 year layoff. My goal is to learn the “skating the circle” techniques, practice and prepare myself before hitting all the Roller rinks around the TRI-State area.
* Do you have any videos, skating seminars coming soon to NY metropolitan area.
Bill’s answer:
There’s no such thing as a circle technique, per se. What it is, is taking a straight line and making a circle out of it. That’s all. So you have to learn how to skate – that opens up this explanation to the question. Learn how to roller skate and the circle isn’t a problem. That’s what it’s all about. Understand how to adjust your skates. Understand what equipment to have to get what you want done because sometimes your eyes can see some stuff you can’t achieve, so you have to watch it. You can’t blame the skates. You gotta blame the person that’s on the skates.
It’s not the equipment first. It’s you first, equipment second. Then you have to have the ability. And it’s about the ability of the equipment of the person that’s wearing that equipment.
* I don’t do [videos]. The videos I have are in an archive and anybody who’s close to me – like in Georgia – they might end up with a video of something. One of my students has eight videos of some of my work, 30 years of stuff in this video. That’s fine. She’ll give them back and I’ll put them back in the room until somebody else, I’ll say, ‘this might help you. Look at this.’ But if I don’t think the person has any real ability or real ambition toward learning the Technique, they don’t get the tapes because it’s wasteful. That’s a decision that I make but I don’t do [videos] on a commercial basis. I don’t do that. You gotta be right near me or I have to know you to disburse any type of info like that. It’s not that I wouldn’t do it, it’s just that I don’t do it at this present time. I have [them] for my students that are close up and other than that it’s all archived stuff for my legacy.
It just hasn’t come into my space right now to do anything like that. But if you enjoy the Technique that much, get in my face some kind of way, get annoying to me and then I’ll make arrangements because now I know you’re serious. I’ll make special arrangements for that person because now I feel they care about it as much as I do and I say, let me get this person off my back, let me help them out. He’s driving me crazy. If you become annoying, or in my face then I know you’re on the case and Ill a say, I better get on it. This [person] really wants to get this stuff. They might turn me onto something.
Bill thanks you for your questions concerning the Jammin’ Technique and limits his responses to queries in that category.
Please show this to Bill butler and ask him if he recognizes the person who wrote this article, (and he better) as he taught me everything I learned in Rollerskating and a lot I learned in life!! I love that man!
Since this discussion area is under Skating Maintenance … he taught me that too!I actuallly owned a roller skating pro-shop and mounted and fixed skates! Well here it goes…
Life’s Little Lessons:
As a child overseas, I loved roller skating in the street on metal wheels and strap-on skates. I still have the scars on my knees to prove it.
About 25 years later I got introduced to it again at a time when I was going through a difficult divorce. I immediately remembered the feeling of rolling on skates but this time it was in a rink with a wood floor. I liked the added comfort of soft wheels and leather boots. There was music….what a concept!
I started taking my children and it became a weekly family fun event. A new rink named “Goodskates” opened up near my home. Their slogan was “Goodskates changes your life”. The space was fabulous, the floor was smooth, the sound system great and there was a Pro who dazzled me with his skating. I was determined to learn his style and wanted to have as much fun “skate dancing” as he was having.
Well…determination paid off and I learned with falling and getting up and many hours practicing turns and routines. It became a lifesaver at times when dancing on skates made me forget my worries and recharge me for dealing with life’s up and downs. It truly did change my life in many ways:
*I learned that you can accomplish anything you desire as long as you pursue it even if you fall down sometimes.
*I learned not to give up when things get tough and that one step at a time will get you where you want to be.
*I learned that balance is important.
*I learned that there is sunshine after rain and that you should always take time to smell the flowers.
* I leaned the importance of TRUST.
You have to trust yourself before you are able to trust anyone else. In dance skating as well as in life, when choosing a partner you must trust that partner. Watching out for each other in every turn while staying in step is crucial or you will trip and possibly get hurt. This also applies to Business. You have to keep moving in the right direction and guide your client when there is a turn coming up. Trust that you can handle it and extend that trust to you clients. Let them know you are there to watch their back. You seldom trip if you stay in step with them. Enjoy the Business Dance and you too will have a WIN-WIN experience!
Dance Skating continues to teach me Life’s little lessons while I stay in shape and continue to get that amazing feeling I desired so many years ago !