Kao Miura has a series of essays in a Japanese publication, and this time he talked about his training experience with
Ilia and his parents that took place over the last 2 weeks.
He wanted to know why Ilia's jumps are so consistent, and the things he discovered about Ilia's jumps are very interesting, so I have translated that part below.
“Training Expedition” with the Malinin Family in Washington: What Did Kao Miura Learn from the “Quad God”?
こんにちは、フィギュアスケーターの三浦佳生です。コラム【三浦佳生の滑らかトーク】の第３回。今回は、アメリカ・ワシントン近郊のバージニア州レストンにあるイリア・マリニン選手（米国）の練習拠点に伺った武者修行の話を中心にしていきます。
www.jiji.com
The “Consistency” I Wanted To Learn
In late August, I spent about two weeks training at Ilia’s rink. The main reason I decided to ask Ilia for help this time was last season’s World Championships (where I finished 25th in the SP and didn’t advance to the FS). I felt I needed to change something, so I wanted to train with an amazing skater overseas. After all, Ilia is a champion who has won three consecutive World Championships, so I really wanted to learn from him.
What I wanted to know most was his “consistency.” I suspected there might be a secret behind his stability. Aside from national team training camps, this was the first time I’d ever gone to train somewhere other than my home rink. I spoke with Ilia during an ice show in Japan, and he readily agreed. “If you come, you’ll be able to do this kind of training,” he said. Ilia’s parents said OK about the idea. (Note: Malinin’s parents are former skaters from Uzbekistan; his mother, Tatiana, is a former champion at the Four Continents Championships and the Grand Prix Final. Both of them coach Malinin.)
A Strict Mother, A Kind Farther
In the U.S., I skated with Ilia, and his mother and farther coached me. We practiced on the ice in the mornings and evenings. On Saturdays, we only practiced in the morning, and Sundays were off. His mother was in charge of the morning sessions. She’s very kind off the ice, but she’s strict when it comes to coaching (laughs). But that strictness is what led to my growth. His mother also taught me spins and steps.
In the evenings, I received instruction from his farther. His farther is just so kind! Both his mother and farther share the same coaching philosophy. Ilia also gave me advice. It really felt like I was being taught by his whole family.
“Wait And Jump”
As for the key to jumps—or rather, consistency—that was the aspect I most wanted to master. Ilia can execute every jump in exactly the same way. From single to quadruple jumps, they’re all the same. He’s always consistent and incorporates them into his programs.
Up until now, I’d inevitably tend to tighten my body too early. Because I’d start the rotation from my arms, there were times when I’d get thrown off balance or lose my axis. So, “waiting instead”—“waiting before jumping”—became one of the key points.
Also, my takeoff trajectory would sometimes become random. I think there are many skaters like that. So, I practiced to ensure I could jump consistently along the same trajectory every time.
Generally speaking, I think most people believe it’s better to rotate quickly. They think the approach should be straight—enter straight and jump. But Ilia and his parents had a different perspective. They told me to hold my body position as long as possible and jump in sync with my body’s rotation. As for the approach, they said it’s most important to “create the perfect line” to jump —not entering the curve too sharply, nor going too straight.
For example, even with the toe loop, I think most skaters generally enter the jump in a straight line. Ilia said he finds it easier to enter from a slight curve. I think that line choice is the most important thing—it’s like using the momentum from skating the curve to carry you into the rotation.
Training The Body To Remember It
I practiced that method over and over, but it’s really hard to change something that’s been ingrained in my body for so many years. There’s still some inconsistency, but when I was able to land the jump the way I was taught, I definitely felt that “this is it” sensation. I worked on it with the goal of gradually increasing the number of times I could pull it off. Even when I did succeed, the number of success was still too few. My brain remembers it, but it’s hard for my body to reproduce it, so I have no choice but to let my body learn it. The goal is simply to be able to execute the jump motion consistently.
Up until now, I’ve been using power to jump. Ilia told me, “(You are using) Too much power.” He said I didn’t need to use that much power. He taught me “Even without using a lot of energy, if you build up the momentum properly and jump up the same way, you can jump well just by getting the timing right.”
It’s hard to notice these things just by watching. I’d watched slow-motion footage of Ilia’s jumps before, and it looked to me like his arms were moving ahead of his body to initiate the tight rotation. But I was mistaken. The reason his arms looked like they were moving ahead was simply because his rotation was so fast. He tightens his body very quickly. His arms are rotating along with his body. He does this the same way on every jump. You wouldn’t understand that unless someone actually taught you. I learned this from three different people, so coming here was really worthwhile.
Eating Ramen Together
Between practice sessions, I went out for ramen with Ilia. It tasted a lot like Japanese ramen and was delicious! The flavor was sort of like tonkotsu shoyu (pork bone and soy sauce). He even invited me over to his house. Whether he’s skating or just hanging out, Ilia never seems tense. And he’s so funny!
Ilia loves Japan and was really excited to be competing in the NHK Trophy this year. He mentioned that his whole family might come. I know his schedule might not allow it, but I’d love to take him out to dinner as a way of thanking them for everything they did for me this time.
isu-skating.com
Wishing him better luck next time. He's the most gorgeous skater.
: 
. But since he discusses 
:
(I really miss him).
