Baby Doll Blog: Talk Derby To Me
Me: I’m sorry.
Shisa Beast: There is no ‘I’m sorry’ in Derby.
Ahhhhh. So refreshing. In this world of political correctness and way-too-easily offended snowflakes, derby offers a venue to just be human and let that id and ego hold hands and play for awhile. Or push.
I know my past two posts have revealed the warm-fuzzy side derby brought into my life, but let’s be frank, these are unexpected fringe benefits. I was originally drawn to derby for the grit, the challenge, and the ability to knock someone over and skate off for my next victim. And maybe a little bit for the uniform and crazy clever names…
After my first few practices I was starting to get the jargon down. Jams, blockers, pivots, walls; these were all making sense as I learned the basics of the game. Acronyms were clearing up. In my mind, WTFDA (What the F* Dumb Ass), finally turned into WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association). Skills were easier to understand. Plow stops, T-stops, knee drops, whips, transitions….all of these things sound like you may have fallen asleep to a PG movie and woke up to quite something different on Cinemax. But each is a specific skill required to move on and pass the minimum skills test to be able to be safe on the track for you and everybody else's benefit.
And then there is the vernacular of derby. That common speak that enhances its charm. My favorite one to date is “Low, not Hoe”, a term used to describe the derby stance of skating or blocking in a ready and squatting position. It sure made the correct derby stance pretty clear when the difference is demonstrated.
I haven’t even touched on the player’s names, but I’ll save that for a later post as a few sentences don’t do them the justice they deserve.
The abrasiveness and unapologetic nature of the game is something I am looking forward to becoming more acquainted with. I’m an over apologizer and generally a peacemaker, so I have about 20+ years waiting inside of me to be encouraged to push, run past and ram someone with my hip or shoulder. All of the politeness and protocol of my day can melt away and I, a strong woman, can show off what I’ve got without feeling the need to explain myself or my mistakes. It's a wonderful release. ......Oh yeah, baby….talk derby to me.
