Learning Acrobatics

[Aaron Mcgrath]

Hello out there,

I am very keen on learning acrobatics to improve my Capoeira game as well as my snowboarding. I am also practicing Body-Flow.

I would really like to learn backflips. Is there a specific selection of biomechanical exercises that would accelerate learning this skill?

How can I improve my bridging technique so that I can do back walk overs and hold the bridge for longer? Does RMAX offer any video courses that would help me reach my goal?

World Peace

Aaron

[Scott Sonnon]

Aaron,

What does your current Body-Flow practice comprise, and how does it fit in with your weekly training schedule?

For what reason are you learning acrobatics? To what end?

Do you have any injuries? Do you train alone or with a coach? How old are you?

[Lumpy Gravy]

Let me first premise that for safety's sake, you should always use a qualified spotter when practicing acrobatics for the first time.

If you are wreckless like me, then it is possible to learn without one. You need to be able to jump pretty well in order to do a back flip, so that is something you should work on if you can't. I got a book from Amazon, A Guide to Beginner Tumbling, that breaks down the round-off, back hand spring, and back tuck (back flip) into progressive drills and exercises so you could learn each. It then teaches you how to combine them. I can pull them off, albeit in a very sloppy fashion. The biggest obstacle was fear.

[Aaron Mcgrath]

Coach Sonnon,

I am learning acrobatics so that I can translate them into my Snowboarding. My long term goal with Snowboarding is to compete at a proffesional level and at the 2010 Olympics.

I have no injuries, I train alone and I'm 21 years old.

I just received "The 3 Dimensional Performance Pyramid" and "Circular Strength Training Manual." After reading about half of 3DPP I realize my training plan needs an overhaul.

My current training regimen includes kettlebell lifting 3-4 a week and practicing 3 Biomechanical Exercises from Body-Flow in the morning. I'm also learning to skateboard.

My skateboarding is focused on building quality technique regular and goofy. That means riding both ways and learning ollies and turns both ways. As well as tail and nose manuals (That's riding balanced on one set of wheels).

I was thinking about practicing 180, 360 jumps and spins on the ground or strapped in to an old snowboard.

Thanks for your feedback

Aaron :D

[Dan Chomycia]

Aaron,

Where are you at with your skateboarding?

Talk to you soon!

[Aaron Mcgrath]

The skateboarding is kind of an urban free flow thing. I like to cruise the streets and ollie curbs, carve down hills (I have 65mm soft wheels so it's fast) and slide reg-to-fakie.

I'm getting a helmet and taking it to the ramps soon. Also I've been making an effort to ride switch it's tricky but fun!

Aaron

[Dan Chomycia]

Sweet!

You're making me Jealous.

Talk to you soon!.

[AnthonyThompson]

Hi Aron
I know Iam a bit late posting on this topic but if your still checking this forum ( I guess u probly are ) hope this advice helps

I learned to back flip with out any spotting. i hve to agree with Paul DiMarino that fear is the biggest obstical to the back tuck ,handspring etc
in fact any acrobatic move. but you dont have to have recless to do it you can learn pretty much any learn with out spotting as long as its is effectively broken down into progressive steps. I cant use spotters at allI feel uncorfterbole with a spoter being to close to me when I throw .what worse Is that most gymenatsicts coaches spot in a ineffectlive maner that merley increses your dependence on a spotter and increase the time take to learn the new skillI actuly when to a gymnastic club to improve my stuff and ended up helping to coach for the next year and half and I found many ppl feel that the movment is restricted by a spotter.

the main thing with backward acrbatic movement are that the blind and throwing your head back to look for your landing will only result in slower riskyer roataion so keep your head in a netural postion this promots the hallow back posture that will give you hehgt inthe back tuck and gudie you hand to the ground in a back handspirng . In fact front handsping and fron sommersalt that many people learn by them self farly quickly are harder to preform and requir more effort to complet .

seeing that you are studing capoeira i sappose that you will have learn to preform the macaco or at least an au s he best break down for the back tuck/back flip is for au to macaco to handspirnd to to a hand aststed back tuck to the backtuck it self .

CST training will get you in great shape for any acrobatics and coch sonnon progarm do premote many of the atributes useful for acrobatic movments eg joint articulation from warrior wellness and selctive use for tenssion a la cuebells

But I would say that although not what Coach Sonnon may not have had in mind when he created BODYFLOW TM this program certinly is of great benffit with anyone ith simlar goals to your not to mention anyon intrested in trickin ,parkour ,urban gymnastics, or any free sport in genral as it will get you over your biggest obstical to any acrobatic and that is fear specifical the fear of going back if you already have bodyflow program practising the KC,s well get u over the first stages of fear going back it also useful to iron put any jumpieness if u crash out at any point

the besat 7 step program for learning the bactuck without a sptter I ve came across is this one by chimp it bend use by many a self taught trickzter ,trasues over the years http://sweb.cz/capoeira.orlova/pohyby/Chimp.htm

Depending how far on you are with your bodyflow practise work hard and you can be throwing back inside a month but that depends on your own levels of fear reactivty so please dont rush through any part of ether program

I can see lots of freesport/exstrme sport athlets comming to Coach sonnon in the future to enhavce there preformance through cst and especal to over come there fear reactivtly more specifcatly through body flow


Anthony

p.s

Cant wait to see any clips of Coachs Sonnon & Chomycia flowing bordless at there local skate park

[Scott Sonnon]

Anthony, well said. I hope that you will post more often regarding this topic since we are seeing more and more interest from the various other urban freestyle movements (Parkour, Trickster, etc.) in Body-Flow.

As soon as we clear our next project off the table, we're going to be working on an innovative weave of Parkour vaulting with Body-Flow. The goals are completely different since in free running the goal is to get from point A to point B in the shortest amount of time, whereas in Body-Flow the goal is to move as efficiently as possible.

Placing obstacles in the path of Body-Flow practitioners is just another challenge of creative efficiency.

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am that the personal physical expressive movements are gaining momentum! Unfortunately, the movements suffer a great deal of adolescent mentality - "trick or die." This is because of the lack of sophisticated motor role models - amplitude and risk is the only representative. Introducing the fluid microcosm of Body-Flow into the repetoire of acrobatics creates a lifetime of development, rather than just a youth 'extreme' sport.

So there's only one way to contribute, and that's to get out there and film your Body-Flow runs!

[AnthonyThompson]

I can agree with you more Coach I have always felt that the focus on the extremism of urban freestyle movment form lead to minorty of people taking part not to menssion the lack of longgevity in the carrer of athlets do to the injures that ocur due ppl think that have to go to fare too early.

Which is why I have to say with all honesty that you creation bodyflow is so amazing as it allow everyone of any age get on up play with it in manter that is safe any will also develop the neesy skill for more acrobatic movments in much more quckly .

cant wait to see valting bodyflow . I'll start filming some of runns and see what comes out

Anthony

[AnthonyThompson]

hi Aaron

when I am ever having troble getting the hang of a new movment I normaly find it hand to watch this video

http://www.trickstutorials.com/media/videos_main/finalback.zip

of jujimofu of tricks tutorals for insparation , funny enogh it show him try to learn and final landing his first backflip, seeing him confornt and overcome his fear reactiviy alway helps me out when I haveing troble getting the hang of a new movment hope it does the same for u

Anthony

ps the transition form back handspring to back flip is the one most ppl struggle with do to the false belief that they land on the head the clips the proper way to land or should I say crash out of a failed backflip :twisted:

[Scott Sonnon]

Fresh. 8)

[amerasianjoe]

Anthony,

Thanks a lot for the info. I also have been wanting to do a backflip but no one will spot me.

Aaron,

Good luck and keep us posted.

Joe

[AnthonyThompson]

hi joe

Glad I could be of some help I know how furstrating it can be long to lern the back flip and have noway of doing this .

As for not being able to get any one to spot u Ive been there and worked through it so I sure u to will be throwing back in no time .

Although many ppl will tell u have to learn with a spotter the isnt the case and many ppl in my experise find being spotterd very unconfertable.

Just make sure u make sure you dont rush any stage and do give up

If you need any futher help or explanation just drop me a pm or email or better still post on the bord incase someone hit the same hurdel in the futer .

Ill try and post some links to clips vid of each stage to give u a better idea of what acutly doing at each stage

let me know how u get on of better still post a link to vid so we can see ur progress

Anthony

[Jarlo Ilano]

Some little technical things....

If you notice in the vidclip, he would squat fast (and low!), but didn't seem to jump too fast (or high enough). Maybe because he was fearful?

You don't really need to squat that low, just a quick short dip and a strong leap up will do.

Also there was too long of a delay of pulling his knees up into the tuck.

The back tuck/flip is a strong leap with the knees tucking in at the apex of the jump, (this is what gives you your rotation).

It was great seeing his reaction at the end! That's how it feels the first time most definitely!

(I have done gymnastics in high school, and wushu/wuda later in life).

[Coach Hurst]

Hi guys.

I compteted in gymnastics from age 6 to 19 and after watching this video I have one thing to add.

When doing a back flip (usually referred to as a back tuck) one of the more important things is to 'throw' the arms up as high as possible in order to raise yourself before starting the tuck. In the video you will notice that he doesn't really throw his arms but drops them and goes immediately into the tuck. You want to get yourself as high as possible into the air before tucking. Here is a link to the proper technique.

back tuck (http://www.american-gymnast.com/tt/tc/standingback/)

Happy flipping!

[Jarlo Ilano]

oooh forgot about the arms! Good tip Ry!

[AnthonyThompson]

hi

thanx for adding to the thred. solid advice

the clip isnt perficet I know but it rare to see one over come fear and land there first flip.

Also to any one starting out and looking at the coping the example of the more expernce gymnastor jujimofu they both start to look for the ground this i actuly sujested by some coaches it causes a slower rotation witch will reslut in need for greter level timming and cordenation o sucsessfuly land the flip. Whitch mean if your a beginer youll probly crash matain a head nutral postion is the most imporatn things to rember if you feel u an do this and are to temped to look back the try holding somthing under your chin

thanx for chipping in ry and jarlo solid advice guys

Anthony

[Aaron Mcgrath]

Sweet advice Anthony and all...The wealth of information in this thread is awesome!

As for me I've really started getting into my body flow and the backflip got side lined. I'm working to get it down from a new perspective now, that is movement sophistication.

I was thinking all the capoeira and trying to improve my jump is just creating fear-reactivity. My plan is to do the opposite: work out the fear reactivity and increase the challenge in intervals. A good friend of mine (Scotty D) who was at one time a competive gymnast shared that his gymnastic practice created a lot of fear-reactivity. He and many other ex-gymnasts I've talked to have shared how they lose their skills quickly when they stop training. Could it be because their training was inherently traumatic?

The progression I'm thinking about is learning the threading bridge courtesy of Coach Chomycia. Then learning backwalkovers using the 13 elements of Body-Flow as a road map. Once I'm satisfied I'm not reinforcing back tension etc...I'm going to go for the back handspring and then backflip. I want to learn this skill "Boiling Frog" style, that is by slowly increasing stressors. So I plan to use the ressources at the local gymnastics club(trampoline, spotting, foam pit, spring floor). I'll post my complete progression in my training log and the whole thing once I learn to backflip.

If anyones curious about my progress check out my training log. I think I can learn this skill in about 2 months. It would definitly be cool to integrate gymnastic skill with body-flow and parkour! :twisted:

Aaron

[Dan Chomycia]

Can't wait to see your progress Aaron!

[Scott Sonnon]

Aaron,

Great perspective and plan! Please keep us updated.