We already had a video from Dan where he balanced on his head on a stump. Today it’s a little bit different as Jakes and Rhiannon join for some hand balancing coolness.
Jakes neck strength plays a very important role when Rhi performs the one-arm handstand on his head and even though it looks kinda wobbly, it’s all good.
Check out the best book on learning how to perform the one hand handstand here.
This video contains a number of amazing balancing moves, including one arm handstand, human flag, headstand on a head, hand-to-hand handstand and many extraordinary feats from circus performers.
A video that left the biggest impression on me was the one with a circus guy who went up and down stairs on his hands. What’s your favorite one among those in the video?
I received this press release in my email the other day and figured it was worth sharing because it’s on topic.
Legendary Performer * Sheriff’s Lieutenant * World Record Power Lifter
Johnny Yong
A Balanced Life©
“What do I want to be when I grow up? The same thing I wanted when I was five, six, twenty, and forty…to be in the circus…”
In forty years of performing Johnny Yong (The Yong Brothers) became a legend as the world’s best hand-to-hand acrobat whose achievements have not been equaled to this day. Not only was he the highlight in every great circus of the world (from Ringling to Cirque Bouglione), he performed internationally in the world’s finest cabarets and theaters (The Lido, Radio City, Moulin Rouge), the most elite casinos (Circus Circus, Casino du Liban), Royal Command Performances throughout Europe, and on television throughout the world performing alongside such greats as Bob Hope, Marlene Dietrich, Lana Turner, and Meadowlark Lemon – to mention but a few
In his new book A Balanced Life Johnny Yong reveals all of the experiences that occur when your life is the circus…the stage, be it live or televised.
“We are enjoying it immensely and struck by how you weave the story of the journeys of you, and your family so cleverly, and how your story is, in part, the story of every one of us back then. The tile itself is ingenious – it accurately encompasses your dreams and your life – Congratulations on a true literary achievement – it’s sure to be a best seller!”
~Siegfried & RoyAt Age forty-six Johnny retired from performing and two weeks later joined the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department, recently just honored for his thirtieth year, and Lieutenant Johnny Yong at the age of seventy-six is far from retiring.
“A Balanced Life is the autobiography of the renowned equilibrist Johnny Yong who I clearly recall seeing in 1953 at the prestigious Bertram Mills Circus…What a remarkable, interesting life this man has led! An autobiography not to be missed.”
~Don Stacey, King PoleIn his sixties Johnny was encouraged by the Sheriff’s Department to enter the Florida Sate Law Enforcement and Fire Department Olympic Games. He immediately began winning gold medals in Power lifting, Bench Press and various track and field events.
While he had already won 25 gold medals in power lifting, in 2006 – at the age of 71 – after having broken the state and national record, Johnny Yong broke the world record for power lifting and is winning awards and breaking more records to this day.
“..as taut and efficient as the muscle of its performing subject… fun to read… takes on life beyond the spotlight of a legend…narrative that is “balanced” by self-assurance, the instinct for survival…fascinating glimpses into a rich, disciplined life awaiting its next act and the applause it may bring….writing from the heart, Yong inspires the reader’s ovation.”
~Mort Gamble, White TopsA Balanced Life is about the life of this talented and gifted performer with dozens of original photographs and newspaper clippings illustrating the phenomenal, and often dangerous, feats of The Yong Brothers.
To see a live performance: https://circopedia.org/index.php/Yong_Brothers_Video_1978 as well as numerous other internet sites with photos, videos, and reviews of The Yong Brothers.
Contact: [email protected]
I’ve never read a biography of a hand balancer before. Would be very interesting to do so I’m planning on picking up this book. It’s available on Amazon and you can click the image below to check it out for yourself.
This is a message I received from a professional acrobat named Jonathan Ferland-Valois I got awhile back. I intended to post it but then left it as a draft for too long. I’m frequently asked what is the handstand record time. There is no definite answer but this guy could be the one holding it!
Hi Logan! I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m the circus guy and ex-gymnast who sent you the story about the Chinese hand balancing master who was slapping a guy who went to see him while being in one arm handstand. I got two more cool examples of crazy Chinese acrobats excelling in the art of hand balancing. You don’t have to publish them, I just want to share them with you because I think they’re crazy.
Last week, I had a conversation with a guy I’m on a show with. He is a base for hand to hand, and he’ve been taught by a Chinese hand balancing expert. This expert is just badass. To teach him, he told him to hold him in his hands while he does a handstand, with his (the base’s) hands at shoulder height. My friend went in position to hold his teacher, and his teacher jumped into a handstand position. After a few seconds, my friend was getting tired. He told the Chinese master (he called him the greatest hand balancer ever, which is questionable, but is probably enough to say he’s a master) he couldn’t hold him anymore, and the master told him not to give up, and to hold him one more minute. My friend started panicking, saying he couldn’t do it, and tried to push the master off of him. Be he couldn’t. The master, still doing a handstand in my friend’s hands, started slapping him in the same time, while saying: “Keep holding it! Don’t stop!” My friend tried to make him get down during one full minute! And you know what? Once it made one minute, the master simply went down by himself, and said: “Rest a bit, we’ll do more sets.” My friend told me that to graduate from his school, his teacher had to succeed to do something nobody else ever did in the school. So, he chose to hold a handstand for a longer time than any other hand balancer from his school ever did. My friend isn’t sure anymore if it was two or four hours. But the fact is that he held it for more than an hour for sure!
So if you’re only holding a handstand for a few seconds or even minutes, you’ve got a long way to go. Come back tomorrow when we have what may be an even more amazing story for you.
Watch this video on an amazing hand balancing duo.
It’s French. It’s seductive. It’s also got some partner balancing I’ve never seen before.
Quite the complement of strength, skill and flexibility.
Thanks to Adam Glass for sending this to me.
I just read my recent copy of the Dinosaur Files newsletter available from Brooks Kubik. Great training information though much more about lifting heavy weights than hand balancing it did have the following interesting reports I thought worthy of sharing.
These originally come from Gord Venables in the magazine Strength and Health.
Greco Mangini could support his 170-pound brother Bruno for a full minute in a single-arm hand-to-hand stand. He also could walk 50 feet while holding this brother in a single-arm hand-to-hand stand.
At the York Strength Show on November 18, 1939, John Deimar supported five barbells on one foot while balancing himself in a handstand – and for good measure, drank a glass of water while doing so. (At any other picnic, they at least would have of let him enjoy a cold beer!)
I would definitely like to have seen these in action. I don’t even know how you would go about balancing fiver barbells on a single foot!
For those very skilled and reading this, maybe you’ll try to emulate these great hand balancing feats.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
There’s just something about old hand balancing pictures that I really enjoy. Maybe its hearkening back to a time when physical culture was simpler (…when everything was simpler.)
When you see a group of guys and gals doing some hand to hand balancing you know that they were having a blast doing that. Having fun while becoming stronger and more skilled then before.
Here are a few photo’s from Rafael Guerrero’s collection with him and two friends doing all the above at the beach.
Rafael's High One Arm to Arm
Here is another great picture from Rafael Guerrero. It’s an interesting hand to hand balance. Similar to a one arm handstand but at still quite different.
Regardless, its a balance you don’t see very often. For those of you who are experienced hand balancers give this one a try if you have the partner to do it.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
P.S. Don’t forget the Free Success in Hand Balancing Teleseminar I’m doing this Wednesday night with Beast Skills’ Jim Bathurst. Sign up and ask your questions here.
A few comments were raised about the hand position in Rafael Guerrero’s planche in a previous post.
Why was he up on the fingertips? Is this necessary to do a planche in good form?
Unless you have hyper-flexible wrists you won’t be able to do a planche with the fingers pointing forwards and flat on the ground. Most people turn their wrists out to the sides to alleviate this sort of strain or come up on the fingers.
But there are other ways to do a planche with the hands not taking as much stress as these other pictures by Rafael show. You can do it on some sort of parallel bars.
Or completely on the fingertips.
Even in a hand-to-hand balance.
But if you do have the wrist flexibility you can do it on flat ground with the palms flat on the ground and facing forward. In the True Art and Science of Hand Balancing the chapter on planches showcases W.H. Mering doing just that.
And if you’re seeking to build incredible strength like these planches show I have an important announcement later this week. Stay tuned!
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
Why was he up on the fingertips? Is this necessary to do a planche in good form?
Unless you have hyper-flexible wrists you won’t be able to do a planche with the fingers pointing forwards and flat on the ground. Most people turn their wrists out to the sides to alleviate this sort of strain or come up on the fingers.
But there are other ways to do a planche with the hands not taking as much stress as these other pictures by Rafael show. You can do it on some sort of parallel bars.
Or completely on the fingertips.
Even in a hand-to-hand balance.
But if you do have the wrist flexibility you can do it on flat ground with the palms flat on the ground and facing forward. In the True Art and Science of Hand Balancing the chapter on planches showcases W.H. Mering doing just that. Check out the book for more.
If you’re seeking to build incredible strength like these planches show I have an important announcement later this week. Stay tuned!
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
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