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One Arm Handstand Pushup?

By Bac on June 8, 2012 in One Hand, Presses & Pushup

We continue the stories from Jonathan today. This story is about a true one arm handstand pushup!

The other story is from an other friend of mine, who’s Chinese and who’s dream is to be a performer, either an acrobat, or a singer. Today, she was back from China, where she spent 10 months training in one of their national circus schools. She was showing me various photos and videos from the circus school and the place she was living in, and we were talking about acrobatics. I mentioned my intention to one day go to Kiev and train with Yvan Zubkevych and to China to train with their acrobats, specifying that one of my main goals was to one day be able to do a full range one arm handstand push-up (on a pole, so I can go down to touch my chest or my shoulder), as I’ve never seen anyone doing it, and there’s no videos of any of the people who claims to have been able to do something like that.

She said: “Oh, but the kids there, they do that like it’s nothing!” Shocked, I was like: “Uh, are you sure you’re not mistaking? Like, they actually hold a one arm handstand, keep their body straight, bend their arm and shoulder, and they press up again, while staying in a vertical position?” And she said: “Yeah, they were going until the top of their heads touched the ground, then they were pressing back up.” Needless to say, I was pissed that she filmed lots of cool performances, but omitted to film such an incredible strength feat. It’s not her fault, she’s not really interested in strength, and I can understand that acts are flashier than conditioning, but damn… A one arm handstand push-up? It almost made me cry like a baby!

I told her that the next time she’d go there, she’d be damn obligated to film it for me. And, actually, I might go there myself, as they are open to skills exchange and seem to need better strength training (Obviously not for those few kids doing one arm handstand push-ups, but their conditioning is strictly limited to what they’re practicing, which make them really specialized and not well groomed on an overall perspective. Plus, they got weights and the kids are using them, but nobody shows them proper form either, and most of them would simply need more strength.), but it might take a couple of years, because I’ll perform for a good two years and save my money to wander around the world and train crazy hard without having to worry about food or stuff.

But when I’ll go, I’ll see for my own eyes if they can really do it. And I think they very probably can, since my friend isn’t interested in strength she wouldn’t have made that up. Plus, I believe it is possible to achieve, and I’ll be training hard to get it.

So there you have it. There has been lots of debate on if the one arm handstand pushup could ever actually be done in strict form as outlined in Convict Conditioning. Some people say yes, others say no. Unfortunately although there are stories like this, it has never been caught on video to my knowledge. I believe some day it will be done.

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Handstand Record Time

By admin on June 7, 2012 in Hand-to-Hand, Handstands, One Hand

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.

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One Arm Handstand Training

By Bac on May 16, 2012 in One Hand

When it comes to the one handed handstand you don’t often see much middle ground. Most people can’t do it at all. The true masters make it look easy. But there is an area between where one arm handstand training takes place. Where a person can just hold it and you can see how difficult it is.

This video from Jim Bathurst shows that area of being able to hold a one armer but by no means having a simple time with it. There is a rare glimpse into that training.

One Arm Handstand Training

A few things to point out here if you’re working towards this skill.

A straight bodied handstand is preferable for one arm handstands. This doesn’t mean it can’t be done with a curve, but it does seem to be easier. So make sure you have a solid straight handstand first. You’ll notice how the shoulders are locked into place.

The straddle position with the legs makes balancing easier. This is the best place to start towards the one handed handstand.

Lastly coming up onto the fingertips then slowly raising them off the ground, keeps you in balance. Most people that try this move way too fast.

For more info on one arm handstand training check out How to do the One-Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick. You’ll also find some other great articles on Jim’s site.

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Amazing Hand Balancing Video

By admin on January 13, 2012 in Flexibility & Contortion, Handstands, One Hand, Presses & Pushup, Walking & Jumping

Here’s another video of an amazing hand balancer.

The video starts off with 15 straddle L presses to handstand.
This is followed by 10 handstand pushups, a half pirouette, then 3 more.
Using rotating hand balancing stands a series of elbow lever press to handstands.
Front and side splits (including extended).
One arm handstands in a variety of positions on the floor and on stands.
This is followed by one arm presses and hopping from hand to hand.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the move at the 5:30 mark before (it has to be way harder then the straddle version)
A variety of walking, holds, human flag, the grand arch and much more.
And it ends with one of the most visually appealing hand balancing stunts.

Hand balancing is not a lost art to this individual. Thanks to Mark for sending me this video.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

How to do the One Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick

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Hand on Hand Handstand

By admin on August 16, 2010 in Handstands, One Hand

Mark apparently got this move from me (and I got it from Professor Orlick in the Hand Balancing Mastery Course), but the way in which he does it was new to me.

Once you get into a handstand move your hands in closer to a touching position, and then from there you move them even closer so a hand is on top of the other hand.

This in many ways mimics a one hand handstand as you’re lessening your base of support. A great lead-up stunt.

The difference is I had always kicked up into position with the hands closer or on top of each other, rather than moving them in. I have to say I like this one a bit more after having just played around with it, although both ways are valid.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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One Arm Handstand Lean

By admin on August 15, 2010 in One Hand

In my working towards a one arm handstand I’ve figured out that the amount you must lean over your hand is quite significant. Even more than you may think is necessary. Without this lean you won’t be able to get into a balance.

Getting help in a one hand handstand from Mark Reifkind

So if you’ve been working towards this skill like I have, try leaning even more to the side, to the point where it feels like you’ll fall over that way. Right at that point is where you’ll be capable of balancing.

If you look at a bunch of one handed handstand pictures you’ll be able to notice the balance point of where people are at. You can then tell if they’d be able to hold the position of are about to full right out of it.

Just a short tip for today.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Entcho Hand Balancing

By admin on July 25, 2010 in One Hand, Planche, Presses & Pushup

This is one of my favorite hand balancing videos by Entcho Keryazov from Bulgaria. Simply amazing.

I stumbled across this awhile ago, and many people have pointed it out to me, but this is the first time I’ve featured it here.

Some of my personal favorites:

The back lever at 1:00
Hopping from one hand handstand to another at 1:59
Handstand on the stacked blocks and throwing them away at 3:14
The smooth muscle up on the stands at 4:24
No to mention his dismount and how he comes across as knowing just how good he is.

I don’t know about you but I’m inspired to practice right now.

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One Arm Handstand Series Part 2

By admin on June 10, 2010 in One Hand

This is the second in the series on progress towards the one arm handstand series.

In the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start Video I show four lead-up stunts that work the skills necessary to do a handstand.

The one arm handstand has lead-up stunts too.

One Arm Handstand Against Wall As was discussed previously in part 1, the most important lead-up stunt is to build a stable and consistent handstand that you can hold with ease. Only once you are at this point should you begin work towards that one arm version.

Just like for the regular handstand, a handstand against the wall can be used. In using it to lead-up to the one arm handstand, you’ll obviously do it on one arm.

This can help to build your strength. Plus you’ll be able to work on your position, to make sure you get exactly as you want. This is excellent as I find in my practice that as I fatigue it becomes harder to stay in the locked out position. Much easier to work on building this up without focusing on balancing, by using the wall. With a stronger position you will be able to practice longer and more.

When you do that one arm handstand against the wall you should do it in the same form as you’ll be working on the balance. If your legs are spread, do it legs spread. If you’re working on the one hander with legs together, do that against the wall. Try to minimize your lean as much as possible as you strive for the best position.

Being able to hold the one arm handstand against the wall for 45 seconds to a minute is a good goal to shoot for. This is one important step in the journey towards success.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Want more help for the one arm handstand? Be sure to check out How to do the One Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick.

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One Arm Handstand Series Part 1

By admin on June 3, 2010 in Handstands, One Hand

My current goal in hand balancing is to do the one arm handstand. Its been a goal for a long time.

On that note I’m going to start a new series of articles that detail my progress toward it. This series will be off and on as I try new exercises, have breakthrough’s and make progress. There will be no known end point and no regular schedule to these, but they‘ll come when they come.

Before I get to that though we need to start with the preliminaries.

Where should you be at in your hand balancing practice before you begin in the one arm handstand?

Bob Jones in a One Arm Handstand

Bob Jones from The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing says:

“He who cannot walk can hardly run, and it is equally true that one who cannot do a correct two hands balance can hardly hope to master the balance on one hand. And by this term I do not mean mere ability to stand on the two hands; I mean the ability to stand in good position and to remain there by balancing correctly. So, before making a pass as the one-hander, check back on your two hands position.

“The position on two hands must be with arms straight and perpendicular when viewed from the side. Use all your back bend-whether much or little does not make too much difference, but use all of it until you learn the balance; then you can stiffen up if desired. Go over Chapter 7 and check your position to make certain you balance correctly in the proper position; weight on the ball of the hand, balance by wrist action (imagine that you are balancing on one hand on a silver dollar placed underneath the first two knuckles), and not by wiggling or shimmying the legs from knees, hips, or small of back. If you feel satisfied, let us proceed.”

And from Professor Orlick in How to do the One Hand Handstand:

“YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THE TWO-HAND HANDSTAND. That’s right! You cannot possibly do a good One-Hand Handstand until you can do a perfect Two-Hand Handstand.

“This does not mean that you must be able to perform all of the hundreds of tricks in my basic course “Handbalancing Made Easy”. It simply means that you must be able to press into a perfect Two-Hand Handstand and hold it with absolute control. It means that your elbows must be straight and locked, that your shoulders must be stretched out and locked, that your back must be only slightly arched, your knees perfectly straight and your toes pointed.

“When your shoulders are fully stretched out, you shoulder muscles (deltoids) should actually be pressing against your ears. Furthermore, there should be a straight bone-to-bone alignment at your elbow and shoulder joints so that no strength is needed to support your bodyweight. When you get into this fully locked-out position, with every part of your body stiffened out into a straight line from your hands to the very tip of your toes, then you will be able to hold the Perfect Two-Hand Handstand with practically no effort whatsoever. In fact, all that it will require to keep you up there is the slightest bit of pressure against the floor with your fingertips.

“The fully locked-out position in the two-hand handstand, is the half-way mark to the One-Hand Handstand. This is the position you must assume every time you want to go into the One-Hand Handstand. In fact, this is so close to the One-Hand Handstand that you can’t get much closer to it without actually doing it.

“YOU should practice the perfect Two-Hand Handstand until you have absolute control of it before going on to the One-Hand Handstand. You can figure that you have reached this point when you can hold a fully locked-out two-hand handstand consistently for about 45 seconds. Most good handbalancers can hold it twice this long so you should keep on practicing until at least one minute is well within your capability.”

While there is disagreement about the back-bend the rest of the details are similar. Before beginning the one arm handstand you need to be able to hold a handstand with ease in good position.

If you can’t do this, your efforts towards the one arm handstand are going to result in nothing but frustration.

This is getting me excited to work on my position more right now.

Next time we’ll look at some other important lead-up stunts before beginning in earnest with the one armer itself.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Chinese One Hand Stand Master

By admin on May 11, 2010 in One Hand

Just the other day I received this amazing story from a professional hand balancer by the name of Jonathan Ferland-Valois.

I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the story but that doesn’t make it any less of a good story. And I do hope its true.

Hi! I heard a story you might find very interesting. I work in a circus, I’m an acrobat that trains in hand balancing, aerial straps, and strength stuff (per example, I’m working hard on my one arm handstand push-up). I already talked with you like one year ago, when I was still in Montréal (I told you I was an ex-gymnast). Today, I was training with other performers for a show we’ll have soon, and one of them told me that cool story:

ONE HAND BALANCE One of his friends, a good hand balancer, went in China, where he wanted to train with a master of hand balancing. That master was in his 60’s. The student showed him his one arm handstand, which was already very good and solid. The master went in handstand right beside him, then he used one of his hands to slap him, telling him to do better. The student tried to correct his position, and then the master stayed in one-arm handstand, and started pushing him with his free hand, saying: “You’re not enough stable.” The student felt back in a regular handstand, but the master kept pushing him with his free hand, telling him he wasn’t stable, until the student just fell on his back. All the time, the master stayed in one arm handstand, pushing and slapping the student.

When the student (the performer’s friend) came back, he had crazy good hand balancing. And his numero was absolutely incredible. There was a 8 foot high stand, with handbalancing canes on it. To go on the stand, there was pegs, climbing with about a 45 degrees angle. Do you know how the guys was going on the stand? Not climbing the pegs on his hands, it would have been too easy. He was doing it in Thomas flares! And another crazy trick he had in his routine was a one arm back handspring, stopping in one arm handstand. That’s nuts, isn’t?

So, I asked my friend to find a video of that. Cause I really, really want to see. If I ever get the video, I’ll ask their permission to send it to you. Cause you already know very good western hand balancer. But maybe there’s a couple of very crazy hand balancers from far east that you’d like to know about! Anyway, now I want to go train in China, ha ha! And I’ll probably do it not this summer, but at the end of the next summer.

Good training, for pulling that firetruck!

Thanks for sending that in and I hope you get a hold of that video.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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