Meet Damien Walters, one of the very best acrobats in the world. Combining tricking, parkour, trampolining, free running, and all manner of acrobatics along with a big dose of creativity.
This guy knows how to practice and get good.
If you want to get started tumbling like Damien Walters can you got lots of practice ahead of you. But let me recommend something to set you in the right direction – Tumbling Illustrated and the Parkour Tutorial DVD.
This is footage from the movie “Broadway Rhythm” (1944). The Ross sisters, Aggie, Maggie and Elmira, sing and move in ways that’ll make your average contortionist blush.
Just watch past the minute mark to see the moves begin. And my favorite is at the 2:50 mark. That has to be the most impressive back bend ever.
Good Luck and Good Acrobatics,
Logan Christopher
P.S. Thanks to Mike for pointing me to this video!
You may have heard me mention it before. I’m talking about visualization and how it can help you do better in hand balancing and acrobatics.
There’s a new article on the site telling my story of how I reached my first ever 30 second handstand.
How Visualizing Can Help Your Handstands
Make no mistake about it, this is powerful stuff and can be the difference between success and failure. You even got scientific proof backing it up.
Go check it out – Handstand Visualization
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
Having safely returned from my trip its time to get back into regular emails to help you go further in your hand balancing and acrobatics. I received a number of excellent questions while I was gone so I figured I’d start there.
“How should your hands look when there on the ground for a handstand?”
Genoman
While it can change up depending on which hand balancing move you’re doing, for the normal handstand you want your hands flat on the ground with the fingers spread as far apart as possible. The middle or index finger should be pointing directly forward.
“I’ve been doing hand balancing for a while now. I’ve developed quite a strong upper body. I do hand-stand push-ups with ease. I kick up successfully more times than not and can hold the balance for a considerable amount of time. That is why I’m so perplexed as to why I cannot even come close to doing any of the stiff armed lever up exercises. In doing exercise #2 in “The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing”, The best I can do is on push-up bars, hold myself with my knees still under me, but when I try and lever up, I barely budged, literally about an inch or so. If I were to do this with bent arms, I do it with ease, same with all lever ups like with split or even straight legs. What makes stiff arm so difficult? What are the muscles being stressed most in a stiff arm lever up and how can one train them to get to do it? I feel I’m not even close to getting anywhere with them. Again, I’m extremely strong in the upper body. Is it possible I’m doing something wrong, or possibly I have neglected to train a certain muscle or muscle group?”
Thanks,
Francis Ford
Straight arm presses are a different beast then bent arm presses. While you are having problems of this sort there are many people that can do straight arm moves but would fall flat in a bent arm press because they lack the strength.
Because of different body leverages the straight arm press may take you some time to get to, where others can do it almost immediately.
The straight arm press, in its various forms, requires strength in different areas as well as flexibility. You have to be able to get your center of mass over your hands. This requires your shoulders to go far out in front.
One method you may want to try is to do a bent arm press except try to bend your arms a little less, and gradually work up to a straight arm press. From the handstand you can do negatives lowering yourself down on straight arms.
Also having someone else to spot you can be a big help. They stand in front of you, your shoulders coming to meet their legs for support, and they assist you by raising your hips as much as you need to do the move.
And lastly I recommend you re-read Chapter 8 on pressing in the book for even more info. Most important is to just keep at it. If you find it difficult, it’ll be that much more satisfying when you finally make it.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
P.S. If you haven’t got your copy of The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing you can grab it here.
“Whoa, that’s what I’m doing? No wonder I‘m not pulling it off”
It wasn’t the first time I said that phrase and it wouldn’t be the last.
Back in gymnastics I liked to bring in a digital camera to take video of myself performing moves. I’d leap upwards to do a back flip and land it real low.
After seeing the film I knew my takeoff was too far back and not straight up where it needed to be. Even though I THOUGHT I was jumping straight up.
Especially when you are starting out it can be difficult to tell what you are doing. You are concentrated on just completing a move without hurting yourself that you can’t tell exactly where you are in space.
But when you watch yourself from the outside you can see it with ease. You can see the little details of what you’re doing. And this makes it easy to correct most of the time.
I’ve used it a lot for acrobatic moves but it’s equally helpful for hand balancing.
Even just a picture can help. Because you can compare your position to a picture of someone who is much better and find out what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong.
Most of the time what you think you’re doing is not what is actually happening. And that can be the difference between pulling off a move and failing miserably.
Even if you don’t personally own a camera, you probably know someone who does. If you want to get better and do it faster using a camera is a must-use tool.
The tip for today is to start recording yourself.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
P.S. If you need a video to compare your handstand to, not to mention a step-by-step plan to get there, check out the Secrets of the Handstand Quickstart Guide.
I received an interesting comment from Jonathan when he order a copy of The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing and Tumbling Illustrated.
“Thanks a lot! I’m an ex high-level gymnast, I just stopped competing, but I’m still training really hard, just for myself, just for fun, and now, I can finally train any kind of skills I want, I’m not anymore obligate to train only for winning competitions. It’s nice to find products about acrobatic training!”
First off, I think that’s awesome. While I’m a fan of gymnastics, it is in a sense a very narrow path, meaning that there is so much more right outside the boundaries.
In the world of acrobatics there are many moves you’d never see when watching a gymnastics competition.
And I have to agree with the statement ‘I’m training really hard, just for myself, just for fun.”
Not to say you can’t focus on any competition. If you are more power to you, but there is freedom when you can do what YOU want.
Just cracking open a copy of Tumbling Illustrated I found a variety of moves, that you sure won’t see in gymnastics. See if you can do some of these moves:
Backwards roll into a forearm stand
Headspring…without the hands (be very careful with this one)
One hand back handspring
From a hand balance, lowering down to the shoulders and kipping up to the feet.
Just a few examples from the 248 moves you’ll find in the book. I know you’ll find plenty to work on when the book arrives Jonathan, and I look forward to hearing how it goes.
No matter your level of ability you too can find many moves in Tumbling Illustrated to work on. Grab your copy now.
Good Luck and Good Tumbling,
Logan Christopher
Free to move and in control.
Isn’t that what hand balancing and all acrobatics is all about? Being able to move your body in any which way and having complete control.
Capable of hopping onto your hands and shifting one way or another, posting on a single hand then coming down to your feet only when you want to.
What separates the amateur from the pro is having charge of all movement and making it look easy.
I’m always on the lookout for anything that can help give me an edge and also to make life more enjoyable.
One piece of training that too many people neglect is mobility. The issue isn’t flexibility. The issue is being able to move each joint individually through a range of motion that it is SUPPOSE to be able to go through without hurting or stiffness.
This is the key to longevity. To living without aches and pains. And at the same time it will make you a better athlete more capable to handle your challenges.
Many people are familiar with some level of this training whether it was done for a warm-up back in school for physical education or some sports. Simple things like arm or ankle circles. Turning the head from side to side and the like.
But those most basic moves, if they’re done at all are not the complete picture. Too many joints are neglected. The mid-back, pelvis and individual fingers are just a few examples.
And like anything else mobility practice should be progressive. You gain better control by adding complexity to the movement.
To learn more about gaining control of your body and movement check this out.
If you have issues with your hands, shoulders or back this could be the one thing that helps you take back your body.
The newly-released book Free to Flow will guide you through the starting movements up to complex waves, diagonal infinities and clovers for each part of the body.
And it’ll give you much else. You can get this 390-page book right now for only $34.95.
Consider it an investment in your health and as a way to improve your performance whether in sports, martial arts, hand balancing, or just about anything else.
Click here to find out more about Free to Flow
Sincerely,
Logan Christopher
P.S. I don’t often make recommendations of other people’s products but when I do you know its good. Considering what this book can do for you I think it’s a steal at the current price. Click to read more about it including Sonnon’s amazing story.
The other day I went to a park that’s only a couple blocks away to do a little bit of training.
Nothing scheduled, just to work on some skills and have a little fun.
Various acrobatic moves. I’m always working on the backflip in order to get better. Plus walking around on the hands and the like.
On top of that I brought along a kettlebell. Not a heavy one, only 35 lbs., to do some kettlebell juggling.
I always enjoy this combo. Acrobatic work along with the kettlebell juggling.
Besides them both being fun I find that the juggling tends to work the body in ways hand balancing and tumbling doesn’t.
Toss the weight around. Do a few backflips. Toss it around some more. Work on a one hand handstand. And so on and so forth.
Thirty minutes will blow by so quick and in that time you’ll achieved much. Get a decent workout without trying hard at all. But most importantly you’ll quickly improve your skills. Especially if you string a few practices like this together on a consistent basis.
Now I know that kettlebell juggling isn’t for everyone, nor is hand balancing for that matter. But if you like one I think you should at least give the other a spin.
Over the years I’ve gotten quite good with the kettlebell juggling. And now I can teach you all my moves.
I just released a two DVD set covering everything I know about kettlebell juggling.
I like to keep the various sites I have separate because I know some people are only interested in certain aspects of training. Which is fine and why in general I do just that.
But I just wanted to put out this one notice in case anyone who would be interested missed my other websites.
Like I said before I think they go well together. So give it a shot, you’ll be glad you did. Click here for The Definitve Guide to Kettlebell Juggling
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
P.S. Of course you need a kettlebell to get started and if you don’t have one you can get the best here.
Here’s a few of the new pages I was talking about. These will be especially helpful for new people entering the site but if you’re looking for something in a certain category you’ll be able to find it here.
These pages act as a portal to other parts of the site that can be helpful. Right now there are three, but that’s likely to increase in the future.
The Handstand Basics page for people just starting out on the hand balancing path.
The Advanced Handbalancing page really is for anything above and beyond a handstand. All intermediate and advanced hand balancing products, articles, blog posts, etc. can be found here.
Then there’s the Acrobatics page. This covers all manner of acrobatic, tumbling and gymnastic moves outside of hand balancing itself.
The last two especially will be expanded in the coming months. More articles, video and the like. If you have suggestions for specific articles or videos you’d like to see you can use the questions form.
Right now you can find links to these portals on the bottom of every page on the first line of the footer.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
P.S. Remember the Prof. Orlick books are now available in electronic form. Get them for $5 off.
Going to step away from hand balancing today and a bit more in the coming weeks to focus on related acrobatics and various tumbling moves. And I’ll be sharing many of them in video form like today!
First up is a bridging movement that I’ve been throwing in my routine the past few weeks.
This move involves going from a back bend or gymnastic bridge than turning face down. In order to do this you support yourself on one arm and turn to come on all fours. From here you continue the movement turning back into the bridge.
I’m calling it the Gymnastic Bridge Turn-over.
Just doing a single one of these moves is great. It requires great shoulder flexibility and strength. Can you say stability? In addition it will engage just about every other muscle in your body especially your abs, back and legs.
If one is no problem for you then do as I do in the video, stringing a bunch together to complete an entire circle. If you want a real challenge try to do five full circles each way.
Don’t feel bad if you can’t do this one. If this is a hard move for you it means one thing…you need to work on your gymnastic bridge. By improving your shoulder flexibility in this movement you can work up to doing the move shown here with ease.
So get on your back, press up, straighten the arms, and try to extend your chest over your hands.
You may also find that you can flip one way but not the other. Keep working at it until you can move seamlessly in and out of position in every way.
Good Luck and Good Tumbling,
Logan Christopher
P.S. Got another video next time that covers the very basics and why they’re so important regardless of who you are. In this and all things the fundamentals are of highest importance.
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