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.
Circus Chimera had come to town. And I was not going to miss it. Last night, a group of friends and myself went to get in on the fun.
Sure its not Cirque de Soleil, but still, these guys and gals were good.
I knew that among the dancing, clowns, jugglers, acrobats, tap dancers from Argentina, and everything else there was bound to be some hand balancing.
The contortionists did not disappoint.
First up was a guy who started in the splits then moved into positions they probably don’t even have names for.
He crouched down on one arm and lifted up into a one-arm half planche. Now this skill is not very difficult (unlike a normal one-arm planche). Since your body rests on your elbow it does not take a huge amount of strength, just bodily control and balance. What impressed me was how this guy made it look. Perfect and steady as a rock, he got a big round of applause from the crowd.
After he squeezed into a small box as his finale, a Chinese girl came on stage. She went into the super limber back routine. A few kick-overs and turning about in inhuman ways later, she placed her hands on the ground.
She went into a hand balance with here legs spread wide. I can imagine, that doing the splits in air makes it easier to balance, since it lowers your center of gravity.
Bob Jones talks about the degree of bend in your back. Well this girl had her rear hovering just over her head as she balanced. You can find similar pictures in the last chapter of the book. Overall the show was well worth my time. It got me to thinking. What I have described was pretty much the full extent of hand balancing within this show.
If you could put together a nice little routine like the ones outlined in The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing, with your very best skill being a one-arm handstand, you could rightfully run off and join the circus.
I realize that may not be on your list of goals in life.
However, with a decent amount of practice you could be amazing people with your skills just like these performers anywhere you choose.
I suggest to all of you anytime you have an opportunity to see this kind of show you go. It will be sure to entertain and inspire as well.
Until next time,
Logan Christopher
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