your expierience with hands in the aerial

[karatekid]

Hey this is a question 4 you guys who can aerial, and when learning it you had trouble with putting your hands down. Im curious that where did you put them or just how did you keep them from the ground when you first nailed an aerial??

[Birch]

they dont really go anywhere they kinda stay in the same spot the whole rotation

[kazama]

I started to do aerials from heights, so that the rotation is more easier.
Try from something like 60cm high, but don't forget to go a little forward while jumping.

[Mastabiff]

First arm goes back, second hand stays by your head ready to support your body if you need it. Focus on getting your legs to move around quickly without stalling, putting less weight on your off hand as you get it better. Once you only use your hand to tap the ground (without putting any weight on it) stop using it and force the first foot down for the landing. I think a lot of people make aerials too complicated. They don't take much strength, and the hands aren't that hard to stop using if your technique is right. Focus on jumping only after your first leg has gone as high as possible, then jump and switch your legs for the landing. Keep your legs moving smoothly and quickly and you'll have it.

[Pobeli]

I can't understand how you can swing your back leg up before you jump. It always feel awkward to me, like I lose all my momentum and then I have no speed. I thought at first that it was a flexibility problem, but many people say that high levels of flexibility are not really necessary for an aerial, they just make it look better. Also, I'm a bit confused about what people mean by "keep your chest up." It seems to me that if you keep your chest high your legs will have to go a lot higher and the move will take a lot more strength. I've watched lots of aerials in slow motion but I still don't understand this.

[Eirik Raude]

How do you get that kicking leg to whip down? Whenever I conciously try to do it, I end up stalling and putting my hands down...

[Mastabiff]

Swinging the back leg up before you jump is the same as doing a standing leg lift (to the side in a trickster aerial or straight back like you're going into a handstand for a gymnast aerial). When people say to keep your chest up they mean don't drop your upper body unnecessarily close to the ground. It only needs to go down enough so that your leg can lift up comfortably.

Don't think of the driving leg as "whipping down" for the landing, just pull it into your chest and keep the momentum flowing from the initial drive. If you can't throw your legs quickly don't even think about not using your hands. Do cartwheels and play with the leg motion until it's smooth and fast. First leg drives up, jump, turn your hips so that the foot on the driving leg points where you're coming from, pull that leg towards your chest for the landing.