Training for Back tucks!

Tang soo do tom · Jan-22-07, 09:59 AM

now out of boredom I've decided to make this post. Because most people consider the back tuck a, if not THE, quintesential move in tricking before being able to really progress. However besides just going outside and shooting for a backflip having no prior experience with even so much as the motion may end up in a painfull face print in your front lawn. So in this I am going to discuss how to get used to the motion of a backflip so perhaps it may boost your confidance when you feel you are ready to try it with a spotter or even on your own. After all, we use dynamic active motions of crescent kicks to help in 540s as juji says, so why not have motions to prepare you for a back tuck as well? well here it is:

1. First off, its a very good idea to know where you stand as an athletic person, or in general how in shape are you? In a backflip you need to make sure that your body is fairly strength trained on all your muscles yes ALL your muscles to be ready to begin a back flip. This even includes what some people may neglect, your neck muscles. Although you should not be tilting your neck back during a back flip, you still need to be able to maintain your neck in a straight line with your back, having good posture to have good form in a back flip. Make sure your leg muscles are good and strong and you feel confidant in how high can get vertical jump, because in a standing backtuck, you cant use blocking to your advantage. So assuming that even tho you cant jump an inch high and think your ready to just jump right into a backflip is suicide.

2. After going over your general physique and such, and warming up, here come some exercises to help with the general motions needed to get through a back flip, and as Dogen would say, gaining "muscle memory."

a. stand feet shoulder width apart, and dip down while simultaneously throwing your arms back as you go down, and up as you stand up. On the third count throw your arms up as high as you can and jump simultaneously. This is to get the feeling of getting that short moment of "hang time" because in a backflip, this is when you will be at your greatest height and most capable of achieving good form.

b. this a variation of the first one. do the same one to three count however when you get as high as you can, slight bend your back/upper torso, well, backwards angling at the hips. but not too much, as this will end up in you hurting...a lot. again this is helping to get the feel of hang time, but his time the hang time of how you are actually going to be before you do your backflip. however still maintain good posture through this, your back should look in stick figure form like this /, having your arms still shooting way up.

c. this exercise is to practice getting used to having to use your arms throwing back in the air and get used to tucking.
first lie flat on the floor on your back. hands at your waist. now using your arms, violently raise them both up and over your shoulderstil they hit against the floor. Simple, yet essential for the next variation of the exercise.

d. now your going to do the same thing keeping your body straight and flat against the floor. this time when you raise your arms up, as soon as they "smack" against the floor above your head, tuck your knees into your chest. it should be a quick 1 2 motion, one after the other. if you use enough power to bring your knees to your chest you may even slighty have your butt come off the floor. this is a good thing! this means your are using a lot of power and from this when you eventually do a back tuck, you will have enough power to get up and flip over from knowing how to bring your knees tucked in to easily figure get your body to rotate around your center axis in the air. know you may be asking...well that seems stupid because i nthe exercise you have your arms thrown up and knees tucked in, but aren't you supposed to bring your arms in front or behind your knees?(depending on preference) and well, my answer is, yes. this although a tiny addition the already subltly changed variation should be added once you get used to the previous exercise, then you add this to the exercise (when your knees tuck in your chest and you slightly roll, bring your arms to behind or infront of your knees).

e. now that youve gotten good at these motions, as simple and pointless they may seem, now you should go out and get a spotter. put together all the motions. jumping up, throwing your arms up and achieving heighest point while slighty bending your upper torso back,and then bring knees in, and arms to knees. (while spotting of course) having a good muscle memory to the motions done in the exercises will greatly improve your capability, you could say, of doing a backflip, and having more confidence that based on the repeating of these motions that you are ready. and before I forget another exercise that may help is to do the one two three, without arching your back and bringing your knees to your chest. but hey, its up to you. Hopefully this lil tutorial here helps some newcomers out.

-Tang Soo Do Tom

skainmitsu · Jan-22-07, 02:56 PM

wow amazing read man, im trying these during my next work out later

**Jon P** · Jan-22-07, 03:22 PM

Landing my first backflip was one of the most amazing feelings.

Of course i was (still am) a dorky martial arts / anime nerd.

Mick · Jan-22-07, 03:33 PM

I wish I couldn't Backtuck just to get the awesome feeling of landing it for the first time again.

Matt K · Jan-22-07, 03:36 PM

Yeah, I think it's about time I finally learn to do a backflip. I just keep putting it off out of laziness and a little bit of fear. My form is horrid though. Thanks a lot for the tips!

BTW I live like a half hour from Gales Ferry (in Mystic). Do you trick at a gym around there because I've been looking for one that's relatively close.

Edit: I forgot what a PM was for a minute there

.

Tang soo do tom · Jan-22-07, 05:07 PM

Yeah, I train up in norwich at my martial arts school whenever i can, the name of the place is Northstar Martial Arts, i tend to have justin carney from Furious Force come by to help me with my stuff. I'm not all that great at tricking yet, its jsut like i understand ways to teach it to people ya know? I also teach at said karate school. But yeah man maybe sometime you could drop by.

vonschnikets · Jan-22-07, 06:00 PM

that was a good read

Tang soo do tom · Jan-22-07, 06:03 PM

well thank you

iEatRAW · Jan-24-07, 06:02 PM

good stuff

Ashtar · Jun-16-07, 05:06 PM

I found a cool video on LiveScience.com about backflipping, you can actually view it free now after this ad done beforehand for Yahoo. http://www.livescience.com/php/video...kflip&plugin=f

Jan-22-07, 09:59 AM	#1
Tang soo do tom I kill stuff! User status: Offline Location: Gales Ferry, CT Posts: 11 Age: 19	Training for Back tucks! now out of boredom I've decided to make this post. Because most people consider the back tuck a, if not THE, quintesential move in tricking before being able to really progress. However besides just going outside and shooting for a backflip having no prior experience with even so much as the motion may end up in a painfull face print in your front lawn. So in this I am going to discuss how to get used to the motion of a backflip so perhaps it may boost your confidance when you feel you are ready to try it with a spotter or even on your own. After all, we use dynamic active motions of crescent kicks to help in 540s as juji says, so why not have motions to prepare you for a back tuck as well? well here it is: 1. First off, its a very good idea to know where you stand as an athletic person, or in general how in shape are you? In a backflip you need to make sure that your body is fairly strength trained on all your muscles yes ALL your muscles to be ready to begin a back flip. This even includes what some people may neglect, your neck muscles. Although you should not be tilting your neck back during a back flip, you still need to be able to maintain your neck in a straight line with your back, having good posture to have good form in a back flip. Make sure your leg muscles are good and strong and you feel confidant in how high can get vertical jump, because in a standing backtuck, you cant use blocking to your advantage. So assuming that even tho you cant jump an inch high and think your ready to just jump right into a backflip is suicide. 2. After going over your general physique and such, and warming up, here come some exercises to help with the general motions needed to get through a back flip, and as Dogen would say, gaining "muscle memory." a. stand feet shoulder width apart, and dip down while simultaneously throwing your arms back as you go down, and up as you stand up. On the third count throw your arms up as high as you can and jump simultaneously. This is to get the feeling of getting that short moment of "hang time" because in a backflip, this is when you will be at your greatest height and most capable of achieving good form. b. this a variation of the first one. do the same one to three count however when you get as high as you can, slight bend your back/upper torso, well, backwards angling at the hips. but not too much, as this will end up in you hurting...a lot. again this is helping to get the feel of hang time, but his time the hang time of how you are actually going to be before you do your backflip. however still maintain good posture through this, your back should look in stick figure form like this /, having your arms still shooting way up. c. this exercise is to practice getting used to having to use your arms throwing back in the air and get used to tucking. first lie flat on the floor on your back. hands at your waist. now using your arms, violently raise them both up and over your shoulderstil they hit against the floor. Simple, yet essential for the next variation of the exercise. d. now your going to do the same thing keeping your body straight and flat against the floor. this time when you raise your arms up, as soon as they "smack" against the floor above your head, tuck your knees into your chest. it should be a quick 1 2 motion, one after the other. if you use enough power to bring your knees to your chest you may even slighty have your butt come off the floor. this is a good thing! this means your are using a lot of power and from this when you eventually do a back tuck, you will have enough power to get up and flip over from knowing how to bring your knees tucked in to easily figure get your body to rotate around your center axis in the air. know you may be asking...well that seems stupid because i nthe exercise you have your arms thrown up and knees tucked in, but aren't you supposed to bring your arms in front or behind your knees?(depending on preference) and well, my answer is, yes. this although a tiny addition the already subltly changed variation should be added once you get used to the previous exercise, then you add this to the exercise (when your knees tuck in your chest and you slightly roll, bring your arms to behind or infront of your knees). e. now that youve gotten good at these motions, as simple and pointless they may seem, now you should go out and get a spotter. put together all the motions. jumping up, throwing your arms up and achieving heighest point while slighty bending your upper torso back,and then bring knees in, and arms to knees. (while spotting of course) having a good muscle memory to the motions done in the exercises will greatly improve your capability, you could say, of doing a backflip, and having more confidence that based on the repeating of these motions that you are ready. and before I forget another exercise that may help is to do the one two three, without arching your back and bringing your knees to your chest. but hey, its up to you. Hopefully this lil tutorial here helps some newcomers out. -Tang Soo Do Tom

Jan-22-07, 02:56 PM	#2
skainmitsu child of the korn User status: Offline Location: port perry Posts: 169 Age: 17	wow amazing read man, im trying these during my next work out later

Jan-22-07, 03:22 PM	#3
Jon P [hth] User status: Offline Posts: 3,437 Age: 23	Landing my first backflip was one of the most amazing feelings. Of course i was (still am) a dorky martial arts / anime nerd.

Jan-22-07, 03:33 PM	#4
Mick Member User status: Offline Location: Sherbrooke, Quebec Posts: 36 Age: 18	I wish I couldn't Backtuck just to get the awesome feeling of landing it for the first time again.

Jan-22-07, 03:36 PM	#5
Matt K I C U User status: Offline Location: Boston Posts: 2,048 Age: 18	Yeah, I think it's about time I finally learn to do a backflip. I just keep putting it off out of laziness and a little bit of fear. My form is horrid though. Thanks a lot for the tips! BTW I live like a half hour from Gales Ferry (in Mystic). Do you trick at a gym around there because I've been looking for one that's relatively close. Edit: I forgot what a PM was for a minute there .

Jan-22-07, 05:07 PM	#6
Tang soo do tom I kill stuff! User status: Offline Location: Gales Ferry, CT Posts: 11 Age: 19	Yeah, I train up in norwich at my martial arts school whenever i can, the name of the place is Northstar Martial Arts, i tend to have justin carney from Furious Force come by to help me with my stuff. I'm not all that great at tricking yet, its jsut like i understand ways to teach it to people ya know? I also teach at said karate school. But yeah man maybe sometime you could drop by.

Jan-22-07, 06:00 PM	#7
vonschnikets I like tricks! User status: Offline Location: aussie land (melbourne) Posts: 14	that was a good read

Jan-22-07, 06:03 PM	#8
Tang soo do tom I kill stuff! User status: Offline Location: Gales Ferry, CT Posts: 11 Age: 19	well thank you

Jan-24-07, 06:02 PM	#9
iEatRAW MEH ! User status: Offline Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 119 Age: 22	good stuff

Jun-16-07, 05:06 PM	#10
Ashtar Dark Lord of Chaos User status: Offline Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,123 Age: 23	I found a cool video on LiveScience.com about backflipping, you can actually view it free now after this ad done beforehand for Yahoo. http://www.livescience.com/php/video...kflip&plugin=f