Alternate names: Just call it a masterswipe!
Class: Ground pokemon.
Description: A twisty cartwheel preceded by a slight kick up with the front foot.
Variations:
Prerequisites: Handstand and cartwheel.
Equivalent variations: Swipes, a bboy trick.
Advanced variations: Grandmaster swipe.
Move preview: A single short clip or multiple short clips for observing the skill.
The Masterswipe exampler: A video overview of the move with a narrated walk-through.You don't have to be a master of anything to do a masterswipe. Any out-of-skill teenager or sod can throw this trick with only a limited amount of practice. It's really, really easy! So don't let the name fool you, it's not the master of swipes.
I'm gonna simplify this move for you here. If you've recently been exposed
to this move you might be thinking whoa, uh I don't get it
, at least
that's what I was thinking when I first saw it. Even after countless playbacks, and even after actually having the move down good, I didn't truly understand
the simplicity of it. Call me stupid, because I was. I think the main problem
was a lack of definition to it. When I had learned the move I wasn't exposed
to any simple description of the trick; All I knew was that it was some tangled
thing you get when you jump backward and twist your legs up a certain way. I
had never actually compared it to a cartwheel previously and when I was made
aware of that comparison a humongous light bulb popped over my head.
So this is how I want you to think of the move. Imagine doing a sideways cartwheel but instead of lifting up the back leg (the leg you would normally lift up first in a cartwheel), lift up the front leg first. What happens? Well it gets in the way and you have to clear it to finish the cartwheel. You create a tangle when clearing it, and afterward the legs untangle out to create the twisted masterswipe aesthetic. The landing foot in a masterswipe is the same as the landing foot in a cartwheel! Just roll that thought in your head and it will click immediately.
Now that you got the right idea in your head and understand the concept of the trick. To modify the look into what you see myself and most other people do you would merely take the above concept and instead of going out to the side, try to dive backward more. When doing this, in order to successfully complete the trick, you will need to kick up that front foot higher and initiate a jump off the base foot. Thus... That's it! Now let's do the slide show.
I will be doing this diving to my left side. YyyyYYyYYYyyyyYYyYyy..!
If you have downloaded the exampler or example clips you've noticed there is a funny little walk up into the move. So start walking forward.
Really, all this is, is an exaggerated walk. There is no secret to it, just look. One foot forward, same arm back; One foot back, same arm forward. We are merely lengthening the stride and keeping our arms further out. Take as many steps as you please.
Now we are set to rip! The kick up leg is behind, that same side arm is reaching slightly across the body. Why? This set gives us more traveling distances for those limbs to create momentum. That first leg to swing up has a little more distance to create momentum, and the arm being across the body, has a little more distance to do the same.
TIMING! NOW! These are the
three things you want to do simultaneously:
When you do this trick, experiment with the angle your kick up leg foot is pointing and where exactly you bring the leg up. You can create a different look depending on whether you bring that kick up leg out in front or more across in the opposite direction. Your kick up leg's foot can vary the look of the trick by pointing out externally (consequently, your kick up leg externally rotated outward as well), straight out, or internally rotated. Just play around with the kick up so you understand how your body reacts.
Aside from the angle your kick up foot is pointing, you can modify this trick by experimenting with the speed of it. If you do less of a jump and more of a gentle dive backward, it may result in a more slow twisted look. EXPERIMENT!
Now our hands are almost planted and our body is going to untangle.
Keep the foot you jumped off of straight and as it flies over try to bring it back in front of your body. Go ahead and straighten the leg you kicked up to initiate the movement as well.
Whoa, why did I capture a still so similar to the previous one? What a waste! Well actually I guess I can point out how much it's looking like a normal cartwheel at the moment. Notice? And also, it might be worth the effort to get your knees straightened out during this trick. I find it usually provides for a nicer look.
Ok as I said, try to bring that base foot (the foot you jumped off and the same foot you are landing on), back around and in front of your body. You can also create a neat little aesthetic by whipping the kick up leg into a hook kick here if you wish.
Ground zero. Foot comes in contact with ground, other leg comes over pulling you back up into a standing position.
OH MY GOD A HURRICANE!
Stop. Combo maybe? There is a red swiss ball in the background. Do you do abdominal crunches on a swiss ball in an effort to build yourself a six pack? Are you a fucking tool? At least it's not as bad as Bosu balls, those things have plagued my gym starting this past summer and I cry. I cry myself to sleep at night...What, no key points or specific problem advice? I'm not going to list a bunch of littler tips or take a whole slew of specific case scenarios here, sorry. I think simply put; Think about the move the way I described at the beginning of this tutorial. Make sure you can at least do a cartwheel, get used to doing one with some jump and force. Ensure you warm up your core and wrists pretty good. Trust me with the wrists thing, just get them ready or you'll feel some major sting! Don't bother trying to warm up your core doing crunches on a swiss or Bosu ball please! Just get ready by twisting side to side. Then simply start in with the method I described. I feel the most important key in practice is to always focus on putting some force into it! If you pussy this move it's not gonna work. Don't bother trying to practice this trick gently or slowly; You'll find out yourself if you wuss the setup that the move can become slightly painful. Just gut wrench it out hard!
I still remember how I learned this move. Logan's was the first masterswipe I modeled. Well, I thought it was really cool but it confused the hell out of me. I didn't understand it and after trying a few with the monkey-see-monkey-do learning method I wasn't so successful. Luckily, Logan had me believe it was incredibly easy and that there was no reason I shouldn't be able to do it. Actually he didn't say it that kindly, he more or less expressed the opinion that I sucked if I couldn't do the move easily after a few attempts. Anyway, I went back out after my brainwashing and soon (a day or two maybe) I had the move down pretty damn good! I just kept practicing, watching, and believing it was easy (which it totally is!) Go get your masterswipe this afternoon! I order it!