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4. The Inverted Balance Progression

The first four stunts of this series, the squat hand, the head, the forearm, and the hand balance form the basis for this progression. The hand balance is the most important one of the series. The remaining half of the progression is composed of variations of the hand balance that are important enough to deserve illustration.

The first three stunts develop the fundamentals of the hand balance, and the variations following it are for the purpose of strengthening and improving it. It takes several weeks for the average performer to get the feeling of balance in the inverted position and to develop the strength to hold it.

In the first stunt,'the squat hand balance (Fig. 21), the per­former learns how to balance on the hands. In the head-and-hand balance (Fig. 24) he learns how to hold an arch from the toes down to the shoulders and how to kick the legs up into the inverted position. In the forearm balance (Fig. 27) he learns how to use the head to control the arch and the balance. If these fundamentals have been well learned, the performer is then ready for the hand balance (Fig. 30). The remaining variations will make more interesting the time spent on the task of strengthening the hand balance.

The cartwheel has been placed after the hand balance because it has more carry-over value in this position. In the cartwheel a very common fault is flexing at the hips instead of arching. If the performer learns the arch fundamentals before he begins the cartwheel, it will be half learned before it is tried.

SQUAT HAND BALANCE

SQUAT AND PLACE HANDS ON MAT (a);

REST KNEES ON ARMS JUST ABOVE ELBOWS;

PUSH BODY FORWARD WITH TOES UNTIL YOU ARE BAL­ANCING ON HANDS (b);

ROCK GENTLY FORWARD AND BACKWARD;

BALANCE AS YOU WOULD ON FEET, PRESSING WITH HEELS AND TOES.

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: The squat hand bal­ance is more than just a stunt. It is an excellent position in which to learn how to use the hands and arms to hold your balance for the more difficult hand-balance stunts. Therefore, your objective will not be just to get up in balance and hold it, but to get up in balance and rock around, learning how to use the hands and arms to bring yourself back when you do go slightly off balance. When on your hands, balance exactly as you do on your feet. If falling over forward too far, press with the fingers as you would with the toes. When falling off balance backward, let your weight drop to the heels of your hands, just the same as you would rock back on the heels of your feet.

SQUAT HAND BALANCE

Figure 22 illustrates the proper way to place hands on mat. Note that fingers are arched, but palm is flat.

Fig. 22

VARIATIONS

1. See how long you can hold the balance.
   
   
2. Try various kinds of foot movements while in balance.
   
   
3. Move head up and down and notice what it does to your balance.
   
   
4. Try rocking gently in all directions.
   
   
5. Try walking on hands while in balance.
   
   
6. Rock from squat hand balance into forward roll by ducking head.
   
   
7. Rock from squat hand balance into backward roll to neck-and-elbow balance (Fig. 23).
   
   
8. Forward roll to squat hand balance.

Fig. 23. Neck-and-Elbow Balance.

GROUP STUNT NO. 4

1. Dive and cross-legged roll (left leg in front) obliquely toward right to stand, and make quarter-turn right.
   
   
2. Forward roll to squat, halfway from corner.
   
   
3. Squat hand balance.
   
   
4. Rock into cross-legged roll (right leg in front) to stand and make quarter-turn left at corner.

a

HEAD-AND-HAND BALANCE

Fig. 24

DRAW OR IMAGINE AN EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE ON MAT;

PLACE HANDS ON TWO POINTS AND FOREHEAD ON THIRD

(a);

WALK HIPS UP AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE WITH BACK STRAIGHT

(a);

RAISE LEGS, ONE AFTER THE OTHER, TO THE INVERTED POSITION (b and c);

ARCH BACK EVENLY, LOCK HIPS AND KNEES, AND POINT TOES (d);

KEEP WEIGHT SLIGHTLY OFF BALANCE TOWARD HANDS

(d);

COME DOWN BY BENDING AT HIPS AND LOWERING LEGS.

HEAD-AND-HAND BALANCE

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: Get the feeling of a good arch and how to hold it. Trying to hold a wobbly arch is like trying to bal­ance a broken bamboo pole. Many will find that the double-leg raise to the in­verted position is easiest. The single-leg raise should be practiced most, however, because it will help you to learn the hand balance more quickly.

Fig. 25. Assist Your

Partner in This

Manner.

VARIATIONS

1. Roll forward from head-and-hand balance.
   
   
2. Rock forward to head from squat hand balance and raise legs together into head-and-hand balance.
   
   
3. Jackknife up to head-and-hand bal­ ance, raising legs with knees straight.
   
   
4. Forward roll into head-and-hand bal­ ance.
   
   
5. Backward roll to head-and-hand bal­ ance.
   
   
6. Do shoulder balance on thighs of partner who is doing a crab bend (Fig. 26).
   
   
7. Do head-and-hand balance on stom­ ach of partner in crab bend.

Fig. 26. Shoulder

Balance on Thighs of Partner.

GROUP STUNT NO. 5

One man stands in each corner and one on each side, facing center.

1. Dive and roll to squat at center circle.
   
   
2. Head-and-hand balance.
   
   
3. Down to squat.
   
   
4. Backward roll, and jump backward to stand at edge.

Repeat, doing head-and-hand balance from squat hind balance and with jackknife or straight-leg raise.

FOREARM BALANCE

PLACE FOREARMS PARALLEL AND SHOULDER-WIDTH APART ON MAT;

SHOULDERS SHOULD BE SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF ELBOWS (a);

WALK HIPS UP AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE, LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD;

RAISE LEGS, STILL KEEPING HEAD UP (b and c);

USE HEAD TO CONTROL THE ARCH BY RAISING AND LOW­ERING IT (d);

COME DOWN BY BENDING AT HIPS AND LOWERING LEGS.

FOREARM BALANCE

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: In this stunt your head is free. Learn how to use it to get and control an arch. By raising the head you can increase your arch. Lowering has the opposite effect. Remember to lock the hips in this and all the rest of the hand-balance stunts. Learn to do this stunt in pairs, assisting each other as for the head-and-hand balance (Fig. 25 and Fig. 28).

Fig. 28. Assist Each Other in Pairs Like This.

Fig. 29. Head-in-Hands Forearm Balance.

VARIATIONS

1. Do forearm balance, duck head and roll forward.
   
   
2. Head-in-hands forearm balance (Fig. 29).
   
   
3. Roll forward from head-in-hands forearm balance.
   
   
4. Cross arms, place forehead on mat, and raise legs, doing a head-and-el- bow balance.
   
   
5. Change from a head-and-hand bal­ ance to a forearm balance.

GROUP STUNT NO. 6

1. Dive and cross-legged roll (right leg in front) to stand and half-turn at center circle.
   
   
2. Short forward roll to squat.
   
   
3. Head-in-hands forearm balance.
   
   
4. Overbalance and cross-legged roll (right leg in front) to stand and half-turn at edge.

HAND BALANCE

Fig. 30

START WITH THE HANDS ON MAT AND SHOULDERS WELL AHEAD OF THEM;

LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD—KEEP HEAD UP THROUGHOUT; CONTROL BALANCE IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER:

When going over too for:

1. Press down with finger tips
   
   
2. Raise head
   

When falling back (toward starting position) :

1. Drop to heel of hand, and bend elbows
   
   
2. Lower head

HOLD AN EVENLY ROUNDED ARCH —HIPS AND KNEES MUST BE LOCKED;

POINT THE TOES.

Fig. 31. A Method of Assisting the Hand Balance.

HAND BALANCE

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: The hand balance is most easily learned on a hard surface, such as a floor, because it makes a solid base for the small balancing surface of the hand. Kicking up against a wall is fine practice because it improves your sense of balance and strengthens your arms and shoulders. Keeping the legs split forward and backward in the inverted position sometimes helps to develop a sense of balance. When trying the hand balance on the mats, learn to duck the head and roll down when overbalanced. This will save many hard bumps. Working in pairs is an excellent way to learn the hand balance. Two popular double stunts using the hand balance are shown below in Figures 33 and 34.

VARIATIONS

1. Hand balance and roll forward.
   
   
2. Assisted hand balance on partner's spread knees (Fig. 33).
   
   
3. Hand balance with legs split forward and backward.
   
   
4. Rock forward from squat hand bal­ ance until head touches mat, then kick up to hand balance.
   
   
5. Walk on hands.
   
   
6. Dive to a hand balance.
   
   
7. Roll and dive to hand balance.
   
   
8. Press up from head-and-hand bal­ance to hand balance.

Fig. 32. Quarter-Turn Finish.

[Use this when falling on a hard surface.]

Fig. 33. Hand Bal­ance on Partner's Knees.

a                                  b

Fig. 34. Ankle Lift to Hand Balance.

HAND-BALANCE PULL OVER

Fig. 35

BOTTOM MAN

BEND KNEES SLIGHTLY SO AS TO BE UNDER WEIGHT OF PARTNER (a);

WHEN TOP MAN KICKS OVER YOUR SHOULDERS, GRASP HIS ANKLES,

AND PULL HIM TO SITTING POSITION (b and c); LET TOP MAN DOWN TO GROUND SLOWLY (d);

PUT HANDS ON GROUND AND DO HAND BALANCE TO PARTNER'S BACK, BECOMING TOP MAN.

TOP MAN

DO HAND BALANCE TO BOTTOM MAN'S BACK, DROPPING LOWER LEGS OVER HIS SHOULDERS (a);

KEEP WEIGHT OF ARMS AND HEAD TOWARD BOTTOM MAN WHILE GOING UP (b);

FLEX AT WAIST TO COME TO SITTING POSITION (c).

HAND-BALANCE PULL OVER

NOTE: The hand-balance pull over and the following half of this progression are popular variations of the hand balance. They are very important for routine work in tumbling; there­fore, they have been given special emphasis by being illustrated as separate units.

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: One of the greatest benefits one can get from tumbling is in learning how to lift a weight correctly. The long leg muscles are the strongest in the body. The bottom man should always bend his knees to get under his partner and use his legs to lift. Keeping the back straight and the head up will also increase the lifting ability of the bottom man. The top man should endeavor to keep his weight in as close to the bottom man as possible while being lifted. The farther the top man gets away from the vertical balance line, the harder his partner will have to fight the force of gravity to get him back in balance.

VARIATIONS

1. Do a series of hand-balance pull overs.
   
   
2. Do a hand-balance pull over; top man falls forward to front leaning rest; bottom man dead-man lifts him to head-and-hand balance (top man must hold body stiff).
   
   
3. Hand-balance pull over; both for­ ward roll.
   
   
4. Do two hand-balance pull overs, and then bottom man "wheelbarrows" top man off mat, never letting go of his ankles.
   
   
5. Hand-balance pull over into wheel­ barrow; change grip, and do double forward roll.

GROUP STUNT NO. 7

( 0 indicates bottom men; O indicates top men.)

1. Bottom men do dive and cross-legged roll (right leg in front) to stand and half-turn at center circle.
   
   
2. Bottom men sit with legs spread and knees straight. At same time, top men forward roll to stand.
   
   
3. Top men step forward and do an assisted hand balance on the bottom men's knees.
   
   
4. Top men dismount.
   
   
5. Top men back roll to stand at corner as bottom men rise.
   
   
6. Bottom men dive and cross-legged roll (right leg in front) to stand and half-turn at corner.

SNAP DOWN

Fig. 36

DO A HAND BALANCE (a);

BEND KNEES, AND AS THE BODY FALLS OFF BALANCE (b),

FORCIBLY EXTEND KNEES AND SNAP LEGS DOWN, FLEXING AT THE HIPS (c and d);

HAVE JUST ENOUGH BEND IN KNEES TO KEEP FROM JAR­RING THEM WHEN LANDING (d);

PUSH HARD WITH THE HANDS, ARMS, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE SHOULDERS (c);

LAND WITH ARMS UP AS ILLUSTRATED (e).

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: Landing flat-footed and with the arms overhead may seem very useless and awkward to the beginner at first. However, the stunt should be learned in this way because this coordi­nation is extremely important in advanced routine work. Bending the elbows slightly may help you to learn the snap down. As soon as you gel the feel of the proper leg and hip action, concentrate on learning how to push with the shoulders. To get an idea of how it should feel, place your hands on the mat with the elbows straight, as if you were going to begin a hand bal­ance. Now, drop your body between your shoulders as far as you can. Suddenly raise the back of the neck up as high as possible, and you will have some idea of how it should feel.

SNAP-DOWN VARIATIONS

1. Snap down, trying to cut under your hands.
   
   
2. Snap down, seeing how high you can push off the floor before your feet touch.
   
   
3. See how far back you can snap down.
   
   
4. Snap down with one leg only.
   
   
5. Snap down into backward roll.
   
   
6. Snap down, dive, and forward roll.
   
   
7. Forward roll, dive to hand balance, and snap down.
   
   
8. Bucking bronco. (This is a series of dives to hand balances and snap downs, as shown in Figure 37.)

Fig. 37. Bucking Bronco. [Note difference in arm lift from regular snap down.]

GROUP STUNT NO. 8

1. Dive and roll to stand.
   
   
2. Drop forward to front-leaning rest, and hold tempora­ rily.
   
   
3. Do momentary hand balance at center circle.-
   
   
4. Snap down and back roll to stand at edge.

BACKWARD ROLL TO HAND BALANCE

Fig. 38

START A BACKWARD ROLL AND STRAIGHTEN KNEES

(a to c);

KICK UP FORCIBLY JUST BEFORE YOU GET TO THE VERTICAL; COORDINATE THE HIP SNAP AND UPWARD ARM PUSH (d);

KICK INTO AN ARCH IMMEDIATELY, SNAPPING HEAD BACK FAST (e);

TO GET AN ARCH, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE HEAD BE SNAPPED THROUGH AS SOON AS IT CAN CLEAR THE MAT.

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: It is possible to back­ward roll to a hand balance with an ex­tension kick of the knees and hips. This variation, however, should not be used because it is not as smooth as the hip snap and because it does not allow one to get a feeling of balance as the body goes up. It is too sudden.

BACKWARD ROLL TO HAND BALANCE

HINTS TO BEGINNERS (continued): Learning a good hip snap is important in this stunt because it will be used in many of the more advanced stunts. A good way to practice snapping the head through fast is in pairs as illustrated in Figure 34. The faculties for balance do not function well when the head is down between the arms. Get it through fast, and keep it up so that you will have a better arch and a keener sense of balance.

VARIATIONS

1. Backward roll to hand balance and snap down.
   
   
2. Forward roll to stand, backward roll to hand balance, and snap down.
   
   
3. Backward roll to hand balance, for­ ward roll.
   
   
4. Backward roll to hand balance, walk forward on hands.
   
   
5. Backward roll to hand balance, snap down with half twist.
   
   
6. Double roll backward (see Fig. 13).
   
   
7. Ankle pickup (Fig. 39). This is merely an assisted snap to hand bal­ance and snap down.

Fig. 39. Ankle Pickup.

GROUP STUNT NO. 9

1. Dive and roll to squat at center circle.
   
   
2. Do squat hand balance and rock forward onto head.
   
   
3. Kick up into hand balance.
   
   
4. Snap down into backward roll to hand balance, and snap down to stand at edge of mat.

CHEST ROLL

Fig. 40

DO A HAND BALANCE.

LOWER WEIGHT OF BODY SLOWLY WITH ARMS (b);

HOLD CHIN UP AND SLIP CHEST FORWARD SLIGHTLY (c);

LAND ON CHEST AND ROLL DOWN;

HOLD THE ARCH UNTIL TOES TOUCH.

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: The easiest way to get the feel of the chest roll is by working in pairs. Do a hand balance, and have your partner hold and partially support you by the ankles (Fig. 31 and Fig. 34). Then gently lower your body to the mat while in balance and roll down, holding a good arch until your toes touch.

CHEST ROLL

HINTS TO BEGINNERS (continued) : When you are ready to try the chest roll alone, lie on the mat with the hands placed beside the lower ribs. Kick your feet up into an arch and roll back to your knees (Fig. 41). When you have learned this, try the chest roll again from a front leaning rest, kicking the feet up only half way to a hand balance. As the feet just about reach the height of their kick, let the chest drop gently forward to the mat and hold the arch until you roll down to your knees (Fig. 43).

Fig. 41. A Low Chest Roll.

Fig. 42. Rocker Stunt. [For chest-roll practice.]

VARIATIONS

1. Backward roll to hand balance and chest roll down.
   
   
2. Head-and-hand balance, chest roll down.
   
   
3. Forearm balance, slide shoulders for­ ward, and chest roll down.
   
   
4. End bronco buck with chest roll.
   
   
5. Chest roll down, and rock forward and backward, as illustrated in Fig­ure 42.

Fig. 43. Kick Up and Chest Roll Down.

JUMP THROUGH

Fig. 44

STRAIGHTEN ARMS FORCIBLY AND —

WITH SUDDEN FLEXION OF HIPS AND KNEES (a) —

JUMP THROUGH ARMS TO SITTING STRAIGHT-LEG POSITION

(b and c);

BREAK FALL WITH ARMS (c).

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: The shoulder push, which you learned for the snap down; is also important in this stunt. If you can­not get your feet through, notice how much of a shoulder push you are getting. You may have forgotten how to do it. Practice it from the front-leaning rest position, seeing if you can bounce your hands off the mat with your shoulder push alone. Some people have extremely long legs. They will find that in this stunt it helps to cross them as they are being brought through the arms.

JUMP-THROUGH VARIATIONS

1. Forward roll to front-leaning rest; jump through.
   
   
2. Jump through from front- to rear- leaning rest; turn over to front-lean­ ing rest; repeat, making it continu­ ous (Fig. 45).
   
   
3. Jump through to lying-down posi­ tion on back. (Keep chin on chest to avoid bumping head.)
   
   
4. Jump through with legs crossed.
   
   
5. Jump through, cutting legs under one arm. (Bring both legs through on one side.) Repeat on other side.
   
   
6. Hand balance, chest roll, and jump through.
   
   
7. Lie on back, and have partner lift you in dead-man lift (body stiff) and let you fall forward onto face in posi­ tion for jump through (break fall with arms).

a                                              b                                  c

Fig. 45. Jump Through from Front- to Rear-Leaning Rest.

GROUP STUNT NO. 10

1. Forward roll to squat.
   
   
2. Go forward to front-leaning rest.
   
   
3. Jump through to sit.
   
   
4. Touch toes.
   
   
5. Slowly raise arms and head and lie down backward.
   
   
6. Sideward roll right onto stomach.
   
   
7. Jump through to squat.
   
   
8. All dive, and roll to stand at corner.

CARTWHEEL

TRY IT FROM A SHORT RUN AT FIRST, TURNING SIDEWAYS AS YOU KICK (a);

MAKE ARMS AND LEGS RESEMBLE SPOKES OF A WHEEL

(c and d);

TRAVEL IN A STRAIGHT LINE;

ARCH BACK, KEEPING HEAD WELL UP AND HIPS STRAIGHT;

YOUR SIDE, NOT FRONT, SHOULD BE TOWARD MAT WHEN YOU LAND ON FEET.

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: You are not doing a good cartwheel until you can do it smoothly in a straight line with your hips, knees, and toes extended. Practice it on any convenient straight line. Draw a chalk line down the middle of the mat. Holding the head well up or back will help to get a good arch and keep the hips and knees straight. Performers who have the fault of flexing at the hips can often be given confidence with assistance from the rear as illustrated in Figure 48 on the next page. Many performers have learned to do a good cartwheel from a stand, starting to the side, as illustrated in Fig­ure 49. After the first cartwheel in a series the legs and arms should be kept perfectly straight. In a series of cart­wheels, whip the arms and legs over fast to get speed.

CARTWHEEL

Fig. 47. Floor Plan for the Cartwheel.

VARIATIONS

1. Cartwheel from stand (Fig. 49).
   
   
2. Right cartwheel (right hand down first).
   
   
3. Rocker cartwheel (left cartwheel to stand, right cartwheel back to stand, continue with left again).
   
   
4. Left cartwheel to stand; half-pivot left, right cartwheel; half-pivot right, left cartwheel; and continue, traveling on a straight line.
   
   
5. Double cartwheel (two performers, back to back).
   
   
6. Double cartwheel (facing in same di­ rection) .

Fig. 48. Assisting Cartwheel.

[This is one way of giving confidence to performers who have fear of falling over backward.]

Fig. 49. Cartwheel from Stand.

VERY IMPORTANT: Right-handed people should specialize on a left cartwheel (and vice versa) so that they may more easily learn the round off and the twisting somer­saults that will come in the more advanced tumbling routines.

OPTIONAL STUNTS

Fig. 50. Armpit Pickup.

a

b                                              c

Fig. 51. Press to Hand Balance.

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