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9. The Back-Somersault Progression

The important stunt to be accomplished in this progression is the back somersault. In the back handspring the per­former concentrated all his throw backward into an arch, hyper-extending the hip, back, and shoulder joints as much as possible. In the back somersault the performer must strive for a coordina­tion that is just the opposite.

In the back somersault the throw or lift is for height alone, and the joints flex so that a very close tuck may be held as the head spins the body backward. In the side-leg-pitch back somer­sault (Fig. 127) the top man learns to snap his head back to get a spin, but he has sufficient assistance from his partner until he can learn to spin fast enough.

In the next three stunts of the progression the performer learns how to use an arm lift, and then to coordinate it with a spring. The tuck is also reviewed for this new position and move­ment. The toe-pitch back somersault (Fig. 131) is not as difficult as it appears, because the top man has plenty of time to spin and open up for the landing. After the performer has learned these stunts, he may try the back somersault, which should be compara­tively easy.

FOOT-PUSH BACK SOMERSAULT

Fig. 126

BOTTOM MAN

BE SURE THAT BACK AND SHOULDERS ARE FLAT ON MAT

TIME YOUR PUSH WITH TOP MAN'S SPRING AND ARM LIFT (b);

PITCH TOP MAN AWAY FROM YOU (c).

TOP MAN

STAND ASTRIDE BOTTOM MAN'S KNEES, SITTING ON HIS FEET (a);

COORDINATE ARM LIFT WITH FOOT PUSH OF BOTTOM MAN (b);

SNAP HEAD BACK, BRING KNEES TO CHEST, AND TUCK TO GET SPIN (c);

OPEN UP TO LAND (c).

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: Two safety men should help the performer the first few times. They should place one hand under the performer's buttocks and the other on the deltoid muscle of his shoulder. The hand under the buttocks should lift, and the hand on the shoulder should support the performer in the inverted tuck position if he spins too slowly. If the performer spins over too far in any of the back somersaults, he should always land, tuck, and roll with his chin on his chest. The ob­jective in this stunt should be to learn how to lift with the arms and how to get a fast spin by snapping the head back and bring­ing the knees to the chest in a close tuck. The arm-lift practice stunt (Fig. Ill), which was learned for the front somer­sault, should be used as a warm-up for this progression also.

VARIATIONS

1. Arm lift (Fig. 111).
   
   
2. Arm lift to sit.
   
   
3. Foot-push back somersault, and back roll.
   
   
4. Foot-push back somersault; top man steps forward; foot-to-pelvis front somersault.
   
   
5. Foot-push back somersault with top man facing other direction.

GROUP STUNT NO. 33

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

1. Bottom men roll forward to lying-down position on back with feet up.
   
   
2. Top men step forward, turn, and take position for foot- push back somersault.
   
   
3. Foot-push back somersault.
   
   
4. Top men step forward and take position for foot-to- pelvis front somersault.
   
   
5. Foot-to-pelvis front somersault with top men rolling to stand and turn at center.
   
   
6. Bottom men snap to hand balance (see neckspring varia­ tion 5, p. 47), snap down, and step back to place at corner.

SIDE-LEG-PITCH BACK SOMERSAULT

Fig. 127

BOTTOM MAN

LIFT STRAIGHT UP;

USE LEGS AS WELL AS ARMS FOR LIFT;

PLACE ONE HAND AS CLOSE TO CROTCH AS POSSIBLE;

OTHER HAND IS UNDER CALF OF LEG.

TOP MAN

KEEP SUPPORTED KNEE STRAIGHT FOR LIFT (a);

GET A GOOD DIP, AND SPRING STRAIGHT UP (a);

LIFT STRAIGHT UP WITH BOTH ARMS AT SAME TIME (b);

SNAP HEAD BACK AND BRING FREE LEG TO CHEST IN TUCK TO GET A GOOD SPIN (c).

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: Before trying this stunt the performers should practice lift­ing straight up without the somersault, as illustrated in Figure 128. To do this the bottom man must change the hand which was under the top man's buttocks to his back so that he will not fall over back­ward. While practicing the straight lift, the top man may put his hand on the bot­tom man's neck to compensate for the lift on the calf of his leg. A safety man should assist the performers until they prove themselves consistent. His position is the same as it was for the foot-push back som­ersault. One hand is under the top man's buttocks and the other on his shoulder, as illustrated in Figure 129. The safety man should watch especially for overspinning. The top man should never put out his arms if he overspins. Instead, he should keep them in close and roll backward with his chin on his chest.

CROTCH-PITCH BACK SOMERSAULT

Fig. 130

BOTTOM MAN

HAVE LEGS SPREAD FORWARD AND BACKWARD (a); BACK SHOULD BE STRAIGHT AND HEAD UP (a) ;

CATCH TOP MAN WELL UNDER BUTTOCKS JUST AFTER HE LEAVES GROUND (b);

LIFT STRAIGHT UP WITH LEGS AND FOLLOW WITH ARM LIFT AND PUSH (c).

TOP MAN

STARTING WITH SHORT RUN, HOP AND LAND ASTRIDE BOTTOM MAN'S FRONT FOOT WITH KNEES OUT (a);

PUSH DOWN ON BOTTOM MAN'S HEAD AS YOU SPRING AND THEN LIFT WITH YOUR ARMS FOR HEIGHT (b);

AT HEIGHT OF SPRING, TUCK AND SNAP HEAD BACK TO GET SPIN (c).

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: This stunt depends on perfect timing. The bottom man must catch his partner as far under the but­tocks as possible just as his hips begin to flex so that he can give a secondary push after the lift. This stunt, too, should be practiced by having the top man lift straight up for height without the somer­sault. Two safety men should assist the performers until the stunt is well learned. Their duty is to slap lift the top man under the buttocks and support him under the shoulder as he spins in the inverted tuck position.

VARIATIONS

1. Lift straight up for height without the somersault.
   
   
2. Straddle jump over bottom man.
   
   
3. Straddle jump over bottom man with half-turn.
   
   
4. Straddle jump over bottom man; lock elbows, back-to-back pull over.
   
   
5. Straddle jump over bottom man with half-turn; hand-balance pullovers.
   
   
6. Crotch-pitch back somersault, and backward roll.

GROUP STUNT NO. 34

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

1. Bottom men dive and roll to cross-legged stand and half- turn left at center circle.
   
   
2. Top men run in, crotch-pitch back somersault; back roll to hand balance; and snap down at corner.
   
   
3. Bottom men do necksprings.
   
   
4. Bottom men dive and roll to cross-legged stand and half- turn left at corner.

TOE PITCH BACK SOMERSAULT

Fig. 131

BOTTOM MAN

KEEP FEET SPREAD AND KNEES BENT—ONE FOOT AHEAD OF OTHER (a);

BODY AND HEAD MUST BE ERECT;

USE THUMB-LOCK GRIP AND REST ELBOWS ON PELVIC BONE; LIFT STRAIGHT UP AND FOLLOW THROUGH <b and c).

TOP MAN

HOP IN AND PLACE FOOT CAREFULLY ON BOTTOM MAN'S HANDS (a);

PLACE YOUR HANDS ON HIS SHOULDERS TO HOLD SELF IN CLOSE (a);

SPRING AND LIFT STRAIGHT UP, LOCKING KNEE (b);

AT HEIGHT OF LIFT, SNAP HEAD BACK AND TUCK TO GET SPIN (c).

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: This stunt is not as difficult as it looks because the top man has plenty of time to spin and open up for his landing. If the top man keeps in close to his partner and lifts straight up to get sufficient height, it is very simple. Even the best performers warm up and practice this stunt by lifting straight up without the somersault. This lift is by far the most important fundamental of the stunt. The somersault is very simple. The bot­tom man should clasp his hands as illus­trated in Figure 132. His forearms should rest on his pelvic bone with his hands out a few inches in front of his navel. He should squat as low as possible with his back straight and his head up with chin in. He should lift straight up and follow the top man's foot as far as possible. Un­der no circumstances should he give ground backward. Because of the height attained in this stunt, it is most efficiently assisted with a ceiling safety belt. However, if this is not available, two safety men can stand on either side and support the top man under the shoulder as he turns over in the inverted tuck position.

Fig. 132. Thumb-Lock Grip Used by Bottom Mon.

GROUP STUNT NO. 35

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

1. Bottom men do one right cartwheel to stand.
   
   
2. Top men walk in and take position for side-leg-pitch back somersault.
   
   
3. Side-leg-pitch back somersault with top men rolling to stand at corner.
   
   
4. Bottom men do left cartwheel with quarter-turn right at corner.

BACK SOMERSAULT

SPRING AND LIFT STRAIGHT UP WITH SLIGHTLY BENT ARMS AND WITH SHOULDERS (a and b);

SPRING OFF BALLS OF FEET—HEIGHT IS IMPORTANT;

WHEN HEIGHT OF SPRING IS REACHED, SNAP HEAD BACK (e);

BRING KNEES TO CHEST, AND PULL THEM OVER (c and d);

TUCK TIGHTLY UNTIL YOU SEE THE GROUND—THEN OPEN TUCK TO LAND (e and f).

HINTS TO BEGINNERS: The back handspring should always be learned before this stunt. If the back somersault is learned first, the habit of flexing the hips immediately after the take-off is developed. This coordina­tion is disastrous for the back handspring because in that stunt the performer must do just the opposite to get an arch or he will land on his head. If the back hand­spring is learned first, much time will be saved in learning to do both the stunts correctly. The method of assisting the beginner to learn the back somersault is for two safety men to grasp the performer's shorts or belt as illustrated in Figure 134. To take the grip, each man rotates his arm a half-circle in the oppo­site direction to the performer's spin. Then the thumb only is put on the inside of the performer's shorts. The fingers take a firm hold on the outside. The free hands of the safety men slap lift under the performer's thighs. When the performer learns how to spin, and gains confidence, only the slap lift is given. Towels can be made into convenient safety belts, if de­sired, by twisting the ends as illustrated in Figure 135.

VARIATIONS

1. Round off; back handspring; back somersault.
   
   
2. Round off; back somersault.
   
   
3. Arm lift (Fig. 111).
   
   
4. Snap down; back somersault.

Fig. 134. The Way to "Spot" a Back Somersault.

Fig. 135. Using Towels to "Spot" a Back Somersault.

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