Different forms of kick-ups
There are of course many different ways to kick-up into our handstands. Some more complex and fancier than others.
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The basic kick-up
There are two kinds of basic kick-ups:
1) The lunging kick-up
We step and lunge into our kick-up, using that momentum to help us reach the overshot zone.
NB: You’ll see me perform this kick-up a lot in my tutorials.Because of some of the contexts and environments I want to practice my handstands in, it made more sense for me to choose this one first. The hands-on-floor came very easy once I got my handstands. Do swap it for a hands-on-floor kick-up if you prefer. My recommendation:- stick to one kick-up- stick to one side. No, you won’t get lobsided.
2) The hands-on-floor kick-up
We start with zero momentum, hands already in our desired position.
Standing up vs hands down
There are two main ways to approach your kick-up as a beginner.
The first way to practice your kick-ups is to start hands on the floor.
Pros:
- easier to find the first axis (align shoulders above hands)
- easier to gauge momentum and refine the power we are generating through the legs
- easier to tense our legs
- better suited to develop strength around shoulder flexion
Cons:
- less momentum, so you are gonna have to push a bit harder :)
The second way to practice your kick-ups is to start standing up.
Pros:
- easier to get your ass up there with so much momentum
- easier to integrate into many movement practice
Cons:
- harder to control that momentum
There is no right or wrong.
I need you to explore both for the next 7 days.
And pick a winner.
You are gonna stick with the winner for the next 3 months.
And then you will open your horizons, should you decide so.
The _____Â (fill-in-the-blank)Â up
Straddle up, tuck up, pike up… all those kick-ups refer to you pushing on both legs to land in the desired alignment (straddle, tuck, pike, etc.)
Let’s be honest for a second here.
No need to work on those until you have achieve mastered the basic kick-up first.
Others
Press up, circular kick-ups, gymnastics kick-up, acrobatic variations et al.
Conquer you basic kick-up first and those will be the next steps.
Start with the basic kick-up.
If unsure, try both variations (lunging and hands on floor).
Select the one that maximises your success rate.
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