Forward somersault technique. How to learn to do front and back somersaults

Back flip, like any other element of acrobatics, it is not learned immediately and the technique is developed over time. Often the most difficult thing is to take the first step... In order to move from a dead point and feel like a somersault jump, you must first overcome fear. But for the first attempts to learn backflips, you need to find a suitable surface. Naturally, the ideal solution is to go to the gym and practice jumping into a foam pit. But most people don’t have this opportunity, so many guys, like the author of this article, learned in the sand. Well, naturally, to try to do a back flip on the same sand, you already need to have at least the slightest idea of how to jump it. To do this, first try to jump into the water. It doesn’t matter where you jump from, from a cliff, a bungee, or a slide - it is important that you understand the technique, grouping, flight, how to roll over, etc. If you feel that you have enough experience to try on a hard surface, go for it. Before practicing a somersault on a plane, it won’t hurt to familiarize yourself with what all famous basketball players resort to. You can try jumping with the help of a partner. I would like to add one more significant fact - recently, in resorts and big cities, the opportunity to jump on a trampoline has appeared, do not miss it! This is the best option to practice the technique of tuck and flip into a backflip.
A backflip is done from a standing position, from two legs, or from the elements of a roundabout or a flip.

Back flip technique:

- You need to stand with your knees slightly bent. You need to bend your legs in order to push off properly, but you shouldn’t bend them too much, feel the golden mean.
- We move our hands down and a little back, and make a sharp swing with our hands up.
- Simultaneously with the swing of the arms, we make a powerful push with the legs.
- When we have already jumped from the ground, we do a tuck and twist back. (Bend your legs at the knees, hug them with your arms and pull them to your chest)
“Now the only task left is to ungroup in time.” (We need to ungroup at the moment when we saw the ground)
- We try to land as softly as possible so as not to hurt our legs. (We try to land on our toes and soften the landing by bending our knees.

Here is another video on teaching a back somersault, showing several interesting techniques. I advise you to look.

More and more young people are becoming interested in parkour and are successfully developing flexibility, agility and other physical indicators by performing various tricks. The whole secret to learning how to do a backflip lies in the correct technique and regular training - if these two conditions are met, you will quickly achieve it!

How to quickly learn how to do somersaults?

Don't expect to perform the trick perfectly on the first day. The more you practice, the more your body will refine the movements, and the better the somersault will be. If you regularly play sports, you can start training right away, but if not, then you need to devote a few weeks to getting in shape. It’s worth jogging or cycling 3-5 times a week for 20-40 minutes, working out with dumbbells and doing leg exercises: squats, lunges, squatting jumps, etc. When your body is strong, you will be able to handle any trick easier. If the main question for you is how to quickly learn how to do a back somersault, add back somersaults to your training; if you want to master a front somersault, somersault in both directions.

Only when all the muscles are toned and the legs are strong enough to push the body up to the desired height can you move on to master the trick.

The question of how to learn how to do a standing backflip requires consistency. At the beginning of any training, you need a warm-up to avoid injury. Then - repeated actions with insurance and, most importantly, with open eyes for complete control. This way you will quickly get results!

Let's consider the sequence of actions in detail:

As a warm-up, perform jumps from a crouched position, or, to begin with, from a half-squat. When jumping, straighten your body completely and stretch your arms up; when you land, group yourself back up.
The second warm-up exercise is tuck jumping: pushing off strongly from the ground with your feet, pull your knees to your chest, and lower your feet before landing.
The training itself begins with the starting position: standing, legs shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms down, head slightly lowered.
With your knees bent, push up with your legs as much as possible and swing your arms up in front of you with force. In the next second, straighten up - you are turning backwards.
At this moment, you need to press your knees to your chest and group yourself, clasping them with your arms.
As soon as you see the floor, immediately begin to ungroup - this should occur at the moment when it is perpendicular to your view.
With your knees away from your chest and your legs bent, land on your toes while maintaining balance. Avoid training barefoot or straightening your legs at this stage to avoid damaging your joints.

Don't worry if you don't succeed the first time. Train regularly with the support of a friend and preferably on mats to soften a possible fall.

Surely, since childhood, each of us has admired such a film actor as Jackie Chan, who in every film with his participation simply amazes with his incredibly impressive performance of acrobatic stunts, including doing the well-known somersault. Most film lovers, watching films of this kind, asked the question: “How to learn how to do a somersault?”, because any person always tries to impress his friends by demonstrating his excellent physical fitness.

Therefore, today we propose to get acquainted with the rules for performing such acrobatic tricks as back, side and front somersaults. Moreover, the basics of this trick can be mastered by practicing even at home. How to learn to do a backflip? Is it possible to teach how to do a forward somersault in the air in one day? We will try to answer these and other questions today.

It turns out that today there are several main types of air somersaults:

front;
rear;
lateral (from the wall);
pirouette;
wall flip;
double.

There is no doubt that quickly learning to perform aerial somersaults without minimal physical training is extremely difficult. To perform a somersault, no matter the front or the back, it is very important to train the muscle groups on the legs, so you can avoid injury.

This suggests that before you do this trick forward or backward, you should prepare your legs. Daily training will help you with this, which may include jumping rope, all kinds of squats, and somersaults. Exercises should be carried out on the ground, as this reduces the likelihood of straining the ankle muscles, which play an important role during an acrobatic exercise of this kind.

No matter how much you would like, you won’t be able to quickly master such a complex trick, and it doesn’t matter whether you work out at home or work in the gym, so be patient and improve your physical fitness.

How and where should training take place?

The first training should take place either on soft ground, or in the gym, where you can find special gymnastic mats that will reduce the impact of falls.

The advantages of specialized establishments also include the possibility of additional insurance and assistance, which can be a personal trainer. A qualified specialist will tell, show and teach you how to do this trick with minimal falls on your part.

But, despite this, you can train at home, setting aside a place and a couple of soft blankets or mattresses for this. You can also find, so to speak, a “brother,” that is, a person who is also not averse to learning how to perform this acrobatic element. As practice shows, studying in a group is much easier and more effective. Firstly, there is the possibility of a safety net, and secondly, you can clearly see all the mistakes and take them into account when performing, for example, a forward somersault.

How to do a backflip correctly?

In order to learn this trick, you need to perfect two exercises:

An accurate back somersault without any deviation.
Jumping to a height.

Most qualified specialists claim that only through proper grouping can one learn to perform this acrobatic exercise. At the first stage, it is extremely important to practice accompanied by a partner who can support you while performing the movements.

If you are learning this trick for the first time, it is better to enlist the help of several people, one of whom will hold your lower back while performing the flip, and the other will guide your legs correctly, ensuring a clear landing.

Important advice! While performing this exercise, it is extremely important not to look away to the side, as this can lead to injury. Concentrate your attention on one point and stick to it until the flip.

Back flip technique

We stand exactly next to the wall. Now we push off from the floor surface, straighten our torso, and then press our knees to our chest. You need to prepare for the fact that you won't be able to land on your feet the first few times, so prepare your knees for this by wearing knee pads.

How to do a front somersault correctly?

Practicing the forward aerial somersault is a basic acrobatic exercise, after which you can move on to more serious tricks.

Before performing a forward somersault, you need to learn how to do clear somersaults forward (from a squatting position and from a standing position) and jumping up with your arms extended forward. And only when all these exercises seem very simple and easy to you, you can safely proceed to the trick itself.

Execution technique

We stand straight next to the wall. We jump out with straight arms, move our legs a little further than our body, and then perform a flip. During this, the buttocks should be raised as high as possible, and the legs should be bent at the knee joint. Now we group ourselves, pull our knees towards our shoulders and try to land on the balls of our feet, slightly bending our legs at the knee joint.

To perform a clearer and smoother trick, you need to clasp your knees with your hands during a somersault.

How to properly train a side air somersault?

How to learn to do an Arabian somersault? This question is asked by those people who want to master the technique of performing a side somersault in flight.

Before you learn how to do this kind of somersault, you need to master several basic exercises:

side somersault, which is best done from the wall, landing on at least five mats;
side flip with a preliminary take-off from the opposite wall.

Technique for performing a side somersault in the air

We combine the two above exercises, but at the same time leave only one mat on the floor, due to which the flight phase occurs.

We hope that our tips will help you master this trick. We sincerely wish you success in all your endeavors!

Performing a deft jump with a back or forward flip - a somersault - is not an easy task. This acrobatic trick requires good physical fitness and a lot of hard training. The child learns new skills faster. You can watch with admiration how athletic children easily perform somersaults and cartwheels and demonstrate excellent stretching. Of course, any girl or boy attending a gymnastics section will do a somersault. Another question is an adult who is very tormented by the question of how to learn how to do an acrobatic somersault. Well, as they say: “If only there was a desire”!

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To hone the skill of performing somersaults, it is not at all necessary to seek help from a professional trainer. If a person is physically developed and there are no contraindications for health reasons, nothing prevents him from learning how to do somersaults on his own with the help of our tips and training videos.

Before proceeding directly to learning the somersault itself, it is necessary to first prepare the whole body. After all, an unathletic and sedentary person is unlikely to be able to perform a trick of this kind.

The lower part of the body should be especially strong - so it’s worth starting to master the technique of lunges now. Then add a daily light jog, jumping rope, standing long jump and running jump to your schedule. By giving the body physical activity on a regular basis, it will have no choice but to respond positively to a person’s new habits. You will see: literally after a week of training, endurance will improve and strength indicators will increase.

Jump Features

Somersaults are an exercise that needs to be brought to automaticity if you plan to learn how to do somersaults at home. After all, the exercises are very similar, only one is done on the floor, and the other in the air.

You will also have to remember school long jumps: jump from your toes, springing your heels, and landing softly. Whether you're training for a backflip or you're interested in learning how to do just a frontflip, landing softly is important.

How to do a forward somersault

It is necessary to begin your acquaintance with “air flights” with this type of somersault - it is the main one. First of all, we practice somersault technique:

We squat down, legs together, back straight;
We press our head to our chest, bring our arms forward;
We push off with effort from the floor and do a somersault.

It is best to learn how to do a running somersault, so due to inertia the push will be stronger. The jump up after acceleration must be done as high as possible.

The jump can be done on two feet at once or on one - whichever is more convenient, the main thing is that not the whole foot and not the heels are involved - the push is done from the toes and the landing is the same. When you make a jump, a tuck should occur similar to a somersault - the knees are pressed to the chest and captured by the legs.

If you have already mastered this technique, you can tell and show yourself how to learn how to do a front somersault, it’s time to train more complex variations of the exercise.

How to do a backflip

In order to quickly learn how to do a backflip, you need to perfect somersaults in the opposite direction until they become automatic:

Squat down and press your chin to your chest;
Push off and do a somersault, clasping your knees with your hands;
At the end, catch your balance in time.

A back flip must be done from a hill, so teenagers who love extreme sports can definitely answer the question of how to learn how to do a back flip. In this regard, the best time of year for training will be a snowy winter: when you can jump into the snow without much danger.

A backflip is a 360 degree flip of the body in the air, so a person must know how to quickly group themselves and land softly after a jump.

To technically correctly perform a back somersault, you need “experience” of training and a clear knowledge of the instructions. When jumping, you need to swing your arms, bend your legs at the knees and jump up as much as possible. The turn can be done using the hips and with maximum muscle tension. The legs bend during the jump, and when landing on the ground, they straighten. But you cannot complete the exercise with your legs completely straight - there should be a slight bend in your knees. And unlike a front somersault, the landing is performed on the entire foot.

How to do a side somersault

If you want to learn how to do the famous Arabian somersault, you need to carefully master the technique of somersaults in the air. They are best performed by pushing off from a wall and landing on a soft surface. The push is carried out with one leg, while the second leg swings, which allows you to jump in the air.

The back flip - cork - has the same technique as the Arabian somersault.

Training place

Ideally, training should take place in a spacious gym with gymnastic mats and under the guidance of an instructor. But if this is not possible, lay out more mattresses and blankets at home and exercise.

It is important not to forget that good physical shape is like a foundation, without which you cannot even try to perform tricks. To make the exercise easier, start doing wall flips, then front and back flips. Having brought the technique to automaticity, then it will be possible to deftly demonstrate good preparation on the street, beautiful somersaults in the air and cork of any complexity!

What do you associate the concept of “acrobatics” with? Don't talk about role-playing games, where this skill determines how far you jump and from what height you fall. Acrobatics for most people stubbornly correlates with such a concept as a somersault, that is, such a deft jump with a back or forward flip (as you like). Anyone who at least once watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Hong Kong action films as a child will understand us.

Learning this without preparation is dangerous. This is especially dangerous for those who have never worked out in a rocking chair at least once in their lives. But if you really want it, then it’s worth a try. Be sure to train your legs - start your day with a jump rope: a good “run-up and jump” is the guarantee that you will not break your neck and jaw, so prepare yourself mentally. Put down mats or blankets and tumble on them - this will help you develop flexibility. The tuck exercise, which is vital to learn, will help you answer the question of how to learn how to do a backflip. At first, it is advisable to jump from a hill, just don’t forget to lay down mats.

You need to start with this type of somersault; it is basic in nature. Only after this can you move on to more difficult elements. Remember that you need to jump not from your heels, but from your toes - as expected, spring your heels as if you were 15 again and taking the long jump at school in a physical education lesson. The most important thing about learning how to do a front somersault is not to hit the floor with your heels - you need to land softly.

There are common points for backflips and frontflips. Of course, to an unenlightened person they may seem almost identical, but this is absolutely not true: they are completely different. Let's look at the similarities between these two types of somersaults. In both types of somersaults, landing softly is vital. Torsion is also a very important point in our lesson on how to learn how to do a somersault yourself, and the reason for this is the simplest - it helps to group and do everything as deftly as possible.

A very important point in performing somersaults is leg training. We wrote about this above. We talked about how useful it is to jump rope - so, you need to try a variety of types of jumps, gradually increasing the height of the jump. Jump, run, pump up your abs (this really helps in moving your legs where you need them), do flexibility exercises - here are our tips for you. A very good exercise for those who want to know how to learn how to do somersaults themselves is jumping with straight outstretched arms. How to do it? We'll tell you. You stand up straight, bend your knees - just like you did in school in physical education lessons when you wanted to pass the long jump, and jump up with straight arms, trying to drag your body along with them. Land on your toes, spring, bounce and land well - this will help you develop leg strength. Pay special attention to the softness and smoothness of the landing; it is advisable to do this under supervision: the technique should be corrected by knowledgeable people.

If suddenly you don’t have a good training room with mats or a soft Ikea mattress with a blanket at hand, then we recommend that you either give up on this thankless task (it’s very easy to break your neck without protection), or find yourself a pit with sand, for example, in many stadiums there is such joy. Of course, you will have to wash your hair much more often, but how passionate are you about learning how to do somersaults yourself without spending money? Remember to jump and the need to land softly on both feet.

But seriously, dude, this is very dangerous, really dangerous! Do all these joys under the supervision of a trainer, everyone can watch videos on YouTube, the only trouble is that you don’t see yourself from the outside, and in general you treat yourself very subjectively. If you have never played sports, never done acrobatics and did not know how to do a cartwheel as a child, think a few times before you start learning how to learn how to do a somersault yourself, because it is best to do a somersault under the guidance of a competent person who will support and understand. So quit this harmful business and go do something serious under the guidance and supervision of a coach.

Somersaults are an element of acrobatic exercises, as well as the increasingly popular parkour. A somersault is a jump that flips 360 degrees and lands on your feet. If you want to learn how to do a somersault, the most important thing is to know that for this exercise you need to have strong muscles and ligaments, especially in your legs.

How and where to train?

It is best to conduct training in the gym, under the supervision of professionals. However, not everyone has this opportunity. In this case, you can train at home, the main thing is to remember to be careful and follow all safety rules. Since this jump is quite traumatic, when training at home, you should lay out more mattresses and blankets on the floor. Also make sure that there are no sharp or hard objects nearby, and that there is nothing breakable on the closet nearby.

It is best to follow training videos when training at home. Such lessons are more intelligible than ordinary descriptions. Also, if you have not done anything like this before, you should start by training the necessary muscle groups. The load is especially heavy on the legs, so it’s best to start training with squats, lunges, and regular jumps. Then you should introduce daily jogging, long jumping and jumping rope. No sooner than a week later, you should carefully try your hand at more complex exercises.

Of course, the best option is to train under the supervision of an experienced instructor. He will not only show you and explain how to move, but also support you at the beginning of training and point out mistakes and mistakes.

Types of somersaults

There are several types of somersault jumps. Among them there are both relatively simple ones and those complicated by additional elements and figures. Among the main types of somersaults are:

Front flip. Represents a forward roll over the head. To do it, you need to throw your arms out from behind your head and sharply push off with your legs. There are execution options - bending over, double or even triple somersault, tuck somersault, etc.
Backflip. The jump back over the head is performed in the same way, but the arms are thrown back, while jumping you need to take a tuck or, in the case of a blanche back somersault, straighten up.
Side somersault. It can be performed from a running start or from a standstill, there are several varieties - doubleleg, aerial, shogunfay and the most famous Arabic.
Screw, or pirouette. A somersault with the body turning not only forward or backward, but also around its axis. Can be performed in combination with a somersault.
Somersault off the wall. This option is performed with a running start, after a push against the wall. Can be performed with or without a tuck, accompanied by a leg swing.

How to learn to do a backflip?

To learn how to do a backflip, you first need to be excellent at doing reverse somersaults. This is done as follows:

Squat down and press your chin to your chest.
Push off and somersault back, clasping your knees with your hands.
When landing, catch your balance and stabilize.

The best way to learn a backflip is from a slight elevation. To do this, you can choose winter time, when warm clothes soften the fall, and you can safely land in a soft snowdrift. During the execution, you need to make a 360-degree flip, so the most important thing is to group yourself in the jump and land carefully. During the jump, your legs should be bent at the knees, jumping is accompanied by swinging your arms. Before landing, you need to straighten your legs. In this version of the jump, you must land on your entire foot.

The main complication with this somersault is that during the jump you cannot see where you will land. That is why you should look around carefully and jump there. Where you will not encounter obstacles, especially at the beginning of training. If jumping back causes great difficulty, you should start with something easier, for example, a forward somersault.

How to learn to do a forward somersault?

It is best to begin your acquaintance with the somersault technique with this particular variety. As with the backflip, the first thing you need to do is practice somersaults. This is done like this:

Squat down, straighten your back and bring your legs together.
Bring your arms forward and press your head to your chest.
Push off with your feet and, focusing on your hands, roll forward.

If you are just learning how to do a somersault, it is best to start doing it with a running start. This way you will be able to push off with your feet, which means you will have a much greater chance of a successful somersault. After the run, you need to jump as high as possible. That is why it is worth practicing in high and long jumps in advance. You can push off with one leg or two - it depends on what is more comfortable for you. Over time, you will be able to do both options equally successfully.

It is important to push off not with your entire foot or heel, but with your toe or toes. It is also necessary to land on your toes; for this you need to group yourself correctly during the jump. You need to press your knees to your chest, and before landing, straighten your legs and lightly spring them, absorbing the inertia of the jump.

When you master this technique perfectly, you can move on to more complex jumping options. It is better not to train several variations of somersaults at the same time. Not only will this take more time, but it can also make it confusing which type of jump you're doing and how you should group yourself while doing it.

How to properly train a side air somersault?

The side air somersault has several variations, but the most common is a somersault, which is called an Arabian somersault. Before learning how to do it, it is important to practice well. If you need to do somersaults during a front and back somersault, then in this case you need to be able to do the cartwheel exercise. After this, your body will easily find the desired position and mastering the Arabic or side jump will not be difficult.

When taking off, you need to jump as high as possible to make a turn and land on your legs slightly bent at the knees. You can jump in any direction, so it is better to choose the one in which you are better at doing a cartwheel. In this case, one hand should move in front and from top to bottom, and the other down and forward, in the direction of movement. At the same time, the leg rolls from heel to toe, this is how the jump can be as long as possible.

When jumping, it is important to not group too tightly. Pay more attention to your position, but be sure to look at the ground before landing so you have time to regroup. Landing is the most difficult stage. Failure to do so could result in injury. It is important that your legs bend slightly at the knees and absorb the energy of the jump.

You will find a video lesson teaching somersaults in the following video:

After reviewing all these options, remember that not only the success of the somersault, but also your health depends on the execution technique. Only move on to the next step when you are completely ready. And most importantly, don’t let the fear of jumping limit your movements; only by relaxing will you be able to do everything as needed.

A somersault is an acrobatic element that requires good physical fitness.

It must be remembered that performing this element, since it is quite difficult, can be traumatic.

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To learn how to do both forward and backward somersaults, you don’t need a lot of knowledge and skills, you just need to follow some rules. This is exactly what is written in this article.

How to learn to do a forward somersault

If you decide to learn how to do a somersault, first learn how to land correctly. If you train in the gym, then, of course, this can alleviate the situation. Just lay a couple of mats on the floor in advance and then start. When beginners take their first jump, they make one mistake: they lean down before taking off. This is strictly prohibited. If you want to do a forward somersault correctly, you need to push off from the outfit and at the same time bend over so that it is as low to the ground as possible.

Another important feature of performing a front somersault correctly is the landing. It should be done on the left or right side (whichever is more convenient). When performing this element, the neck must be turned in the selected direction (left or right).

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If you miss this moment, you may delay something. You should not press your chin parallel to your chest, because this can lead to a sad result, namely rupture or displacement of the vertebrae. This happens because all the body weight is concentrated on the neck. If the head and body, as already written above, are turned on their side, there will be no injuries.

It should also be noted that for those who want to learn how to do a forward somersault, do not place the goat high. Don't forget to warm up. This will prevent injury, and the flow of blood to the brain and increased ventilation in the lungs will improve your reaction.

Only when you are already performing perfectly with the apparatus, can you move on to the standing position. A shock-absorbing bridge can help you with this. The main thing is to take your time, a somersault will not happen right away, you need to make an effort and train every day.

How to learn to do a backflip

To learn how to do a backflip, you need the same devices as in the previous case. Naturally, preparation for this element will take more time. Pay great attention to your spine. Therefore, learn to perform a standard bridge, first from a lying position, and later from a standing position. In this case, it is also important to do everything gradually. Only when you are 100% sure that you can move on to the next stage, then start training to jump from a height.

Swing your arms before jumping. To do this, pull them back well. The more mileage you put into the snatch, the more confidence you will have when landing.

Always inspect the surface behind you, you only need to land on the mat. Experts also advise beginners to move their body to the side, but professionals may not do this.

In general, anyone who wants to learn this should not ignore everything they can advise. Learn from video lessons, and remember that they are people just like you. They also learned this before.

Video lessons

Side somersault.

It is advisable to train in a section on mats. You can also do it on the street. It is advisable to work on the street, not study!

A side somersault is performed by pushing with one leg and swinging the other, or by pushing with both legs. To move from a run-up to a side somersault, you need to perform a jump with the movement of your arms: the hand with the same direction in the direction of rotation must be moved back during the jump, and the opposite hand - forward. When pushing off, the first hand should move forward, and the second - from the front down and back. Before performing a somersault, you need to master the pounce!
A side somersault is performed by swinging one leg and pushing with the other leg from a running start. You need to try to fly as high as possible in order to land almost on straight legs. A side somersault is performed in the same direction as the cartwheel; if you do a cartwheel facing to the right, then the side somersault must also be done, facing to the right, but this is not always the case. Before performing a somersault, you definitely need to decide in which direction it is convenient for you to do it, in which direction you will be better at it.

The side somersault begins with your face and chest forward in the direction of movement. In a side somersault to the right, a sideways turn in the direction of movement is performed by moving the right leg and the arm back - up, and the left shoulder down. This turn should not be made until the end of the leg swing.
There are several options for moving your arms when pushing off. The most rational is the following: the first hand moves in front, down, up with late braking, and the left hand moves from the shoulder forward and in a circular motion down and back to the left leg.

Before pushing off, you need to place your left foot on the floor with your heel and roll onto your toes. As you know, in this case it is difficult to make a strong push. However, such a position of the legs is necessary so that the push is longer and the swing of the right leg is fuller. In addition, planting your foot from the heel makes it easier to take a wide step before pushing off. In turn, a wide step allows you to start swinging with your right leg earlier and makes the stopper mechanism possible. The degree of stop depends on the amount of forward movement and on how the somersault needs to be done - with a transition to the next jump or to a stop.

The swing of the right leg ends with bending it at the knee, which, as it were, continues the swing after full use of mobility in the hip joints, promotes an earlier grouping and will allow you to make a faster swing. You can make a mistake if you bend your leg prematurely.

To turn over faster, you need to group as early as possible. But not too early! Having come off the floor, you need to grab the group with your left hand with a swinging movement. After braking the swing, leave your right hand in place and, when the leg approaches the hand, make a grab. In a tuck, pull your right leg in the general direction, trying to place it on the floor early. When tucked with your left shoulder, you need to reach towards your left leg. It is not recommended to take a very tight grouping in a side somersault.
After grouping, you need to straighten your legs sequentially: first the swing leg, then, as you move forward, the pushing leg.
To facilitate orientation in space, you need to look forward as long as possible at the beginning of the somersault, and then you should turn your head so as to see the floor in front of you. Turning your head prematurely can prevent you from performing a somersault!

When performing a side somersault, at first it is very difficult to navigate in space. When you try for the first time b. In a somersault you may not understand how to spin sideways. To do this, there are several exercises with rotation in the frontal plane: lateral rolls in a narrow and wide group, a cartwheel from a place, from a swoop, from a run several times in a row, a cartwheel and a jumping wheel combined with various forward somersaults, a cartwheel from a height, a cartwheel from a jump with support hands on a raised platform from the floor. Landing in a side somersault is notoriously difficult. If you land incorrectly and relax your legs, you can get injured in your knee joints. To avoid injury, you need to do this exercise: lie with your back on a hill, on the edge, take a tuck and roll from the cliff to your feet, practice landing (preferably from the mats, in sections).

Basic mistakes.
a) premature turn of the body to the right (during a pounce). It is difficult to perform a jump from such a position; to correct the mistake you need to try to watch as long as possible.
b) a pounce not along the line of general movement.
c) not a wide step in a pounce. The result is a bad, bad somersault.
d) the left leg is not placed forward, but at an angle. As a result, the foot cannot be supported. The body falls forward, and you can’t spin, you fall on your back.
e) tilt not forward in the direction of travel, but strictly to the right. You simply won’t be able to fly out, you need to lean not completely forward, but a little more to the right, then it will turn out fine. Don't bend over too much!
f) incorrect swing of the right leg, premature swing, incomplete swing, late swing.
g) incorrect swing of the left hand, late swing, not a sharp swing... etc.
h) incorrect swing of the right arm, swing not in a vertical plane, late swing, incomplete swing, no braking of the arm swing relative to the body.
i) weak push with the left leg.
j) late capture of a group, narrow group.
The side somersault is difficult, but beautiful. If it doesn't work from a standstill, try from a low height. It is much easier to do from a height. You don't need to put in a lot of effort. If you can do it from a height, then you can safely perform a somersault in the city, anywhere, for example, from the hood of a car (if you want to see what it looks like, watch the movie Taxi 2 with the participation of the YAMAKASI team).

The back somersault is performed from a standing position, from two legs and after connecting elements, for example (rounddats, flasks).

To perform a backflip you need the following:
1) You need to stand up, raise your arms above your head, but you can swing from a position with your arms from below. From the beginning of training, it is better to keep your hands above your head.
2) Bend your knees. It is not necessary to bend your legs too much, bend them so that you can push off well. Lower your arms down and back a little so that there is more acceleration for swinging your arms.
3) Make a powerful push with your legs up and at the same time swing your arms up. The most important thing is to raise your head after the push and tilt it back as far as possible, because of this the turn will be faster.
4) To make a more powerful somersault, you must first rise on your toes.
5) After pushing your legs and swinging your arms, you need to stretch out as high as possible and the somersault will turn out higher. But you don’t need to stretch out for too long, otherwise you’ll just end up jumping up. It will unwind well, but it won’t work unless it’s on your back.
6) After departure, you need to immediately take a tuck and twist back. During the entire flight, your head must be kept in the same position - tilted back. If you press your chin to your knees, the speed of the twist will decrease and you may not complete the twist.
7) The main thing is to ungroup in time. You need to ungroup after you see the floor with your face, parallel to your body.
8) The main thing is to land softly so as not to get injured. You need to land on your knees slightly bent, on your toes. If you land on straight legs, you can severely dislocate your knee joint. And if not on socks, then it will be very bad, over time.

Errors in the push-off phase.
a) a weak push with the legs.
b) incomplete, insufficiently sharp arm swing.
c) incorrect completion of the arm swing. You need to brake in an up position.
d) the swing of the arms and the push of the legs are not performed and completed at the same time. Big mistake!
d) moving your shoulders back too much. Errors in the turning over phase.
e) loose grouping. It will be more difficult to roll over onto your feet.
g) lack of backward movement of the head at the moment of capturing the group.
h) incorrect landing after tuck.
Errors during landing.
i) relaxed landing.
j) incorrect movements to maintain balance. You need to land on your knees slightly bent, on your toes.
When training a back somersault in a tuck, you should achieve maximum flight altitude, a tight tuck, and a stable landing from a height. There are different types of backflip, such as tempo somersault, blanche, backflip, bent over, and backflip. From a height it is more beautiful to perform either: tempo or z. Bending somersault. These methods make it much easier to land on your feet without losing your balance.

It is advisable to train in a section on mats. You can also do it on the street.

The tuck front somersault is performed in three ways.

First way.
Typically used when performing standing somersaults and in connections. One begins to learn a somersault in this way after mastering tucked rotation in somersaults and the skill of turning forward, acquired by performing various forward flips. To learn a front somersault using this method, you can use a number of leading exercises: standing on one leg, bend the other into a tuck, grab it with one hand and at the same time tilt your torso forward; When grouping, press your shoulder to your knee, and the heel of your bent leg to your torso. From the main stance, quickly rise onto your toes and raise your arms up. Without pausing, sharply bend your arms behind your head, squat slightly springily and immediately jump up and forward, helping to take off upward by straightening your arms upward. When squatting, do not lower your entire foot. As a lead-in exercise to performing a somersault, we can recommend a jump somersault from two legs to two. The jump must be combined with raising your arms up.

Main mistakes:
a) a weak push, which occurs due to insufficient application of force, squatting too hard or delay in squatting before the push. If you perform a weak push, there may be insufficient height and insufficient rotation.
b) bending the body with moving the shoulders back before pushing off. The bending should occur due to a slight movement of the pelvis backwards.
c) poor forward bending of the whole body. This slope should not be too great, otherwise you will have to plow the floor with your nose.
d) poor assistance with hands, limited movement of hands.
e) loose grouping. To avoid hitting your face on your knees when landing, you need to keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
e) not to ungroup in time.

Leg extension should begin after positioning your back to the floor, and your legs should move exactly towards the floor.
This method of somersault can be performed without a run-up (it’s better not to do it!) to gain more rotational movement. But moving your arms does not contribute to a good upward flight! So it’s better to do it quickly!
- Second method. In the second method, the movement of the arms when pushing off is performed not from behind the head, but from below forward and upward. This method is rarely performed. This method is used to perform long somersaults and jump over obstacles. This method is quite difficult, so I will not describe this method, but if you are interested in learning it, write to us by e-mail.
- The third way. In this method, the main thing is to master a full and timely swing of your arms back and forth. The swing must be performed so that the arms rise up to the limit, and the shoulders almost do not lean forward. A good introduction exercise is a somersault jump with arms swinging backwards. It is necessary to ensure that the swing of the arms and the push of the legs are completed at the same time. It is advisable to perform a somersault on an elevation (mats in 4 - 5 layers). After firmly mastering the swing with your arms, you can perform a somersault.

Basic mistakes.
a) delayed and incomplete swing of arms back. The swing should begin at the moment of the pounce. The movement of the arms should be done upwards, not backwards. Your hands should move very freely, almost relaxed.
b) bending the body forward. The result will be a poor takeoff, even if there is a strong kick from the legs. It can be very painful and unfortunate to fall on your head or back.
c) loose grouping. In this method, you can grab your legs by the hips, but you can also grab them by the shins, as is convenient. The first option is more convenient!

Wall flip.
Technique for performing somersaults on the wall:
You need to run up, running up to the wall, jump onto the wall with one foot (whichever is more convenient).
Having placed the support with your first leg, lean back so that the body takes a position - perpendicular to the wall, i.e., as if “lying”, immediately place the second leg, but not at a great distance from the first leg, as if taking a small step along the wall, while This is to make a powerful swing with your arms back for a good twist.
The head must be tilted back. Leaning your head back promotes spinning; if you don’t tilt your head back, you can fall on your head.
You need to land with your legs slightly bent to avoid injuries to the knee joints.
You cannot slow down while doing a wall flip! You need to do it as you roll forward, without slowing down from the run.
In a wall somersault, the main thing is to jump high from the floor with your first leg. The higher the better! And be sure to lean back.

Basic mistakes when performing wall somersaults:
1) bad run-up.
2) low jump onto the wall. No deflection back, or poor deflection.
3) no arm swing, or a bad, incomplete swing.
4) there is no sharp rotation of the body.
5) no head tilt back.
A wall flip can be performed without placing the other leg. Without taking a step, make a swing with this leg to spin. But to do this you need to jump high onto the wall.

Initially, somersaults arose as part of circus performances. In those ancient times, the circus was the only place where acrobatic tricks could be seen. The trend towards mass passion for sports in the twentieth century. led to the formation of separate sports disciplines. One of them was sports acrobatics, in which the somersault became one of the main exercises. And finally, at the beginning of the 21st century. elements of sports acrobatics took to the streets, taking shape in such an extreme pastime as parkour.

It should be understood that any acrobatics - circus, sports, and parkour - is a specific skill that requires training and perfect control of your own body. Acrobatic stunts are potentially traumatic.

Somersault in parkour: how to learn

Parkour has elevated the somersault to the rank of the main trick. A boring gymnastic exercise has been transformed into exciting turns in the air: from a standing or running start, from a wall, from a railing, pushing off with one or both feet, using or without the arms in the push, with or without a tuck, with or without rotation, forward and back and so on - about 50 options in total. However, this balancing act is based on the ability to perform a standard circus acrobatic flip in the air.

What is needed for this:

Good physical form.

Developed leg muscles are of key importance, since the trick is carried out due to the impulse of the jump.

Education and training.

Mastering flips in the air involves training in the gym on mats, using assistive devices. A good place for training is the diving board in the pool.

Lack of fear.

Flipping in the air is not the most natural practice for the body. This is especially true for backflips.

The vestibular and visual signals that the brain receives during a somersault can lead to loss of balance and failure in any person. However, with the ability to control the body, physical training and practicing technique, performing a somersault is very simple.

Where to begin

Prepare your body:

run, ride a bike, use jumping ropes;
do push-ups, pull-ups;
go swimming.

Exercises for learning somersaults

With the following exercises you will learn how to master a backflip. These exercises are also suitable for somersaulting forward in the air.

1. Jump up

The basic success of a somersault depends on how high you get off the ground. You need to jump, creating momentum not only with your legs, but with your whole body. For this:

Squat down halfway and place your arms back.
Push forward with your legs, straightening your body and swinging your arms so that at the moment of the highest lift, your arms are directed towards the ceiling.
Reach your whole body towards the ceiling.
You will notice that as you jump, your back and body bend back - just what you need to perform a somersault.

2. Lifting legs in a horizontal position

The second important skill is the ability to group:

Lie on your back on the floor, straighten your arms back behind your head.
Raise your legs by bending your knees and bringing your knees toward your chest.
When performing, do not take your hands off the floor.

Do the exercise at a fast pace.

3. Lifting legs in a vertical position

The exercise is similar in action to the previous one, but requires more effort:

Grab the horizontal bar with your hands.
Tuck yourself up by pulling your legs up and bending your knees.
Bringing your knees to your chest, return your legs to the starting position.

4. Back flip jump on a trampoline

This exercise allows you to simulate a flip in the air, accustoming the body, eyes and vestibular system to non-standard rotation.

While standing on the trampoline, perform a jump as described in exercise 1.
When jumping, push back - the trampoline will give additional momentum.
Land on your back, tuck as described in exercise 2.
After landing, the trampoline will bounce your body. Your task is to use this momentum to perform a backward somersault.
A somersault in the air should end with entering the starting position - standing.

5. Jump back with an elevated jump

In the exercise, you practice entering a flip in the air, i.e. you do the first half of the somersault yourself.

Your task is to push off from the floor, as described in exercise 1, and jump backwards onto a raised surface, tucked in at the moment of landing. The elevation can be a trampoline, an artificial difference in floor height with a safe covering (mattresses, mats, etc.). The elevation should be at chest level.

How to do a backflip

If you have mastered the previous exercises correctly, there will be no problem with how to do a backflip.

Squat down a little and move your arms back.
Push up with your entire body while swinging your arms up.
Having entered the horizontal plane, group yourself: tighten the muscles of the abdomen, buttocks and thighs. The somersault is carried out around the conditional point of the solar plexus. The coordinated work of the listed muscles is the key to successfully performing a somersault.
Land on your knees bent, on your feet. When landing, your arms are parallel to the floor.

How to do a forward somersault

It is easier to do a forward somersault in the air than a backward one, simply because moving forward is more natural for us. The jumping and body grouping skills acquired in teaching previous exercises will come in handy.

A front somersault is performed in the following sequence:

Running up, raising your arms up.
Pushing off the ground with your whole body. If in a back somersault the back bends back, but during a front somersault, the body seems to “dive” forward, describing an arc.
Grouping: chin and knees - to the chest, knees not closed.
Somersault.
Landing on bent legs.

Having learned the traditional somersault, you will be able to modify its technique and make purely parkour turns: with arms swinging behind your back, back from a height, pushing off with one leg, “pistol”, through obstacles and other variations in the urban style.