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Handless Headstand


WitnessTheFitness
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WitnessTheFitness

Are there any tutorials or videos of this skill? Even looking on YouTube, I only find people doing it against a wall. Been training this for months now, but don't see much progress--as soon as my feet leave the wall I completely lose control. I can hold it for a couple seconds at best, but that's really just the brief moment before tipping over, and not a legit headstand.

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Edward Smith

Having support around the head is not the key, I imagine that photo is just a snapshot of them in a freeze rather than balaning it. Matchstick (as i've heard the fully closed headstnad position called) is insanely hard. I have a friend who stood for 20 minutes straight on his head on a washington trapeze. I do not remember him performing or practicing matchstick position.

 

I know next to nothing about headbalancing, however everyone i know who trains it begins learning it from a hand supported headstand not from the wall. 

 

Sorry I can't be more help.

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Colin Macdonald

Having support around the head is not the key, I imagine that photo is just a snapshot of them in a freeze rather than balaning it. Matchstick (as i've heard the fully closed headstnad position called) is insanely hard. I have a friend who stood for 20 minutes straight on his head on a washington trapeze. I do not remember him performing or practicing matchstick position.

 

 

It's possible that it's just a freeze frame, though with four people doing it together it makes it more unlikely to be the case.

 

On the trapeze headstand it appears that there is a support, is it perfectly flat and hard like the floor? Or is it rounded and/or soft?

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Circus people do it on the floor and on the trapeze using head supports. It is basically a piece of rubber dug to fit the top of your head.

 

shane_headstand_landscape1-733x266-13702

 

It is usually done with legs in a straddle, because it is the legs that are used for balancing the position.

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Edward Smith

On the trapeze you have a donut, which is a circular object with a whole in the middle, it is not soft or at least it does not deform/change shape. It fits the head somewhat and does make it more comfortable and somewhat easier. However, my friend who stood on his head for 20 minutes also does headstand on floor with no donut (I have even seen a hand to hand number that contained head to head with no donut).

 

 

 

It's possible that it's just a freeze frame, though with four people doing it together it makes it more unlikely to be the case.

Haha, I would use the exact same reasoning to make the opposite point  :lol:  check out the 4th guy, clearly falling. Honestly I know maybe 3 people who can do the position (including arms by the side, not just legs together). I can't imagine 4 people doing it together.

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Haha, I would use the exact same reasoning to make the opposite point  :lol:  check out the 4th guy, clearly falling. Honestly I know maybe 3 people who can do the position (including arms by the side, not just legs together). I can't imagine 4 people doing it together.

 

 

I have a photo of me and 3 of my friends exactly like that and it is a freeze frame. It is easy to do it like that =P

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Information on this skill scarce, but here is something from Daniel Liddiard. In case his name is not familiar, a video:



"when i started i would stay 6 minutes a day on my head, i did 2 minute stets 3 times a day 4 times a week and for 6 weeks i never released my hands. you do this to build muscles in your neck and back but mostly you do this to find the correct position, with a perfect straight line in your back and your head pulled in and shoulders rolled forwards there isn't much neck muscles needed because your shoulder's lock your head in one place. also trying to balance only with your legs is important and never balancing with your shoulders, because if you catch the balance with your shoulders it puts strain on your neck and it will make it difficult to stay for long periods of time or move on to harder positions. so if you want to try this way you must not take your hands off for at least 6 weeks and film from the side to see if you are straight. you don't have to do the 6 minutes at the same time you can spread it out through the day, also take it slow if it hurts maybe take the time down by a few minutes and build up to 6 minutes. if you do this 6 weeks when you try to let go it becomes very fast to learn. ask me if you have any questions."

From there, from the information I have gathered, most everyone learns using light finger touches. Flat palms to finger tips, to thumb + pointer to thumb to lightly brushing thumb to thumb taps and so on. Good luck! I think a very wide straddle position will come in handy.

I've also tried block climbing. Similar to how you train for one arm handstand. IMO the block climbing is great for learning how to use your legs are used to balance.
In block climbing, just get into a headstand with your hands on blocks. Then shift the weight to one side (by using your legs), and you will feel the weight come off of the other side's hand. Then remove that block and put your hand on the floor. now shift the legs to the side of the hand on the floor and remove the other hand's block. Then repeat putting the hands back on the blocks, and so on. In that video above, you can really see how important the legs are. If you don't learn how to use them (like using fingers and heel of palm in a handstand to balance) then you're screwed.

Search through my profile, by the way. I asked this question last year, and some great information from others in that thread.
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Ivan Pavlovic

I have a friend who can stand on his head 10 sec with legs in straddle so he can balance with them. I have never seen a headstand hold on hard surface with legs together and body compleatly straight.

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Ivan Pavlovic

Little motivation for those who want to learn headstand, i just came across this on Youtube:

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 I have never seen a headstand hold on hard surface with legs together and body compleatly straight.

On hard surface, I have never seen one either. But, with a donut on a raised platform, I have seen legs together and 100% completely straight. I suspect w/out the donut and the raised platform we are talking about a superhuman ability! :P

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