Started by Coach Sommer, April 22, 2010 · 9 Replies · 3,100 Views
ObH1gccKnVM
These young men didn't let a lack of equipment or professional training keep them from their love of tumbling. Their formula for success? A sand dune, a theraball and a serious case of testosterone poisoning.
Please note that while very creative and entertaining to watch, their chosen activity is extremely dangerous. Note the young guy in the neck brace who comes up to congratulate the other at the :40 mark.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
Hmmm maybe I should start doing that down here in Qatar.. have enough sand 
Very cool clip but wow that takes some balls...and stupidity 
Great idea on the thera-ball. I am not quite ready to jump off an elevation, but I think digging a small pit at the playground or beach, and putting in a ball half-way, could be a fun and cheap way to try some basics.
Wolf with one Ear said:Great idea on the thera-ball. I am not quite ready to jump off an elevation, but I think digging a small pit at the playground or beach, and putting in a ball half-way, could be a fun and cheap way to try some basics.
I saw another video of guys doing doubles using one of those balls but they weren't going off an elevated area. It got me interested in this idea but I was wondering what the chances are of the ball popping. I've never really been in contact with one.
Man those guys are seriously nuts ! one bad landing and it's.. game over. The wrecklessness of youth eh ! :roll:
THat is insane!. Great video :shock:
Unfortunatly I know a guy who has spent the last 10 year on a wheel chair for a trick much simpler than those 
Those guys aren't any more nuts than any other athlete. I don't expect this to go over well...but, ALL SPORTS ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS.
An NFL Quarterback risks a career ending hit every time he stands in the pocket, yet he does. A firefighter risks his life every time he enters a building that is on fire. And yes, even our beloved champion gymnasts risk their lives as they perform increasingly elite tricks for the pursuit of competition.
The reason they are able to do this, and a MAJORITY of the time return to their homes and families, is training. It's what we all do. We did not wake up and know how to jump up and fling our feet above our heads in a flip and still land safely. We learned through extensive training. We took steps. We know exactly the effort it took to achieve our goals safely.
If an uneducated person on the street saw us backflip off a park bench they would think we were insane and dangerous. They do not know that it is a skill that has been developed and is perfectly safe for US to perform. You are watching a 2.42 youtube of young men pursuing a sport they enjoy. You are not watching how much time they took to learn to throw "their version" of a triple side sumi. Because you were trained by a more technically sound coach, does not mean that those boys did not learn to throw a single side sumi and land it to their specifics before they attempted to throw a double. And so on.
I don't understand why we can't accept that everybody that decides to achieve their personal best takes unnecessary risks for that pursuit. It's exactly why we do exactly what we do, and it's what makes it so much fun. You don't have to agree with their training methods, but face facts. We are all nuts. And it's a lot of fun.
T. Ryan Mooney.
It seems I didn't explain myself properly. I'm not against tricking itself I enjoy it a lot and once you know how to perform it is a controlled risk activity. What I'm trying to say is that they are taking UNNECESSARY risks to learn that advanced tricking. They are learning right there in that dune. Here in Spain there are just no foam pits available to the general public ( gymnastic facilities for men are scarce to say the least) They are only available to the national and Olympic teams or in Madrid or Barcelona to some important clubs. As far as I know they are not open for free play so tricksters have to go to the nearest beach and practice there risking their necks unnecessary. I can see them practicing just some hundred meters of my home and believe me there are much safer ways to learn that amazing skill.( which as you said is no completely risk free but nothing really is ).
Edit spelling! finally I installed a corrector!
You know a thread written by coach that has the word "insane" in it is going to be good. 
I think I could try this at my local playground... it has a place filled with rubber tire chunks, doesn't hurt to land.
Those guys aren't any more nuts than any other athlete...
Actually, yes they are.
There is a huge difference between engaging in methodical, progressive technical preparation for high level acrobatics and simply jumping into the air while flipping & twisting as hard as you can and hoping for the best. One method of preparation has a future and the other does not.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer