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Started by williamprowse, September 29, 2008 · 40 Replies · 36,933 Views
Ive got a pretty good strength with holding my bodyweight with one hand and understand how to bring my weight over to one side, but i don't have the strength in my forearms to push against that much force to balance it, any suggestions?
any tutorials to look at?
I don't know of any tutorials but Jim from beast skills developed him one handed handstand by elevating on of his hands on a book while the other would be on the ground. Like in this picture
He gradually moved up in height of books and stools until he had strength to do push ups then he did those. Hopefully that will give you some ideas. If not you can just keep perfecting the normal handstand until Jim writes a tutorial on the one hander.
The best way to train one handstands in my opininon is by shifting the weight aside fron a normal handstand and trying to remain with one hand flat on the floor while the other hand is on the fingertips and giving minimum support. After youll gain control in this position the fingertips will disconnect from the floor naturally.
There are alot of details as far as body shape and tightness, hand and head positioning, shoulder angles, etc.
Therefore learning this skill by yourself could be a very frustrating, long and sometimes an impossible journey. My two advices are first working up to perfection in a normal handstand position (not an easy task even for some competitive gymnasts), and then ask for a proffesional assistance - coaches that have background in sports acrobatics or circus usually have knowledge in this field (There is also a rumor about an upcoming book on this subject :wink:).
Shoulder taps:
For these, do a handstand stomach against the wall. From here lean and shift your weight from shoulder to shoulder (rock back from one arm handstand to one arm handstand), each time you lean on one side, tap your shoulder with your other hand.
When you're comfortable with those, start tapping your hips with straight arms, you want to be as tall as possible.
Each time you go to tap make sure you're pushing all the way through your fingers to help build the forearm support strength.
Once you've built enough strength with these, hold the one arm handstand on the wall for time.
you can check out www.lostartofhandbalancing.com for some books, namely "The True Art and Science of Handbalancing" and "The Handbalancing Master Course". EM Orlick and Professor Paulinetti were MASTERS, as well as Bob Jones. These are definitely worth getting.
go to sandowplus.co.uk
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition ... orkhb1.htm
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition ... orkhb2.htm
these are free internet copies of old school handbalancing manuals- they have a lot of good information about handbalancing-i went to the true art of handbalancing website- i have their manuals- but these are free and you can save the money to buy one of coach's package deals
People,
I have read every manual mentioned, besides the prof orlick one (did read the Paulinetti) and I have to say one thing:
if you get a true one arm handstand from reading those manuals, you are truly a gifted individual, and I have yet to run into someone who did that.
As an inspirational read, I do recommend them, though, but dont think you are on your way to a true control of the one arm handstand from buying and reading those books.
That is my honest opinion after truly researching the subject for a long time.
Those works do include many helpful tips that would certainly help someone trying to learn the one hander. Of course, just reading the books will not make you any better, you have to apply it and do some learning on your own.
I've been training for the 1HH for a while now. About a month ago I stumbled upon another trick which complements the 1HH and will hopefully help me progress to the 1HH quicker. I think it's called the 2-handed flag, but I'm not sure.
It's where I place my hands close together (forming a diamond shape) and I lock my feet together, then I very slightly arch my back and lean to one side so that majority of my weight is supported only by one arm. That arm is in compression (elbows bent slightly to allow my body to lean to one side), while the other arm only acts as a stabilizer and is in tension to pull my body from falling to the ground.
The trick is very similar to the 1HH (legs together) in terms of load supported mostly by one arm and being slightly over-balanced by leaning my body in direction of my 2-outer fingers.
It took me a week to get this trick down (my longest hold ~12-14 sec) because my 1HH training really helped. I recommend others wanting a break from their 1HH training to give this a try because it'll help develop hand/arm strength for your 1HH and learn body positioning; I'm already noticing improvements in my 1HH.
Here's a video of a guy doing that trick, but he does it with one hand on top of the other (I'm still working on that).
StevenL, I did not say just read the manuals and expect a one hander. I am saying this:
reading the manual combined with a HUGE amount of training using the knowledge in the manuals will not produce optimal results and not many will be able to achieve the final result of a one hander.
If you have done so, please post a video of your results, using the techniques presented in these manuals. I argue, it is not enough.
When aproaching the skill of one handed handstand you have to realize it is all about aquiring a big amount of 'inner knowledge' about this position. This knowledge is not something that can be described in words and sold in books, so the only thing that a good book/dvd can do is to present some kind of a progression of skills and exercises that will enable the individual to aquire this 'inner knowledge'. Such work has yet to be published.
Of course anyone can tell you 'stay tight', 'shift over towards your pinky', 'grow tall', etc... But the knowledge and ability required for this skill goes much deeper into understanding the correct positioning of your individual one hander, (it is different in each person following structural issues) control of the tendency to spin off, shifting the balance control to the palms, etc...
What I felt lacking in those manuals is the progression to take one through the journey of aquiring that 'inner understanding' and the one arm handstand. They offer tips, some helpful in some situations, others less helpful, but do not take you through this progression and understanding.
I have trained with circus performers who specialize in one handstand work, taken up private lessons from masters of the art, read a lot of manuals and materials and trained daily for the last year with sometimes a huge amount of volume. I think I can save you a lot of trouble by saying, training a lot using the knowledge in those manuals will not produce optimal results. period.
Some people like certain bboys can achieve some kind of a one handed handstand by training alone and without any guidance. This is very much like those tricksters and capoeiristas that can do the double backflip, training alone and not taking the correct progression. a couple of problems here:
1. They are not truly the masters of this skill. Cracks and problems will start to apear with time, sometimes resulting in the 'loss' of the technique after a while. Or even a dangerous accident.
2. They are gifted individuals. The best in their field. But in gymnastics or circus, almost everyone, including average people will achieve the double backflip and one handed handstand, because of superior instruction. The one armer is considered a basic skill in circus, but a very advanced one in bboy circles, for example.
3. Going beyond the initial skill is hard. So after the basic straddle leg one armer, advancing to the closed leg one is sometimes impossible using the technique developed by yourself. (The straddle version is a lot more 'forgiving' technically than the straight version)
I wasn't arguing your point, Ido. My response had nothing to do with yours. I am relatively new to this game, so no, I don't have a video of my "results". When I do get a one hander, I will certainly post a video of it. I really hope you weren't trying to "call me out" with that. Sorry if there is any misunderstanding.
Another point, however, is that SOMEONE learned the one hander BY THEMSELVES before anyone else had ever done it. You can learn it on your own.
Of course, there is no "secret trick" that a book can tell to help someone get the one handstand or any other trick, but there is also nothing secret or magical about the one handstand either. It is a very difficult hand balancing stunt, and requires knowledge of position and balance.
StevenL,
Things like the modern one hand handstands werent developed by one person who just 'got it' one day.
The modern one arm handstand used in circus nowdays is a result of accumulated knowledge from many generations, so no, getting it alone, without tapping into this knowledge is not something I see happening with ANYONE. It is the same with modern gymnastics technique. Nowdays the new young gymnasts of 12 years of age reach skills that olympic athletes 10 years ago used to perform in the olympics, beacuse they are built upon the experience, methodolegy and knowledge of yester generations.
Of course, some people can achieve some kind of a one arm handstand, but as I pointed earlier, it is rather limited compared to the real deal performed in pieces of 5-7 minutes and more in modern circus acts. No bboy can do that, not even the best of them.
Not trying to call anyone out, but speaking from experience and trying to save people a lot of frustration and wasted efforts with outdated knowledge, as cheap as it is.
well, maybe i'm naive, but i still think that anyone can do any kind of one hand stand or any other type of handstand provided they work hard and long enough at it. there was a first person to do a one hand stand, regardless of what kind it is, and learning on your own is entirely possible. and i don't think i should discredited just because i can't do one yet.
Anyone is entitled for their own opinion.
Good luck with your practice, my friend.
Ido Portal said:Anyone is entitled for their own opinion.Good luck with your practice, my friend.
Ido, what do you recommend since you have this extensive practice. To help people in this?
There is no substitute to hands on coaching in this arena. No amount of books will provide the delicate corrections and the journey one needs to go through in order to achieve this feat.
I was very hestitant to start a project about the one hand handstand when coach offered it to me, because I believe this is an impossible task. I cannot create a perfect follow through 'how to' guide to the complete mastery of the skill.
What I am planning to do is provide something that will take you farther than anything else, but achieving complete domination of the skill will require hands on practice with a master/trainer that can hint with hands on corrections on the right path one should follow. I am being very frank here.
This is the best I can do, and I believe no other book to this date, especialy not these outdated projects with the closed shoulder angle and arched back are providing.
This is the only reason I have decided to write this piece, along with dozens of exercises, alignment issues, shoulder mobility and stability work, and much, much more.
Now, considering the extensiveness of the video archive of such sites as youtube, one can conclude many things:
1. There is no one without professional background who performs a one arm handstand of any kind with the correct hollow body alignment.
2. There is no one with any real ability to hold the closed leg, straight body one arm handstand for an extensive amount of time without any circus specialized training. There are many straddled leg ones around youtube, though, but they are also, far from perfect and suffer the consequences I talked about before.
And even if there was someone, it was a rarity. That proves my point. If it was so simple as to train hard, many videos would have been floating around the net of self taught people, like there are many videos of, for example, backflip self taught people. Hard workers are hard to find, but they exist. The OHH is different in its complexity, and understanding of the intricate details around the position.
And if you have no experience with this skill, please, spare me the lecture, you will only realize the complexity of this skill after you have fought with it for a long time. I am doing it, every day, do you?
By the way, an example:
This is a demo of a good friend, Yuval Ayalon, who taught me quite a lot, a professional equilibrist artist, with an extensive gymnastics background. He is a student of the famous french handstand master Claude Vitoria, and performs in one of the best shows on earth- the LeReve show in Wynn Las Vegas. What he does, no one can learn by himself through a book, I dont care how many hours are invested, even after hands on training from a young age in gymnastics and being able to hold the one arm handstand for a bit by himself (a bit is 10-15 seconds in straddle position) he had to go to a master like Claude to recieve his guidance in order to achieve this level. This is no child's play, people.
Amazing video, Are you your self going to get into the circus or performing business? How many years has Yuval been training?
I have been performing since the age of 16, well over 11 years, but not in circus setting.
Yuval is in the LeReve show for a number of years, but like I said, he has been training his whole life. (gymnastics)
No, I do not want to go into the circus buisness, at least not as a performer. It is too one dimensional for me, and I like to be more of a jack of all trades and experience life in a wider angle, but hey, never say never.
When I was last in Vegas I was encouraged by people in the industry to send in a demo for the Cirque Du Soleil scouts, but I hadnt done so, yet.
The plus to a circus way of life is the level of speciality you are going to get, the minus is that you neglect many other angles in your life, exactly like a professional gymnast or any other specialist. I feel this neglection is too big of a price to pay, for me, but I value other people who have chosen to do so. I am just different in my view from them.
Ido Portal said:I have been performing since the age of 16, well over 11 years, but not in circus setting.Yuval is in the LeReve show for a number of years, but like I said, he has been training his whole life. (gymnastics)
No, I do not want to go into the circus buisness, at least not as a performer. It is too one dimensional for me, and I like to be more of a jack of all trades and experience life in a wider angle, but hey, never say never.
When I was last in Vegas I was encouraged by people in the industry to send in a demo for the Cirque Du Soleil scouts, but I hadnt done so, yet.
The plus to a circus way of life is the level of speciality you are going to get, the minus is that you neglect many other angles in your life, exactly like a professional gymnast or any other specialist. I feel this neglection is too big of a price to pay, for me, but I value other people who have chosen to do so. I am just different in my view from them.
Yeah since it basically becomes your "life" is mostly going to consume all of your time. Although I think it would be cool to be those kinds of people, Is better if you have your cake and eat it too.
Moving back to the OHH discussion, if one must get hands on training from an expert, how do you find one basically? Do you like call up one of the circus performers or what? And was Yuval kind of your mentor or expert trainer to you?
No, you can get private classes or group classes in some circus schools, thats one option. Look up the internet, call the nearest school and check for equilibre and balance specialists.
Training with a master like Claude Vitoria is an invitation only deal. You have to get a recommendation from one of his students and they send him a letter and ask him to take you in. (he doesnt know what a computer is...)
He is an old man, and he doesnt take in many students. The training is conducted in his village home in france. You spend 2-14 days with him, training twice a day and eating french delicecies. (He is also quite the gorme chef I've heard)
After this period you go home and work on the material for some time, only to return again once you have mastered the material or encountered a problem.
I had personal instruction from a couple of people:
1. Yuval Ayalon - the guy I mentioned.
2. Yuval Oz - another friend, another student of Claude and a great musician who plans one day to blend his equilibre work with his music.
3. Private training with a chinese circus teacher in the san francisco school of circus.
I have to say that the period of time I have spent with these people, was priceless and moved me forward substantialy. Training on my own and with my student only took me a certain length forward, and then certain mistakes were starting to interfere with further advancement. I couldnt uncover them by myself, I needed that help.
Ido,
Interesting posts. Just side tracking a little...what do you think is absolutely essential for a normal handstand because im not sure about others but i am no where near ready the take on the one armer.
In particular I find it hard to have a hollow position. What does help is squeezing my butt, sucking my belly button in, keeping the head in and trying hollowing the chest. I know these is other factors to the handstand such as stretching up and shoulder angle etc but is there anything particular you feel is vital and so many people make mistkes with? When on my back in hollow postion with straight body i find it fairly hard to keep my lower back firmly pressed into the floor i noticed.
Also do you recommed a strong hollow for front lever?
Thanks!
I see most people performing the 1HH doing it on blocks, does that make it easier since you have better grip? Also if one chooses to learn the 1HH is better to learn first on solid ground or blocks?
Gymrob, hollow position is not a must in order to maintain balance on your hands. It is used in gymnastics, but only because you use the handstand in gymnastics as a transitional position. You do not stop there for a big length of time, but flow through it or pause for a couple of seconds and on you continue.
In equilibre the hollow position is a bit different, held with less tension and more attention to keeping the body in one straight line over the center of the palms. Some muscles are relaxed here in order to hold the position for a long time and not waste energy on muscles that are not used to hold the allignment. This way, you are basicly resting and using minimal tension just to hold the position, instead of using a lot of tension to compensate for over or under balance.
Exercises for working the hollow are many, and attention to detail is a must.
In the book and dvd I will also dedicate a chapter to how to use a digital camera in your practice. I believe it is an essential tool for anyone with intention of developing a strong handstand practice. Try to use a camera and see if you have a flat back and a centered, straight handstand.
I dont know how to upload an image, but if anyone can help me I'll post a couple of pictures to help with this issue.
Do I recommend a strong hollow for front lever? It is not a must. You can achieve a front lever without it, but for some people it helps 'lock out' the position and concentrate on the lat pull.
Pejablabla... The work on blocks makes it easier eventualy to do the one armers, but at start it is a pain in the xxx. On the canes it is much much easier than on the blocks and floor, and on the floor it is the hardest. (you cannot move the floor, only yourself, where on canes, you can move the canes a bit to correct your positioning)
I was taught to learn first on the floor and only then go to the canes, but to tell you the truth, I have no interest in the canes, as I am not a circus performer, so I do not own a pair, and work on the floor mainly.
Here are a couple of pictures:
First, Yuval doing a proper handstand. The handstand in equilibre circles is considered an ever evolving skill, never perfect, but always aspiring to be so. It is a life journey. Yuval is demonstrating a centered palm 2 arm handstand here. Watch and learn the details:
And now just to put a face to the name, Master Claude Vitoria standing on four blocks of wood, on his head, at an advanced age:
* Special thanks to George, such a good man and always comes to the rescue. Cant wait to meet you in person, brother.