Handsprings

[booksie_girl]

Everyone's seen it on TV, a Martial Artist doing what I think are called handsprings (my gymnastical knowledge is not all that great - when you bridge but keep going, that's a handspring, isn't it, am i even coherent?:confused: )

Anyway, are these gymnastical moves actually used in any Martial Art, or were they simply introduced to TV/the moves because they look imptressive. And if they are actually used, what advantage does fliping up to a person have over running up to them (except maybe sending him/her into shock and therefore being able to easlily defeat him/her :D )

[Bon]

hmm, maybe caeopira (sp?) has some stuff similar to it?...

Generally used to make the movies look good IMO and instill a sense of awe and wonderment in people :D

[Adam]

you mean backflips? They're only used in capoeira and other showsports. I've seen them taught as party tricks in a judo class though.

[booksie_girl]

Thanks, that's pretty much what I thought, but I was just curious. And what's capoeira? I've never heard of it. (I'd just like to point out that I am not interested in learning this, I was just curious)

[Bon]

google is your friend :D

www.google.com

[Brad Ellin]

Handsprings are used in Ninjutsu as part of our ukemi. I used to be able to do them, but a dodgy knee messes up my landing. Hope to be able to do them again in a few months. Most of them time, you don't actually use a text book handspring, rather you can use the handspring principles to get away from your opponent, from a grab or hold or to recover from a throw. Years ago, someone wrote a book, showing handsprings used to evade a car barrelling down at them. I'd rather just run or do a diving roll.

[Knight_Errant]

http://www.drillsandskills.com
look under 'floor skills' and 'conditioning'.

[booksie_girl]

thanks everybody for the info

[Saz]

Some of the black belts in our style can do them, i think they're used as one of those fun conditioning type exersizes. I've never been able to do them, last time I tried I nearly broke my neck, so I'm not trying again unless someone shows me.

[JediMasterChris]

you mean backflips? They're only used in capoeira and other showsports. I've seen them taught as party tricks in a judo class though.

No, not a backflip, a handspring is when you do a frontflip but when you go forward you land on your hands and flip forward from that...a backhandpring is doing a backflip and using your hands to push you up and land, the only time I have ever applied one is when I show off or on a rare case I use it as a kick...that usually ends up with my landing on my head. You gotta be careful because it is VERY easy to break your fingers, especially on a fronthandspring.

[SoKKlab]

They do 'Backflips','Handsprings' etc in Vietnamese arts such as Vo, Viet Do Vo etc

Apols for repeating myself, as I said something similar in response to Adams post about Double Kicks.

But Vo and other Vietnamese arts are into it. And some of the more acrobatic Chinese styles like T'i Tong. (not talking about Sport Wushu here).

[Jay]

Why ??

[Knight_Errant]

because of the superior benefits it brings to your conditioning, reflexes and selfesteem

[Jay]

LOL .. get to the gym Knight :D

[Knight_Errant]

nutin' wrong wid handsprings

[SoKKlab]

With T'i Tong (Northern Chinese Groundwork system), the entire system is based on ways of either falling and/ or striking when being pushed, falling, uprooted etc. Or fight on and from the ground, not neccessarily in a Gracie JJ sort of way. They use Handsprings, Summersaults and the like for conditioning and also as escapes from being thrown etc. I have only ever seen some old film transfered to video of this.

Similarly Dog boxing system is famous for 'riding' throws and counterstriking during the arc. Has always sounded very esoteric to me, but regardless of the whys and wherefores, amazing in its Intent...

[TheGingerNinja]

Handsprings are fun to do, but painfull to learn, it took me at least 5 goes before i even realised that u need to keep ur arms quite streight

[Spirit Reaper]

do they explain how to do handsprings on this site?

http://www.drillsandskills.com

my computer's a little retarded......

[Knight_Errant]

yeah, they do man. It's in the 'floor skills' section and it's classed as an A skill.