The Back Flip: Ultimate Agility - THE EXPLOSIVE SIX - Explosive Calisthenics, Superhuman Power, Maximum Speed and Agility, Plus Combat-Ready Reflexes--Using Bodyweight-Only Methodsp (2015)

Explosive Calisthenics, Superhuman Power, Maximum Speed and Agility, Plus Combat-Ready Reflexes--Using Bodyweight-Only Methods (2015)

8

THE BACK FLIP

ULTIMATE AGILITY

When the average human being pictures true agility, only one exercise comes to mind—the back flip. Check out Hollywood—any time a character is meant to possess physical dexterity, the first thing you see them do is a back flip, or some kind of back handspring. These are always the moves that mesmerize kids the most, when they see them on TV—and during any gymnastics class, the back flip is always the movement students will ask about first. You wanna be a contender for the power crown? You’ve gotta own that back flip, baby!

Why is this? The front flip is actually the more difficult exercise, and requires more power. I think the feature that gives the back flip almost mystical status is the fact that the athlete jumps backwards, leaping into a space unseen. As a species, we have the stereoscopic vision of our predator ancestors: we are only truly comfortable proceeding in this direction. We walk forwards, we run ahead, we press on. Jump as hard as you can and spin backwards? Are you nuts?!

The good news is: you don’t have to be crazy to attempt this movement, let alone master it. You just need to take it step-by-step, and let your body feel its way slowly. I’ll give you all the tools you need in this chapter.

The back flip can be yours!

DECONSTRUCTING BACK FLIPS

The technical chain leading to the back flip is varied; the only commonality is the backward rotation. It has to be this way—there are a number of skills to pick up. So rather than just focusing on the techniques at the very end of the chain, I’ll pump out a few general tips for moving through the steps efficiently. Most of it—as ever—is about work on the basics, and if you’ve been working on the stuff in the opening of the front flip chapter (page 142 onwards) that all applies equally to the back flip. They are acrobatic siblings.

GET HIGH

The higher you can jump, the easier it is to fully rotate. The simple message is—lots of power training. Jump drills aiming at verticality are the best approach.

STRENGTHEN YOUR SPINE

The back handspring is a key component in the back flip chain, and in many ways it can be seen as an explosive version of the classic bridge exercise. Your spine arches backwards at high velocity to allow your hands to impact the floor. This requires strength and robustness in the spine and its deep tissues. The best way to get this is by lots of conditioning with bridges. Bridge holds and bridge pushups are the way to go. Bridges will also condition your spine and shoulders for the monkey flip (macaco) steps, too—especially one-arm bridge variants, like the gecko bridge. Working with these movement patterns will really bulletproof those joints prior to the unusual angles they’ll encounter in the macaco.

The one-arm bridge will strengthen your arms, shoulders and spine in preparation for the one-arm macaco movements.

The gecko bridge is even more advanced: extending one arm AND one leg places extra productive stress on the muscles of the limbs and trunk.

Another reason to become proficient in bridging before attempting the following drills: check out the mid-point of a back handspring (step 7). Remind you of anything else?

STRENGTHEN YOUR ARMS AND SHOULDERS

Before they master the back flip, most athletes need to become expert in the back handspring. This really exposes the hands and shoulders to high forces. Athletes should condition themselves over time using:

· Basic pushups

· Power pushups

· Free handstands

· Wall handstands

· Handstand pushups

The monkey flip (step 6) requires that you hold your body on one arm, for a split second. If you are crumbling under the weight—or if your joints are hurting—a course of handstands, building to one-arm handstands, is the way to go. As with all these preliminary drills, just achieving the correct position once or twice isn’t enough. It takes time for the muscles, joints, soft-tissues and even bones to adapt to stresses. Give them the time and consistent training they need to get the job done.

Shoulder and arm strength is a pre-requisite for the back flip chains. If you can’t support your body’s weight on your arms statically, how can you expect to do it explosively?

BUILD A POWERFUL TUCK

The back flip is called a back tuck in gymnastics for a reason. It’s the upwards tuck position of the knees that enhances the angular rotation you need to land on your feet. The best way to master the tuck? Work through the power jump chain and you’ll have it.

LEARN TO LAND

The impact on the feet, knees and hips from a back flip can be considerable. Before you attempt the harder steps, your lower body must be conditioned to the impact—again, this can best be achieved via jumps—lots of ‘em. An even more specific technique to drill, if you’re having trouble with your landing, is the depth jump. Instead of starting a box jump on the floor, start on the box. Then jump down (either backwards or forwards) before immediately shooting back up. A great way to condition your joints and nervous system to landing.

US Marines perform depth jump training at Gunner’s Gym at Camp Foster.

THE BACK FLIP CHAIN

The most important aspect in finally achieving the back flip—or even the back handspring—is starting with very easy exercises. It’s important that the athlete is as confident and successful as possible from day one, and then builds up ability organically and gradually. The chain begins with backwards rolls. These get the athlete’s brain and vestibular system used to rear rotation, and they’re easy and relatively safe. The athlete starts with rear shoulder rolls (step 1) which (obviously) involve rolling backwards over a shoulder. In the next step, rear press rolls (step 2), the hands become involved, which transfers some load to the arms and shoulders.

Once the athlete is used to rear rotation, they make things more difficult by kicking over from a bridge (step 3) using a wall or similar solid object. This involves the arms even further, and in many ways is like a back handspring, which we’re moving towards.

At this stage, most athletes will be happy in rotating backwards, but will lack the confidence to jump up and back onto the hands, as for a handspring. The next three steps are gradual variations on the monkey flip (a.k.a. the macaco), and are designed to gradually teach the ability to perform back handsprings. First you perform an easy monkey flip from a side angle, the side macaco (step 4), then you perform a monkey flip where you kick up and backwards over your head, the back macaco (step 5), then finally, you perform the back macaco but beginning with your hands off the floor: the full monkey flip (step 6).

The full monkey flip only requires a little modification of angle to become a back handspring (step 7). This is a crucial level of development in the chain, and a real achievement—it’s an incredible exercise in its own right, but it’s also a general rule that without a good back handspring, a back flip will be impossible. Before moving forward, the athlete should have an excellent back handspring—high, powerful and confident. One option to ensure this is to build to a one-arm back handspring (step 8) although this step isn’t absolutely necessary to progress.

The four-point back flip (step 9) is an essential transitional tool to take athletes from the back handspring to the (hands-free) back flip. In the classic back handspring, after the initial jump, your hands touch the ground, followed by your feet. To progress, the athlete must build a faster rotation—and this includes beginning to tuck the knees in—as well as trying to “delay” placing the hands down as long as possible. Eventually, as improvement occurs, the feet will begin to touch down just a fraction after the hands, and then eventually at the same time (hence the term four-point, as the hands and feet land simultaneously.)

As the athlete gets the hang of the four-point back flip, there will come a time when the feet touch down 5—before the hands. This is usually only possible if the knees are tucked in well to increase angular momentum. (Have you ever seen a skater spinning around? When they bring their arms and leg in, they seem speed up. The principle is the same—if you tuck your knees in while rotating, you’ll rotate faster, which is one reason I emphasized the skill of tucking so much in the power jumps chapter.) As soon as the feet are touching down first, you have in principle, reached the Master Step: the back flip. With consistent drilling, you’ll be able to finish these without touching the floor with your hands at all.

STEP ONE: REAR SHOULDER ROLL

PERFORMANCE

· With one foot out front, squat towards the ground.

· With your spine curled forwards, gently drop back onto your glutes. You can slip your rear leg behind you if this feels right.

· Continue your momentum by pushing through your strongest leg, encouraging your body to roll backwards.

· Swing your legs over your head as you roll over your strongest shoulder. Keep your head tucked in.

· As you roll over your shoulder and your legs approach the floor behind you, allow the braced arm of that shoulder to guide you back up.

· As your feet touch down, try to use your momentum to finish the roll naturally, in a standing position. Push up with your hands if you need to.

EXERCISE X-RAY

This kind of rear roll is the best for beginners because it is low impact and protects the neck and skull. It is similar to the rear rolls (ushiro ukemi) found in some Japanese martial arts. When performed correctly, it should look like the front shoulder roll (page 146), but performed in reverse.

REGRESSION

There are many ways to perform basic, easy rear rolls, and this is just a common one. You can alter the form as it suits you. The keys to easy rolls are keeping the head tucked in and safe, and rolling over the arm and shoulder, rather than the neck, to protect the joints.

PROGRESSION

Once you can perform this drill slowly—having mastered the key points mentioned above—feel free to pick up the speed. Don’t worry about being “explosive” at this stage. This is just a preliminary technique.

TIP: Do not roll directly back, over your head and neck—use your shoulder.

STEP TWO: REAR PRESS ROLL

PERFORMANCE

· With your feet symmetrical, squat towards the ground.

· With your spine curled forwards, gently drop back onto your glutes.

· Roll back, bringing your legs over your head. Simultaneously slip your palms either side of your head, and push through your arms.

· Let your braced arms guide your movement as you roll over—keep your head tucked in and out of the way. Your head should take virtually no weight.

· Roll over your back, trying not to veer to either side.

· Finish the roll naturally, in a seated position. As your feet touch down, push up with your hands into a crouching or standing position.

EXERCISE X-RAY

Just as with the frontal roll progressions, backwards rolls exist primarily to get the athlete’s brain and nervous system used to spinning 360 degrees in a short space of time. Also like the frontal roll progressions, once you have mastered the most basic gentle rolling motion, the next step is to begin controlling the body with the upper limbs via the palms.

REGRESSION

Beginners will take less force through their arms, keeping them braced but well bent, using them for control and to protect the neck only, relying on momentum to carry them over.

PROGRESSION

Progression is about taking more and more force through the arms during the roll; eventually you will be pushing up to standing in a semi-press motion, handling much more of the body’s weight than you did at first. More confident rollers can perform see-saw drills: a rear press roll immediately followed by a front press roll (see page 148), repeated for reps. This also works for shoulder rolls/rear shoulder rolls, and many other roll and flip drill combinations. You can mix and match, too (shoulder roll/rear press roll, etc).

STEP THREE: BRIDGE KICK-OVER

PERFORMANCE

· Lie flat on your back with your toes next to a sturdy vertical object like a wall, column, pole, etc. Your knees should be well bent.

· Place your palms by your ears with your fingers pointing to your toes and your elbows angled to the ceiling.

· Press yourself up into a full bridge hold, using the power of your arms and legs.

· Lift one leg and press your foot firmly against the object.

· Under control, press firmly against the wall with your foot, until your second foot leaves the floor. Extend that foot over the hips.

· Keeping your arms braced, continue pressing against the wall until your legs flip over you.

· Land on one foot first, with your hands still in contact with the floor. Be careful not to kick the ground with your toes.

EXERCISE X-RAY

Most athletes are just not prepared to flip back on their hands—their shoulders, elbows and wrists can’t take the sudden forces, and their brains and vestibular systems find the 360 degree spin totally alien. This simple drill cures all that. If back handsprings scare you, this step is the antidote.

REGRESSION

Make this easier by pushing off the top of an object—like a bed instead of the wall. The higher the object, the better. Kicking off stairs is another option, trying to kick off a lower stair every time. When you progress to a vertical wall, you can begin by “walking” up the wall using several steps, if you need to.

PROGRESSION

At some point you will be able to perform this exercise by kicking off the floor, rather than a wall—however this variation is advanced, and not necessary if you wish to learn the back handspring.

STEP FOUR: SIDE MACACO

PERFORMANCE

· With your feet fairly close together, squat down and lean back. Support yourself by placing your one palm on the floor behind you, thumb pointing away from you and your inner-elbow facing out with a locked arm.

· Thrust up through your hips, swinging your free arm up and over your head.

· Keep the momentum going by pushing off the floor with your legs. (Your main pushing leg should be on the same side as whichever arm you are swinging overhead.)

· With your locked arm as a pivot, swing your furthest leg up and round the side of your head in an arc, with your other leg following beneath it.

· Touch down with your foot behind the level of your hand.

· As your feet touch down, push through your arm and use your momentum to stand up. (Your main swinging foot may touch down first.)

EXERCISE X-RAY

The macaco (monkey) is a drill often associated with capoeira, and it’s a brilliant way to gradually ease into the back handspring. It requires strong shoulders—don’t try this unless your handstand is solid (see page 178).

REGRESSION

The height of your swinging feet and how far you rotate are the key progression variables for this drill. Begin small, with your feet close to the floor. As you improve, your feet should be as high as your head.

PROGRESSION

To improve, just increase the height of your swinging legs. This drill is a preparation exercise to get your joints and nervous system ready for the back macaco (step 5), so your legs should not go above the height of your head yet.

TIP: This is a rotating motion, so you need to make sure your inner-elbow was facing out when you started, so that your arm and shoulder can safely revolve (like an axle).

STEP FIVE: BACK MACACO

PERFORMANCE

· With your feet fairly close together, squat down and lean back. Support yourself by placing one palm on the floor behind you, thumb pointing away from you and your inner-elbow facing out with a locked arm.

· Thrust up through your hips, swinging your free arm up and over your head.

· Keep the momentum going by pushing off the floor with your legs. (Your main pushing leg should be on the same side as whichever arm you are swinging overhead.)

· Swing your legs up and over your head, leading them with your swinging arm. For a split second your legs will be over your head, with your entire body supported by one arm. As soon as you can, set down the swinging arm to help take the load.

· Flip right over yourself, and touch down with your foot behind where your back used to be. Initially, the leg which is on the same side as your locked arm will land first: in time you’ll gain symmetry.

· As your feet touch down, push through your arm and use your momentum to stand up. (Your main swinging foot may touch down first.)

EXERCISE X-RAY

This movement is an evolution of the side macaco (step 4). Instead of swinging your legs around your side, you swing them straight up over your head. Don’t attempt this until you’re comfortable with the side version. By now you’ll see that you’re getting pretty close to something that looks like a back handspring.

REGRESSION

As this drill is an evolution of the side macaco (step 4), veering off towards your loaded arm will make things easier at first.

PROGRESSION

To perfect this motion, the legs must go right over the head—the straighter your legs during this motion, the harder the exercise. Ensuring that the non-loaded arm swings over close to the side of the head will help with this.

STEP SIX: MONKEY FLIP

PERFORMANCE

· Begin standing, with your feet fairly close together.

· Squat down as you drop your palm to the floor, but begin to explode up even before you touch down; your loaded palm should be about to touch down as your feet leave the floor.

· As you explode up, thrust through the hips and swing your other arm up over your head and next to your ear, twisting to reach the ground.

· Reach for the floor with your non-loaded arm, as you swing your legs up and over your head, leading them with your swinging arm.

· Flip right over yourself, and touch down with your feet behind where your back used to be.

· As your feet touch down, push through your arms and use your momentum to stand up.

EXERCISE X-RAY

The monkey flip should look very similar to the macaco drills you learned in the previous two steps. In fact, the monkey flip is only a slightly harder version of the macaco—which is exactly what you want in progressive calisthenics training. The difference is that you begin the jump in the side and back macaco with your hand on the floor, while you begin the monkey flip jump standing, with your hand off the floor. This is the ultimate version.

REGRESSION

Begin the movement in a semi-squat position with your pivotal hand only a very short distance from the ground—an inch—and build to greater distances over time. You want to get to the point where the backwards fall/jump adds to your swinging momentum.

PROGRESSION

As you improve with this movement, you’ll be able to delay swinging your pivot arm onto the floor. You’ll also be able to swing it further and further back, away from your body.

STEP SEVEN: BACK HANDSPRING

PERFORMANCE

· Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and your hands out in front of your head, or a little higher.

· Dip down at the knees and hips, as you swing your arms down and behind you. Keep looking forward as you descend.

· Explode up and backwards—approximately diagonally—swinging your hands above you as you go.

· As you jump, look behind you. Arching the back a little will help you rotate. Your hands should follow your line of vision.

· Make contact with the floor with your arms locked if you can, and at about shoulder-width.

· Once your legs reach a vertical point, whip your feet down to the ground rapidly.

· When your feet are planted, step (or hop) to catch your balance if you need to, and extend your body again.

EXERCISE X-RAY

The true block towards a good back handspring is fear—your body’s fear of explosively flipping back over your head. Athletes who have mastered the monkey flip will have deprogrammed this fear by approaching flipping side-on, and will not find true back handsprings all that challenging.

REGRESSION

If you can do a solid monkey flip, you can do a back handspring. What holds athletes back is that last bit of anxiety. To help with the psychology, practice on soft surfaces, like grass, or pad the ground with pillows and cushions.

PROGRESSION

Improve your form by landing with an extended body—overcome the “crouch” style of landing. For added difficulty, bring your feet close together.

TIP: Dip down and back slightly, as if you were going to sit in a chair.

STEP EIGHT: ONE-ARM BACK HANDSPRING

PERFORMANCE

· Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and your hands held high.

· Dip down at the knees and hips, as you swing your arms down and behind you. Keep looking forward as you descend. Dip down and back slightly, as if you were going to sit in a chair.

· Explode up and backwards—approximately diagonally—swinging your hands above you as you go.

· As you jump, looking behind you and arching the back a little will help you rotate. Your hands should follow your line of vision.

· As you are inverted, reach out with one arm to make contact with the floor directly below your head. If your timing is good, this placement with be the natural end of the backwards arm-swinging motion. Keep your other arm pulled closer to your head.

· Once your legs reach a vertical point, whip your feet down to the ground rapidly.

· When your feet are planted, catch your balance and extend your body again.

EXERCISE X-RAY

You don’t necessarily need to be able to perform a back handspring with one-arm in order to learn a back flip—in fact, some back-flippers can’t do this exercise! But it works as a great training drill because it forces athletes to become less dependent on their arms during the flip, relying on leg power and momentum instead. If your back handspring is good and high, you can probably skip this step.

REGRESSION

You can approach this exercise by utilizing a slightly different two-hand version—try with close hands, asymmetrical hands, etc. until your confidence grows and one-arm is achievable.

PROGRESSION

The loaded arm should really only act as a pivot, for a fraction of a second; over time, touch it down quicker and with less force behind it.

STEP NINE: FOUR-POINT BACK FLIP

PERFORMANCE

· Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and your hands held high.

· Dip down at the knees and hips, as you swing your arms down and behind you. Keep looking forward as you descend.

· Explode up and backwards—approximately diagonally—swinging your hands above you as you go. Your goal is to jump higher than for a regular back handspring.

· As you jump, looking behind you and arching the back a little will help you rotate. Your hands should follow your line of vision.

· Once your legs reach a vertical point, whip your feet down to the ground rapidly.

· Delay putting your arms down for as long as you can—wait until the very last moment. For this drill, your hands and feet should make contact with the floor at about the same time.

· When your feet and hands are supporting you and the motion is finished, stand up straight.

EXERCISE X-RAY

One-arm back handsprings should have taught you to depend on leg power, instead of your arms, like a two-arm back handspring. It should also have given you some height. In this stage you are using that height to whip your legs around earlier than for back handsprings; at first the difference in speed will be small, but eventually your hands and legs with touch down at the same time. Before long your legs will touch down first—the back flip!

REGRESSION

This is a transitional drill. At first, your hands will land before your legs—that’s fine. Just keep trying to jump higher and whip down the legs sooner, and you’ll be landing four-point style in time.

PROGRESSION

Eventually you will be landing on your feet before your hands—in a deep squat. This, essentially, is a back flip. From here you just need to tighten up your form by adding a tuck. This is where the Master Step comes in.

MASTER STEP: BACK FLIP

PERFORMANCE

· Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and your hands held high.

· Dip down at the knees and hips, as you swing your arms down by your sides. Keep looking forward as you descend.

· Jump up hard, swinging your hands above you as you go. You can look up as you jump. Too many athletes fail because they begin this drill by jumping back. Don’t! Jump vertically!

· When your body is fully extended at maximum height, explode your knees up into your chest as hard as you can. (Gymnasts call this a tuck.) The momentum of this tuck helps you rotate.

· Bring your arms to your sides, or your thighs, as you spin over.

· When you begin to see the ground below you, whip your legs out straight to make contact with the floor.

· When your feet are planted, catch your balance and extend your body again.

EXERCISE X-RAY

If you got this far—and everyone can get this far, if they put the time and effort into the previous nine steps—then congratulations! You are the envy of every ninja and b-boy wannabe since 1963! You are the owner of the back flip: not the hardest acrobatic feat in the world, but definitely the most archetypal. More important than looking damn cool—and if a back flip doesn’t make you look damn cool, then you are already dead—the back flip displays integrated mastery of some of the most fundamental traits required for total explosive strength. I’m talking about a super quick jump, massive hip snap, a powerful, agile waist and spine, and an upper-body that can generate high-levels of responsive force like lightning. Once you can pull off the back flip, speed, power and agility will be in your toolbox whenever you need ‘em.

GOING BEYOND

Beaten the sacred back flip? You might consider combining acrobatic movements at this stage: and I discuss this option more in the front flip chapter (see page 166). Aside from this, there are plenty of interesting solo back flip variations to explore. Most folks are familiar with the partner flip (where your partner holds your foot and helps with the flip: a.k.a. the pitch tuck), but you can replicate this yourself by placing one foot up on something at knee-height. If that floats your boat, you can move forward by raising both feet. Find a low wall, and you have a basic parkour move.

A back flip off a wall…

…and one off the top of the jungle gym!

Another variation of the back flip involves extending one leg and keeping the other tucked. (There are various ways you can approach this.) This is sometimes called a flashkick.

The peak of the flashkick—Bruce Lee would be proud!

A movement similar to the flashkick is the gainer. An athlete typically lands a back flip at approximately the same point they push off. In fact, there are several variations of this theme: you can either land slightly forward of the point where you jump (a gainer), or even rear to the launch point (a loser). It’s also possible to flip off one leg, transitioning to land on the opposite leg. This is called a switchflip.

Landing a back flip forward of your take-off point is called a gainer.

SMALL SPACE DRILLS

Following are three useful speed and power techniques you can utilize in your routine for variety, as ancillary work or to train your muscles from different angles. They are all solo drills, and they require zero equipment. Unlike the progressive exercises in the chains, most of the following drills can be performed rhythmically for higher reps, and can work well when used with any of the chains in this book. In this sense, they can also work as warm-ups or finishing exercises in an explosives session.

ONE-ARM WALL PUSH-AWAYS

Lean against a wall with one arm; keep your feet well back. Bend the arm as for a one-arm wall pushup, then explosively push yourself away from the wall. Finish standing. A great exercise for powerful, bulletproof elbows. To make the exercise progressive, place your feet further back.

DONKEY KICK

Support yourself on your palms and feet, with locked arms and bent legs. Jump up with the legs, and straighten them out in mid-air, like a donkey kicking. There are many small space drills which force the waist or abdominal muscles to fire explosively, but the donkey kick is useful to know because the spine and posterior chain does most of the firing. That makes it a useful warm-up or ancillary drill for exercises like back handsprings, which require quick, powerful spinal muscles.

SCISSORS JUMP

From a split position—one leg in front of the other—dip down into a lunge, and explode up. Switch your legs in mid-air to land on the opposite side, then repeat. This drill is great for jumping, but also for super-quick hip movements: something essential for any flip. The twist is also a useful ancillary benefit, to keep all your trunk muscles nice and explosive.

LIGHTS OUT!

For total-body explosiveness, you don’t need to be performing box plyometrics or a bunch of ball apparatus exercises. Weight-lifting won’t get you to the elite levels either. You need to move your entire body: nothing else will get you there. The back flip is a legendary physical movement and is arguably the greatest test of explosive power, true speed, and agility found in nature. It requires a powerful jump, a strong hip-midsection tuck, fast arms, excellent coordination, lightning reflexes and superior kinesthetic skills.

In the past, this bodyweight feat has been considered something that can only be approached by the super-athletic elite. Not anymore. In this chapter I’ve given you all the drills you need to become the elite.

I’m here for ya, champ. We can ace this thing together.