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February 15, 2008

get splits fast & too tall for flips?

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> Doesn't height play into a factor--and stiffness of the back? I'm
> 6'1", and I haven't seen anyone my height doing back flips--and I
> took Tumbling and gymnastics. Cartwheels, roundoffs, and handsprings,
> but no back flips. I have a friend that was 47 and could still do
> a front flip, but he was 5"7" and not a trained gymnast--actually,
> most of his training was as a boxer.

Answer:

Height is a factor but not a block, and at 6'1" (185 cm) it's not
even much of an obstacle. When I was working out with class for the
general public run by the author of Acrobatic Tumbling DVD, there
were several people there, who were taller than six feet, and all
who practiced a few months could do back flips (back somersaults).
The taller you are, the lower your relative strength is, so it is
harder for you to do such moves, such as "jackknives", that are
easy for someone very short. But as long as you can manage a few
jackknives, you have more than enough strength for folding yourself
during the flip.

Stiffness of the back is not a factor at all--because in back flips
you do not bend back. Actually, in all gymnastic tumbling
techniques, such as flic flacs (back handsprings) and flips, very
little mobility of the back is used. One can learn all the tumbling
techniques without being able to do a back bridge. Only if you want
to do walkovers (typically done by female gymnasts), then you need
a good back bridge.

The bottom line: If you follow the instruction method shown on the
DVD Acrobatic Tumbling, then you won't have any trouble learning
back flips and all the other moves that are taught on this DVD. The
method was developed for teaching people who do not have a talent
for acrobatics or gymnastics--just the desire to learn. Learn more
about it here.

Now, about splits:

In my mailing of January 24th I answered two questions on splits
from Eric. Here is what Eric wrote to me last week:

> Dear, Mr. Kurz
>
> I have ordered your product and it really works!
> I have seen progress in my flexibility and my kicking. and my hip
> flexors feel great. I am really close on getting my side and front
> splits. thank you for helping me on my progress and I will tell my
> fellow Martial Artist about your product.
> thanks again.

Yep, I release only products that work as advertised--because I put
my company's name on them. (See them all here.)

BTW, some time ago someone asked me if I still workout, grapple,
and so on. Sure, I do. I have a small gym (very well appointed) and
workout with a few friends. One of them, my grappling partner, was
kind enough to demonstrate how strong is Real Self-Defense's
Unbreakable Umbrella. You can see him here.

Best regards,

Thomas Kurz

P.S.
DVD Secrets of Stretching is available here.

Book Stretching Scientifically is available here.

DVD Acrobatic Tumbling is available here.

P.P.S.
You can read my recent e-mails with questions and answers on
training. They are archived here.

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