If there’s an underrated skill, it’s being able to break yourself from a fall or rolling end over end. And if you want a quick and dirty test of athleticism, do a cartwheel with straight legs.
Learning how to do forward rolls, backward rolls, handstands, cartwheels, and other tumbling skills is something that should be on everyone’s “to learn” list for life fitness let alone tricking. You don’t suddenly extend beyond your comfort zone.Įveryone can benefit from basic. Tricking isn’t a bungee jump it’s a set of stairs. And an avulsion fracture of the big toe for icing.īut despite the absolute madness that can be witnessed in some YouTube videos, the reality is that everyone starts out at the same, novice, clueless step.Įveryone stretches. You take training for tricking just as serious as tricking, which means you’re more likely to take care of your body and not do anything too stupid.īut isn’t it all stupid and dangerous without experience? IT’S TOO SCARY AND DANGEROUS, ISN’T IT?įrom the outside, tricking seems scary. It forces you to be diligent and progressive. (I was one of them.) They are known as backyard tricksters. Most tricks benefit from less weight carried on the extremities.)ĭespite what your intuition might tell you, you don’t need formal experience in martial arts, gymnastics, or acrobatics.Ī lot of people-scrawny teenagers included-train for tricking with no experience. Shoes not only slip, but also add unnecessary bulk. There’s something stimulating about having a strong sensory connection with the ground. (Going barefoot is more necessity than cosmetic. Compared to other sports, that’s a pretty reasonable equipment list.īut tricking wins out, because you only need your bare feet and a bed of grass. My brother once said that soccer was a good sport because all you need is shin guards, shoes, and a soccer ball to practice. It’s too dangerous!” DO YOU NEED ANYTHING TO TRICK? “I don’t have any experience, so I can’t trick.
You don’t appreciate this until you land on your face unexpectedly though. I’ll be flipping, kicks, and twisting in the air – having fun and developing my physical abilities simultaneously. It teaches you movement and how to orchestrate your body in a coordinated manner.It forces you to up your mobility and flexibility game.Sure, doing a cartwheel without hands is awesome, but it has a host of benefits: Tricking is more than doing insanely cool shit. (You’ll learn a thing or two about yourself and the world, trust me.) Starting is easy it’s not as scary or as tough as it seems. Maybe they’re afraid.īut everyone should trick. Maybe they think they’re not good enough. Most everyone sees tricking as this offshoot activity-something they would and could never get involved with. There was something about the aesthetic blend of flips, kicks, and twists that hypnotized me. Tricking-short for “martial arts tricking”-permeated my pores like poison. Just a bed of grass and an itch to do some insanely cool shit.