Kick up

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Micmic
Posts: 2
Joined: 13 May 2021, 17:23

Hi, I am kind afraid of the kick up.... can you help me to progress? I don’t know why my knee is bending😢
Katja
Posts: 17
Joined: 03 May 2021, 15:52

Hi Micmic,
So brave of you to post a video! And very good that you started your handstand journey.
I assume you do the course of Natalie? So I think she'll react and give you professional advise. Till then I can say something from my humble amature point of view (also still practising)
To kick up with that much momentum (what you do by starting in standing position) IS scary!!! It's hard to measure the exact amount of momentum you use, so: where you'll end up (on your hands or flipping over onto your back)
This kind of start position is used by gymnasts and with a reason: they use the handstand mostly as a transition into all kinds of fluent quick movements (flik flak..., I don't know the names)
To balance in a handstand it's recommended to go controlled.
So begin with your hands on the floor (as closer to your feet as lighter to kick up and as more scary it is, this is about the mass above the point of balance)
Your feet are in a lunge, back leg straight.
Kick with the bend leg and use the straight back leg as a lever creating the momentum.
First it feels like you never will get it. Like your hips weight 1000 pounds.
How to proceed, it's all in Natalies course!
What helped for me (before the course): start with a buddy! The wall is your buddy! It feels save, you can't hurt yourself by falling on your back.
They're lots and lots of preparing exercises with a wall to gain strength and also the sense about balancing.
And don't forget: it's a journey! Forget the YouTube instructions that say 'a handstand in 7 days'. Every pro will tell you that it lasts about 2 years consistent practising (3-4 days a week, every time about 30 min).
Don't give up!!! Enjoy the progress!!!

Yours Katja
Micmic
Posts: 2
Joined: 13 May 2021, 17:23

Thank you so much Katja, Really appreciate your feedback.
I am so straggle with this kick up. i am now practicing as you told me. still i feel like my hips weight million pound :lol:
I keep on practicing.
Thanks again
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Natalie Reckert
Posts: 68
Joined: 17 Sep 2019, 21:14

Hello Micmic,

Thank you for posting the video.

Thank you Katja, for the detailed answer, which contains a lot of important aspects of the kick-up.
And I agree, it takes time to learn a handstand!

Micmic, you are straightening your back as your hands touch the floor. (you are bringing your chest closer to the floor by doing that).

You need to round your back, so that your torso goes up and stacks above your shoulders.

First practice what I cann the "swing and jump" exercise.
Swing the top leg up and down and then push off with the standing/jumping leg. Focus on rounding the back and on pushing your jumoing leg all the way to straight. Don't close the jumping leg just yet, only focus on the jump and straight movement.

Here is a tutorial about the kick-up which may help:


Let me know how it goes,
Best,
Natalie
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