Rolling

There are basically only two kinds of rolls that I know of, Gymnastic/Tumbling rolls, and Martial arts/Parkour(they are almost, but not quite the same) rolls.

In tumbling forward rolls, you roll straight forward, going directly over your head and the center of your back. You can’t really aim them in any direction, and they aren’t really useful in any situation where Parkour or martial arts would apply. (I.e they may be an important part of a gymnastics or tumbling routine but they aren’t going to help much the next time you jump off a wall or get into a fight). For backwards rolls, well I can’t really remember how to do them, but their pretty similar to forward rolls.

In Martial arts forward rolls, you roll at an angle going down your arm, over your shoulder, and across your back, so that the least amount of time/force is placed on the spine. You can aim the roll in any forward directional without moving your footing once you know how to do it. (I.e you can roll side ways, diagonal and forwards). It’s all the same roll. Martial arts rolls are meant to be used to dissipate the impact from a fall, or to recover from being knocked over, or to land from being thrown, either in an accident or fight. Back rolls again are similar, although I don’t know them as well, in a back roll you fall backwards and roll across your back and over your shoulder in reverse.

Now keep in mind, I’m just listing the different types of rolls here, not how you should do them. Also, I don’t really know much at all about tumbling rolls, I haven’t taken gymnastics in a while.

Here are some examples of rolls and how to do them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7b-ykpV … 40&index=0
Martial Arts forward rolls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooH61uam … 40&index=1
Same in slow motion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuLuLsk6UMQ
Parkour rolls (I’m dubious about his expertise though)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tJAyNxig_A
More parkour rolls, I like this video better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6I1J0zmE7U
Finally! This video kicks the other two videos asses, reminds me of watching dogens tutorials for the first times, must be the pleasant background music. Watch this to really learn practical Parkour rolls!

Now, I couldn’t actually find any videos of Gymnastic/Tumbling roll, aka a somersault. If you want to see one, just search gymnastics, or tumbling or something on youtube, and watch some videos of the Olympics or some such, you’ll see some rolls somewhere in their floor work.

Yakri~

First trip to a gymnasium

Well, I got to take tumbling lessons at a gymnasium in Humbolt county today. Unfortunately, i couldn’t take a video of it, since i forgot my digital camera at home. It was bloody good fun! ^_^ Hah, that’s an understatement.

Anyway, I managed to learn, to some degree, a front flip, and a round off. I also got to try back handsprings, but didn’t graduate from doing them without help. (said help is accomplished with the use of a large semi soft object resembling a wheel of cheese with a chair shaped piece sliced out of it, and a spotter).

I would really recommend gymnastics/tumbling class’s for any fairly new tricksters, there a lot of fun, and learning from someone who actually knows what there doing, in person, is much better then watching videos on youtube. Even if you don’t want to take any class’s, if there is a gymnasium near you that you could get a membership to, do it. Crashing head first onto crash mat is significantly less painful and dangerous then doing on grass.

Edit:

The Day After

Well, I woke up this morning, and, MAN AM I SORE. one hour of doing round-offs, cartwheels, handsprings, and front flips really takes it out of you. Funny thing is, the sorest areas are my shoulders, upper back, and neck, i would have thought it would be my legs and arms, apparently not so.

Yakri~