Gymnastics and Martial arts?

[Kreisi]

maybe you should not just go to the gym. try to find about the weight classes because if you are two kilos over 80 and the weight class is 73-79 you could try to lose a couple of kilos, or then you could go to the gym and compete in 80-86 kilos class. you decide, but remember to train a lot of sparring.

[KarateGirl1387]

I think wearing nice fitting pants (not necessarily spandex, but maybe track pants?) and a shirt that's not too loose or baggy would suffice. As for learning other tricks, try doing a 540 or a butterfly twist if you're up to the challenge

[Aodhan]

Ack! I was afraid of that , I am trying to figure out a way where I don't have to show my legs, That sounds really stupid to say.

But would the kung fu pants be adiquet atire? One of my friends who takes tummbling has told me what ever I can move in best, which would be those and a tank top.

And can anyone give me a few dynamic stretches for back bends? I will be going into a class full of, " This is not a guys sport this is for girls! " and I don't want to look to stupid to all of it lol. I can kip but that is about as far as tricks go, Well. I can do a very poor Axe2arieal which is kind of cool, though the areal looks more like a butterfly kick . And I can do chinanease splits. But are there any other tricks that would be fairly easy to learn? Or any streching you suggest?

Actually, I think you will be surprised. Most "girl's" sports that have a mens competition highly welcome men, just because of that perception.

Just go in workout clothes, leave the tabi boots at home, and work your butt off and they will be more than happy to have you there.

Aodhan

[Scotty]

http://www.trickstutorials.com/

that's quite an amusing site to look for XMA/wushu style tricks. It's not martial arts, but it sounds like what you're talking about.

[Jiffy]

Don't look like a try hard. Just fit in. Track pants or shorts with a tank top should do just fine.

[parkerlineage]

First off, congratulations on everything, angelica. I know all too well about dealing with anorexia (yes, guys can have it, too).

I just thought I'd give a quick warning about trickstutorials.com: It's good, it'll tell you how to do stuff, but what it doesn't tell you is that you can jack yourself up if you mess up!! (See my ankle)

[tekki]

I would talk to the coach or instructor as what he or she would have you wear. Ditch the martial arts apparal, just be a gymnast at the gym and be a martial artist at the dojo/dojang/kwoon/etc.

As for whether the girls will make fun of you, I doubt it. First of all, men's gymnastics is significantly different from women's gymnastics. Different events, and even the events that men and women both have are done a bit differently (e.g. men don't do their floor exercise to music, at least not in competition) The existence of men's gymnastics, IMHO, does much to legitimize you. It's just that it doesn't get as much airtime on TV, that's all. Secondly, I took dance classes when I was a kid and there were less than ten boys enrolled out of over 300 students at my studio. The girls in most of my classes were very nice and very supportive. They admired how I was willing to put off hangups with stereotypical roles and just go and do something that I really wanted to do and that would be good for me.

At any rate, I wish you the best. Gymnastics is a tough and demanding sport, but very rewarding. I hate to say this, but I think it makes karate look like hopscotch by comparison.