Flips and handsprings??? ... ?? .. ? .

[15-lisa-newbie]

My master is 2nd degree blackbelt, im just wondering does everyone know how to do flips and everything when they are a black belt? or do only certain people learn. i really want to learn thing like back handsprings.. but im not sure if my master can teach me. does anyone here have any information?

[senna_trem]

What style of martial arts are you doing? TKD?

[15-lisa-newbie]

im doing shotokan karate.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Flips and handsprings look really cool. However, most martial arts schools do not teach or require them due to their lack of practicality. I suppose they help flexibility and whatnot. I won't say anything about your school or those that do have them as required techniques, but most schools do not.

[Jussi Häkkinen]

In Shotokan karate? Never. Closest to a flip you get will be in the jump of Unsu-kata. Flips, handsprings and other movements are not a part of the Shotokan curriculum.

[1kickKO]

Shotokan doesn't emphasize on flips and handsprings, if you want to learn those, I seriously doubt your isntructor can teach them to you. Try it on a tramoline, or possibly try a gymnastics class around? Then you could possibly take that to martial arts if you wanted to, but just remember that shotokan is a very traditional style with no flips or back handsprings.

[yamesu]

Gymnastics classes are about the only surefire way to learn flips that I know of.

 

Possibly Wu-Shu classes.

 

Id seriously advise you against trying to learn flips by yourself if you value your spine.

 

OSU.

[aefibird]

I'd suggest taking an XMA or WuShu or gymnastics class in order to be able to learn flips, springs etc. Unless your instructor teaches gymnastics or XMA-type martial arts along with Shotokan, then you're unlikely to learn gymnstic movements such as flips in a Shotokan class.

[ninelivesarentenough]

if you do creative kata, i highly suggest learning them. there are a lot of benefits. your leg strength increases a lot and you have a new awareness of your body and balance. i started doing cartwheels when i was 5 and now i'm a week from being 17 and i can do backflips and aerials and butterfly twists; i taught them all to myself and i've never broken a bone. just know you're limits and really think about what your doing.

 

for example- if you're scared to do a backhandspring, consider this. you can jump forward into a handstand can't you? it's the same distance and the same jump requirement to jump backwards into one.

 

thinking like that will really get you to progress quickly. also- buy a trampoline. they're the best thing ever.

[1kickKO]

..haha yeah until you fly off of one.