Bonus Post: Keeping The Balance (2024/128)

After today's earlier posy on GYMNASTS, it seems appropriate to follow up with acrobatics - specially hand balancing. The art of this - at least as told by us - is what you do with the rest of your body. Nothing can be limp or loose - every muscle needs to be tense and to hold your body completely still once balance is reached - and then you can stay there! Two hands, or even just one. Ideally, you move slowly into the balance position because any sudden lunge or jerky movement can throw you off balance and result in the need to take a 'step' to regain it - or end up with you rolling out of it or, (better) turning your shoulder so that you can see the floor and then landing on your feet.

We'll begin in the company of a young gymnast from the south-west of England who has made handstanding his life's work! One hand or two?

In particular, look at what his fingers are doing, and how straight and tense he holds his body. Although you can't see it in these pictures, he holds his chest 'in' in a slight (but important) 'dish' shape.

Here he is again with a bit of showing off:

Here's another young English gymnast in his own space - yes, he has a broken leg, but that does not stop him wanting to train!

And before the leg problem:

 

Handstand pushups are a great exercise for strengthening the muscles - if you can do them: a young starter has awful form... (but we commend the effort) ... 

This is better:

And this young gymnast from Donetsk area does them wide and with great form:

 You can guess which one of those three is the gymnast!

This is also a young gymnast, from Moscow:

 

One from the olden days (with impressed daughter!):

Two ways in modern-day Köln:

We can reveal that doing them on parallettes is much easier than just on the hands because it makes the balance control easier.

Don't overlook divers:

We can do it with a partner, and get in a bit of a spin!

Getting the shape right:

More partner work: 

First with a very flexible partner!

 

Professionals Jack and Tiego:

Yet another young gymnast in his home gym:

Finally, a 'double'... two performers, one young acro gymnast in a one-arm balance while, below, his partner performs two-arm presses. Cool...