Parkour Back Handspring: Execution, Prerequisites, and Training

How to Execute a Back Handspring in Parkour?

The parkour back handspring is a dynamic acrobatic movement that requires significant foundational strength, precise body control, and a progressive training approach. Unlike its gymnastics counterpart, the parkour back handspring emphasizes adaptability to varied environments and seamless integration into a continuous flow of movement.

Understanding the Parkour Back Handspring

The back handspring, also known as a flip-flop or flic-flac, is a fundamental acrobatic maneuver involving a powerful backward jump, hand placement on the ground, a rapid push-off, and a full body rotation to land upright. In the context of parkour, this movement transcends mere performance; it becomes a tool for navigating obstacles, maintaining momentum, or expressing movement in a creative and efficient manner. Its application in parkour often involves adapting to uneven surfaces, varying heights, and linking with other movements like vaults, rolls, or precision jumps.

Why the Back Handspring?

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the back handspring offers several practical benefits within parkour:

• Obstacle Clearance: It can be used to clear low obstacles or gaps when a direct jump or vault is not feasible or desired.
• Momentum Generation/Maintenance: A well-executed back handspring can help maintain or even generate forward momentum, allowing for seamless transitions between movements.
• Spatial Awareness and Body Control: Mastering this complex movement significantly enhances proprioception, spatial awareness, and the ability to control one's body in dynamic situations.
• Adaptability: Training the back handspring teaches the practitioner to react and adjust to unpredictable surfaces and conditions, a core tenet of parkour.
• Physical Development: It builds explosive power in the legs and shoulders, core stability, and overall muscular endurance.

Essential Pre-requisites: Strength, Mobility, and Skill

Attempting a back handspring without proper preparation is not only inefficient but highly risky. Prioritize these foundational elements:

1. Physical Conditioning:

• Core Strength: Develop a strong core through exercises like hollow body holds, planks, leg raises, and ab rollouts. This is crucial for maintaining body tension and control during the rotation.
• Shoulder Stability and Strength: Push-ups, handstand holds (against a wall), overhead presses, and bridge work will build the necessary strength and stability in the shoulders and arms.
• Leg Power: Develop explosive leg power with exercises such as box jumps, squat jumps, and burpees.
• Hip Mobility: Good hip flexor and hamstring flexibility is essential for a powerful arm swing and efficient body shaping.

2. Foundational Skills:

• Cartwheel and Round-off: These movements build familiarity with hand placement, body rotation, and powerful leg drives. The round-off, in particular, teaches the crucial snap-down for momentum.
• Handstand Holds and Push-offs: Practice holding a handstand against a wall, focusing on straight arms and a strong shoulder lockout. Progress to pushing off the wall to simulate the handspring push.
• Bridge: Develop a strong, flexible bridge (wheel pose) to ensure adequate spinal mobility and shoulder extension. Practice rocking in a bridge.
• Back Rolls to Stand: This teaches backward rotation and landing on your feet safely.
• Rebound Jumps: Practice powerful jumps from two feet, emphasizing a strong arm swing and hip drive.

3. Mental Readiness:

• Fear Management: The back handspring involves a backward rotation, which can be intimidating. Gradual progression and building confidence through drills are key.
• Spatial Awareness: Understanding your body's position in space during rotation is critical.

Breakdown of the Parkour Back Handspring

The back handspring is a fluid movement, but for instructional purposes, it can be broken down into key phases:

1. Preparation (Arm Swing & Hip Drive):

   • Start standing tall, arms extended overhead.
   • Initiate by swinging the arms powerfully downwards and backwards, simultaneously bending the knees and pushing the hips back as if sitting into a chair.
   • Immediately reverse the arm swing, throwing them powerfully overhead and slightly backward. This creates upward and backward momentum.

2. Take-off (Leg Drive & Push-off):

   • As the arms swing up, explode through the legs, extending the ankles, knees, and hips. This is your primary source of vertical and backward propulsion.
   • Keep the head neutral, looking slightly up and back, spotting where your hands will go. Avoid tucking the chin or throwing the head back excessively.

3. Hand Placement & Push-through:

   • As your body rotates backward, aim to place your hands flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart, fingers spread.
   • Maintain straight, strong arms. Avoid bending the elbows, as this will lead to a collapse.
   • Immediately upon hand contact, powerfully push through your shoulders and arms, driving your body over and through.

4. Body Arch & Snap:

   • As you push off your hands, your body will momentarily form a slight arch (hollow body position, but slightly extended through the back).
   • Crucially, as your hips pass over your hands, you must perform a powerful "snap" or "whip" of the legs and hips. This involves rapidly bringing the legs together and driving the hips through, initiating the final rotation to land on your feet.

5. Landing:

   • Aim to land softly on two feet, absorbing the impact by bending the knees and hips.
   • Land in a controlled, balanced position, ready for the next movement or to stand upright.

Progressive Training Drills

Mastering the back handspring requires patience and a systematic approach:

• Bridge Rocking: From a bridge position, practice rocking back and forth to feel the weight transfer over the shoulders.
• Wall Handstand Push-offs: Face a wall in a handstand. Practice pushing off the wall aggressively with your hands and shoulders, simulating the handspring push.
• Spotting Drills: Work with a qualified coach or experienced spotter using soft mats.
  • Back Handspring over a block/spotter's knee: The spotter provides support for the hips, guiding the rotation.
  • Back Handspring with hip assist: The spotter stands beside you, providing a firm grip on your hips to help with the rotation and push.
• Rebound Back Handsprings: Once comfortable with a standing back handspring, practice immediately springing back up after landing, improving fluidity and control.
• Back Handspring into a Roll: This teaches you to absorb impact and continue momentum, valuable for parkour.
• Progressive Heights/Surfaces: Start on a soft, flat surface. Gradually move to firmer ground, then slightly uneven surfaces, always prioritizing safety.

Safety Considerations and Spotting

The back handspring carries a high risk of injury if not performed correctly or with adequate preparation.

• Always Train with a Qualified Professional: Seek guidance from a certified parkour coach or a gymnastics instructor experienced in teaching acrobatic skills. They can provide expert spotting, correct form, and design a safe progression.
• Use Appropriate Landing Surfaces: Begin on soft, forgiving surfaces like gymnastics mats, spring floors, or grass fields. Avoid concrete or hard, uneven surfaces until the movement is fully mastered and consistent.
• Thorough Warm-up: Always perform a comprehensive warm-up focusing on dynamic stretches, joint mobility, and light cardio before attempting any high-impact movements.
• Listen to Your Body: Do not push through pain or excessive fatigue. Recovery is crucial.
• Understand Bailout Options: Know how to tuck and roll out of a failed attempt to minimize injury.
• Effective Spotting: A spotter's role is to ensure safety by providing physical support and guiding the movement. They should be strong, knowledgeable, and attentive. Common spotting techniques involve supporting the lower back or hips to guide the rotation and ensure a safe landing.

Common Mistakes and How to Correct Them

• Lack of Arm Swing or Hip Drive: This results in insufficient momentum.
  • Correction: Focus on a powerful, coordinated arm swing and an explosive hip thrust. Practice rebound jumps with exaggerated arm swings.
• Looking at Hands or Tucking Head: This can cause you to "throw your head back" rather than pushing through, leading to a dive.
  • Correction: Keep the head neutral, looking slightly back to spot where hands will go, then maintain a strong neck as you push through.
• Bent Arms on Hand Placement: This leads to a collapse and loss of power.
  • Correction: Actively push through the shoulders and keep arms locked straight upon hand contact. Practice handstand holds with perfect form.
• No "Snap" or Push-through: Failing to powerfully snap the hips and push off the hands results in landing short or on your back.
  • Correction: Focus on the aggressive leg whip and strong shoulder push after hand contact. Visualize driving your hips over and through.
• Landing Off-Balance: Often due to improper rotation or insufficient snap.
  • Correction: Concentrate on spotting your landing and actively pulling your feet under you.

Integrating into Parkour Flow

Once the back handspring is consistent and safe on various surfaces, begin to integrate it into your parkour practice:

• Linking Movements: Practice transitioning from a vault into a back handspring, or from a back handspring into a roll or precision jump.
• Varying Terrain: Safely practice on slightly uneven ground, small slopes, or near obstacles to develop adaptability.
• Efficiency and Flow: Focus on making the movement as fluid and energy-efficient as possible, rather than just executing the trick.

When to Seek Professional Guidance

Given the complexity and potential risks associated with the back handspring, it is highly recommended to seek professional guidance from:

• Certified Parkour Coaches: They understand the nuances of parkour movement and safety.
• Gymnastics Coaches: Especially those with experience in power tumbling or acrobatic gymnastics, who can break down the technique meticulously.

Attempting this skill without proper instruction and spotting can lead to serious injury. Prioritize safety and a structured learning progression above all else.