Mathew Sparks is Head Coach and Dance Captain for Cirque La Nouba, Florida. He sees more flips and twists in a day than many coaches see in a month.
For an upcoming clinic, Matt’s recycled a video presentation from … that era when Men vaulted over a long skinny horse. (Kids today can get freaked out first time they see a vaulting horse so inferior to the Table.)
It’s a brief introduction to dominant twist, identifying twist direction and relation to skills like Kasamatsu, Tsuk 1/1, round-offs and pirouettes.
Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.
14 comments ↓
Two questions. Why would Kasamatsu be easier that a Tsukahara Full. Also if you always turn the same way on bars won’t you travel to the side? Over all a great video. Very clear and informative.
Kas is 1/4 + 3/4 = 1/1 twist
Tsuk 1/1 is 1/4 + 5/4 = 3/2 twist … a lot more twist to fit in the same time
Pirouettes do travel. It’s a real problem for some gymnasts. One strategy is to travel one way on the top Bar. Then change direction. And travel back.
Some people find Kaz easier, some Tsuk twisting. I don’t really think the amount of twisting is a big factor. For me I found I could be a better block with Tsuk than Kaz, so I did Tsuk type vault. As mentioned in the video twisting direction may also play a part as depending on RO direction and twisting direction a gymnast may find one or the other easier.
coach Rick that was an awesome explaination.
Kas is 1/4+3/4 = 1/1
Tsuk Full = 1 & 1/2
I got it. A light bulb just went on!
Clinton you mentioned that you tried both Tsuk and Kas. Does that mean you tried the turn onto the table turning both to the right and the left? Is your natural roundoff the same direction as your twist like the Tsuk guy on the video or the opposite direction like the Kas guy? On the video we never see the Tsuk guy try Kas, maybe it would have been hard for him too because he would have to do the 1/4 on opposite his natural roundoff.
coach Rick, do you know anyone who can do both Tsuk 1/1 and Kas?
You don’t necessarily have to twist the opposite direction to do a Kaz vs Tsuk. I do roundoff right, but twist left (same as the guy in the white shirt), so logically I should have done Kaz, and actually tried Kaz for about a year before turning to the Tsuk style. But I just found that by completing the roundoff before twisting gave me a better block and more height. By separating the roundoff from the twist I found I was able to generate a good twist even though I was actually twisting the opposite direction to my roundoff.
Good point.
I have heard of others finishing the round-off.
Not many. But a few.
@ clinton: if you do your roundoff right, i assume, you mean you lead with your right foot and hand? if so, you can only do a tsuk. because you are twisting in the same direction…
As explained in the video a left hand first roundoff turns to the right. But twisting direction has nothing to do with whether it is Tsuk or Kas. The difference is whether you do a roundoff (Tsuk) or 1/4 on 1/4 off to face forward (Kas). Once you have done this you can twist in either direction, although usually twisting in one direction will be easier to actually do.
I have actually stood and listened to reputable coaches mess this up – this video explains it beautifully…it should be entitled: The Dummies Guide to Twisting.
@Clinton…I think you’re one of the people confused – no offense
you are not alone.
I should add that this is a commonly misunderstand point. Some coaches think it is the twisting direction because this is the ‘common’ way to determine if you should do a Tsuk or Kas. Twist the same way then you should do a Tsuk, twist opposite ways then do a Kas. But it is useful to know that it is in fact possible to twist in the opposite direction to the ‘usual’ for both these vaults.
A further complicating factor is that women don’t even make the distinction between Kas and Tsuk. They call all of them Tsuk, regardless of how you come off the table. So 90% of our sport doesn’t even care what the difference is.
Tsuk with twist will get more popular for WAG in future, I think.
If you plan to start new girls on that family of Vault, do Kas.
It’s easier.
I don’t see this as a choice, you have a direction you do your round-off, you have a direction you do your back full, if they are the same direction you do a Tsuk-full, if different directions you do a Kasamatsu. On Kasamatsu’s there are various degrees of how much you twist in before you twist out. I’ve seen people essentially do a tinsica (front handspring with one arm in front of the other) followed by a front with a 1/2 and it be labeled a kasamatsu (or even tsuk-full). Really finishing the round-off and then switching directions for a kasamatsu…. I haven’t seen that myself. Usually its as described 1/4 on, then 3/4 in opposite direction off.
If you did a staggered arm handspring followed by a front half it can only be called a kas, regardless of twist direction.
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