Category: safety

Japanese Gymnastics (2): Training Protocols

Part 2 of an analysis by zhoxxyy.

Read part 1 here.

The Japanese gymnastics training system emphasizes injury prevention through extensive warm-up routines, active mobility, and specific strength development. Techniques focus on enhancing flexibility and precision, optimizing performance in key events while strategically managing strength.

Table Of Contents

Training Protocols Training Protocols Training protocols

The Warm-Up & Body Care: The “Injury Prevention” Protocol

Conditioning: “Specific Strength” vs. “Big Strength”

Apparatus Deep Dive: The Technical Secrets

Summary of Technical Specialties

Read the article online ➙ Inside Japanese Gymnastics (2): Training Protocols


My girls will be feared by weak men.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

Poem by Daragh Fleming.

I𝙛 𝙄 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙢𝙚𝙣.
But to everyone else they’ll be a consistent friend.
They’ll never lack meaning.

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜.
They’ll take up space and they’ll like what they like.
𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚.

My girls will be feared by weak men.
𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙩.
They will always know love, and never feel they have to earn it.

They’ll know their value is inherent, has nothing to do with their looks.
𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨.
They’ll be mothers one day if they so choose.
But their value won’t be defined by the use of their wombs.

They will be whatever lives in their hearts.
𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩.

My girls will know poetry and song.
They know I will listen when something feels wrong.
They will learn that ‘women are too emotional’ is an original lie.
And they will not grow up with a father who refuses to cry.

So yeah,
My girls will make some weak men shake in their knees.
𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨.

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨.

Thanks Jeff.

GAGE gymnasts to new Clubs

Lauren:

Last month, USA Gymnastics terminated GAGE’s membership effective immediately due to allegations that coaches were not complying with the terms of their suspensions tied to claims of abuse. The decision prevented its athletes from participating in meets sanctioned by the governing body, which of course includes every major elite competition in the country.

Because of this, gymnasts who trained at GAGE have started finding refuge in other programs, including first-year senior Lavi Crain and her younger sister Vivi to World Champions Centre, Winter Cup competitors Annalisa Milton to Missouri Elite and Kaylee Sath to WOGA, and junior national team member Aulya Daniels to Liberty Gymnastics.

Around the Gymternet: Alice D’Amato’s Surgery, GAGE’s Mass Exodus, Radomyr Stelmakh is German

Lavi & Vivi Crain to World Champions Centre

As GAGE is no longer a USAG club, the Crain sisters needed to go to new coaches to continue with National Team.

I spoke with Mom, Chloe Crain, at Jr Worlds. She told me both of her daughters were very happy with the GAGE program.

I’d known the family from their early days at Avant Coeur Gymnastics in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Freestyle Trampoline at EU Championships 2026

Freestyle Trampoline is an independent trampoline organization promoted by Greg Roe.  

Many consider what they do as too dangerous — BUT European Gymnastics has reached out to include them at the recent 2026 European Championships hosted at Portimão Arena, Portugal.

I’m hopeful that Freestyle Trampoline will become increasingly organized.  And that coaching becomes increasingly expert.  For me it’s been too throw and go in the past. 

Click PLAY or watch learn more on YouTube. 

GAGE no longer USA Gymnastics club

One of the top U.S. Gymnastics clubs refused to stay in compliance with SafeSport guidelines.

What happens to the many excellent athletes from that Gym?

book – ADHD is Awesome

Every coach deals with kids who have some kind of attention deficit disorder.

In fact — when I coach 6-year-old Rec boys, I can’t tell the difference between the ADHD kids and the rest. They are all hyper. And not all that ordered. 😀

Check this out.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

who won the Bronze medal on Floor at the Paris Olympics?

Ana Bărbosu? Jordan Chiles? Sabrina Voinea?

GymCastic brings us up-to-date.

Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court JUST ruled that the Court of Arbitration for Sport must examine new audiovisual evidence that supports the appeal of Jordan Chiles.

FIG seems to have improved their appeals process due to this fiasco.

Sabrina Voinea had the 3rd best routine — but her mother / incompetent coach didn’t submit the appeal properly. I don’t see any scenario where Sabrina ends up with an official Bronze medal in the historical record.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

interview with Al Fong – Jan. 20, 2026

Al Fong and Armine Barutyan plan to take their suspension to court.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.