tumbling, tramp, diving, acrobatics, circus, cheer, dance, martial arts, X sports … and more
Once again I’m linking to one of Mark’s posts on the Jump Club blog:
… those that have an interest in Kung Fu and photography, may want to pick up a copy of the British Journal of Photography (£2).
… photographer Justin Guariglia has had the rare and privileged opportunity to document within the walls of the 1500 yr old Chinese Buddhist sect, known commonly as the Shaolin Temple.
more details … Shaolin: Kung fu Photography « JumpClub
The classic front lever on rings. (This guy has potential, by the way.)
larger original – RingTraining.com
Often we spot athletes on front lever “pulls” to this position on either rings or a bar:
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Much better for most athletes, however, are what I call “front lever rocks” — chin-ups to front lever position done continuously:
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Most gymnasts do not need spot on the variation above, especially if they bend the knees and / or pike at the hips to reduce resistance.
Front lever drills are terrific strength training exercises for males and females. In fact, front lever rocks can even be done by non-gymnasts as a general fitness exercise:
… “Begin in a momentary tucked flexed arm hang, and then swing the knees forward while simultaneously straightening your arms. Within a few attempts, you’ll be able to do these in sequence. I call these rhythmic swings front lever rocks. There is no isometric hold at first. As you get stronger, you’ll be able to increase the range of motion and the number of lever rocks. Soon you’ll be able to stop in the tucked front lever position for a half second or longer. One day when you feel particularly strong, keep your legs straight.
read the entire article … Lord of the Rings – Input Fitness
Thanks to shagy13 for posting those videos and more.
One of the best paid coaches in gymnastics is stepping down.
ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia gymnastics coach Suzanne Yoculan, who has led the Gym Dogs to eight NCAA national championships, will retire from her head coaching position following the 2008-09 season according to an announcement Wednesday by UGA Director of Athletics Damon Evans. …
“Suzanne has done a remarkable job in her 25 years at UGA,†said Evans. “She has built the Georgia program into the most successful in the country. …
Long time UGA assistant coach Jay Clark will succeed Yoculan
Photo Credit: Brett Davis
I’m just working my way back through the posts of a cheeky new blog. Check the tag line:
It’s something of a gossip site. The blogger makes no claims to expertise. She’s just an opinionated fan of women’s Artistic Gymnastics.
I like it. Very entertaining. And where else would I be tipped off to video clips like this? — Alicia Sacramone punching out some dude. Awesome!
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Apparently the guy dared Sac to punch him, and she did. Only she didn’t think that it would actually hurt.
Also, … (hopeful) speculation that Courtney Kupets might make a run at Olympics 2008. Or 2012.
Blythe posted the same sentiments about Courtney on Gymblog. And I feel the same way too. Courtney Kupets is awesome.
But would you choose to compete against Shawn Johnson if you had the chance, instead, to lead Georgia to it’s fourth NCAA team title in a row?
Check out the new blog: difficulty plus execution.
Just remember those are opinion posts. Not hard news.
I don’t know enough about Brazilian superstar Jade Barbosa.
… In 2007 Jade participated in the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, winning a gold medal on the Vault, a silver in the Team Competition and a bronze in the Floor final.
At the 2007 World Championships, Jade won a bronze medal in the Women’s All Around. She also qualified to the Vault and Balance Beam finals.
… in 2007 she was the Senior All Around Champion, defeating 2006’s champion Daniele Hypolito.
Jade Barbosa – Wikipedia
I like this bittersweet montage on her trials and triumphs, so far:
Click PLAY or watch Jade on YouTube.
The editor has more videos featuring Jade on her YouTube channel called Ginastica Artistica (Brasil).
Brazil produces more than their share of the best gymnasts and acrobats in the World. Good luck to Jade preparing for the Olympics.
Sing Lo has a terrific collection of 2004 Olympic synchronized diving photos. A couple of low resolution samples:
Cassandra Cardinell and Sara Hildebrand USA – larger original
larger original
see all photos in this set – Olympic synchronized diving gallery – Pbase
Sing Lo is certainly one of the best sports photographers in the world. (We link to him from the right hand navigation under Gymnastics Photos.)
His home page is easy to remember … comaneci-salto.com
The latest, greatest video from Eliza. Very inspiring.
A montage I made about the potential the US has for the Olympics next year. I tried to include as many gymnasts as I could, but I was limited by the amount of quality footage I had.
Music – “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns and Roses
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
The USA has so much depth. It’s intimidating.
I’m never surprised to hear gymnastics is happening at any remote part of the world.
Coach Don Anweiler is recently arrived at a club in Vestmannaeyjar, off the S.W. coast.
And the club is already 20yrs old!
Obvious, but important, information from Abid Hussain. This article might be useful to distribute to parents. A brief summary:
1.) Make sure you are wearing the appropriate attire. Flapping clothes, dangling jewelry and body piercings can get caught in equipment, scratch or cut the gymnast, as well as other people.
2.) Be serious during practice. Be aware that horsing around and other rough and tumble games can cause injuries, especially in areas where people are practicing and it is not safe to goof off.
3.) Youngsters with long hair should tie it back or secure it under a bandanna so it does not get in the eyes or get caught in the equipment.
4.) Gum is a no-no during practice or competition; it can easily become stuck in a gymnasts throat or windpipe during performances.
…
read more – Gymnastic Injuries
Another good point is to disallow MP3 players during practice. In New Zealand I saw older gymnasts checking their phone text messages between rotations. NOT a good idea.
This article came from Gymnastics Rescue, a site I’ve just started investigating.
Josh Centor founded Double-A Zone, the NCAA blog, in November 2006. Josh was named NCAA coordinator of new media communications in April.
Racial diversity in coaching is still a big issue in the NCAA. Josh’s recent post:
The Black Coaches’ Association released its annual hiring report card on Tuesday, and the results weren’t anything to cheer about. Although the 11 schools that received “A†grades for their hiring practices was a record high, the 10 that received failing marks also set a new, less appealing precedent. …
Details on College football coach hirings …Double-A Zone
That article got me thinking about racial diversity in gymnastics coaching here in North America.
I have coach friends of many ethnicities and nationalities. In fact, I would say, in general, that minorities are disproportionately well represented in Canada and the USA.
Do we get a positive report card for diversity?
… Next issue: Are women paid equally to men? Do women have equal opportunity to be hired for Head Coaching positions?
What do you think? Leave a comment below.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 