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There are a couple of problems I see with this “test” posted by the Herald Sun in Australia.

THE Right Brain vs Left Brain test … do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

Right Brain v Left Brain | Herald Sun

First, they forgot to define the frame of reference. We can only infer they mean counterclockwise — looking down at the dancer from above.

Secondly, I don’t believe anyone can see this dancer turning clockwise (right twist). Yeesh. I FINALLY got her to change directions. I stared at the bottom foot only (as many had suggested) and she suddenly switched directions.

UPDATE – Immediately after posting this, people began responding they can see the image turning clockwise (right twist), turning towards the right shoulder.

Perhaps it really does work.

If you can, I expect you must be delusional, not right-brained. (Leave a comment below.)

(via Leo Laporte)

Gymnastics United is the fan photo site of Martina, Bernard and Stefan from Europe.

They have a huge number of photos from Worlds 2007 and are still adding more.

A couple of samples:

original – Vanessa Ferrari

original – Shayla Worley

(via Gym Chat multimedia page)

Ken sent us a couple more cool handstand photos.

The little one from China.

And the much bigger one from Egypt.

Send us unique or interesting handstand photos and we just might post them.

This is part of our Have a Happy Handstand category, a tribute to Glenn Sundby who invented the idea.

Egypt

I’m in Mazatlán, Mexico.

The athletes I’m watching are not nearly so famous, or well paid, as the La Quebrada Cliff Divers in Acapulco. But the landing area here in Mazatlán — from a far lower height — may have less margin for error.

larger photo – credit McConnell Family

See a professional video of the show on Big Sea Productions.

Matt Ryan’s Random Handstands Club on Facebook is up over 1500 photos.

A few examples …

Kit Ackermann – original pic

Added by Anni Suomalainen – original pic – Facebook

Added by Sally Miller – original pic – Facebook

Facebook members can join the Random Handstand Club for free.

Coach Michael Sanders alerted me to photos of young children training in China.

As Michael says, they “sure don’t look too happy”.

Why were these pics chosen for a Reuters slideshow rather than some of the smiling, cute photos they undoubtedly captured the same day?

One of the “themes” of upcoming media coverage of China leading up to the Olympics will be the cruel treatment of young athletes in the supposedly-Godless, supposedly-Communist host country.

On the other hand, my Chinese friends who trained under that system have told me horror stories. The scrutiny of Western media will, I hope, have a positive influence on coaches in China.

… a training session at the gymnastics hall of the Shanghai University of Sports October 10, 2007.

Students of the gymnastics class of Yangpu District Youth Sports School are all aged between 5 to 9.

China’s future Olympic hopefuls train at one of the thousands of provincial sports schools around the country. Even though these athletes might be too young to make the 2008 Beijing Games, they harbour dreams of winning Olympic gold in London 2012 or beyond.

REUTERS/Nir Elias – slideshow

After months of being taught to develop courage, inner strength, and other values of the martial arts, Daniel Finkelstein finally achieved the self-confidence necessary to stand up to his parents and quit taking karate lessons, the area sixth-grader reported Monday.

Karate classes like these have given 11-year-old Daniel Finkelstein, left, abilities beyond his years to abandon things halfway through.

Finkelstein, 11, who was bullied into beginner’s classes at Dragon Karate and Tae Kwon Do Academy by his father in July, reportedly drew on a number of recently acquired skills, including poise and self-assurance, when confronting his parents about how much he despised karate.

…

Read the rest of the spoof news post – Karate Lessons Give Child Self-Confidence To Quit Karate

There’s a germ of truth in most The Onion humour. The better job we do as coaching training athletes to be independent, the less they need us.

Great news as reported by Blythe from the Gymblog:

(Wang Yan) … walked out of Shanghai No. 6 People’s Hospital using her own two feet, The Shanghai Daily reported yesterday.

Wang was reportedly paralyzed after suffering fractures and dislocation of the second and third vertebrae after falling on her uneven bars dismount at the Chinese National Championships June 10 in Shanghai.

read more … Wang Yan walks again « WordPress Gymblog

With the high profile of gymnastics in China prior to the Olympics, Wang Yan’s accident has been very much in the news there.

Beating paralysis, girl walks out of hospital – Shanghai Daily

On the Gym Chat forum there are plenty of videos of the new World Champion including Shawn on Ellen.

Click PLAY.

She seems to be handling the celebrity very well.

More posts referring to Shawn Johnson.

In Santa Monica, California … once you finish your TRAVELLING RINGS training, head over to the FLYING RINGS.

Swinging Rings – larger version on flickr

Flying Rings (Swinging Rings) – Wikipedia