In this lesson, you will learn how to do a wall flip. The wall flip is much easier if you can already do a gymnastic back tuck or at least a back handspring. I will explain 3 wall flip variations in this instruction. The easiest and safest one is the Tucked Wall Flip, because if you mess up, you have your hands in front of your body and can land on all fours like a cat. Then there is the Wall Flip Stepout, where you kick the second leg all the way through and land on one leg first. This is a little more dangerous for the landing leg, but not much harder. Finally, there is the Moon Wall Flip and the Wall Flip Layout. These will be quite easy for the gymnasts among you.
By the way, as you can see, I posted the wall flip in the parkour and freerunning section. But the wall flip can be quite interesting for anybody who is into acrobatics, acrobatic martial arts, or gymnastics. Find more parkour and freerunning instruction on the parkour main page.
Instruction
Before you start practicing the wall flip, you have to find the right wall and the right ground. Don’t just take the nearest banana tree or the wall of your bathroom. The BEST environment without a doubt is a gym wall with a sticky carpet layer and a 4-inch tumbling mat. Not a judo mat, not a landing mat, but a tumbling mat! Tumbling mats are hard enough to run on, but you won’t injure yourself if you fall. These mats have a thick carpet layer on one side, which makes practicing the wall flip much easier and safer.
Start about 2 meters from the wall. I recommend you take just 2 or 3 steps. Of course, you can run more than 3 steps, but keep in mind that if you go too fast, it will be hard to push away from the wall. If you go too slow, you might slip off the wall.
Step forward and swing your arms out from behind your back.
The last step should be between 1m and 1.2m from the wall.
Step up onto the wall aiming for chest height. I personally step up with the left leg. Don’t jump too high and don’t run towards the wall too fast. Also, swing your arms forward and up as you initiate your wall flip.
When the push-off leg touches the wall, the knee should be about 3/4 bent. To get used to pushing off the wall, you can push yourself away and land on a pile of landing mats (on your back). Do this a couple of times.
Then push yourself off the wall and kick up the other leg. Arch your back and push your hips up. Reach up with your hands as high as possible. A lot of the technique is in the arms. If you are afraid, you will probably not throw your arms up high enough and will automatically fall. It’s actually okay if you go a bit sideways at the beginning. I did this myself when I tried my first wall flips, and it only took me a few days to straighten my technique afterward.
Arch your back and push your hips up toward your hands. DON’T whip your hands down toward your legs! Instead, bring your legs up. If you whip your hands back down to your legs, you might stop the rotation and fall on your head.
Once you are high enough, tuck. Think of it as if you want to bring your knees to your chest. This will speed up your rotation. You can also grab your knees if you want. You will also have your hands in front of your body in case you mess up.
Land on the balls of your feet but bring your heels down as soon as possible! You don’t want to put unnecessary stress on your Achilles tendon when you land your first wall flips.
Advice
Suggestions
