Wushu Butterfly Twist

In this lesson, you will learn how to do a butterfly twist. The butterfly twist is considered one of the most difficult jumps in wushu. Variations include the single butterfly twist, 540 twist, 720 twist, and b-twists with split or crash landings.

A butterfly twist (Mandarin: 旋子全体 Xuàn Zi Quán Tǐ) is a horizontal pirouette involving one or more full rotations. It is both jumped and landed on the same leg. Because this move is highly advanced and risky, it should be the last jump you learn. Make sure your butterfly kick is solid before attempting the twist.

Find more wushu jumps at Wushu Main.

Execution

1. The Run-Up

This part might seem confusing, so watching a video tutorial is strongly recommended. The run-up for a butterfly twist is the same as the butterfly kick run-up.

Start by standing on your right foot, with your left toe touching the ground about one foot in front of the right.
Your left arm and palm point straight up; the fingertips point to your right.
Your right arm extends to the right side horizontally, making a fist (thumb up).
Look to your right (chin over your right shoulder). Even though you're looking right, you will run to the left.

Let your left hand sink down in front of your face (to the right) as your left leg steps forward in a big motion.

Step on your left leg, then your right, in slightly circular movements. Keep your arms wide open to maintain balance.

Now comes the most important step:

Make a small hop on your right foot.
Swing your arms to the right.
Your left leg takes one last big step backward.
This builds torsional tension in your torso for the takeoff.

When you land on both feet after the hop:

Your upper body and left arm should point to where you came from.
Your right arm points to the right.
Feet should be about 3 feet apart, resembling a wushu bow stance.

2. The Jump – Wushu Butterfly Twist

Swing both arms and your upper body down and forward.
Your right bow stance turns into a horse stance, then into a left bow stance.
Your torso must drop low—your head should get within a foot of the ground.
Do this quickly.

As your head rises and your weight shifts onto your left leg, kick your right leg up. Whether you're doing a butterfly kick or twist, the right leg must be straight.

Swing your right leg above horizontal level.
Open your arms and look straight forward.
Do not bend your right knee or close your arms too early—this can cause an uncontrolled, upright spin and possible injury.

When the right foot lifts off and the left foot leaves the floor, your arms should still be open.

Once your right foot is high enough:

Bring your hands together briefly to initiate the twist.
They should touch each other or your torso.
Let your legs close naturally—don’t force it. Forced closure breaks the rotation.
Make sure both legs are straight for a clean spin.

Your rotation axis should be about 45° to the horizontal.

After a short moment, open your arms again and land on your left leg.

Advice

Master the butterfly kick first. The twist is the most difficult wushu jump and should come after you've learned all the basic and intermediate jumps.
Use a long jump sandpit for early practice. Mats should be your second option.

Exercise for the Wushu B-Twist:

Stand about 3 meters in front of a sandpit, facing away from it, balanced on your right foot.
Hop backward (toward the sandpit) and strike out with your left leg.
Swing your arms from the right and jump off your left leg. (Refer to the butterfly run-up.)
Jump forward into the pit, keep your legs closed, and land belly-first with forearms near the torso to soften impact.
Always check the sand is soft enough after each attempt—dig it up as needed.

Next, try to land on your side and gradually add rotation until you can perform a full butterfly twist.

You may feel nervous about landing near the pit's edge at first—this fear helps ensure you jump forward, which causes your legs to close naturally and aids the twist.

Once you can consistently perform the 360° twist, try a more powerful run-up, keep your hands together longer during the rotation, and see how close you can get to the 720° twist.

Always dig your sandpit soft enough to avoid injuries.

Tip:

Use frog jumps to increase your vertical leap, which helps all wushu jumps.

Related Techniques

Videos / Images

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