Advice sought on technique shown on Acrobatics DVD

[MONI]

Dear Mr Kurz,

I recently purchased the Acrobatics DVD and am loving it! I have a question that I hope you will be able to answer and give some advice on.

I want to train for the breakdancer's back hand spring but am stuck at a certain point. Specifically, I can get into a back bridge from lying on the floor but am not able to kick my feet off the ground as shown on the DVD. If my feet do come of the ground it is barely more than a couple of inches.

So my question is what exercises would you recommend that I do to help improve on my sticking point? Any other advice is highly appreciated.

Regards,

M.

[Thomas Kurz]

Do kickovers from a pile of mattresses. This exercise is shown on the DVD Acrobatic Tumbling and its purpose is to develop both strength and flexibility needed for kickovers from the bridge on the floor. Do it from gradually lower pile of mattresses until you can do it with your feet and hands on the same level. If you can't work your way to where your feet and hands are both on the floor, don't despair. You can make up the difference of a few inches with the speed of your whole move (raise, arms' swing, bridge) so your momentum will carry you over your hands. This, by the way, is learned in the next exercise: the bridges and kickovers on the sloping mattresses.

Make sure you prepare for landings on your hands by strengthening muscles of your rotator cuff first and then the large muscles of the shoulder girdle.

[MONI]

Mr Kurz, thank you so much!