Progression For Arabians

[12stepCheermom]

Quick question tumble peeps... What is the generally accepted progression of skills before you work on an Arabian?

My son has a tuck he sets in the ceiling and a full. He's working on whips and doubles right now. He can't figure out the forward punch to punch high enough (like his tuck punch and set) to really get a good step out. He tends to punch off his heels rather than toes so he's not getting the height he needs to step out well.

Just wondering when it's "okay" to work Arabians? I'm thinking a punch front step out would be in that progression somewhere since the end of both of those skills is the same.

Thoughts?

 

[Mclovin]

I think it just depends on the kid. My daughter has a great arabian, but never could get a good punch front. Reason being, she has a GREAT set out of a round off, but struggled to punch through her toes going forward. However, she did LEARN a punch front first, just never good enough to connect it to additional tumbling. She also had her double and standing to full before she worked any kind of specialty skill. Now, does that mean EVERYONE has to have the same progression. No, I don't believe so. I definitely think it's important to have the full first before you learn arabians. But not everyone will learn a double.

 

[12stepCheermom]

She sounds just like him with the punch front. He has it, just can't connect it well punching off his heels and his set from the round off or back handspring into a tuck is crazy good. He has a full and is making good progress on doubles. He's actually more concerned about stopping at a half turn in an Arabian. I just thought with knowing how to spin and having a crazy high tuck if that was grounds to maybe look at an Arabian.

 

[Mclovin]

If I was his tumbling coach, as long as his full was truly technically sound and he had no mental issues, I would allow him to learn an arabian. Like I said, for some an arabian is an easier learned skill. Good luck and keep me updated!

 

[12stepCheermom]

Thanks! I will

 

[flipmac]

Correct me if Ina, wrong, but back when I was in the gymnastics world....Arabians come before fulls due the fact they are only a half turn... And turned before inverting... When you really break them down their just a punch front...

I prep my kids for them well in advance, even before layouts start happening... But I also do that with full drills too

 

[Cheer Dad]

I agree with Mclovin that if a solid full then an arabian could be next while working in the doub. From memory exactly how my cp progressed.

 

[cheernerd5678]

One time I was working my full on tumbl trak, had a freak out, and accidentally did an arabian. I had never been taught an arabian before. Granted, it wasn't good, or technically sound, but it happened. Then afterward I got interested in arabians. It seems to me that they would be easier than fulls, since you only do a half turn, as stated, so since your son can do a full I'm sure he could learn an arabian! I have the same issue with punch fronts. I thought I was the only one!

 

[SheCheers]

I would think some level 4 specialty skills would precede a level 5, no? Like whips, layout step-out? I get that forward tumbling is different, but I don't think cp was taught an arabian until after her punch front (and punch step out), whip, and layout step out. Not that I'm saying it should be done in that order, just seems logical to master level 4 specialty before level 5.

 

[12stepCheermom]

I would think some level 4 specialty skills would precede a level 5, no? Like whips, layout step-out? I get that forward tumbling is different, but I don't think cp was taught an arabian until after her punch front (and punch step out), whip, and layout step out. Not that I'm saying it should be done in that order, just seems logical to master level 4 specialty before level 5.

He's working whips and punch front step outs. Forward tumbling is just not something he's doing we'll at the moment but all his backward tumbling is solid. He was doing whip fulls on the tumble track two days after he started on the whip (boys!) and he's working the whip on the floor now. I'm just thinking ahead really. He's started packing on skills now that he's slowed his crazy growing a bit (about 10 inches in 2 years). He's pushing 6-2 now (he's 14) so stretching is the thing for him. His flexibility is what holds him back.

Anyway, I have no doubt that whip will be a done deal in about a month with how fast he's picking it up. Just thinking ahead to what the next specialty skill might be.

 

[Mclovin]

I definitely do not believe an athlete needs to master whips before doing an arabian. A whip is a totally different beast than an arabian. And a layout step out isn't even part of a tumbling progression. Some kids do them, some don't, but you definitely don't NEED to learn one before moving on to level 5 skills. One could argue that a punch front is necessary prior to an arabian and I could half way understand that, but definitely not backwards tumbling skills as they are most definitely a completely different skill set. But again, punching out of a round off, doing a half turn then stepping out forward is even completely different than a punch front step out where you punch with forward momentum. It really just depends on the kid and what his/her strengths and weaknesses are.

 

[Cheer Dad]

6'2 at 14? If he has stopped his growth spurt for now I would not be surprised if his tumbling explodes until his next growth spurt. Much easier to progress when the body is not growing and having to relearn the feel of the motions on old skills. As a side note to keep in back of your mind, the taller they get the harder it can be to tumble for some. My cp is just under 6'2 and is praying he does not grow anymore. Not the case for everyone but just something to keep in mind.

 

[12stepCheermom]

6'2 at 14? If he has stopped his growth spurt for now I would not be surprised if his tumbling explodes until his next growth spurt. Much easier to progress when the body is not growing and having to relearn the feel of the motions on old skills. As a side note to keep in back of your mind, the taller they get the harder it can be to tumble for some. My cp is just under 6'2 and is praying he does not grow anymore. Not the case for everyone but just something to keep in mind.

Yup. The comment from a random patent from some gym at UCA in Sevierville was, "that j4 is cheating! There's no way that 30 year old MAN is junior age."

I had to laugh. He doesn't turn 15 until May. He really has started to explode here lately because he seems to have stopped spurting so much. He used to be all in love with his height but he's getting worried now. His one and only life goal is to go to the USAF academy and become a fighter pilot. He's already flying cessnas (aside from girls ) but all military branches have a max height of 6-5 for pilots so he's starting to stress out that he's getting TOO tall.

But in terms of tumbling, now that he's feet aren't still getting farther away from him every time he hits the mat...it's starting to click.... A lot. It took him probably a year to learn a back handspring. That full came in about 3 months. That whip will be a month. And he's got from a full to about one and a half in basically 2-3 Open gyms. The double isn't far away. He also went from a walk in press to extension with a youth age girl (which was all he'd ever done) to toss to hands with a senior age girl.....in nine minutes of one on one with the stunt coach. No, lie.

I can't wait to see him at tryouts. He's found a new gear and is determined to make a worlds team this spring.

 

[Sierra]

I would think that it would be okay for him to work arabians but i learned that when you want to step out of something you have to let yourself feel like you are falling forward on to your face then step out. It sounds kinda crazy but it works.

 

[Cheer Dad]

Yup. The comment from a random patent from some gym at UCA in Sevierville was, "that j4 is cheating! There's no way that 30 year old MAN is junior age."

I had to laugh. He doesn't turn 15 until May. He really has started to explode here lately because he seems to have stopped spurting so much. He used to be all in love with his height but he's getting worried now. His one and only life goal is to go to the USAF academy and become a fighter pilot. He's already flying cessnas (aside from girls ) but all military branches have a max height of 6-5 for pilots so he's starting to stress out that he's getting TOO tall.

But in terms of tumbling, now that he's feet aren't still getting farther away from him every time he hits the mat...it's starting to click.... A lot. It took him probably a year to learn a back handspring. That full came in about 3 months. That whip will be a month. And he's got from a full to about one and a half in basically 2-3 Open gyms. The double isn't far away. He also went from a walk in press to extension with a youth age girl (which was all he'd ever done) to toss to hands with a senior age girl.....in nine minutes of one on one with the stunt coach. No, lie.

I can't wait to see him at tryouts. He's found a new gear and is determined to make a worlds team this spring.

Ship him north right now, have a new opening on our small coed for this season