For an article relating to this clip, and more, please go to my handstand blog: yuvalonhands
/ 265157370252730
Play time with cubes
Hand balancing training can get a bit too serious at times...:-)
In order to master higher level skills like the one arm handstand and its countless variations, there is no alternative but to repeat the skills hundreds if not thousands of times, not to mention the time invested in physical preparation, technique, etc... Even though I enjoy the work and long "process," I find that adding some playfulness and randomness (from time to time) into training can not only make it interesting and fun, but is actually quite beneficial in the quest for body control and balance.
I won't go into all the benefits of the cubes, which are quite obvious to anyone who practices hand balancing. But besides the regular and fairly simple and straight forward one-arm cube drills, there are a variety of ways to train that can add some "color" to the often repetitive and linear nature of hand balancing practice. Adding challenges, as opposed practicing in a lab-like environment (flat floor and good lighting) can only enhance the traditional practice.
The following drill, in which I climb down and then climb up three pairs of cubes is a good example for that. It doesn't really carry to any of my performance skills, but rather provides a set of challenges and unexpected changes that occur along the way. The goal is not to execute it flawlessly (though it would be nice:-), but rather react to the changing environment without thinking too much. Since the visual focus in a OAHS is somewhere around the supporting hand, the lifted hand in this case manipulates the cubes into their place without "seeing". At the same time the actual focus and attention is on the cubes and not on the handstand. The focus now is primarily on the moving of the blocks, and the balancing itself becomes a second nature...
Have a great year, and don't forget to play!