This move is insane. I’ve decided to call this the ‘floating gremlin’ for lack of a better term (That’s right, this is another relatively new move). In regular Gremlin spins, bboys spin around a full 360 degrees on one hand without stabbing. In this variation, the hips are higher than normal. You’re going to need some powerful flares to transition into this move.
If you’ve made it this far in performing crazy breakdance moves, you still have one task ahead of you- the one arm air flare. This move just became popular among many ‘powermovers’ around the world. When done the right way, it can look very graceful. When done the wrong way, it can be very dangerous.
Borrowed from gymnastics, this move requires a lot of upper body strength, relying on the arms, back, and core. Basically, the legs move in a circle around the body without touching the ground. The wider the legs are, the easier it is to carry momentum and to keep the hips high. So, just a helpful hint: having a wide straddle split will make this move a whole lot easier.
Instead of using the palm of the hand to support your weight, someone thought it was a good idea to use the entire forearm instead. You get slightly better balance, but the shoulder now absorbs more shock. As depicted above, variations can make this move look really cool.
If you performed this move 20 years ago, people thought that you could defy all laws of physics. But today, it is regularly practiced powermove. It originated from doing a flare with the body almost inverted and hips exceptionally high. A little hop when traveling from hand to the other is what makes this move extraordinarily different. There are many variations, from keeping the legs piked together to catching with the forearms. It’s such a beautiful move that even gymnasts have begun adding it into floor routines.
This move originated in Capoeira, a traditional Brazilian martial art. Both hands push off the ground while the legs kick back and forth in a scissor-like motion to a simulate hopping. This may be a surprise, but holding a one-hand handstand isn’t a prerequisite. The key to this move is the ‘push and catch’ of each hop. As long as you master this, you can simply redistribute balance for a split second in between each hop before pushing off again.
Warning: Do not do this move on concrete… for obvious reasons. The headspin is probably the most iconic and most unnatural move in breakdancing. Although its origins are derived from capoeira, Kid freeze has claimed to have invented the ‘continuous headspin’. Today, the move has been mastered by bboys around the world. In fact Bboy Aichi, from Japan, holds the Guiness World record for 135 rotations in 1 minute.
We start with the most recognizable move- the windmill. Originally borrowed from Kung fu, this move was used to spring up from the floor without using your hands. Now, the move has evolved into a continuous motion in which the dancer can perpetually rotate around his or her upper body. You can use your hands, forearms, elbows, or head to propel your momentum. The variations are endless!
"As far as being traditional, it's not because people say there are set rules for the dance. That's what we feel. We give respect to people who don't really do traditional style moves. We give them props also. But that's what we feel so that's what we do." - Abstrak, Skill Methods Crew
"B-Boying is for everybody." - Ken Swift, Rock Steady Crew
"Back then, everybody just bugged out. There was no certain style. You're letting yourself out. You're getting loose." -Free, Circle of Fire and Shape Shifters
"Battles are like my kids, I don't lose them." - Alien Ness
"BBoying is a dance. You can represent however you want as long as your making a connection to the music." - Free, Circle of Fire and Shape Shifters
"BBoying is an art. We're artists and we're putting ourselves up to be judged. That's our choice so you have to be willing to accept the loss or the win or whichever way it goes." - Paranoid Android
"BBoying is my air." - BBoy Patron
"BBoying takes the best from each dance form and makes it it's own. Similarly to how Bruce Lee took the best from each fighting style and brought into together in his style Jeet Kune Do. You take the best from each to make a new style." -BBoy Tailz
"Becoming a good dancer is not just the learning of complicated moves and routines, it's a philosophy and a way of life. Taking your art and skills to the next level, which is PURE MASTERSHIP, complete confidence within yourself." - Greg Campbellock Jr.
The Swipe is one of the most recognizable power moves in breakdancing. The breaker leans back, whips his arms to one side to touch the ground, and his legs follow closely behind, twisting 360 degrees to land on the ground once again. procedure:Start standing up. Lean as far back as possible. Now lift your left leg and bring your knee to the middle of your ribcage. Your shin should be parallel to the floor. Now you should be able to lean farther. Try to lean so far that your whole body gets parallel. Now put both arms on your right side. Now whip them back to the left and at the same time sink lower to the floor so that your left hand can touch. But your legs should still be in the same position. As your right hand goes down to the ground your legs should start to swing also. You have to jump as high as possible or else your going to hurt your feet very badly. Now both of your hands are touching the ground and your legs and body are swinging around. Go with the momentum and bring your left hand off at the same speed and time as your legs. Your right foot should hit the ground and then your left arm should swing around in a circular motion and touch the ground. Tips: 1.Try to keep the back straight. 2.When jumping, imagine trying to jump up (weakly) into a handstand.
They are further divided into: 1.Baby Swipe - Hands are closer together, so the swipe becomes more compact. 2.Elbow Swipe - Elbows replace the hands. 3.Forearm Swipe - Forearms replace the hands. 4.Head Swipe - Head replaces the hands. 5.Master Swipe - Both hands leave the ground at the same time, and both legs lift simultaneously as well. 6.Superman Swipe - An exaggerated Swipe that is very open and more powerful-looking. The hands should be placed farther apart.
One of the most popular breakdance powermoves. This move is also known as a thomas flare in gymnastics. The flare requires flexibility and a stretching program is strongly advised. Stretch out the hips, hamstrings. Working on your splits isn’t a bad idea.
In this flare tutorial video, Enrique breaks down how to do the flare.
heres a headspin Guide bec ause I see a ton of threads about this move. Have fun
)get on ur knees, yes ur knees! It is an easier place to start!
2)lean foward and get ur head on the ground, have ur hands by the side of ur head
*Remember u shouldnt be on ur forehead or way in back of ur head or the side, u should be somewhere in the middle, but a little closer to the back. Look at a helmet, u see where it gets flat, thats NORMALLY where u wanna be on ur head too but its what is comfortable and works for YOUR head.
3)kick ur feet up so u are now balancing with ur hands on ur head, make sure ur on the correct point of ur head
*Once u are in this position u have multiple options, some of them are choices some of them you NEED to do.
a) your legs dont need to be in any set position, u can use a 4, or a V, or an L, or any number of positions comfortable to YOU, but remember each position has pros and cons.
b) your legs can NOT drop below ur hips!! if they do ur going to go off balance, its easier when ur good to catch and keep going but learning it makes things VERY hard
c) your back, neck and body should be STIFF and straight, if ur neck isnt stiff ur not gonna do well and could hurt urself, if ur back isnt straight ur either going to fall back off balance or foward off balance.
d) u can adjust ur hips as u see fit, but make sure once u have them in a position you like, LOCK them.
Now that u have the position you want, ur first object is to learn to tap, not kick or swing but TAP!
tapping is a crucial step to headspins and anyone who says ur not headspinning because ur tapping is an idiot!
Okay, be comfortable! here we go
4) do NOT kick or swing at this point, but push ur hands off in a circular motion, and then catch.
* you want to practice tapping, the best way to do that is to kepe ur body stiff, push off a lil then catch and do it again and again slowly. Until u learn how
Okay I need to discuss tapping because I can hear the questions already
a)doesnt matter if u use whole hand or finger tips, finger tips are easiest
b) u are going circular, do NOT push straight up or off,because it throws u off
c) do not CATCH the ground and THROW, the only time u catch is when ur practicing by tap, catch, stop, tap, catch, stop
*this is beginner tapping, im quite aware that when u get more advanced u do other things like reaching
d) Remember ur learning u can tap as much as u want to, i use to doggy paddled my headspins to learn them. You know what, it helps! The point of tapping is to be on ur head, get use to it, and to have momentum to let go.
5) once u learn to tap and catch(if u do that step) your going to continue tapping. Lock ur body and tap in a circluar motion, now when u travel a lil bit, tap again...
*Your going to notice ur tapping A LOT if u do it like this, WHO CARES! ur learning
6) once u learn to tap a lot and often, u can tpa less and less, say u tap once ever 1/8 of a turn, then u learn to tap every 1/4 then every 1/2 then every turn then every other turn. Soon u learn how to do roatations between taps.
*Make sure u have tapping DOWN, its a VERY CRUCIAL step, once u get the basics u can spice it up a lil. These next things are for the more advanced headspinner.
instead of locking ur hips and not kicking, when u go to tap, reach ahead of ur body and tap, as u tap kick ur legs to catch up to ur body. Each time u tap u can twist ur legs/swing hips to get more speed.
*the reason u cant do this starting out is ur not comfortable with going, let alone KICKIN to do it.
When you want to let u, u dont NEED to be going fast but it makes it harder, a good rule of thumb is when u cant feel ur legs anymore, let go
***important, when u let go! LOCK UR DAMN HIPS!! otherwise ur gonna sway and rock and it throws u off.
Airflares, or air flare, are thought to be one of the more complex
powermoves in breakdancing. It’s also being recognized as a gymnastics
movement now. Shoulder flexibility/strength, a progression of freezes,
and being able to open up into the splits are all important prerequistes
that will help your journey of learning the airflare.
Read these tips and recommendations carefully before you begin.
Please do not take these suggestions as a complete reference, refer to
other sources on the web and library in addition to this. About.com is
not responsible for any injury incured as a result of the instructions
on this site. Practice with care.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: For as long as it takes to develop an effective breakdancing ritual
Here's How:
Warm
up before you begin. Perform stretch exercises before and after
breakdancing to increase flexibility and reduce risk of injuries.
Instructions are only here to guide you. Develop your own style after learning individual moves.
Incorporate other forms of dance where appropriate.
When
possible, practice on a large smooth floor. Crash pads, cushioned
surfaces, and wrestling mats are good for practice as well.
Practice with other breakdancers.
Tips:
Music-
Breakdancing is also known as hip-hop dance, so the type of music
required is mostly hip-hop. There are also some good uptempo jazz tunes
that work just as well.
Watch Other Breakers- Go to clubs and parties and check out some b-boy battles.
Record Yourself- Have a friend record you with a camcorder or take pictures of your moves.
Use Mirrors- In the absence of a dance partner, practice in front of a large mirror.
How To Practice Toprock (Comprehensive Guide to toprock concepts)
I've combined the
major concepts from my Toprock Text tutorials thread and what music
should I dance to thread along with some new things. It's also a good
complement to BeanieKapps discussion of toprock concepts since I cover a
lot of those things but in a single guid. I don't really go into things
like utilization of space, symmetry, levels, etc. Some of that's
already covered in Beanie's thread. Eventually i might add my thoughts
on those topics later or if it's requested..hope it helps.
The Importance of Toprock - First off...It
needs to be acknowledged that b-boying is first and foremost a DANCE. If
you don't know how to dance there's a good chance you'll never get too
far in b-boying. Toprock is also a lot more than just "making room for
you moves." You've got to remember that b-boying had already been around
for a few years before the first b-boys (The Nigga Twins are usually
given credit for that) ever went down to the floor. So what were people
doing? Toprocking. Basically what this means is that no discussion of
the foundation of b-boying should ever be without Toprock. Toprock is
really the only surefire way to show that you know how to dance and how
to rock a beat. Its also the beginnning of any throwdown that you do so
for most people its the first impression they'll have of you. Sure you
can have shitty toprock and a good blow-up...but why would you want to
do that? Grab the cypher or your opponent's attention right from the
start. In a set you want to show that you have everything so to be
complete you NEED toprock.
