Letters & Comments (Gymnastics Magazine)

The process of collection the portfolio for the “Clear Circle” magazine is begun. I can work with English & Russian versions, but some articles in Spanish will be acceptable. I do have a real possibility to make an appropriate translation in case it will be needed.

Please, send me an interesting facts from gymnastics History and of course, from your own Coaching or Competing experience, or from your Friends Gymnastics Life.

Below is an example what kind of videos will be interesting, because this one is ABOUT CLEAR CIRCLE.

Just watch this well-known strategy of learning Free Hip Circle, and grab it for your work.

STRAIGHT FROM THE MASTER’S HANDS OF KEVIN MAZEIKA

For sure , this video will make happy all young coaches opened this page. Amazing World Coach, Kevin Mazeika shows step-by-step how to teach a basics Free Hip Circle!

Below is the the structure of the teaching strategy of free hip circle as well as all circles performed in the short zone. I am using this picture as a copy of the set of my learning instructions prepared for BIO Gymnastics as a part of Development Plan for the Optional Team of the Club:

The strategy of learning basics skills is a subject for the every Coach in Gymnastics Clubs. This is why I really wish to get some informative coaching projects from the coaches visited my website.

WELCOME TO THE COACHING BOARD!

PROFILE SYSTEM AS FOUDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM

Gary Goodson: Let’s learn the Best from Russia with Love …

As I already mentioned in my posts that profile system was very successfully applied on the American Coaching Technology within couple decades. The main provider of this Methodical “KNOW HOW” was Coach Gary Ray Goodson, Sr. (USA). I do have in my book very special chapter dedicated to this reliable working Partner and very good Friend.

What a brilliant job done by Coach Gary Goodson! Let me tell that the hours of his lessons and clinics during his Coaching career and numbers of happy Coaches & Gymnasts are endless. As a said in my website earlier I will have a special chapter about his amazing work in the United States , Canada and other countries. But it will be not just about his V.I.C. Dolls used for learning skills purpose, but about numbers of gymnasts, represented USA on the World and Olympic Competitions. They done great job and made the people of United States very proud watching American Flag raised up because they were the WINNERS!

I published recently a big retirement article/letter from Gary Ray Goodson, Sr. You can find this article plus my comments about Gary Goodson at section of the site called “Journals’, Page 1, Essays & Portraits.

Below is my very short excerpt about Basics & Profile Exercises taken from “One Coach’s Journey from East to West…”

[…] MY VISION OF THE PROFILE SYSTEM

A Few Words about Profile Exercises and “Families” in Gymnastics

I had an opportunity to become very familiar with Valery Mamzin’s ideas during our years together in the gymnastics department of the Central Physical Education Institute. Although Mamzin is currently working in the Russian city of Volgograd (better known by its former name of Stalingrad), his ideas have been tested and developed on the proving ground of American gymnastics. Having withstood the test of time, Mamzin’s profile exercises have become a mandatory component of some of the most progressive teaching methods used in many American gymnastics schools.

I am writing about this because I consider Gary Goodson’s work to introduce profile exercises in America to be of titanic importance. These types of exercises are not simply well-known as components of a gymnast’s basic preparation, but are part of an entire training system called the “Profile System.” Today, these types of exercises may be better known in the United States than they are in contemporary Russia. The fact is that in Russia, and in particular in Russian gymnastics, even the most momentous discoveries are taken for granted. One more, one less – who cares? There are more of them than we know what to do with! But in America, profile and basic exercises have been put to good use and have significantly influenced how foundational gymnastics skills are taught from the earliest stages of learning.

But what exactly is the difference between pure basic skills and basic profile exercises? I will try to explain. First of all, the basic skills associated with a family of exercises are those skills with which instruction in a group of movements that are unified by common features is first begun. The word “families” appears in quotes in the heading of this section for a reason. This word is there because for profile exercises, related features are a lot like the ones you find in human families, where someone might have a trait in common with a mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, etc. In other words, these exercises have their own family tree.

Examples of related features of basic gymnastics exercises might include the overall nature and form of a movement, the particular mechanism used for take-off or entry into a twist, the direction of a movement’s rotation and the form of landing, how the gymnast interacts with the ground or other support, and the position of the body throughout a movement’s phases.

For example, when it comes to learning a family of back layout saltos with multiple twists, the profile element will be a layout salto performed with a half twist initiated from the ground. A simple layout salto would be the truly basic element and is recommended as the starting point from which to advance to more complex saltos.

This is because in order to advance to the level of the profile skill that develops multiple longitudinal twists, not just a half twist must be added to the basic layout salto, but a new technical component that develops twists that start from the ground. The salto with a half twist launched from the ground therefore becomes a profile skill within the hierarchy of profile exercises. The late half twist is a very common lead-up exercise for mastering twists of multiples of 180º (½ twist, 1½ twist, 2½ twist). But most of all, in my opinion, this half twist (Russians called it a polovinka, or “little half”) is important psychologically, as a means of systematically bringing a gymnast closer to mastery of twists along a longitudinal axis.

Practice has taught us that the profile exercise that develops complex variants such as the double back saltos is an over-rotated layout landing on the back incorporating an added element of difficulty tied to a powerful take-off with forced lateral rotation. For even more difficult salto rotations, for example for studying double saltos with multiple twists, there will be a higher rank (upgraded) profile exercise that combines salto rotation with twisting. A layout with a full twist landing on the back would serve as such an exercise.

Based on this formula, we can imagine the future gymnast’s profile elements for studying a triple salto with twists, for example. The difficulty level will be much higher. One such exercise would be a double open-tucked over-rotated backward somersault landing on the back. We will return to the subject of transitional shapes, which lay the groundwork for super-rotation with multiple twists. But now it’s time for a little “gymnastics geometry”!

February 9, 2021

Below is a small part of the Development Project which was made for the BIO Gymnastics Club. The whole program are currently working because it is impossible to achieve the performance of high level skills without supplement skills.

This type of skills used as a part of special conditioning supplies to the gymnasts the necessary scheme of the muscle’s work, which can guarantee an appropriate direction of the general and specific conditioning.

SUPPLEMENT SKILLS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNEVEN BARS (FOR THE ALL OPTIONAL GIRLS)

1. FLOOR BAR (numbers of each exercise will be announced by personal coach):

• Kick to handstand from standing position – slow motion down to the top planche with legs together/straddle ;
• Kick to handstand through the straddle from knees and from squat position laying down with pike straddle to the starting position;
• From handstand on floor bar lowing body down to the body tension;
• Body tension and top planche positions using a sliding FWD and BWD movement on Fitness Balls;
• Kick to handstand with ½ pirouette step down / and or fall onto the stomach with hollow shape;
• Kick to handstand with ½ pirouette with an extra change grip/ or and with full pirouette performed step-by-step ( with coach’s spot);
• Kick to handstand with full pirouette performed step-by-step without coach’s spot;
• From standing position kick to handstand using reverse grip – fall over onto the back with straight hollow shape;
• Using a small parallets numbers of straddle presses to handstand ( possible work using a stretched cables or stall bar;
• From reverse grip handstand – ½ turn to regular grip and fall down onto the stomach with straight hollow shape;
• Blind change technique ( shoulder FWD!) ½ turn with coach’s spot/ without spot;
• Blind full pirouette ( working safe between two incline bouncing mats);
• Healey Technique and drills: ½ pirouette from handstand on reverse grip onto the stomach and … ½ turn ending flat on the back ( on mat);
• Kick to handstand with hop changing grip from regular grip to reverse – fall down on back;
• From handstand falling down 20° -30° from high vertical – Stalder (Straddle) / or and Pike (Sole circle)/ or and Stoop working exercises using an incline mat behind the back ( the best timers supposed to be performed after ½ pirouette in handstand phase;
• Straddle/Pike/Tuck presses to handstand performed in a row (EXTREMELY NEEDED!);
• Using a bouncing mat/ or “VZ” bar trainer with bungees (JOKE!) installed with a different height gymnast have to perform a number of repetitions for the second part of Giant Circle/Free hip Circle known as EXTENDING/OPENING A SHOULDERS

2. REGULAR FLOOR SURFACE (numbers of each exercise will be announced by personal coach):

• Extension rolls to handstand/ to high front support / to body tension/ ;
• Extension rolls to handstand with ½ pirouette using hand change and blind change technique;
• Extension rolls to handstand with ½ + ½ pirouette using hand change and blind change technique;
• Extension rolls to handstand with full pirouette using hand change and blind change technique;
• Back walkover to handstand using a kick technique ending with hollow shape in handstand;
• Back Handspring to handstand – slow down to the front support;
• Back Walkover to handstand – slow down to body tension;
• Back Handspring to handstand – slow down to the body tension;
• Holding a small bar in the hands ( by ears!) rolling movements to the candlestick moving hands down to the hips;
• Extension rolls using a penal mats ( with different height of the set) – rolls off the penal mat;
• Extension rolls using incline mat : rolling into the top of incline mat;
• Numbers of rolls through the chest to handstand using a regular surface/ incline surface ( from the top/ regular/ to the top);
• Numbers of top planche and body tension on the floor;
• Back walkover to handstand walking BWD 2-3 steps in handstand;
• Kick to handstand with hop walking 5-6 steps FWD with straight shape and absolutely extended shoulders;
• Dive Roll to handstand using a soft landing mat;
• High Back handspring to handstand using a soft landing mat;
• Laying on floor on front support position with arms bent – push-ups with hop ending to the starting position;

3/ THERA BEND/ ELASTIC/ BUNGEE: The specific set of the exercises will be attached to the Developmental Program as a number of the different pictures which will include the direction, technique and requirements.

4/ TRAMPOLINE EXERCISES (AS A PART OF THE SHAPE BUILDING):

• Regular straight jumps with increased amplitude (using a swinging BWD hands and ending the high jump with straight hollow body and arms up by ears!
• Numbers of Tuck/Pike/ Straddle/ Split jumps ending with straight hollow body and arms up by ears;
• Tuck/Pike/Straight Jump up with quarter rotation FWD with kick-out landing on stomach with straight hollow body and arms up by ears;
• Tuck/Pike/Straight Jump up with quarter rotation BWD Tuck/Pike/Straight Jump up with quarter rotation FWD with kick-out landing on stomach with straight hollow body and arms up by ears;
• ¾ Straight Salto FWD landing flat on the back with straight hollow body and arms up by ears;
• ¾ Straight Salto BWD landing flat on the stomach with straight hollow body and arms up by ears;
• Jumping forward to handstand and rebounding with straight hollow shape backward (kind of snap with straight hollow shape) onto the feet (the straight hollow shape without bending the body/pike is required!)
• Numbers of the sit drops with straddle legs and legs together;

5/ “Bar – Trampoline Trainer”: The most important part of this exercises are the Release Skill & Pirouettes known from the Floor bar and can be applied to the Bar-Trampoline Trainer workout!

• Advanced UPPER BODY Conditioning Set:
• Kip- cast – glide – kip (connections) – 15 ( 3 x 5 or 5 x 3);
• Cast to high front support – glide – kip – 15 ( 3 x 5 or 5 x 3);
• Kip cast to Handstand – 20 ( 2 x 10 );
• Cast to handstand – clear circle to handstand – 15 ( 5 sets x 3; or 3 x 5)
• Pull-ups / pull over – 20 ( 2 x 10);
• Handstand Push-ups on paralets – 20 ( 2 x 10) or Front Support Push-ups – 200 (4 x 50);
• Straddle PRESS to handstand – 25 (2 sets);
• Pike PRESS to handstand – 25 ( 2 sets);
• Body Tension (absolutely straight shape – wrists and toes support only) – 2 x 3 min;
• Top Planche Hold – 2 min or Up & Down – 2 x 25;
• Back Extension Roll starting from hollow position – 50 ( 2 x 25);
• Handstand Hold – 6 min ( 2 x 3 min);
• Sit-ups – 200 ( 2 x 100);
• Rope Climb without legs support – 2 sets;
• Rope Climb with legs support – 6 sets ( 2 x 3 in row);
• L-lever Hold on Bar (pike and straddle) – 3 min ( 2 x 1.5 min);
• V-lever Hold on Bar (pike) – 2 min ( 2 x 1 min );
• V-ups ( straddle, pike) – 200 ( 2 x 100);
• Hollow shape Hold – 3 min ( 3 x 1 min);
• Candle sticks –UP – 50 ( 2 x 25)

Comments: Upper body conditioning set must include at least 10 -12 different exercises mentioned above. Conditioning using real skills on Uneven Bars (cast / glide/ clear circle and etc.) must be performed with grips with coach’s assistance if needed.