I can do a perfect back walkover and I've done a back handspring with a spotter, but I can never seem to be able to do a back arabian! Does anyone have any tips on this or anything? I would really, really appreciate it!

What is it you mean by back arabian???

I take arabian to mean a jump 1/2 turn into a front somersault, but i assume you wouldn't be learning that if you can not backflip without a spotter, or front somi by yourself, so im a little confused.

Back arabian=

backbend(feet together), push off floor with feet, bring feet up together, and then bring them landing on the floor together.

Basically a back walkover but starting and ending with two feet.

ok i know what you mean now. In tumbling an arabian is definately what i described above which is why i got confused, lol.
For the move you are describing, i'd think about trying to get your shoulders as far over your hands as you can as you lift your feet off the floor, i reckon you need quite good abs muscles for these too. I'll do one tomorrow and then put anything else i can think of that may help.

What you're talking about is more known as a back limber. I've never heard it called a back arabian, I've only ever heard arabian used for what acrobabe is talking about. Eh well, whatever you want to call it.

Anyway, back limbers. Like acrobabe said, you need AMAZING ab and shoulder muscles to be able to do one. They are a lot harder than it looks. In all honesty, I teach them but hardly put any emphasis on whether you learn them or not, just because it's really hard, doesn't look all that spectacular, and isn't a skill you can build on. In my opinion you'd be better off putting more energy into getting the backhandspring.

But, if this is something you really want, cause hey, I've gone after skills just because I really wanted to be able to do them before, here's my tips: Fold up some panel mats. Push up into a backbend so your feet are on the mat, but your hands are on the ground. The higher you stack the mats and raise your feet, the easier it will be. So start off as high as you need to, do a ton at this level to build your muscles, and gradually flip over the mat and make it lower. Soon enough you'll be able to do it ground level.

PS- Don't cheat! Make sure your feet are both pushing off the ground at the same time. If you start off using one leg more than the other, it will be pretty hard to fix. Good luck! Let me know if you have any more questions.

No no. This is an arabian. A back limber is a back walkover to a handstand and then you pike your feet down to the floor.

Well at least that's what we call it at my studio. I'm sure different studio's have different names for each skill though.

Hi there
(new to this)

Have to agree with 'acrobabe' and 'AcroCoach'
In gymnastics an Arabian is a half twist into a front somi.
Back limber or pullover is essentially a back walkover but with your legs together.

I'm guessing but do you do Acro Dance and not gymnastics?
Perhaps thats where the conflict in names comes from.

I have done acrobatics, gymnastics, and sports acrobatics. While gymnastics and sports acro terms and arabian front is as you described (a half twist into a front)

in acrobatics an arabian is a back or front walkover starting and ending with your feet together.

Different studios, and different sports have differnet names.

Ok, well I never thought of what you said to do, AcroCoach, but it seems like a good way to practice. And yes, I do acro, not gymnastics. At my studio a back arabian is backbend two feet over like AcroDancer said and a back limber is off one foot landing on two feet. Thanks for the help, everyone.

Wow that is confusing. It is fair enough to expect that different gymsports would have different terms for different moves. But it is confusing when one gymsport uses a term for a completely different move. In my experience an arabian is a sommersault that twists in the air to change directions. And bending back to a bridge and kicking over with both feet at the same time is a back limber.

I can do these. At my old studio, we called them Arabians. But that was in an acro class.

They are hard. And actually, I wouldn't bother to learn them because through all my acro classes I got a really flexible back that ultimatly caused me to undercut on my bhs when I eventually learned them.

But they are relatively impressive because they look like a really slow bhs that you don't jump into. oh, and doing roundoff arabians also kinda screwed me up because now my roundoff bhs consist of me arching my back and not jumping.

But good luck anyway... do lots of crunches!

Liv

back limber is pushing off from two feet and landing 2 feet. back walkover is pushing 1 foot and walking out 1 foot @ a time.

limbers are an essentail key to learning bhs. when taught properly, they improve the bhs greatly. you have to be careful and not undercut your backbend, keep the head in line, straighten the legs, and follow thru. try landing in a push up postion to keep the legs stretching out.

these take lots of practice and it takes my studnets a good year to be able to do one on their own (not always properly either). not only stomach muscle, but upper back and quad muslces in the leg have to work.

like someone else mentioned.. start on mats folded up and then slowly take them away in 2 week time frames.