Flipping training

[BonesCom]

So I was just checking out a video from a (I think) quite respected school and they were training flips (forward somersault), I'm pretty sure I know the answer I'm going to get but, do you think you would ever need to train flips? Why would you unless you were going into some sort of "XMA" forms contest? Do you think they are superfluous flowery-ness for the sake of the McDojo crowd. Personally I'd leave a school if they were teaches their students to flip. What say yous fellas?

[shock and awe]

Some people especially kids like doing flips. Succeeding at developing an ability is a good motivator to learn more. What's wrong with people learning the ability? If the only thing they were teaching was flips i would probably leave a school too. It's fairly unnecessary but there are other things that are as well. I guess it's all in what you feel like doing and what you feel like making work.

[BonesCom]

Yeah I guess, but if you like flips go to gymnastics. I guess I take exception to "modern wushu" it seems like they are neither overly good gymnasts or martial artists. Distinction I like, homogenisation not so much

[shock and awe]

or if your teacher just happens to know some wushu and you're interested you can learn.. It's not the same but some teachers will teach medicine or some will teach a bit of a random style they learned to those interested. It's like seated meditation, you need that for fighting???

[DeusTrismegistus]

They're cool, great for balance and require good athletic skill. They may not be necessary but they won't hurt and may help from a conditioning stand point.

[JusticeZero]

Flips? I don't do them or teach them.
...What? Why is everyone looking at me funny? =)

[Brady]

Properly trained rolls and flips are very helpful for throw finishing technique

[everything]

seems like it'd be great fun to learn. why would anyone not want to learn them? even if you'd never use them for something ma related (not including performance art or whatever xma is)

[Walk the Torque]

Properly trained rolls and flips are very helpful for throw finishing technique

Also the whole body extension applied to the final part of a forward flip is a good starting point to learning and training expansion.

[JusticeZero]

Seems a bit ballistic; I teach lots of things that have similar extension and such that aren't hypercommitted like that.

[xXZetaBrownXx]

In my personal experience at Master Li Tai Liang's school and Master Yang Fansheng's school in Taigu. Flip training is part of the basic jibengong (how ever you spell it) for martial training. Its a great way for the kids to work on their flexibility, strength, and have fun too.
Than as they get older the begin their more internal xingyi training.

[BonesCom]

The way I see it my time is better invested elsewhere (in saying that I could probably bust out a flip from my trampolining days )
In terms of kids: most would be bored crapless learning what we do, which is fair enough. Never thought about it in terms of throwing training. I guess it all seems a little too "wushu" for me, personal predjudice I guess, carry on

[JusticeZero]

Hm, well, there is the Cintura Desprezada - those are a tumbling routine in a different line specifically to teach isolating the hips from the rest of the torso. We do different things for the same attribute though.

[edededed]

Some CMA styles include tumbling in their repertoire (various monkey styles, drunken styles, longfist styles, etc.); often this includes methods different from those of gymnastics, like diving into the ground, spinning up from the ground, etc.

In general, IMA does not have this kind of thing or does not emphasize it, though.

[neijia_boxer]

flips, cart wheels, rolling- all train rotating on your 'center of gravity' on different poles running through the center. its better to start at a young age for this. this is why it is good to take toddlers to tumbling class so they can be agile later in life.