I Suck At Kip-Ups

my body is definitely not as spry as it used to be.

today, i had a nice conversation with my friend (aimee). aimee recently started taking a capoeira class at her gym in boston. for those of you who do not know what capoeira is... capoeira is a form of martial arts. according to my friend "wikipedia", capoeira is a

"blend of martial art, game, and dance originated in Brazil, from the regions known as Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo. The art-form started up in Brazil during the 16th Century, an obvious result of the slave trading that took place in conjunction with the previously slaved native Indians. Capoeira was created and developed by slaves brought from Africa. Participants form a roda (circle) and take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring in pairs in the center of the circle. The game is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, and extensive use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Less frequently-used techniques include elbow-strikes, slaps, punches, and body-throws."

so in a few weeks, don't dance with aimee. and it's probably safe to say, don't mess with her either (not that i would because i've been privy to the vengeance of aimee for a few summers).

anyway, i started joking with aimee that capoeira is breakdancing with some martial arts thrown in. (i chose breakdancing because "break" had such a good ring to it when it came to martial arts.) naturally, that got me thinking about breakdancing and how i never got into that craze growing up. a few youtube videos later, i was thinking breakdancing was the best thing since sliced bread.

in particular, there was a breakdancing move called the "rubberband". the rubberband is basically a kip-up. according to my friend "wikipedia", a kip-up is

"one of several names for an acrobatic move in which a person transitions from a supine position directly to a squatting position by propelling the legs, and consequently the entire body, away from the floor. It is used in activities such as martial arts, acro dance, breakdancing, professional wrestling, and gymnastics. Because of the flashy appearance of this move, it is often shown in fighting and action movies. The kip-up is also variously called a rising handspring, kick-up, Chinese get up, kick-to-stand, nip up, and carp skip-up."

now, i have seen kip-ups before. in fact, i have been infatuated with kip-ups ever since i saw the most electrifying man in sports entertainment (the rock) perform one during a wrestling match. i thought it looked so cool. i never attempted to perform one... until now.

after watching a brief youtube tutorial on how to perform a kip-up, i thought... yeah, it looks harmless enough. what could possibly go wrong? little did i know, i suck at kip-ups. i don't just suck at kip-ups... i really suck at kip-ups.

(the video below is the kip-up tutorial.)


i started doing a few practice motions to see what it would feel like. laying on my back in just my boxers, i swung my feet over my head a few times. (yes, i was in my boxers as i working from home.) i even practiced a few push offs with just my arms positioned by my head. i did a few bridges like the video suggested. so, i figured i'd try to put them all together.

well, let's just say my first and only attempt was not exactly what was pictured in the video. i swung my feet back. i pushed up with my arms. thump! i came crashing down on my back. in fact, it still hurts when i turn my body certain angles. if my friend (hot amy) were to challenge me now to some sort of competition, she actually might win. that's how much pain i'm in.

anyway, i think there should be a "don't try this at home in your boxers" disclaimer for this video. needless to say, when i told aimee what i had just done... she thought i was a total nut. i actually laughed until it started to hurt to laugh. not to be defeated, i will someday master this kip-up... once the pain subsides of course.