Arms should be held at about 10 and 2 o'clock.
Legs should be at about 20 after and 20 til.
Or just make your body in the shape of an "X".
The eyes should be fixed on the mat where you are fixing to travel.
You should move in a straight line with a straight body.

There are basically two different types of cartwheel motions.

• One is when you start facing the front, and while you do the cartwheel, you turn so when you finish you are looking where you started.
• The other is a sideways cartwheel, when you don't change the way you face. You always face in the direction you started.

The first thing everyone needs to find out is which direction they want to start and which way is more comfortable to them.
Start by facing left or right.
If you start with your left foot out first, then put your left hand out, and see how that feels.
If you start with your right foot out first, then put your right hand out, and see how that feels.
This should help in deciding which direction you would like to go.

Momentum is important. Take a step forward, lunge with the leg, bend at the waist and reach towards the mat with the hands while driving the back leg over the head. Land with the kick leg first, push with the hands, bring the other foot down and stand.

Cues:
Hand, hand, foot, foot in a sideways motion.
Finish like you started with arms up and feet apart.

Help:
Below are pictures of some things that might help a student who is experiencing some problems.

Picture 1 - Shows how to use a folded mat to help the students who are apprehensive about taking the weight on their hands and end up collapsing.
OR
The student who is having difficulty in placing the correct leg down first, which should be the kick leg or the leg behind.
Have them bend over in the position shown by placing their dominate leg forward and their hands in the drawn circles.
Students should then step over the mat with their rear leg.
Have them stop in this position.
Then have them slowly lift their other leg around and step behind the other leaving their hands in contact with the mat.
After they have both feet down and have their balance they may lift their hands.
Have them practice this slowly, stopping at each point until they get the concept.
When you decide, they may start speeding it up a little at a time, by maybe not stopping in between.
Then when they are real comfortable with this have them stand with their arms up in a cartwheel position and throw their hands down to the circles before they start.
As they become more confident and proficient let them try a couple on the flat mat, with the assurance they may come back to the folded mat whenever they feel the need.

Picture 2 - Shows a flat mat with a 4" wide set of parallel lines with hands and feet drawn on it to help students travel in a straighter line. (This will help students when they make a decision about trying a cartwheel on a low beam.)

Problem Areas:
Placing the opposite hand down first.
Back leg may not be kicking up.
Kicking leg not landing first.
Body and legs may be piking around the side.
Body may turn too much.
Hands not pushing you away from the mat.
Tucking the head rather than looking at the mat.
Bending the legs and landing on the knees rather than the feet.

Spotting:
Stand facing the back of the student.
Cross arms and grasp the waist of the student.
As the student starts their cartwheel the arms will become uncrossed
when they become inverted and recross as they finish.
Move sideways with the student as you spot.
Watch out for flying feet :-)

Some Variations:
Near arm Cartwheel
Far arm Cartwheel
Tinsica

Back to :
| AES Traditional Lessons and Assessments | AES Lesson Plans | Gymnastics How To's |