START to Bird

alt
Click on image sequence to enlarge

Videos

Level: Beginner

Description

Base

  • Place your feet on the hip bones of the flyer.  Slightly bend your knees until you feel the flyers weight.  Too much bend however will make it difficult to press the flyer's weight.
  • Flex the feet a little so that the flyers feet lifting from the ground.  If you press without a flexed foot, flyer will lift off away from you instead of 90 degress.
  • Extend the legs and bring your feet exactly above your hips.
  • Point your feet slightly otherwise flyer's weight will rush forward when they lift off the ground.   Balance the flyer (see prerequisites).
  • Practice with your hands up first in case your flyer falls forward
  • Common mistakes: bending knees too much, not flexing the foot, and not accurately anticipating flyer's weight and flyer falls foward
  •  Prerequisites:
    • Free plank presses 5-10 times
    • Free plank tilts and swivels 5-10 times
    • Front plank on L-base unassisted 5-10 seconds
    • Grounded front plank presses/Ski jumper presses
    • Verbal 'Down' and 'Hands up' game

Flyer

  • Keep your body straight by pushing the hips forward and pulling the shoulders to the back. 
  •  Arch a bit, for some flyers it helps to look to the horizon and bend slightly at the knees if you are taller and stand on tips of toes if you are shorter. 
  •  Tighten up your core.  If you don't know what this means see prerequisites.
  •  Don't shrug shoulders.  Pull them down away from your neck
  •  Prerequisites
    • Free plank presses 5-10 times
    • Superman/reverse situps on the ground and on yoga blocks 5-10 times
    • Wall push-offs 5-10 times
    • Verbal 'Down' and 'Hands down' game

Spotting

  • Base
    • Bend Kneeds to lower flyer's feet onto ground.  Keep hands up to protect your face and flyer from falling on or over you.
  • Flyer
    • Tilt to the side.  Bring your feet and hands down.  Absorb the fall with slightly bent and flexed arms and legs.  Tuck chin and roll onto side and back
  • Spotter
    • Spot from the side.  Get up close and underneath.
    • Spot the upper body.