Preparing for hand to hand

Hand to hand is a journey; it is one that we have been on together for the better part of five years.  We started seriously studying hand balancing under the tutelage of Master Lu Yi at the Circus Center in San Francisco in 2011.  For two solid years we met with him on a near weekly basis, working on handstands, levers, foot to hand, and eventually standing hand to hand.  It was under his guidance that we learned the true value of repetition... there is no fast road to learning the ins and outs of a trick as complex as balancing in the hands of another human being.

Next month we will offer a three week series that focuses on hand to hand.  There will be progressions, there will be strength training, and there will be honest conversations on what each student is ready to attempt in this practice.  We thought it would be helpful to offer a few training tips to prepare you for the series.  Disclosure:  this post is not a comprehensive list of everything you need to do to prepare for hand to hand, nor does not take into account your individual needs or structural anomalies.  Please note:  if you have pain doing any of the above exercises - don't do them!  If you are in pain, you might not be ready, or you might be injured.  Work with a physical therapist who can assess your movement strategies, test out your structures, and help you find the best way to move forward in this practice.

Enjoy the process and we look forward to training with you soon!

Warm up your rotator cuff in varying positions before you begin any acro or handstand practice.  Get a light resistance band, and do the following exercises.  I highly recommend watching the following links to learn how these exercises should be done.  (warning - videos are BORING, but worth it!)

Videos for rotator cuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taKnpUTJj2E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMBKOJps0kk
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL7fvQ2DuGE

Warm up your wrists in table top position.  Do not do these if you experience pain in the wrist.  Move slowly forward/back, R<>L, make circles in each direction, and do finger push ups.

Warm up, roll out and stretch your lats before, during and after your handstand practice.  This is especially important for flyers.  Having full flexion, aka elevation is crucial for a solid handstand or hand to hand practice.  

 Warm up your serratus anterior, with your posterior rotator cuff, while actively elongating your lats with this juicy exercise... adapted from Jen Crane, aka Cirque Physio.  Band should go around your knuckles; keep tension in the band, keep your elbows in line with your wrists (i.e. do not let them drift wider than your wrists - this is what engages the rotator cuff and increases difficulty), and think about engaging the muscles in your side and back body while you slowly roll the roller up the wall.  This should be difficult, and you should NOT feel it in your biceps or pecs - if you do, focus on your back body, shorten the excursion, and try again.  If you continue to feel this in the front of your shoulder, stop doing the exercise and find someone who can help you recruit the appropriate muscles.

Base specific drills:  work on chaturanga - as shown - being sure to keep your chest and shoulders lifted, while engaging the muscles around your shoulder blades.  Your forearms should be perpendicular to the ground.  Then work on "baby hand to hand" on a sturdy bench, and with a spot if this is new to you.  Again - if you have any wrist pain, do not do these exercises!

Release your pec minors - during and after training sessions, to help with shoulder joint mechanics.  Use a lacrosse ball or super pinky rubber ball.  If you experience any tingling down your arm - STOP!  You could be putting pressure on your brachial plexus.

Upcoming workshops with Precision Acrobatics:

Ticket link for all workshops:  here
All workshops are being held in SF at Bay Jiu Jitsu Mission Studio

>Intermediate Day Long:  February 4th
>Semi-private Coaching with Ariel + Liz:  February 7th
>Master's Handstand Workshop with Ariel: February 21st
>Hand to Hand Series:  March 7th, 14th and 21st
>Shoulder rehab for Acrobats with Liz:  April 18th

Physical therapy in the SF Bay Area with Liz:

Oakland:  Synapse Massage& Bodywork
San Francisco:  East West Integrative Medicine

Intro, philosophy, and mission

Precision Acrobatics - who are we?  We are Liz Williams and Ariel Mihic, a couple of adventure loving acrobats who met in San Francisco at an Acro Yoga class taught by the lovely Jeremy Simon.  

We began training in a dedicated Acro partnership shortly after meeting in October of 2009. Over the years we have sought out instruction from many incredible coaches to help us navigate the world of acrobatics. As two similarly sized women who found this practice in their mid-thirties, the harder tricks never come easy for us. However, we are deeply committed to putting in the time required to find our way into some pretty impressive poses. That being said, as we mature in our training and teaching paths, we are finding that the process of inquiry, and the slow pace of diligence, are far more rewarding than any pose will ever be. 

Our training philosophy is fairly simple - establish a routine, with a fair amount of repetition. Put in the time training - start with the basics and progress only when you are ready to do so. Communicate with kindness, and take the time to explore what your partner needs from you, rather than commanding what you need from your partner. Stay curious and study the mechanics of the pose - allow the process to be cerebral at times without negating the body's innate ability to sense where it needs to be. Practice honest self assessment, set realistic expectations, and celebrate the small wins. How you do anything, is how you do everything.

Our mission - we have restructured the way that we teach so that it is more in-line with how we train.  We will be teaching 3-week series every other month on Tuesday nights in SF at Bay Acro.  Our first series starts on January 10th and is focused on standing acrobatics.  During the even months we will be offering specialized classes including Master's Handstand Workshops, Shoulder Rehab for Acrobats, and Semi-Private Coaching.  We will also be writing a monthly blog to share training tips, lessons learned, and other juicy nuggets of Acro related jargon.   

Our credentials -  Ariel has a Doctorate in Pharmacy and certifications in the following yoga disciplines: Ashtanga, AcroYoga, YogaSlackers, Thai Massage/Pranassage.  Liz has been practicing as a licensed physical therapist since 2005, and is certified in the following disciplines: massage therapy, yoga therapy, and YogaSlackers.  Liz and Ariel have been teaching together in SF since 2011.  

We hope you enjoy our evolution with us, and we look forward to seeing you soon!