VARIABLE: RENDIMIENTO ACADÈMICO

To mimic the shape of the foot and its natural arches, you must practice the Cambered Hand Technique. In a nutshell, this technique, shown in Figure 28, puts your hands into a C-Shape rather leaving them lying flat.

The easiest way to perform the

The easiest way to perform the Cambered Hand Technique is to placeCambered Hand Technique is to place  your hand flat on the

 your hand flat on the floor, then curl yfloor, then curl your fingers up so tour fingers up so that you can seehat you can see their underbelly.

their underbelly. When you lean your weigWhen you lean your weight onto cambered hands, itht onto cambered hands, it should feel quite different from a

should feel quite different from a flat-handed position.flat-handed position.

The Cambered Hand Technique distributes the weight between the The Cambered Hand Technique distributes the weight between the fingers and the heels of the palms, as well as providing slack in the muscles, fingers and the heels of the palms, as well as providing slack in the muscles, tendons and fascia in the fo

tendons and fascia in the forearms and wrists. rearms and wrists. Aside from providing tAside from providing thehe  benefits of copying the fo

 benefits of copying the foot's biomechanics, theot's biomechanics, the Cambered HandCambered Hand Technique

Techniquealso significantly reduces the stretch on the finger's flexoralso significantly reduces the stretch on the finger's flexor muscles on the under

muscles on the underbelly of the forearbelly of the forearm. m. This can alleviate wrist pain thatThis can alleviate wrist pain that crops up for some newcomers.

crops up for some newcomers.

 As you compare the fl

 As you compare the flat-handed position to the at-handed position to the Cambered HandCambered Hand Technique, think back to the example

Technique, think back to the example of standing firmly on your two feet.of standing firmly on your two feet.

The center of pressure moves around the hands in

The center of pressure moves around the hands in the exact same way thatthe exact same way that it moves around the feet. Recall that as

it moves around the feet. Recall that as you lean your weight forward overyou lean your weight forward over  your toes, you can f

 your toes, you can feel them grip the groueel them grip the ground, helping to force yond, helping to force you back andu back and maintain balance. When the center of

maintain balance. When the center of mass shifts forward, this is calledmass shifts forward, this is called overbalancing,

overbalancing,andand the fingers the fingers must squeeze must squeeze tightly to regtightly to regain balance.ain balance.

This squeeze pulls the center of pressure back towards the palms, just like This squeeze pulls the center of pressure back towards the palms, just like the toes squeeze hard

the toes squeeze hard to pull you back tto pull you back towards your heelsowards your heels. . If the center ofIf the center of mass travels too far over the fingers, the center

mass travels too far over the fingers, the center of pressure moves beyondof pressure moves beyond the base of support, and you need to

the base of support, and you need to bail, or topple over.bail, or topple over.

Figure 29: An overbalanced, but solid/recoverable handstand hold on the Figure 29: An overbalanced, but solid/recoverable handstand hold on the

left compared to an unrecoverable position on the

left compared to an unrecoverable position on the right, requiring a bail.right, requiring a bail.

Similarly, when the center of mass

Similarly, when the center of mass shifts backward over the palms, theshifts backward over the palms, the center of pressure also moves over the palms and you

center of pressure also moves over the palms and you areare underbalancingunderbalancing.. To regain balance, the palms press hard i

To regain balance, the palms press hard into the floor, and push the bodynto the floor, and push the body  back towards the midd

 back towards the middle of the hands to rele of the hands to regain balance. gain balance. In this case, if theIn this case, if the center of mass travels too far over the

center of mass travels too far over the palms, you instinctively bring yourpalms, you instinctively bring your legs down and bail out of the

legs down and bail out of the handstand.handstand.

Figure 30: An underbalanced, but solid/recoverable handstand hold on the Figure 30: An underbalanced, but solid/recoverable handstand hold on the

left compared to an unrecoverable position on the

left compared to an unrecoverable position on the right, requiring a bail.right, requiring a bail.

In practice, you obviously don't need to remember all of

In practice, you obviously don't need to remember all of these details.these details.

Instead, you want to remember just

Instead, you want to remember just twotwo things:things:

1.

1. When yoWhen you are ovu are overbalerbalancing (ancing (fallifalling towang towards yrds your baour back),ck), push (or push (or grip)

grip) with your fingers. with your fingers.

2.

2. When you are undeWhen you are underbalarbalancing (falncing (falling towaling towards your strds your stomach)omach),, push push into

into your palms. your palms.

Once you get a hang

Once you get a hang of this technique, a lot of of this technique, a lot of the handstand mysterythe handstand mystery disappears. Even if you get lost in

disappears. Even if you get lost in the details of center of mass, center ofthe details of center of mass, center of pressure and the base of support, hand balancing should make a

pressure and the base of support, hand balancing should make a lot morelot more sense when you learn the Cambered Hand Technique.

sense when you learn the Cambered Hand Technique.