1. sports
2. gymnastics

HOW TO DO THE
ONE HAND
HANDSTAND
BY
PROFESSOR E.M.
ORLICK
DISCLAIMER
The exercises and advice contained within this book may be too strenuous or
dangerous for some people, and the reader should consult with a physician
before engaging in them.
The author and publisher of this book are not responsible in any manner
whatsoever for any injury, which may occur through the use or misuse of the
information presented here.
How To Do The One Hand Handstand originally published in 1960
Modern Reprint Editions and Added Materials
Copyright © 2009 by Logan Christopher and Legendary Strength
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this course may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Published by:
Logan Christopher
Santa Cruz, California
www.LostArtOfHandBalancing.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
P. 1
Special Foreword
P. 1
The Most Spectacular Stunt Of Them All
P. 2
Your Mental Attitude Is Important
P. 3
Special Exercises For The One-Hand Handstand
P. 4
Starting At The Half-Way Mark
P. 10
Finger-Tip Control
P. 12
Lead-Up Stunts To The One-Hand Handstand
P. 12
The Correct Hand-Position For The One-Hand Handstand
P. 16
The Correct Body and Leg Positions For The One-Hand Handstand
P. 17
Make Haste Slowly
P. 19
The Correct Method of Easing Into The One-Hand Handstand
P. 20
Various Positions For Your Free Hand And Arm
P. 23
SPECIAL FORWARD
This is an Advanced Course on Handbalancing. It is a direct out-growth of my
basic course “Handbalancing Made Easy”. For best possible results, you should finish this
basic course first and then go on this Advanced Course. “Handbalancing Made Easy”
provides the foundation for all of my advanced courses and paves the way to the most
spectacular hand balancing tricks there are. It is a MUST for anyone who wants to
become an outstanding handbalancer.
“Handbalancing Made Easy” is packed full of terrific muscle-building exercises
designed to give you the coordinated strength you need to become a superb handbalancer.
It gives you a whole flock of lead-up stunts, and then takes you step-by-step to more and
more difficult tricks. It is the most complete basic course ever written and your most
important stepping-stone to success as an advanced handbalancer.
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1
THE MOST SPECTACULAR STUNT OF THEM ALL
There is no stunt in the world which will give you more sheer satisfaction than the
One-Hand Handstand. This spectacular trick stands in a class of its own. It will bring you
more favorable attention than any other stunt you could possibly learn.
What the Two-Hand Handstand can bring you, in the way of admiration and
recognition is only a drop in the bucket when compared to the One-Hand Handstand.
After you master the One-Hand Handstand, you will not only become the center of
attraction to the world at large, but will also be admired by other hand balancers, and
especially those who can perform the One-Handstand themselves.
Learning the One-Handstand is like getting a passport to another world. It opens
doors for you that don’t even exist for others. It’s like getting and honorary membership
to a super-exclusive fraternity; like getting the keys to a City; or like receiving an allevents pass to all the shows in your State. However, this is one honor you’ve got to earn
yourself…all the money in the world can’t but it for you.
There is only one way you can join the International Order of One-Hand
Handbalancers and that is by learning to do the One-Hand Handstand. Anybody can join,
regardless of race, creed, color, sex, shape, size, age, weight, height, wealth, poverty, or
anything else. There is only one qualifying condition…you’ve got to be able to do the
One-Hand Handstand. If you can do it, you’re in…if you can’t. you’re out.
In my basic course “Handbalancing Made Easy”, I told you what a terrific stunt the
Two-Hand Handstand was. Well, everything that I said there applies ten times as much to
the One-Hand Handstand, or even more, because so few people can do it. I doubt if there
is one hand balancer who can do a perfect One-Hand Handstand to every thousand who
can do the Two-Hand Handstand.
The One-Hand Handstand is definitely a more difficult stunt to learn, but by no
means as difficult as the above would seem to indicate. It is not so much a matter of
difficulty, as it is a lack of “know-how” which is responsible for this great discrepancy. It
would be more appropriate to say that the One-Hand Handstand is extremely difficult to
learn without proper instruction.
There are even professional hand balancers who can’t do the One-Hand
Handstand…not because of lack of strength, or practice, or ability but because of lack of
“know-how”. They should be able to master this sensational stunt, but can’t, because they
don’t go about learning it the right way. On the other hand, there are simon-pure
amateurs, who do hand balancing just for fun, who can hold a perfect One-Hand
Handstand, because they have received proper instruction.
With this excellent course to guide you…and sufficient practice on your
part…there is no reason under the sun why YOU can’t master the One-Hand Handstand
real soon and join the exclusive ranks of the Sensational One-Hand Handbalancers.
Believe me! It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to press up into a prefect TwoHand Handstand, ease your weight over to One Hand, raise the other hand off the floor,
and then stay there, balancing the whole weight of your body on the palm of just one hand.
It not only feels good but it also looks good.
Just about everyone has tried to stand on his hands at some time or another. Most
of us do this automatically as kids, kicking up on our hands on the lawn, at the beach, in
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the gym, against the house, fence or elsewhere. Thus everyone knows from personal
experience how hard it is to stand on Two Hands let alone ONE HAND.
It’s natural for people to admire those who can do things they can’t do. It’s also
natural for people to admire those who have mastered the same things that they
themselves have mastered, because they know how much time, effort and energy this
required. Therefore, those who admire the Two-Hand Handbalancer a lot, will admire the
One-Hand Handbalancer a lot more. Thus, when you learn the One-Hand Handstand you
will immediately win the respect of all other handbalancers.
In all sports, those with the greatest skill are the most outstanding, no matter what
their activity might be. It is for this reason that each of us should strive for absolute
perfection in all we do, and handbalancing is no exception.
When you learn to stand on Two Hands, you lift yourself out of the ranks of
milling masses. You become something different, something special, something that
commands recognition. Before, you are just one in billions, no better, no worse, just an
ordinary unnoticed human being. But the minute you learn to stand on Two Hands you
become “one-in-a-hundred-thousand”…a superior person in some specific respects.
Now, you are going to climb still higher. You are going to learn to stand on One
Hand, and the minute you do, you will become “one-in-a-million”. When you join the
ranks of the Two-Handers it’s like climbing up on a stage where all the world can see you,
but when you learn the One-hand Handstand it’s like having all of the spotlights shining
upon you.
Will you make it? Will you join the illustrious ranks of the world-famous OneHanders? This depends entirely upon you. The road is clearly marked in the pages which
follow. BUT you must provide the time, energy, effort and perseverance. No one else can
learn the One-Hand Handstand for you. YOU, and you alone, can master it, if you really
want to. It won’t be easy but neither will it be half as hard as most people believe, when
you have the correct instruction.
There is an old proverb which says: “anything worth having is working for”, and
another which says: “you don’t get anything for nothing in this world”. both of these apply
to handbalancing and particularly to mastering the spectacular One-Hand Handstand.
YOUR MENTAL ATTITUDE IS IMPORTANT
It takes more than muscles to become an outstanding handbalancer. You need
“mind-power” as well as “body-power” to master the One-Hand Handstand. In fact, your
mental attitude may be more important than your physical equipment, because the first
dictates the actions of the second.
The first step in learning the One-Hand Handstand is to get ride of the idea that
this stunt is impossible for YOU to learn. Such negative thinking has kept thousands of
otherwise good handbalancers from mastering the One-Hand Handstand they tried it a few
times and failed, so came to the conclusion that they just can’t learn it and gave up.
Because of their negative thinking about this trick they become hit-and-miss
practicers. They don’t follow any procedure, system or pattern. They just try the OneHand Handstand when the urge seizes them. They might try the One-Hand Handstand ten
times one day and then go for a whole month before they try it again. They only think that
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they have tried to learn this great stunt. Actually all they have done is made a few blind
spasmodic stabs at it. They gyms are full of these kinds of erratic handbalancers who never
really develop into anything.
Just imagine trying to learn how to play the piano, or baseball, or swimming, or
high jumping, or arithmetic, or anything else that way. No one in his right mind would
even think of it and yet that is exactly what thousands of would-be handbalancers are
doing right now with respect to the One-Hand Handstand. No wonder they don’t make
any progress.
In learning the One-Hand Handstand, as with anything else, you’ve got to know
where you are going, and how you are going to get there. Then you’ve got to make up
your mind that you are going to get there come what may.
My system tells you exactly where you are going and how to get there. It takes
you step by step. It shows you every shout-cut there is. It tells you all of the little secrets,
and all of the big secrets as well. It charts your entire course of action from the beginning
to the very end. All you’ve got to supply is your body and the necessary motivation force
to keep you going until you have reached your ultimate goal -- The One-Hand Handstand.
You need strength and stamina to learn the One-Hand Handstand but you need
self-confidence, desire, determination, perseverance, and stick-to-itiveness even more.
Sheer muscle-power is of definite value, but controlled balance and neuro-muscular
coordination are even more important. And above all else, you need will-power.
To master the One-Hand Handstand, you must make up your mind that you want
to learn it, that you are going to learn it, and that you won’t let anything stand in your
way. You must think positively and act positively. You must banish all doubts and
negative thoughts from your mind. You must set the goal you want to attain and then do
everything in your power to achieve it.
Don’t let yourself be discouraged. Remember that “Rome wasn’t built in a day”,
and that no one ever achieved greatness in anything without striving for it.
Now one final word…the One-Hand Handstand is a strange stunt. You may work
for weeks or months, and then suddenly, without warning, you’ve got it. It may feel
hopeless and impossible one day and you may have it the next. So never give in…that
One-Hand Handstand may be just around the corner.
SPECIAL EXERCISES FOR THE ONE-HAND HANDSTAND
Your body requires systemic exercise in order to remain healthy and function
efficiently. Regular exercise keeps all of your vital organs in good condition as well as
your muscles. The importance of exercise is covered in detail in my basic course,
“Handbalancing Made Easy”.
Also outlined in my basic course are dozens of excellent exercises especially
designed to give you the strength, stamina and neuro-muscular coordination you need to
become an outstanding handbalancer. If you have done these exercises and have been
practicing the Two-Hand Handstands regularly, then you will already have much of the
muscular foundation you need for the One-Hand Handstand. If not, then you should spend
a few weeks on the basic exercises and basic two-hand balancing before going on to the
One-Hand Handstand.
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There are a number of special exercises which are particularly important for
learning the One-Hand Handstand. Some of these have already been described in
“Handbalancing Made Easy” but others are new and especially designed to help you to
learn the One-Hand Handstand more quickly and easily.
I am going to assume that you may have already developed most of the basic
strength you need in your major muscles from you previous exercising and handbalancing.
Therefore, I will concentrate my attention on those special muscles in which you need
extra strength to meet the extra demands of the One-Hand Handstand.
In the One-Hand Handstand, all of the weight of your entire body rests on One
Hand, and is controlled by the muscles of the fingers, wrist, forearm, elbow-joint, upper
arm, and shoulder-joint of one-arm. Therefore, you need more strength in this specific arm
for the One-Hand Handstand than you do for the Two-Hand Handstand.
When you do a Two-Hand Handstand your body weight is divided equally
between your two arms because each arm is supporting half of your total bodyweight.
However, when you do a One-Hand Handstand, all of your bodyweight must be supported
by one arm and thus your balancing arm must support twice as much weight as it does in
the Two-Hand Handstand. To get some idea of what this means, just imagine how hard it
would be for you to do an ordinary Two-Hand Handstand if another person your own
weight wrapped himself around your body. Then imagine twice as much weight being
placed on one arm and you will see at once why it is so important to build extra strength in
those parts which will be bearing the extra weight in the One-Hand Handstand.
Listed below are a number of special exercises which will help you to master the
One-Hand Handstand faster. These should be done in sets and repetitions as advised in
“Handbalancing Made Easy”.
The number of sets and repetitions you should do each exercise will depend on the
amount of weight you are handling, your strength, and physical condition, but in most
cases you will get best results from 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
To perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions: you must repeat the same exercise 10 times in
succession and take a short rest (this is one set); then repeat the same exercise 10 times
again and take another short rest (this is the second set); and then repeat the same exercise
10 more times and take another short rest (this is the third set). In other words, you must
do the same exercise a total of 30 times, with a short rest after each 10 repetitions.
Where you are using your own bodyweight, or a fixed weights of some kind, or
where you are using a piece of equipment which has a fixed resistance, then your best bet
is to do 3 sets of as many repetitions as you can. For example, if you are squeezing a
tennis ball (or doing floor pushups) then you must squeeze until you can’t squeeze
anymore (or do pushups until you can’t pushup anymore.
Special Exercises For Your Fingers, Wrists, and Forearms:
(1) Grasp an old tennis ball in each hand and try to squeeze them flat. Toll the balls
around so that all of your fingers and your thumbs get a good workout.
(2) Grasp a “grip developer” in each hand and squeeze the handles together as
shown in No. 2.
(3) Finger-tip Wall Dips: Stand about two feet from a wall, place your finger-tips
on the wall, let your chest touch the wall by bending your arms as shown in No. 3. Then
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push yourself away from the wall again.
Repeat as directed above. Note: The same
exercise should be done with your feet further
from the wall, with your hands placed at
different heights and widths, and with your
fingers pointing in various directions.
(4) Finger-tip Floor Dips: These are
done the same as against the wall except that
you are lying face down on the floor. Your
finger-tips should be placed on the floor just
beside your shoulders, and your body should be kept
absolutely straight as you push it up and down by bending
and straightening your arms. These are also called
“pushups”.
(5) The “wrist roller” is an excellent piece of
equipment. It consists of a thick piece of broom-handle,
which is attached a piece of rope and a weight. To use it,
grasp the handle in your hands with your palms facing
down as shown in No. 5. The weight should just touch the
floor. Then, with alternating flicks of your wrists, you roll
the rope up on the wood until the weight touches the
handle. Then reverse the process and lower the weight to
the floor again. Note: This exercise should also be done
with the palms facing up.
(6) Sitting Knee-Wrist Curl with Barbell: Grasp a
barbell with your palms facing upward. Sit on a stool or
bench and let your forearms rest along your thighs so that your
hands and wrists are extended just beyond the knees. Lower the
barbell as much as possible by bending your wrists down as
shown in No. 6. Now, raise the barbell up as high as possible
by bending your wrists up. Continue this upward and
downward bending as
advised. Note: This
exercise should also be
done with your palms
facing downward.
Special
Exercises For Your
Arms and Shoulders:
(7) Ordinary
“floor
dips”
or
“pushups”: To do
these lie face down on
the floor, place your
hands flat on the floor
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besides your shoulders,
and keeping your body
straight, push your
weight up from the floor
by straightening your
arms. Then lower your
body again until your
chest just touches the
floor and push up again.
Repeat as described
above under “sets” and “repetitions” (see No. 7)
(8) Parallel Bar Dips: If you do not have
any parallel bars available, then place the backs
of two sturdy chairs about shoulder-width apart.
Stand between them, place one hand on the back
of each chair, and bend your legs up at the knees
so that all of your weight is resting on your
hands. Now, lower your body by bending your
arms. Go as low as you can and then raise your
body up again by straightening your arms. The
starting position is shown in No. 8.
(9) One-Hand Floor Dips: These are a
must in learning the One-Hand Handstand. To
do these you start from the front-leaning rest
position shown in No. 7. From this position you
ease your weight on to your right hand, lift the left hand off the floor and place your left
arm alongside of your body. This is the starting position for the one-hand floor dip. Now,
bend your right arm about an inch and straighten it out again. Repeat this four or five
times and then bring your left hand down to the floor again. Now, ease your weight on to
your left hand and place the right arm alongside of your body, and repeat the one-inch dips
again. Then take a short rest and do the whole thing over again.
As you develop more strength in your arms you must dip lower and lower.
Eventually you should be able to go right down to the floor and up again, as you do in the
“ordinary two-hand- floor-dip”. However, it is more important to be able to do ten little
dips than one full one so far as the One-Hand Handstand is concerned.
(10) One-Hand Dumbbell Presses: Start with a dumbbell that you can press
overhead 10 times in succession and do 3 sets of 10 repetitions. As your strength
increases, add more and more weight, but keep up the same number of repetitions.
Exercise both arms the same amount to build uniform strength and musculature.
(11) Heavy One-Hand Dumbbell Presses Overhead: Use a weight that you can
barely press up two times in succession and then try to force it up three times. As your
strength increases, add more and more weight so that you will maintain the same number
of repetitions.
(12) The Wig-Wag With Dumbbells: Grasp a fairly heavy dumbbell in each hand
and get them both up overhead any way you can. Now, keeping your arms straight, bring
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the dumbbells together and then spread them apart. Now, move them both forward, both
backwards, let them cross each other, and move them every which way while still keeping
tea arms straight. Let the dumbbells get as far out of balance as possible without letting
them come down and without bending your arms, and then force them back again. This
will build very powerful shoulder control which will help your Two-Hand Handstands as
well as your One-Hand Handstand.
(13) Heavy Dumbbell Hold-up: Load a dumbbell with all the weight you can
handle. Use both hands to get it overhead and then hold it there with only one hand. Since
the weight is very heavy you can’t let it get out of balance at all or it will crash down.
A very simple device will enable you to do this “hold up” with ease and safety. All
you need is a chair or rope. Hook one end of this to the dumbbell, throw the other over a
beam or pipe, pull the dumbbell up until it is about six inches lower than your full reach,
and then tie down the loose end of the rope.
Now, step under the heavy dumbbell, reach up and grasp the dumbbell with one
hand, bend your knees and stiffen your lifting arm, and then straighten your knees. Now
the dumbbell will be supported entirely by your one arm and all you have to do is to fight
to hold it up there as long as possible. When your arm gets tired you simply bend your
knees and once again all the weight will be
supported by the rope. Start with a reasonable
amount of weight and gradually add more and
more until you are able to support more than
you own bodyweight overhead with one arm.
Be sure to keep your arm straight, with
your elbow and shoulder locked, so that your
shoulder muscles are forced to do all the work.
This will prepare them for the job they must do
when you are holding the One-Hand
Handstand. Be sure to exercise both arms in
order to develop uniform strength and pave the
way to learning the One-Hand Handstand on
both hands.
(14) Dumbbell Raises: There are
various kinds of these and all are good
shoulder exercises. The following four
variations are the most common. All are
done in the standing position, with a
dumbbell grasped in each hand. (a)
Stand upright, grasp dumbbell in each
hand, keep arms straight, and raise
dumbbells sideways to shoulder height
as shown in No. 14-a. (b) Stand
upright, grasp dumbbell in each hand,
keep arms straight, and raise dumbbells
front ways to shoulder height. (c) Grasp
a dumbbell in each hand, bend forward
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at the waist, let arms hang straight down, raise arms sideways to shoulder height. (d)
Same as above but raise arms forward to shoulder height. Repeat each of the above four
raises, as advised before. Use dumbbells that you can raise right up to shoulder level. For a
description of the bent-over lateral raise described under (c) above, see No. 14-c to the
right.
(15) One Arm Leaning Rest With Turns: To do these you must start from the
“front-leaning rest position” shown in No. 7 on Page 9. Your whole weight should be
resting only on your hands and your toes and your body should be kept absolutely straight.
Now, ease your weight on to your right hand and raise your left hand off the floor and
place it alongside of your body. Hold this position for a few seconds and then turn your
body ¼ turn to the left so that you are facing the wall to your left. Hold this position for a
few seconds and then turn another ¼ turn to your left so that you are facing the ceiling.
Hold this position a few seconds and then turn back toward the wall again. Hold this
again, and then turn to face the floor again. This brings you back where you started.
Repeat the whole process until your right are is tired and then switch to your left and do
the whole thing to the other side.
(16) Rocking From Hand To Hand While Holding A Handstand Against The Wall:
Place your hands at shoulder width apart with your fingers about 10 inches from a wall.
Kick your feet up overhead into a handstand against the wall. When your heels come to
rest against the wall, stretch your toes up as high as you
can, lock your elbows and lock-out at your shoulders. Now
rock your weight slowly on to your right hand by sliding
your feet to the right on the wall. Go as far to the right as
you can without taking your left hand off the floor. Then
bring your legs back to the starting position again and
repeat the whole thing to the left. Go from side to side until
tired and then take a short rest.
(17) Handstand Dips Against The Wall: Place your
hands at shoulder-width apart with your fingers about 10
inches from a wall. Kick your feet up overhead into a
handstand against the wall. When your heels touch the wall
stretch up with your toes and go into the perfect two-hand
handstand position. Now, bend your arms slowly about an
inch or tow and straighten them again. Next time go a little
lower down and press yourself up again. Keep practicing
this until you can lower your face right down to the floor
and press up again as shown in No. 17.
Comments: In all the above exercises, you should
exercise both arms equally. This is important for uniform
development. It also paves the way to better two-hand
handbalancing. Furthermore, it will help you to learn the
One-Hand Handstand on either hand. Most handbalancers
favor only one hand, but the really good handbalancers can
do the One-Hand Handstand on either hand. Going from
one hand to the other in your exercises also permits you to
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rest one arm while exercising the other so that you don’t waste any time.
How often you should train and how many exercises you should do, will depend
upon yourself…your physical condition, your strength, the time you have available, and so
forth. For best results you should train at least three times per week for about 1½ hours
per session. So far as the handstand are concerned, these can be done at anytime during
the day, as they don’t take very much time or energy. Naturally, the more you practice the
various stunts themselves the faster you will master them.
As with any other sport, it is important that you strive to stay in the best possible
health at all times. This means keeping yourself free from disease, infections, ailments and
injuries. It means getting enough sleep, relaxation, fresh air, and sunshine to meet your
daily needs. It means eating well-balanced nutritious meals, following correct health
habits, and doing everything in your power to get fit and stay fit at all times.
STARTING AT THE HALF-WAYMARK
Why start at the beginning if you can start at some point more than half-way to
your ultimate goal? Yes! There is such a short cut! And, it’s so obvious that most
handbalancers completely overlook it.
It is the most important step to the One-Hand Handstand that there is. It is
something you MUST DO before you even attempt the One-Hand Handstand. It supplies
the very foundation upon which the One-Hand Handstand rests. Its lack is the chief cause
of failure to learn the One-Hand Handstand.
What is it? It’s simply this…YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THE TWO-HAND
HANDSTAND. That’s right! You cannot possibly do a good One-Hand Handstand until
you can do a perfect Two-Hand Handstand.
This does not mean that you must be able to perform all of the hundreds of tricks
in my basic course “Handbalancing Made Easy”. It simply means that you must be able to
press into a perfect Two-Hand Handstand and hold it with absolute control. It means that
your elbows must be straight and locked, that your shoulders must be stretched out and
locked, that your back must be only slightly arched, your knees perfectly straight and your
toes pointed.
To obtain this very necessary PERFECT POSITION, you just go into an ordinary
Two-Hand Handstand and then stretch up as much as you possibly can. Push down on
your hands as though you wanted to lift the rest of your body away from them. At the
same time, reach up with your toes as if you were trying to touch them on the ceiling.
When you think you are fully stretched out you will probably have another six
inches to go, so keep on stretching higher and higher. The important thing is to be
completely stretched out at your shoulders so that your arms are in direct line with your
body. Very few handbalancers ever achieve this fully locked-out position of the shoulders
because they don’t know what it is, and even if they do, they tend to think they are
completely locked-out when actually they still have inches to go.
If you want to get the feeling of being fully locked-out, get some one to hang you
by your ankles from a chinning bar and then lower you until you can barely reach the floor
with the palms of your hands by stretching your arms as much as you possibly can. You
can get something of the same effect by doing a handstand against a wall and then getting
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two helpers to grab you by the ankles and stretch you up as you can go. They can make a
mark on the wall at the highest point your toes reach and then tell you how close you
come to this mark when you are doing the handstand on your own.
When your shoulders are fully stretched out, you shoulder muscles (deltoids)
should actually be pressing against your ears. Furthermore, there should be a straight
bone-to-bone alignment at your elbow and shoulder joints so that no strength is needed to
support your bodyweight. When you get into this fully locked-out position, with every
part of your body stiffened out into a straight line from your hands to the very tip of your
toes, then you will be able to hold the Perfect Two-Hand Handstand with practically no
effort whatsoever. In fact, all that it will require to keep you up there is the slightest bit of
pressure against the floor with your fingertips.
The fully locked-out position in the two-hand handstand, is the half-way mark to
the One-Hand Handstand. This is the position you must assume every time you want to go
into the One-Hand Handstand. In fact, this is so close to the One-Hand Handstand that
you can’t get much closer to it without actually doing it.
YOU should practice the perfect Two-Hand Handstand until you have absolute
control of it before going on to the One-Hand Handstand. You can figure that you have
reached this point when you can hold a fully locked-out two-hand handstand consistently
for about 45 seconds. Most good handbalancers can hold it twice this long so you should
keep on practicing until at least one minute is well within your capability.
This is far more important than you can possibly imagine. You see, it takes time to
get into a One-Hand Handstand. First, you’ve got to get into the perfect two-hand
handstand. While doing this you are using up some time, effort and energy. Then, you’ve
got to move over into the One-Hand position, which takes more time, effort and energy.
Finally, you’ve got to hold the One-Hand Handstand and fight to stay up there. Most
would-be One-Hand Handbalancers have already used up all of their time, effort and
energy before they get into the One-Hand position, and have nothing left for the handstand
itself. Actually they never really practice the One-Hand Handstand although they may
think that they are.
What they are doing, would be like someone trying to learn the high-jump by
running at the bar but never actually jumping over it. Or, like trying to learn how to dive
by jumping on a board without even doing a dive. In the case of the One-Hand Handstand,
you’ve got to have enough time, energy and effort to enable you to get through all of the
preliminary stages and still have some left to use on the One-Hand Handstand itself.
Many otherwise very good handbalancers have never been able to learn the OneHand Handstand simply because they never really learned to hold a perfect fully-locked
out Two-Hand Handstand. So learn this FIRST. Practice it again and again until you can
do it with absolute perfection. Practice it so that you can kick up into it, or press up into
it, anytime, anywhere with the greatest of ease. Put a chart on the wall and a watch on the
floor between your hands and about 10 inches in front of them. See how long you can stay
up. Put the time on your wall chart. Keep trying to break your previous record. Every
second more will bring you closer to your ultimate goal.
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FINGERTIP CONTROL
Whether you are doing a One-Hand Handstand or a Two-Hand Handstand, you
must never forget the tremendous importance of fingertip control. In any handstand which
you do on a flat surface, you must try to get the biggest possible base from your hands.
For the two-hand handstand this means placing your hands at shoulder-width apart,
keeping your index fingers parallel and pointing forward, and spread all the rest of your
fingers as wide as you possibly can.
When you press, or kick up, into you two-hand handstand, you must keep the
weight of your body pressing down on the palms of your hands AND ON YOUR
FINGERTIPS. Only in this way can you get the biggest possible base and the fingertip
control you must have. If your weight rolls back on to the heels of you hands, then the
base will become smaller and you fingers will become useless, and it will be almost
impossible for you to hold the handstand. So make sure that you feel pressure against your
fingertips at all times.
In the uneven handstand, where only one hand is flat on the floor, and is bearing
most of your weight, you must also get this same fingertip control. This is accomplished
by leaning your weight slightly forward as well as to the side, so that you can feel pressure
on the fingers of the hand that is flat on the floor. This is your balancing hand and is the
one which must do most of the work. In the free One-Hand Handstand, where you are
balancing yourself entirely on One Hand, this same fingertip control is absolutely essential.
Without it, you just can’t hold the One-Hand Handstand. However, this will be dealt with
more fully later, when we come to the actual One-Hand Handstand itself.
LEAD UP STUNTS TO THE ONE-HAND HANDSTAND
(18) Leaning From Side To Side In The Ordinary Two-Hand Handstand: Go into
the ordinary perfect Two-Hand Handstand as already described above. When you are in
perfect balance and have stretched up as high as you possibly can, let your legs lean
slightly forward and to the right. Keep leaning until you are as far over as you can go
without falling out of balance and without taking your left hand off the floor. Do the same
thing to your left, easing most of your weight on to your left hand. Go from one side to
the other, back and forth, slowly and in perfect control, until you are tired. Then bring
your feet down to the floor and take a rest.
This is an excellent exercise, and also good training for the One-Hand Handstand.
It helps you to get familiar with the correct position for the One-Hand Handstand and also
helps you to develop the strength you need to pull out of it after you master it.
The same stunt can be done much easier and with more control on a regular set of
parallel bars, such as you will find in any big gym.. However, your best bet is to get a set
of Orlick Parlour Parallels, as these are small and inexpensive and you can use them right
in your own home. When you do a handstand on the parallels, you can get a strong grip on
the bars and let yourself lean further out of balance and still force yourself back, than on
can if you do it on the floor. It’s a good idea to learn this stunt both on the floor and the
parallels.
(19) Uneven Handstand On Seat And Back Of Chair: Get an ordinary kitchen chair
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with a strong seat and a strong back. Grasp the front edge
of the seat with your left hand, and grasp the top of the
back-rest with your right hand. Lean forward until your
head and shoulders are in front of your hands. Now take a
little jump with both feet off the floor at the same time,
raise your buttocks up overhead and double your knees
up into your chest as shown in No. 19. Practice this
position a number of times so that you can get into and
hold it with ease. Then press your legs up overhead into
the handstand position and hold it.
Repeat the whole procedure the other way
around, with your right hand grasping the seat and your
left hand grasping the back-rest.
The ordinary way of doing this stunt is to keep
your arm on the seat absolutely straight and the arm on
the back-rest bent at the elbow as shown in No. 19. After
you master it this way, you should try it with both arms
stretched out straight. This is much more difficult,
because you must lean practically all of your weight on
the hand which is grasping the seat, without falling out of
balance and without pulling the chair over.
To do this stunt go into the ordinary uneven
handstand as already described above. Then straighten
your bent arm a little, then a little more, always fighting to
stay in balance, until finally you can do the stunt with both
arms perfectly straight. The whole secret in this is to
stretch the bent arm a little more each time until you can
develop the necessary control to hold yourself with both arms perfectly straight. When
done correctly, this trick is very close to the One-Hand Handstand. In fact, many good
handbalancers can lift the hand off the back-rest entirely and hold the free One-Hand
Handstand on the seat of the chair.
(20) Handstand With Hands Close Together: Place your two hands on the floor
with your thumbs touching and your fingers together and pointing directly forward. Lean
forward and kick your feet up overhead into the handstand position. Your base will be
much smaller with this type of a hand-position and therefore the stunt will be much harder
to do. Be sure to lock-out your shoulders and elbows as you did before.
This is not only a good lead-up stunt for the One-Hand Handstand but it is also a
fine trick in itself. It will come in very handy if you want to hold a handstand on the top of
a partner’s head, on top of a fence post, or on a piling at the beach. There are many tricks
where you will find good use for it as you become more advanced. Master it on the floor
first, before you attempt to do it on higher objects. Then try it on your Handbalancing
Blocks, starting with one and gradually building up higher and higher. If you don’t have a
set of Orlick Handbalancing Blocks you should certainly get one as they will come in
handy for a multitude of different exciting stunts. If you want to save a little money on
these you can send for my plan and make your own.
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(21) Handstand With One Hand Upon The Other: Place one
hand on the floor with your fingers together and pointing slightly
inward. Then place the other hand on top with the fingers pointing
diagonally in the opposite direction. Now, lean forward and kick you
legs up overhead into the handstand position as shown in No. 20.
The base of this handstand is still smaller than the one above and
therefore even more difficult. Furthermore, because of this and the
position of your hands, you will find yourself twisting and turning in
all directions, and must fight to counteract this. Go up into the
handstand as smoothly and steadily as possible and fight against any
movement that tends to throw you out of balance. Keep practicing
this stunt until you can go up into it and hold it with ease. The base
of this stunt is not much bigger than the base of the One-Hand
Handstand which makes it a valuable lead-up trick for the One-Hand
Handstand. However, there is one big difference, and that is the fact
that in this trick you have the use of both arms to support your
bodyweight., instead of one. This is also a good trick in itself and will
be of value when you want to balance on the end of your
handbalancing blocks or on the head of a Balancing Cane.
(22) Closed Fists Handstand: This is also called the “knuckle”
handstand. To do it you clench your fists and place them on the floor
as if you were punching it. Your fists should be placed shoulderwidth apart. Now, lean forward and very carefully kick your feet up
into the handstand position. Do this easily and gently because your
base will be even smaller than before and you won’t have the use of
your fingertips to help hold you up. If you kick too hard you are
liable to topple right over. At first, the weight of your body resting
on your knuckles will probably hurt but just grin and bear it for
soon you will get used to it. Once again be sure to stretch up as
high as you can and lock-out at the elbows and shoulders and point
your toes up toward the ceiling. The position is shown quite clearly
to the right in No. 22. Like the others, this too is a fine lead-up
stunt so keep it up until you master it.
(23) Uneven Handstands On The Handbalancing Blocks:
For these you need a set of my special Handbalancing Blocks.
These can be used for many different stunts and are terrific for
building up your own spectacular handbalancing act. To do the
uneven handstands you will start with one block under your left
hand and your right hand flat on the floor. This puts your left hand
about two inches higher than your right hand. Now, lean forward
and kick your legs up overhead into the handstand position and hold
it. Stretch up as high as you can and let your legs lean slightly
forward and to the right. After you have done it to the right then
change the block to the other hand and do it to the left. This time
your left hand will be flat on the floor and your right hand will be
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resting on the block. This time you will lean your legs slightly forward and to the left, until
most of your weight is on your left hand.
Practice this uneven handstand on one block until you can do it easily on either
side. Then try with two blocks under one hand, then three, then four, and so one, until you
are practically doing the One-Hand Handstand. The idea is to put less and less weight on
the block-arm and more and more weight on the floor-arm, so that you come closer and
closer to the actual One-Hand Handstand position.
You should do this stunt two different ways: (a) With your block-arm bent. In
doing this you leave the blocks in the same spot, but must bend your arm more and more,
as the pile gets higher. (b) With your block-arm straight. In doing this, you will have to
move the blocks further and further away from the floor-arm as the pile of blocks gets
higher. Both are good lead-up stunts for the One-Hand Handstand and you should
practice both.
(24) In my basic course “Handbalancing Made Easy” are dozens of different kinds
of handstands with “unusual hand positions”. All of these are of some value as lead-up
stunts to the One-Hand Handstand.
(25) The Butter Box Handstand: Get an ordinary butter box, or one of
approximately the same dimensions. Any solid wooden box about a foot square with sides
about 10 inches high will do. Place your right
hand in the right back corner of the box, with
the heel of your right hand and your right
forearm pressing against the back and adjoining
right side of the box. Now, grasp the top edge
of the left side of the box with your left hand,
close to the back. Then kick your legs up
overhead into the handstand position as shown
in No. 25, and hold it. Your left elbow will be
bent almost at right angles, and your right arm
will be as straight as you can possibly make it.
Now, lean your legs slightly forward and
to the right, until there is practically no weight
on your left hand. Hold this position and then
force yourself back to the starting position
again. Try the same thing to the other side with
your left hand in the box and your right hand on
the edge. Keep practicing this balance until you
can do it with the greatest of ease.
Eventually your balance will get so good
that you will be able to do the handstand with
no help from your bent arm. When you get close
to this points, then raise your hand an inch or
tow above the edge of the box and fight to hold
the free One-Hand Handstand as long as you
can without re-grasping the edge of the box.
Then stretch your bent arm to the side entirely
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clear of the box. When you get to this final position, you will actually be doing the OneHand Handstand. However, you will be getting some support from the pressure of your
balancing arm against the corner of the box.
Using a box as advised will help you to stay up in the One-Hand Handstand much
longer than you possibly could without any support at all. Not only is this good exercise
for the One-Hand Handstand but it also gives you more time to get into the position which
suits you best. You are very close to the actual One-Hand Handstand when you stretch
your free hand to the side. However, you can get still closer by leaning your balancing arm
less and less against the corner of the box until you don’t get any support from it at all.
This alone, can help you to cut down your learning time by as much as 25% and, when
combined with all of the other short-cuts I have given you, can already save you about
50% of the usual time required to learn the spectacular One-Hand Handstand.
THE CORRECT HAND POSITION FOR THE ONE-HAND HANDSTAND
To get into the perfect One-Hand Handstand position you must first get into the
perfect Two-Hand Handstand position. You can do both of these easier if you draw the
following chart on the floor to guide you, or make yourself a hand-position chart that you
can lay on the floor. Or, if you want to save yourself a lot of trouble, you can send for one
of my special Orlick Hand-Position Charts which are very inexpensive.
Here are the dimensions, if you want to make your own:
Here is the chart as it looks with the hand-positions drawn in. However, the hands
have been enlarged just so that you can see them more clearly. This is how your chart
should look when you have finished it.
Here is how you go about using The Orlick Hand-Position Chart: (a) For the TwoHand Handstand: Place your left index finger on line A and your right index finger on line
B pointing in the direction shown by the arrows. Move both hands forward until the heels
of your hands are on the base line C-D. Now, spread all of your fingers as widely as
possible without moving either of your index fingers. Then look along line Y at a point
about 12” from the base line and then kick your legs up overhead into the Two-Hand
Handstand. Stretch up, lock your elbows and shoulders, and point your toes at the ceiling,
and then hold it. If you draw in the hands as in my chart you will know exactly where to
put them.
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(b) For The One-Hand Handstand: The starting position for the One-Hand
Handstand is the Two-Hand Handstand just described above. So, the first thing you must
do is to go into a perfect Two-Hand Handstand. (1) If you are doing the One-Hand
Handstand on your Right Hand, then you must turn your head to the right and look at the
tip of your right index finger. Then lean your legs slightly forward and to the right, in the
direction shown by the arrow on line Z. (2) If you are doing the One-Hand Handstand on
your Left Hand, then you must turn your head to the left and look at the tip of your left
index finger. Then lean your legs slightly forward and to the left, in the direction shown by
the arrow on line X. Whether you do the One-Hand Handstand on your Right Hand or
your Left Hand, you must be sure to have pressure on your finger tips and not on the heel
of your balancing hand.
THE CORRECT BODY AND LEG POSITION
FOR THE ONE-HAND HANDSTAND
You will see many different positions of the legs and some variations in body
position, for the One-Hand Handstand. Some of the most common leg positions are: legs
straight and together; legs straight and spread wide apart; legs straight and together with
one foot hooked under the other; legs together with the knees bent; legs spread wide apart
with the knees bent; and so on.
There are a number of very unusual body positions and leg positions which are
performed by contortionists with very limber backs and loose-jointed limbs. You may also
see some “impossible” positions which are performed by persons who have capitalized on
some injury or physical defect.
However, in this course we are going to stress only two standard method: (1) Legs
Straight and Together; and (2) Legs Straight and Spread Wide Apart.
The first is the most important and should be mastered first. Once you get this, the
other will be very easy to learn. When you can do both, then you will have no trouble
learning all of the other variations. If you happen to be a contortionist, then it will not take
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you long to learn the pretzel-type of handstand as
well. In other words, these two standard methods
you are going to learn are basic to all of the others.
(1) Legs Straight and Together: Go into a
perfect Two-Hand Handstand as described above,
making sure to lock-out at your elbows and
shoulders and to stretch up with your toes. (a) If
you are doing the One-Hand Handstand on your
Right Hand, then look at your right index finger, and
lean your legs slightly forward and to the right as
shown by the arrow on line Z on the Orlick HandPosition Chart. Move slowly and steadily until all of
the weight of your body is on your Right Hand and
you left hand is free from the floor and you are
actually doing the One-Hand Handstand (b) If you
are doing the One-Hand Handstand on your Left
Hand, then look at your left index finger, and lean
your legs slightly forward and to the left as shown
by the arrow on line X on my chart. Move slowly
and steadily until all of the weight of your body is on
your Left Hand and you right hand is free from the
floor and you are actually doing the One-Hand
Handstand. Be sure to keep your legs straight and
pressed tightly together no matter what hand you
use.
Note: The One-Hand Handstand with Legs
Straight and Together, done on the
Right Hand is shown clearly
immediately to the right in No. 28.
(2) Legs Straight And
Spread Wide Apart: Again you
start by going into the perfect
Two-Hand Handstand. (a) If you
are going to do the handstand on
your Right Hand, look at the tip of
your right index finger. Then
spread your legs as wide apart as
you can. Now, keeping your legs
spread wide apart, force both of
your legs slightly forward and to
the right letting more and more
weight rest upon the Right Hand.
Finally, all of the weight of your
body will be on your Right Hand. It
will help you to get the right
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position of your legs and body if you stretch up with your left toes as if you were trying to
touch them on the ceiling above you.
(b) If you are going to do the handstand on your Left Hand, look at the tip of your
left index finger and spread your legs wide apart. Now, keeping them wide apart, force
both of your legs slightly forward and to the left. Gradually lean more and more on your
Left Hand, until your right hand comes free from the floor and you are actually doing the
One-Hand Handstand on your Left Hand. As before, it will help you to get the correct
position of your legs and body if you stretch up with your right toes as if you were trying
to touch them on the ceiling above you.
When you are in the correct position on your Right Hand then your left leg should
be in direct line with your right arm and at right angles to the floor as shown in No. 29.
When you are in the correct position on your Left Hand then your right leg should be in a
direct line with your left arm and at right angles to the floor. To get an idea of how this
looks hold this page up in front of a mirror and look at it through the mirror. This reverses
the picture shown in No. 29 and makes it look as though he is doing the One-Hand
Handstand on his Left Hand.
Note: When you spread your legs as wide apart as possible this automatically
makes your legs lean slightly forward. That is why I didn’t specifically ask you to lean in
the directions of the arrows X or Z. If you bend your knees when doing the handstand this
will make your legs lean over even more. This happens whether your legs are together or
apart.
No one can tell you exactly how far forward, or how far to the side, you must lean
your legs, to get into the One-Hand Handstand and hold it. This depends upon a number
of different factors, such as your length, strength, size, weight, and body proportions. No
two persons are exactly alike. Therefore, you must experiment until you find the best
position for YOU.
MAKE HASTE SLOWLY
All beginners are too anxious to get into the One-Hand Handstand. They think that
“throwing” themselves into this trick will help them to learn it faster. They believe that the
quicker they lift one hand off the floor the sooner will they be balancing on the other.
Nothing could be further from the truth, and it is right here that ALL beginners
make their biggest mistake. I say “all” because I have yet to see one single would-be One
Hand Balancer who did not make this same mistake.
Rushing into the One-Hand Handstand is the most disastrous fault of them all. This
alone is responsible for more handbalancers failing to learn the One-Hand Handstand than
all of the other reasons put together. You would think that a person who made the same
mistake again and again, with no progress, would eventually change, but such is not the
case. The beginner will practice incorrectly week after week, month after month, and even
year after year, until he finally gives up in disgust, convinced that the trick is impossible
for him to learn.
Strangely enough, you can’t tell him a thing. He may listen to you, and even agree,
but then go right on making the stupid mistake. The important question is…“What are you
going to do?” This is one question that you alone can answer. --Are YOU going to try to
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learn to do the One-Hand Handstand? or are YOU going to try NOT to learn the OneHand Handstand? This seems like a very foolish question, but remember, ALL beginners
make the same mistake. YOU don’t have to make it, but you probably will, unless you can
make up your mind that you are going to follow the correct procedure and the FOLLOW
IT.
If you “throw” yourself into the One-Hand Handstand, you might stay up a second
or two, but so will a broom. The reason why all beginners “rush” into the One-Hand
Handstand is mostly psychological. By rushing into it quickly they give themselves the
illusion that they are actually holding the One-Hand Handstand, even if it is only
momentarily. If they practice it the correct way they might get into the handstand position
once in every ten tries, or even more often. Therefore, they practice it the WRONG way
and then wonder why they never make any progress.
This is like trying to get up a flight of 20 stairs in one jump. No matter how long
you practiced you never would make all of the stairs at once. Can you imagine any
intelligent person jumping again and again week after week, month after month, and even
year after year, without success, when he could get up those steps easily if he would just
take one little step at a time. Yet this is exactly what thousands of would be One-Hand
Handbalancers have done from the beginning of time and will continue to do as long as
man exists. Perhaps it’s just as well, because their failures make the stunt even more
exclusive and bring more glory to those who are intelligent enough (or lucky enough) to
practice it CORRECTLY…and of course, YOU are going to be one of these…aren’t’
you?
No matter what kind of a One-Hand Handstand you want to learn, the same
method applies. Take your time! SLOW DOWN and you will learn the One-Hand
Handstand FASTER. This is the most important advice that anyone can give you.
When you “rush” into the One-Hand Handstand, or “throw” yourself into it, you
are learning how NOT to do it. You are learning WRONG things which prevent you from
holding the One-Hand Handstand.
There is only one way you can learn to do something the right way and that is by
practicing it the RIGHT WAY. All other practice is useless or worse, because it works
against you.
Centuries ago, Socrates said: “Make Haste Slowly”. He must surely have been
talking about the One-Hand Handstand, because nowhere does this famous saying apply
more aptly. Let this be your motto for learning the One-Hand Handstand, for nothing can
bring you success FASTER than is you “MAKE HASTE SLOWLY”.
THE CORRECT METHOD OF EASING INTO THE ONE-HAND HANSTAND
(See Figures No. 30-33 on the next page)
Regardless of what hand you are going to try the One-Hand Handstand on, you
must first go into the PERFECT Two-Hand Handstand. Then you must lean your legs
slightly forward and in the direction of the hand you are balancing on, as already described
in detail above. Gradually there will be more and more weight on your balancing hand and
less and less on your free hand.
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THIS IS THE CRUCIAL POINT. It is here that you must make haste slowly. It is
this final stage which will determine whether or not you are going to learn the One-Hand
Handstand, and how long it is going to take.
When most of your body weight is on your balancing hand, slow down your lean
almost to a stop and make sure that the shoulder of your balancing arm is fully locked-out.
Then lean your legs a fraction more and lift the palm of your free hand from the floor so
that only your fingertips are touching. Practice this a number of times until you can raise
and lower the palm of your free hand without any difficulty and can stay up on the
fingertips of your free hand.
Next, lift the tip of the little finger and the one next to it, by bending them both in,
so that only the tips of your thumb and the two adjacent fingers of your free hand are
touching the floor. Practice this position until you can get into it and hold it without any
difficulty.
Then raise your little finger, the one next to it, and your thumb and again practice
until this is easy to hold. Next add your middle finger so that only the index finger of your
free hand is touching the floor.
When you get to this point where you are balancing on one hand with only one
finger of your free hand touching the floor, you must STOP. Don’t lift that one finger.
Keep on practicing this “one hand and one finger balance” until you can hold it for about
ten seconds.
Each time you practice this stage of the One-Hand Handstand, you must start from
the perfect Two-Hand Handstand position, then raise the palm of your free hand, followed
by one fingertip after the other as described above, until only one finger is touching the
floor. Hold this “one hand and one finger balance” as long as you can. Then replace your
fingertips one at a time, and finally lower your palm to the floor again. This will bring you
back to your original starting position, the perfect Two-Hand Handstand, which you
should hold for a few seconds to develop control, before lowering your feet back to the
floor.
Keep practicing this important stage until you have it down perfect. Then, and only
then, are you ready for the final step…lifting your last finger off the floor. All you have to
do is bend this finger up the slightest bit and you will actually be doing the One-Hand
Handstand. But don’t rush this either. Just raise your index finger a fraction of an inch so
that you can touch the floor if necessary with practically no movement at all.
When you get into the free One-Hand Handstand try to stay up there as long as
you possibly can. At this point it doesn’t matter which fingertip touches the floor, or even
if two or more touch it. The important thing is to stay up in the One-Hand Handstand as
long as possible and to use your free hand as little as possible to help you stay there. If you
must touch the floor then let your fingertips barely brush against it, and only when
absolutely necessary.
Keep on practicing this final stage of the One-Hand Handstand and one of these
days it will happen…you will find yourself staying up with practically no effort on your
part…almost as if you were standing on two hands. You won’t have to fight the balance
and you will barely have to use any strength or energy. You will just stay there with the
tiniest bit of pressure on the tips of the fingers of your balancing hand.
From then on it’s just a matter of practice…and like all things requiring skill…the
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more you practice the better will you become. But Remember! Don’t try to skip any of the
stages, don’t rush, don’t throw yourself into it. Take your time and gradually ease yourself
into every handstand you do. Try to maintain perfect control from the very start until your
feet are back on the floor again.
VARIOUS POSITIONS FOR YOUR FREE ARM
As soon as you can stay up in the One-Hand Handstand for a period of ten seconds
or more, without having to touch the floor with your free hand you should start moving
this hand out of the way. There are a number of different positions used by balancers for
their free arm and hand. These can be used with the various leg positions I have already
mentioned. The most common positions for the free arm and hand are as follows:
(1) Bend the elbow of your free arm and place the fingers of your free hand on the
biceps of your balancing arm. Your bent arm will pass just under your chin.
(2) Raise your free arm straight to the side: (a) Most balancers bring their free arm
about half-way up so that it is at right angles to their body parallel to the floor. (b) Others
bring it about one-quarter of the way up. (c) Still others bring it about three-quarters of
the way up.
(3) Raise your free arm to the side bend it at the elbow, and place your free hand
on your hip.
(4) Raise your free arm to the side, bend it at the elbow, and then slide your hand
and forearm behind your back.
(5) Raise your free arm to the side as high as you possibly can until your whole
free arm is straight and pressed tightly against your side. Your palm should be pressed
against your thigh.
There are other positions for the free hand and arm, but these are the most
common. If you can master these then you will have no trouble doing any of them, and can
even make up some of your own.
Position (2-a) is the most popular when done with the One-Hand Handstand with
the legs straight and spread wide apart. This handstand not only looks better, because of
the symmetry and beautiful lines, but is easier to hold because the extended free arm helps
to counterbalance the opposite leg. So be sure to learn this one and get it down perfect.
Position (5) is the most popular when done with the One-Hand Handstand with
legs straight and together. This one gives the impression that you are so good that you
don’t need the free arm at all to help in your balance. It gives the feeling of absolute
control. This one is also very important so be sure to master it.
Top Olympic Gymnasts and Professional Handbalancers use these two methods
more than all others put together. You should master both and use them both in your
routine or act. Not only will you be sure YOU are pleasing everyone, but you will also be
showing everyone that you have developed terrific control of the One-Hand Handstand.
Then too there are a number of special One-Hand Stunts that you will want to
learn later, which you won’t be able to do unless you have mastered both methods.
Once you have arrived at this point, you will be a full fledged One-Hand
Handbalancer of the highest caliber, and an accepted member of the International Order of
One-Hand Handbalancers. You will be in a class equal to the best of amateur and
Copyright 2009 Legendary Strength
www.lostartofhandbalancing.com
23
professional handbalancers and could work up a sensational routine for amateur
competition, or a spectacular act for professional performance, and go right out on the
road.
No matter what you do, you can rest assured that the feeling of satisfaction will be
terrific and will repay you a thousand times over for any effort you have expended in
learning this spectacular trick. So, go to it! The One-Hand Handstand can be yours if you
really want it. Make up your mind that you are going to be one of the world’s amazing
few who have mastered this sensational stunt. Then keep on practicing until you’ve got it.
Good Luck and Good Handbalancing
Prof. E.M. Orlick
Copyright 2009 Legendary Strength
www.lostartofhandbalancing.com
24
Hand Balancing and
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ics Training for the
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Prof. Paulinetti in a
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Bob Jones does His
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