When I was around 14 years old I watched Olga on Varekai with friends. I said guys, watch me. I am going to become the next Cirque Du Soleil hand balancer. After quite some laughter in the room little me reassured everybody that I was indeed quite serious. My older friends and family started explaining to me how this idea was absolutely impossible to turn into reality as I did not start training hand balancing as a 5 years old child.
Fast forward I graduated circus school and became a solo handbalancer for Soleil. Multiple times. After graduating I was vain enough to believe I was actually special and the only one who could achieve what I did. A couple years in I started teaching. A lot. I was giving up to 10h of hand balancing privates every day before shows. Combine that with some absolutely dedicated students and one big realization settled in fast.
You do not need to be special to learn a one arm handstand.
You do not need to start at the age of 5 to become good at handstands.
Having learned that lesson and wanting to shake this knowledge with the world I was still fighting the urge to start taking coaching more seriously and becoming an online coach for the longest time.⠀
I did not think online coaching or coaching in general consistently would be a good idea. Selfishly, I was still convinced my time was better invested in myself than anybody else. I still have so much growing to do. On a personal level, as an athlete, as a husband and in life in general. So how can I justify investing even a moment of my time in others if I am still not the person that I would want to be?!
At the end of the day it was really social media that pushed me over the edge. So-called social media influencers with half a million followers would promote beginner hand balancing exercises that would not only create terrible technique but also drastically increase the risk of injuries.⠀
Their goal: Sales.
Their strategy: shortcuts, cheat codes to handstands. Quick fixes for specific exercises so the poses would look nice on photos or videos to be used for promoting to further extend social media reach.
Handstands aren’t easy. High level hand balancing is complex: it takes a lot of time to develop and pretty much just as much time to maintain. If done wrong or incorrectly, hand balancing is super rough on the body and could cause loads of unnecessary injuries and sornesses.⠀
I’ve gone through this process. I’ve failed at gymnastics, literally becoming the disgrace of my club, because I was not able to hold a handstand. I know that there are no cheat codes. There is only hard work paired with the right exercises, cues, and alignment. This way you can not only assure that you will keep growing constantly but also know that you will stay healthy and injury-free.
I’ve done 10 years of hand balancing on the highest technical level doing up to 15 shows a week and I haven’t missed a show or training due to injury even once. Neither should you! With hand balancing no one has to. As long as you train smart and focus on proper technique and alignment, hand balancing is very soft and friendly on the body!⠀
What you do need is dedication and most importantly a strong understanding of hand balancing technique. Everybody can learn a handstand. Everybody can learn one arm handstands. And I am here to help with that. To show all those 15, 25 or 35 years old dreamers out there that it is not too late and that you did not miss your shot. A one arm handstand is beautiful and impressive but surely nothing unachievable!
⠀Today I have learned that I am not that special. Yet I am aware that a lot of things came together in order for me to be where I am today. Most importantly I will outwork anybody else in the room. I might rarely learn the fastest, be the strongest or most flexible, but I am stubborn enough to never give up! And neither should you!
Let’s train together.
Let’s grow together.
Let’s redefine together what is possible and what the human body is capable of!
Wow it is amazing how two people in almost opposite situations may have the same feeling, you are inspiring and soothing. Thanks
Well I’ve got the stubborn streak,the work effick and now the great instructions too,see you at the top