Just as martial arts has become commercialized by western culture with the advent of McDojos, gymnastic training centers have too! Parents enroll their children into tumbling programs as if it's a daycare service. I've stumbled upon tumbling facilities in some of the smallest towns in rural Alabama. THESE TRAINING FACILITIES ARE EVERYWHERE!
However, as a trickster you're inevitably going to want an open gym opportunity so you can train yourself, all we really want is the floor after all. Some gyms don't have open gym times, but we might be able to create a time! You have to establish a relationship with your gym. This is almost like courtship. You can't just go up to someone at school or work you're attracted to and say "Hey, nice body, can I screw you?"; Just like you shouldn't pop inside a gym and ask straight up about open gym. The coaches will take it as "Hey, nice gym, can I sue you?"
Take the following steps to gain open gym access to even the most difficult training centers:
(1) Locate a gym. Check your phone book. Check online. Ask around. Don't give up!
(2) Call first. DO NOT ASK ABOUT OPEN GYM YET, simply chat someone up on the other line and ask a bunch of questions about the facility and coaches (not necessarily about the training programs unless you want to take classes). Get the other person's name and give them your name. Tell them you'll swing by sometime soon and act excited.
(3) Visit the gym. When you arrive tell them your name and that you made a call earlier and talked to whoever. See if you can get a tour of the facility.
(4) Pop the question. Tell them what you do (say acrobatic martial arts, it's more socially palatable than tricking) and see if you can sign a liability waiver, pay a fee, and arrange a time to come in during the week to practice your own moves (do not say the words "open gym"). If you are an experienced trickster you should tell them.
Now why exactly did we go through all this trouble? By calling first and exchanging names, we've added some social proof to the situation. It's as if we know somebody who already works there! Next, by getting a tour we've made them invest more time into us as a potential client. They have something at stake now. Finally, by not asking about open gym specifically, and inquiring about waver and payment we've taken reigns of the situation and have put them on the spot. This makes them more open to cooperation, or at least negotiation. Even if they already have open gym times established this ritual will not be a waste of time.
#2 Train with a group or a friend
In the beginning, it's good to trick with other people. After my first year of tricking I began training alone almost exclusively; but I could not imagine starting without the help of my friend Taegashi. If you can't get a friend interested enough to participate, at least have them keep you company while you flip around.
#3 Collect and watch tricking vids
You need exposure to all the skills and styles. You need to study tricking videos. During my first year of tricking I watched everything I came across and rewatched my favorites hundreds of times. This helped me see relationships between moves and similarities between tricksters. It builds unconscious familiarity.
#4 Join the online tricking community
The message forums on the tricksession site are very active. You will learn a lot by participating! Tricksters are organizing camps, meets, and gatherings all year long and there might be one near you - check it out! Some of my best memories are at tricking gatherings and I met some of my best friends through the forums.
#5 Add variety to your tricking
Vary the location, vary your attire, vary your tricks! Incorporate all tricks into your training, no need to avoid anything. Handle fear day by day; It takes time, (it takes some people more time), just keep at it. Tricking will amuse and challenge you forever. There is always something new to learn. For advanced tricksters, learning advanced tricks on the opposite side of preference and building unique chain combinations is a never ending challenge.
#6 Use tricking, don't let tricking use you
Incorporate tricking into your lifestyle, don't make a lifestyle out of tricking. This is art, you create something with tricking. The field is your canvas and your body is the brush, but YOU are directing the strokes. Don't fall prey to anybody else's expectations but your own, and use tricking to make you a better person and amplify your personality.
#7 Film yourself and make videos and share them
Tricking footage acts like a save point in video games as far as your peak abilities go and serve you feed back. Making samplers is actually my primary mode of expressing what I am with tricks. It might not be your primary mode, but regardless whether you want to make a fancy video or not, the feedback is invaluable. It's mandatory that you film yourself tricking.
#8 Invest in some equipment
This is of auxiliary importance, but it can help you stick to your tricking goals. The beauty of tricking is it requires nothing but a small space to do your moves. Your small space of choice might be a gym, so gym membership would be your first purchase. If you have anymore disposable income you should invest in the following items: Cameras, a portable stereo, comfortable clothing, and first aid supplies (check out my tricking kit). Also, sports supplements would be wise to invest in after cleaning up your diet.
#9 Write stuff down
What you really want to keep track of is advice, combinations, and how you feel when you are learning or perfecting a skill. Keep track of important epiphanies and experiences you have while tricking. Whether you want to create a full personal manual like I have (tricking spell book), or simply keep some scrap paper with some jotted notes around is up to you; but at least write some stuff down!
#10 Help others learn
Teaching others is teaching yourself. When you explain something to someone else you are building deeper personal understanding of the subject at hand. Helping others learn will also build you many friends and allies. I've created this website for these very reasons. I hope these ten tips have taught you something useful! Thank you for reading!
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while riding with any tricks be careful for accessing some help of any one is a must thin.
also be ,carefulaccurate,practisful,speedy etc bla bla bla.
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no video for this stuff.
