Backward Roll: A rotating action on the floor not a Somersault which is a rotation in the air. A movement used to teach the basic actions of rotation in preparation for Back Somersaults.
Tuck Position: Start with feet together with arms raised overhead alongside ears. Bend knees AST bend elbows dropping the back of the hands to the top of the shoulders tucking the chin to the chest and sit pulling the body into a fetal or ball position starting a roll backwards. Place hands on floor with elbows bent and close to the head to assist in the rolling action backwards. Alight onto the balls of the feet in the fetal or ball position and stand upright by pushing away from the hands.
Pointers: Roll onto the shoulder and then the back of the neck AST pushing away from the floor with both hands to keep moving. Elbows must stay parallel for strength and to keep the student from rolling off to 1 side (crooked). The object is to make the body into a small a ball or fetal position as possible.
Note: There are other ways to execute both forward and backward rolls i.e.: Pike and Layout positions as well as finishing with the legs in various positions.
Cartwheel: (2 Handed) There are two (2) methods of executing the movement called Cartwheel they both have their use in Acrobatics as well as Tumbling as well, the Cartwheel is one of the few movements wherein turnout of the feet is employed.
#1 Acrobatic: (A side-to-side movement)* Stand with legs separated in a wide stance with the feet turned outward and the arms raised up overhead and open in a V shape (if looking into a mirror the shape should look like an X). Bend the R knee and reach far out to the R side to place the R hand on the floor in a straight line to the R foot kicking the L leg sideward and upwards. Reach to the R side with the L hand pushing away from the floor with the R foot. The legs come overhead in an open straddle position. Push away from the floor with the R hand and alight onto the L foot in demi plie followed by a push away from the L hand as the R foot lands. The head should be in a neutral position between the arms i.e.: focus front
Pointers: The movement should reach out, NOT down, with the object being to maintaining the shape of the X. The rhythmic count 1,2,3,4 should match the actions of hand-hand-foot-foot. The use of demi-plie on the 1st landing leg is important for eventually more speed in a series of Cartwheels as well as the direction of the feet on landing (use of turnout).
* Once the movement has been mastered on the good side the students MUST work on the opposite side (ambidexterity)
#2 Tumbling: (A front-to-back movement) #1 Execute the preparation for a Handstand on the R working side. #2 Bending the R knee reach far forward with the R arm placing the hand on the floor in a straight line with the R foot AST kicking the L leg back and up overhead. #3 Immediately reach the L arm and hand forward to the floor and push away from the R foot to bring the legs to an open straddle position in the air. #4 As the L leg comes down to the floor push away from the floor with the R hand. #5 The L foot should land in demi-plie pointing in the direction from where you came from. #5 Push away from the floor with the L hand as the R leg lands again pointing in the direction from where you came in a lunge position with arms overhead alongside the ears.
Pointers: It is important to use spotting for this movement i.e.: look under the 2nd arms (in this case the L as you are executing a Right sided Cartwheel) and focus to the wall in the direction you are traveling toward. At the termination of the movement the torso should be in lunge position facing the direction from where you came. This basic action is in reality the fundamental actions used in teaching Aerial Cartwheels.
Front Handspring: Usually taught from a running or Hop-step preparation. Running Preparation: for a R sided take-off 3 running steps forward (L,R,L), small hop off the L foot with the R leg extended to the back in a low arabesque AST: swing Arms up forward and overhead. Swing the R ft forward to step far out into a lunge position (arms up alongside ears). #1 Reaching far forward with hands kick the L leg back and up overhead placing the hands on the floor #2 Immediately push away from the floor with the R leg bringing the legs together overhead at the 1 oclock position AST sink into the shoulder girdle and rebound forward pushing the hand away from the floor (the body should now be completely free of the floor in the air i.e.: popping action, basic rule of tumbling hands up before feet land. #3 Alight onto both feet in a small demi-plie with the arms alongside the ears.
Pointers: Head should remain neutral between the arms and the feet should come together in the air before you land.
Back Handspring: There are a number of ways to approach the Back-handspring: #1 Swing, sit, throw, jump #2 Sit, jump #3 Swing and Sit AST throw, jump Each has its advantage I will use #1 With the arms at 12 oclock (both arms raised up alongside ears) #1 Swing the arms down and back pass the hips #2 Sit back (as if sitting into a chair) with the back straight (body becomes off-balance). #3 Immediately swing the arms forward, up overhead and back pass the ears (lifting the shoulders as high as possible) straightening the knees and pushing the hips forward. #4 Jump off both feet and alight onto the hands. #5 The legs continue over rapidly AST push away from the floor with both hands before the feet alight again i.e. basic rule of tumbling hands up before feet land.
Pointers: Head should remain neutral between the arms. Fingers should be turned slightly inward (never outward). Teaching cues by-the-numbers: Swing Sit Throw & jump Land Note: Spotting is a necessity in teaching Back Hand Springs: If hand spotting on the R side of the student, kneel down and place the L hand at the small of the students back with the R hand on the back of the R thigh the L hand controls the sitting action and the R hand controls the jump up and away from the floor .
I hope the above material from these three sections has been some small help in understanding the Basic Fundamentals Movements of Acrobatics and Tumbling -Chuck Kelley