Aerial Twist

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In gymnastics and tricking an aerial twist is a variation of the aerial cartwheel. As the athlete launches into the aerial, during the peak of the aerial's height, they will spin 180 degrees and land. What adds difficulty to this move is that the same leg is used to take off and land. Gymnasts normally perform the twisting with the legs together to obtain a faster spin and more aesthetically pleasing execution. Tricksters normally perform the twisting with the legs apart; mainly for style. Many martial arts tricksters first learning this move have a tendency to begin more like a butterfly twist than an aerial. In the tricking community, this move can be done from either a running start, a small hop skip, standing, or from another trick in a combo.

[edit] Variations

  • Hyperswipe
    This is executed the same way as an aerial twist, but normally requires extra height and faster/more rotation. The defining difference is that the other leg is thrown out and is used to land on rather than the leg used to take off. Its name is derived from the fact the ending of it looks almost identical to a sideswipe.