Tricking is the informal name of a type of acrobatics derived from martial arts that includes techniques found in gymnastics, b-boying, and similar disciplines. Examples of incorporated techniques include the 540 kick from Taekwondo, the butterfly twist from wushu, and the double leg from capoeira. The sport aims to create an "aesthetic blend of flips, kicks, and twists."[1] Tricking differs from similar arts in that expression and exploration are more heavily favored. An individual who practices tricking is typically referred to as a "trickster" or "tricker".
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A tendency to exhibit techniques that are more flashy and complex was observed in martial arts during the period following the 1960s, predating the current "tricking" movement. Especially in taekwondo, an increasing emphasis on spectacular spinning, jumping or flying kicks developed during the mid-1960s with the introduction of international competitions.[2]
The actual sport of "tricking" is an internet phenomenon, emerging in the early 2000s. Xtreme Martial Arts is thought to be a close precursor to the sport, being shown at various martial arts tournaments in the 90s and early 2000s. By late 2003, the online tricking community was well-developed, bringing trickers from across the globe together. With the rise of YouTube, trickers were able to share their videos with others and the world of tricking experienced a massive rise in popularity and interest. Since the beginning of 2008, tricking has been receiving much wider publicity and popularity among the general populace due to efforts of popular tricking teams like Loopkicks, Team FS, Unito, Disastrickz, Flipmonk Sqaud, Furious Force, New Age Ninjas (NAN) and Rain City Tricking of Olympia, Washington.
Unlike many established sports, tricking has no formal rules or regulations, and there are no governing bodies that regulate the sport. Strictly speaking, participants are free to perform any kind of dramatic maneuver and call it a 'trick' - though there are certain moves which are generally accepted as tricking moves. Some practitioners (especially those who discover tricking through the Internet) tend to learn the easier moves first (such as the 540 kick, Aerial, kip-up, and backflip) and try to progress through a list of recognized tricks in the perceived order of difficulty. However, how difficult a trick is will vary from person to person; certain tricks may be inexplicably easier or harder than normal for a particular tricker to learn.
Trickers can be divided into different categories of style: some prefer performing mainly martial arts tricks (which almost always incorporate kicks into a trick), others mostly freestyle gymnastics and flips (mainly focus on combining different types of rotations and twists), but most trickers mix a combination of all the disciplines. Trickers regularly train their bodies hard to be able to consistently perform their tricks at any time.
Due to tricking's relatively underground status, specialized training and coaching for the activity is almost non-existent. Some practitioners come from various martial arts and gymnastics backgrounds, however the majority of tricksters are self-taught. In addition to martial arts and gymnastics foundations, trickers usually learn from friends or other individuals who have more experience than themselves. Many trickers, who do not have access to an environment with which to learn, train by simply reproducing movements seen in videos. A rising practice within the tricking community has been to form "teams" among friends. These groups serve not only as a form of self-encouragement for individuals, but also to build identity and credibility as a trickster in the community. Similarly, trainees seek aid from tricking camps and gatherings which expose trickers to other individuals with higher levels of skill. In recent years, tricking has had enough exposure to the point that some martial arts and gymnastics studios in big cities feature classes for it, one of the most prominent in the world being White Lotus Martial Arts Center in Los Angeles, California.
Practitioners usually perform the majority of their tricks on grass or plyometric flooring. Foam landing mats, trampolines or jumping jamporees are utilized to become familiar with new movements in a safe environment. In addition to practicing the movements of tricking, many tricksters improve physical fitness to compliment their training. A mutually common skill among many tricksters is body conditioning and weight training, as many of the movements within the activity require a high level of strength. Dynamic and static flexibility training is also commonly practiced by tricksters due to the high range of motion many tricks require.
Since its inception, gatherings have been a regular part of the tricking community. Organized by trickers, usually with the assistance of online forums, gatherings are an opportunity for individual trickers to showcase their styles and seek advice from other trickers. Gatherings usually have one or more Gym Sessions, where a gymnastics studio is rented out specifically for the gathering.
In addition, there are also mini-gatherings (also known as seminars/sessions) that usually take place in grassy fields. Compared to regular gatherings where trickers from all over the world attend, mini-gatherings generally attract local trickers to a one day session. This in turn allows local trickers to meet, trick together, strengthen tricking in their own communities, and help expose it to more people in their local area.
In particular, the West Coast of the United States has a prominent community of trickers, based mainly in Los Angeles, California. White Lotus Martial Arts Center, based in Northridge, Los Angeles, is famously known as being a gathering place for professional trickers, b-boys, freerunners, and traceurs and some come from around the world to visit it.
Trickers do not only make teams and practice together, but often perform together as well. Many teams choreograph demos which they then perform at events. Not only do the demos promote their teams, they also bring tricking out into the light for the rest of the world. Some trickers choose to pair up with other trickers at competitions and perform – for example, Steve Terada and Rudy Reynon competed together in a (musical) open form.
Since its rise in popularity, tricking has been featured in various media.