How to Do a Kip-up

Ever see a Jackie Chan movie and wonder how he goes from lying flat on his back to standing up in a flash? It looks like he jumps up from the floor effortlessly. You can do it yourself with a little practice!

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Lie Flat on your back.

2. Roll backwards on to your shoulders, and chamber your legs (this means pull in your knees so they are close to your face and bent). While rolling back put your hands flat on the ground by your ears with your fingers pointed in toward the tops of your shoulders.

3. Roll all the way on to your shoulders so your feet point straight up in the air. Remember your hands are flat on the ground near your ears.

4. Kick up, and kick up hard. The most important part is to kick directly upwards, not at an angle. Your body will fly into the air from the force of you kicking your legs. Just as soon as your legs kick out and you feel yourself being picked upwards, push hard with your hands like you're doing a backwards push-up.

5. Start flying upwards, and note at this point there is no turning back. You either land the kip or fall hard on your back. Time to give it your all! When you feel that sensation of weightlessness just before you're about to fall downwards (in other words, you've peaked at the maximum height you will reach going upwards) you must perform the crucial step: pull your legs downard. Snap them down hard and the momentum will cause the rest of your body to whirl upwards. You will suddenly, almost magically, be on your feet. Congratulations, you did it!

Tips & Warnings

• When you snap your feet down, if you find you are falling on your back, snap your feet down and "under" so your feet end up where your butt was.
• The most common issue with kip-ups is people fall on their back. This is because you are hesitating when you kick upwards. The minute you reach your full backroll you need to kick up. It should be a smooth motion.
• If you're still falling on your back, you need to kick harder, OR you need to wait until you feel weightless before snapping down. Many people feel awkward and helpless when kicking up so they instictively pull their legs down. This will make you unable to do a kip-up, you need to really go for it.
• If you STILL fall on your back, you're not pusing off with your hands hard enough. You need strong triceps to do this, but give it your best and you'll get it.
• Practice. Some can do this move automatically, others take months to get it. Don't get discouraged if you can't do it at first, it takes practice.
• You will get it if you try hard and keep at it. Don't give up!
• when rolling dont take your legs as far over as possible, as this over coils and you wont be able to straigten out properly in the air to land on your feet, your knees should be level with your eyes, and for beginners your legs should form a kind of diamond shape, with the feet meeting at the top. from here you need to simultaneously push with your hands and kick your legs out at the same time..thats my best way of describing it, just keep trying, you'll find out hows best for you.
• This can be dangerous since it involves falling your back if you make a mistake. Be careful not to fall on anything sharp or blunt. Use a workout mat or other soft surface. This makes doing a kip-up significantly harder than on a hard surface but will protect your back from damage should you fall while trying.