How to Do the FMX Kiss of Death Trick

The FMX Kiss of Death is one of the more challenging tricks to complete. Amateur riders should learn and complete the easier tricks before jumping into the more difficult ones. Experience, practice and proper training are important ingredients in learning to do the FMX Kiss of Death trick.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Learn and complete the Front Fender Kiss. This is a much simpler trick where the rider leans over the bike and pulls the bike up to try to kiss the fender, but he keeps his actual body on the bike. This helps them learn how to control the bike in the air before adding the much harder aspects of the Kiss of Death. Once you've mastered the fender kiss, move on to Step 2.
2. Prepare to push off. The crux of the FMX Kiss of Death trick is getting your body into a handstand position. After ramping into the air, you need to quickly pop up to the seat so you can spring into the handstand and as you're going up, the back end of your bike will be going down, so the front fender is facing up.
3. Bend your elbows. In the handstand position, you'll need to keep your elbows bent enough to complete the final, and most important, aspect of the trick. For the best effect, try to keep your legs as straight as possible while in position.
4. Put your face near the front fender. Get your face as close to the front fender as you possibly can to give the illusion that you're kissing it, hence the name, the FMX Kiss of Death. Your body in this final position should be straight up and the bike straight down.
5. Get seated. Once the FMX Kiss of Death is completed, let your body drop back down and get resituated on your bike to prepare for a perfectly executed landing.
6. Step it up even more. As if the regular Kiss of Death isn't amazing enough, FMX riders are now combing the move and doing a Kiss of Death Back Flip, which is ultra challenging. Make sure you can do the first part of the trick to perfection before even attempting to combine it with a back flip and taking it to the next level.

Tips & Warnings

• FMX star Mike Jones was the first rider to publicly unveil the Kiss of Death during 2001 Winter X Games competition, although, it was said he learned the maneuver from Ryan Leybas after watching him do a similar trick at his house.
• Never attempt a new trick without proper instructions or practice without a helmet and other safety gear.