An Illustrated Glossary of Acrobatic Gymnastics
Note: The scope of acrobatic possibilites prevents creating anykind of exhaustive glossary. The purpose of this glossary is to merely acquaint the follower of acrobatics with some of the common stunts and terms used by the USAG Acrobatic Gymnastics. Also, every region has their own names for the stunts. Therefore, a viewer from another region may not be familiar with some of the names given here.
Pairs
| Adagio | |||
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| Adagio is a musical term that means, "slow," and is used in ballet in reference to pas de deux (dance for two) lifts, which are characterized by a danseur and ballerina (man and woman) where the woman is gracefully lifted overhead, and usually remains upright. | |||
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| Ring Arabesque on Lunge | Stag Lift Overhead | One Arm Side Needle | Needle Lift Overhead |
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| Overhead Fish | One Arm Overhead Stag | Overhead Stag to Split | Stag to Backwalkover |
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| Pull to Fish, then Handstand | Backbird to Fish | Neck Circle to Shoulder Sit | |
B - Base partner. It is acceptable for partners to change position during the exercise.
| Birds | |||
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| Birds, also called "Swans", are horizontal waist supported balances and movements. | |||
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| Front Bird Overhead | Front Bird Slide Split | Back Bird Overhead | Back Bird Slide Split |
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| Front Bird On Feet | Back Bird On Feet | Front Bird to Back Bird on Feet | Back Bird Lift to Candlestick |
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| Bird's Nest | One Arm Backbird | Front Bird to Back Bird | Back Bird Toss to Back Tuck |
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| Reverse Bird | Reverse Bird Helicopter to Front Bird | Foos (foot pitch) to Front Bird | Front Bird Hecht Dismount |
Back bird - Base holds top on straight arms overhead, stomach to ceiling. Top's back is arched and supported by 1 or 2 hands of base below the bend of the back, legs of top in straight or one in stag.
Balance element - a partner skill exhibiting static holds, strength, and flexibility.
Barani - Piked front salto with 1/2 twist initiated by shoulder twist and completed by the hips as the body opens in flight.
Basket - Another word for platform, (see platform)
Boost - A force exerted by the base(s) on the top partner to propel him/her into a flight element
Calf mount - While in a hand to hand grip and standing behind base, the top steps on the calf of the base's bent leg. The base straightens leg and extends arms overhead propelling top to stand on shoulders or to support or to hand to hand.
| Camels | |||
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| Camels are hand-knee supported balances and movements. | |||
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| Hand-Knee Shoulder Balance | Hand-Knee Shoulder Balance Front Limber Dismount |
Camel | One Arm Camel |
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| One Arm Camel Slide to Splits | One Arm Camel in Splits | Camel On Y Scale | |
Camel - Trio element with top in single stagged handstand on middle's shoulders, middle supports one knee and arm/shoulder of top.
Cannonball - Top is lifted by swing from the floor between the partners) legs to a hand to hand or a dynamic element. May follow a catch from a tumbling element. Partners face the same way and top swings between legs head first. Reverse cannonball - Partners face each other and swing between legs is seat first.
Cartwheel mount - Top and base face each other. Top steps on base's arm holding base's hands and cartwheels to hand to hand.
CJP- Chair of Judges Panel. The head judge of a panel of judges.
Courbette - Pair/group dynamic element in which top snaps down from handstand to foot to hand, or from stand executes a piked dive to handstand. Both may be done from regular o reverse positions.
Crocodile - One arm version of elbow lever (see elbow lever).
Deep arch - Handstand position with 45° arch of back and feet down to the level of the hands.
Diamidov - a) Mount- Top stands on floor in front of base, and mounts with a 360° spin on 1 arm of base to end in hand to hand. B) Individual element- 360° spin on one arm during a valdez.
Dislocate - Top stands in front of base facing the same way. Base lifts top by hands as top jumps to hand to hand, stomach up during mount.
Double Support - Two partners support top from equal base positions.
Double Toe Pitch - Toe pitch with two partners standing side by side, hands facing up near bent knees. Top places one foot into each partner's hands. Top's hands are on bases' shoulders for support. Top is assisted into a flight element by a lift-throw by partners. Also called double foot pitch.
Dynamic element - Partner element performed with flight.
Elbow lever - Horizontal prone body position with support of body on elbows of bent arms.
F-H - See foot to hand.
Foot pitch - See toe pitch.
Foot to hand - Top stands in hands of base with one foot in each of the base's hands. Both face the same direction.
Front bird - Base holds top on straight arms overhead, top's back is to the ceiling. The top uses a high arch in upper back, legs together and arms raised sideways. Support by base at the center of gravity, usually at the hips.
Front support - Individual element with straight body supported on floor by feet and arms in pushup position.
Half column - Middle of trio stands on thighs of base and supports top. Base and middle face the same direction. Can be done by men's 4 also.
Hand to hand - Handstand held on hands of base, partners are looking at each other's faces. The front of the palm of one partner is on the heel of the palm of the other partner.
Hecht dismount - Base thrusts top upward and forward from hand to hand position, top's body extended with legs together or straddled.
Inlocate - Top stands in front of base, facing the same way and holding base's hands low behind him/her. Top jumps as base lifts top hips first to hand to hand. (tuck or pike)
Linking - a) tumbling values for connected elements; b) values when pair/group dynamic elements are performed in immediate succession (no pause) also known as "in tempo".
Lunge - A standing position in which the legs are apart, front knee bent and back leg straight.
M - Middle position of groups. Partners may change position during the exercise.
Overarch - Handstand position with legs parallel to floor and back arched.
Pike - Body position with legs straight and together and hips bent (45° - 135°).
Pike support - Balance element with weight supported on hands, legs together and parallel to the floor.
Platform - Crossed interlocked wrist position of two partners facing each other. (Take own wrist and opposite one of partner). Used to catch or throw a flight element.
Press - slow continuous pushing action which changes the body position with strength and control. Does not use flight or swing to complete the element.
Prone - Body position with the front of the body facing the floor, body straight.
RFH - Reverse foot to hand
RHH - Reverse hand to hand
Reverse cannonball - See cannonball.
Reverse foot to hand - Like foot to hand except that the partners face each other.
Reverse hand to hand - Handstand held on hands of base with the partners looking the same direction. The heels and the fronts of the palms of both partners are in matching contact ( heel on heel, front on front).
Reverse half column - In groups, middle stands on base's thighs as they face each other.
Salto - A dynamic or individual element with no hand support during the rotation.
Scale - Standing on one foot, trunk forward near horizontal, free leg rotated outward and held in the rear at 90° or more to support leg.
Star - Pair element with base holding top above head with support on torso and at foot. Top has one hand on base's shoulder and one hand free, legs in straddle. Also possible with base using only one hand to support the top and top's foot is free.
Stalder - A term sometimes used to designate either a press from L position (straddle or pike) to handstand or a press down from handstand to L position. USAG term is press.
Straddle - Body position with legs straight and apart. Can be straddle sit, straddle stand, straddle forward or backward roll. A straddle support is a pair/group element when the top is supporting self on hands with legs in straddle position.
T - Top, the partner who performs the high elements of a pair or group exercise.
Tariff sheet - A required form depicting the elements in and the order of an exercises submitted by the coach to the Meet Referee prior to a competition.
Tempo toss - Pair/group linking of one tossed element immediately followed by another tossed element.
Timer - Element in progression to flight element in which the pitch and release are practiced but the whole flight element is not performed.
Toe lift - Balance mount when base lifts the foot of the top to a foot to hand position. Similar to a toe pitch but no flight is shown.
Toe pitch - Base puts one hand on top of the other on his bent knees, palms up, fingers facing outward. Top puts one foot on base's hands and hands on base's shoulders. Top steps up in tempo assisted by a lift-throw by base to a flight element.
Tuck shoot to handstand - Start in tuck position, feet and hands on floor. Forward shift of weight onto hands as the legs extend vigorously upward to handstand position. Press is not necessary. (individual element)
Transition - Movement of partner or partners in a group element from one fixed position to another without dismounting.
Two to one (2:1)- Top uses two hands joined to one hand or foot of base. The top's position is stated first. One to two (1:2) has one hand (foot) of top held by both joined hands of base. Two to two (2:2) has both hands of top joined to each other and to the joined hands of base.