Swipe Move

Swipes

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Swipes are easy to learn, so once you learn them, work on cleaning them up, even if they are pretty clean. Here's a pointer: before you jump, make sure your torso is up in the air when you jump. It looks better when your legs go higher. If you try to go higher, make sure you don't go too slow, or else the swipes start looking bad. Yeah, these are pretty much power swipes. There are also baby swipes, which are pretty much the same but a lot smaller and faster so they integrate into footwork. Well, once you get power swipes, work on variations of them, like one legged, double swipes, and air swipes.

General Swipe Tips

Really focus on the torso/hip area. This is where 75% of your power comes from. The other 25% comes from your feet or hands. When you are on your hands, try to put as much weight as possible on them. Likewise when you are on your feet. Stay balanced at all times, otherwise your swipes spin out of control and look sloppy. When your feet are on the ground, keep your butt/hips as HIGH as possible; e.g. at the same level as they are when you are on your hands. If you are having trouble keeping your legs high when you are on your hands, try to physically look at your feet as you are spinning around on your hands. Both hands should never be on the ground for any long period of time, unless you are doing a variation (e.g. air swipes). Finally, think FINESSE. You've mastered a swipe when you can continuously swipe, stay in a small area, and land your feet/hands softly.

Continuous Swipes

Swipes that keep going and going. To make these look really good,concentrate on a smoooth flow. Not just "spin. spin. spin", but "spinspinspinspin" or "ssppiinnssppiinssppiinn". The key is to keep your body high. Pushing off with your hands/feet will help.

Also, a really nice effect is to have only one hand on the ground at a time. Only use both hands when moving from one hand to another.

Rotating Swipes

These swipes rotate on the ground in a circle. It's possible to get your legs to go 180 degrees in one swipe... But it looks really dopey if you don't get your legs high enough. There are two ways you rotate a swipe, and you can combine both. The first is to do the rotation while on your hands (rotate your legs). The second is opposite; rotate your upper body while your legs are on the ground. Combine both, and you can get 180 degrees.

More than 180 degrees can be described as a swipe to a straight arm walk back into a swipe. Or as a swipe into 3/4 of a flare back into a swipe.

High / Low

To get higher swipes, just push harder. Try jumping using your toes too. Lower swipes usually mean low when on your hands; bend your elbows a lot, even to the point on putting your chin on the ground. Arch your back a LOT, so you can still get enough height to turn your legs.

Legs Together / Legs Apart

Self explanatory. Learn legs apart first; its is much easier to balance. Once you get legs together swipes, you can do stuff like crossing your legs together, etc. The one-foot swipe is the same deal. I guess the progression is legs apart, legs together, one-foot, and then crossed legs. (Crossed as in your foot is on the other leg's knee).

Legs Extended / Legs Bent

The bent legged swipe is the one normal people do. Extended leg ones would be called "power swipes", or so I've heard. I just call them the "swipes where you don't bend yer legs". These are hard because you can't jump as high as with bent legs. You have to snap your back/abdomen to get the leg height. Another alternative is to extend your feet only when they are in the air; bend them when you land.

Oh yeah. The following applies to ALL swipes. The more your twist your torso, the less you have to jump with your legs. Sometimes this looks good, sometimes it looks lame. If you are too slow in your twisting, it looks like you are 'cheating' in your swipe. Do it fast, and you can achieve very nice power swipes.

Head Swipes

Head swipes require neck strength, back strength, and back flexibility. Your head replaces most or all of the responsibility of your hands. A very fast torso/hip twist is very important. Basically, jump with your feet (or foot), then twist as FAST as possible. Keep your head on the ground at all times. You can tap with your hands, if you need. Land back on your feet, and jump again. The jump/twist should happen at the same time.

Elbows, One-Elbow

Self explantory; most of your weight goes onto your elbows or forearms.

Stalled

When on your hands, freeze; then continue. You kind of go into a bent handstand position. Bent legs help too. You can stall when you are on your feet too.... This is something to be creative with.

Air Swipe

Basically you get air; you push your body into the air when on your feet or hands.

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