A Wise Athlete Sport and education. Both.
Get the app

Gymnastics · Basic · b7

Partner balances

At home 10 min 2 to 3 players One room

Ready when: Shapes and balances (b1) done.

Start a session

What you are learning

Balancing together with a partner of similar size: leaning away while holding hands (counter tension), leaning into each other (counter balance), and low balances where the top puts weight only on the base's hips and shoulders. Partners learn to trust, call and come down calmly.

Words on this card Shapes, Body tension, Balance, Counter balance, Base, Vault
Shapes
Body shapes. Tuck: knees hugged to the chest. Pike: legs straight, folded at the hips. Straddle: legs straight and wide apart. Star: arms and legs spread wide. Straight: the body long and tight.
Body tension
Squeezing the whole body firm so it holds a shape.
Balance
Holding the body still on a small base, such as one foot.
Counter balance
Two partners pushing toward each other (counter balance) or pulling away while holding hands (counter tension) to balance together.
Base
In a partner balance, the base holds the weight and the top is supported.
Vault
Artistic apparatus. Vault: running and springing over a padded table. Bars: swinging on high bars. Beam: a balance beam 10 cm wide. Floor: a sprung square for tumbling and dance.

Set up

Shoes, jewellery and watches off; hair tied back.

Weather: any weather indoors

The base setup for gymnastics

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Sit facing your partner, feet together, hold hands and both lean back until the arms are straight: counter tension.
  2. Stand back to back and lean into each other: counter balance.
  3. Agree the calls first: "up" to start, "down" to stop at once.
  4. Show a low balance: the base on hands and knees, the top places hands only on the base's shoulders and hips.

Your part while they practise

Before each balance agree who is the base and who calls "up" and "down"; stop at once when anyone calls "down". No standing on a partner.

Step by step

  1. Counter tension: sit facing, feet together, hold hands and lean back until the arms are straight; then stand and do the same.
  2. Counter balance: back to back, then palm to palm.
  3. Low balances: weight only on the base's hips and shoulders, never the middle of the back.
  4. Hold each for 3 seconds.

How much: 3 balances, 3 times each 10 min a session 2 days a week

Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.

The game: Statue count

On a clap, make a pair statue with only 4 feet and 2 hands on the floor, then only 2 feet and 2 hands.

Who plays: pairs of similar size working together, against their own best; you clap and judge.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. Clap and call the number of feet and hands allowed on the floor
  2. The pair builds a statue that touches the floor only that much
  3. Hold for 3 seconds; then "down" and come apart calmly
  4. 6 claps
Fair play
A pair with a younger child builds 4 feet and 2 hands only.
Points
2 points for each statue held 3 seconds; 1 point for coming down calmly on "down".
Fouls
The statue scores nothing
  • Weight on the middle of the back
  • Jumping down instead of climbing down
  • Not stopping straight away on "down"
Winning
The pair beats its best from 6 claps.
Stars
  1. 6 points for 1 star
  2. 12 points for 2 stars
  3. 18 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

Counter tension only.

Harder

Three balances linked without stopping.

What you will see, and what to say

  • weight on the middle of the back Hips and shoulders onlyThose parts can hold weight.
  • the top jumps down Climb down slowlyOne limb at a time.
  • one partner pulls harder Equal weight, lean togetherLean the same amount.

Self-check

3

3 different balances, each held 3 seconds, built and taken down calmly.

Stop and get a coach when

Anyone has back or neck pain.

Fitness for this

Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.

This card trains partner balance, body tension, trust.

Basic is done when the child meets the self-checks on b1 to b5 (b6 and b7 are extra paths, not gates).

awiseathlete.com/sports/gymnastics/gymnastics-b7