[Closed] Can you do a forward roll?

Ride down a steep slope and grab a fist full of front brake, it'll help you get started and you wont have head-ground contact(not immediately at least).

No but I've done plenty of bacon rolls lately. 😛

You mean an OTB? Oh yes, no trouble.

I get to practice otb regularly with the tuck and roll so I am guessing yes however I have not tried a forward roll in many years. We did have a family bet aboit cartwheels 10 yeats ago, the contest was hysterical

As an aside my daughter posted a youtube video years ago of her doing a rubbish forward roll, I think it has 750k views 🙂

Yeah but not properly, my back's too inflexible so I sort of weeble over.

You mean an OTB? Oh yes, no trouble.

You are BikerFox AICMFP.

Watch and Learn

I don't want to try. I suspect the noises would resemble an asthmatic dumping a sack of spuds on a floor having climbed several flights of stairs. Then being kicked in the bollocks.

I tried a cartwheel a few years back and genuinely saw stars. Little bright flecks appearing in my vision then darting off to the sides. I have left cartwheels in the locker since then as well.

We did the same in a pub garden a couple of years back having a few beers with some old Univ chums. As I started I became acutely aware my upper back has no flex in it, so my forward roll was more a crap headstand followed by a back flop. Fortunately ground was soft.

My daughter was learning to do cartwheels at the time but was rather inelegant / floppy legged, etc. My mate invited his wife who most of us had only met a couple of times to show how and she performed the most amazing controlled cartwheel just like that. It was then revealed that she'd been a pretty high level gymnast as a girl and had maintained her flexibility, as she demonstrated by hoiking up her summer dress and dropping into splits. A few of us quickly received swift under the table kicks from our own wives, as our eyes popped out on stalks, and my mate had a smug look on his face for the rest of the weekend that you'd have needed fire to remove.

Thought it would be like riding a bicycle.

It is not. Felt like i was going to break my neck!

It hurt. I'll not be trying that again in a hurry.

I feel old

I tried a few years ago in an attempt to get better at crashing. I was disgusted with my self at my attempts.

I can just about do one over one shoulder, the other is a disgrace.

As I kid I could do cartwheels, front flips, rolls and now I am like a sack of meat and bones hitting the floor.

The shame.

A good few years of jitsu rolling drills mean yes.

The question is not can I, but should I?
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No, No I shoudn't.

@theotherjonv 🙂

Yes. BJJ three times a week. Although a separated shoulder means I am crap on one side. Went OTB a few weeks ago and my mate who was following was well impressed. Said I resembled Arnie in T2 coming off the back of that lorry 😆

theotherjonv
my forward roll was more a crap headstand followed by a back flop

Precisely how it happened. Though it also involved wine.

The question is, do i practise more or confine forward rolls to the annuals of time?

I also suggest not trying to roll down a hill to have a race with your children especially if there is a rock midway down which you roll over at quite some speed damaging your ribs. Still hurts..

A long time ago I was following a very good rider down a rough descent, a track of gravel and cobbles. He came off, did a forward roll, leaped to his feet, caught the bike and jumped back on. Neither he nor the bike stopped during this. I thought 'that's the way to do it'.

A year or three later, somewhere near the Pools of Dee, I fell off sideways, down the slope. I rolled and jumped to my feet. I was standing on the edge of a twelve-foot drop to the stream.

I went back to my traditional [i]sack of spuds[/i] style of landing.

I can. One of the joys of life!

A while back I was crossing tramlines in front of a stationary tram in Melbourne when my front wheel slipped away. I did a perfect forward roll and finished on my feet (unharmed). I half expected a round of applause.

After a few years of Judo as a kid, I really cringe everytime I see an otb turn into a neck brace. Its a useful skill to develop (shoulder roll ) and one I taught my kids early

samunkim - Member

Its a useful skill to develop (shoulder roll ) and one I taught my kids early

I remember one of the bike skills manuals says

"How to crash:

Go to the jungle gym a lot as a child.
Oh you're not a child? Too bad"

I can't do a forward roll, but I can do a gambole.

Just thinking about it makes my neck ache....

Not since I was about 12 and developed a fear of snapping my neck.

Yes, just checked. Despite not doing aikido for at least 5 years, the technique is still there. Although it's not a "basic" forward roll.

Yes but there not particularly pretty, I can still do decent cartwheels and after a few practice runs walk on my hands.

Never done martial arts either just used to arse about a lot as a child.

jimoiseau - Member

I can't do a forward roll, but I can do a gambole.

What's the difference?

Yep. Get a head rush when I do though. Just working on my somersaults on the trampoline

Yep, not very elegantly but yes.

jam bo - Member
A good few years of jitsu rolling drills mean yes.

This.

Curve your lead arm and remember to tuck in your head.

Yep, young kids means you get to practise this kind of stuff all the time. I'd really like to be able to backflip from standing, just because but I suspect that is something better learnt when young and with more flexible bones.

[quote=jam bo ]A good few years of jitsu rolling drills mean yes.

THIS

Just checked - yes!

yep - and from a handstand.

The older I get the more I find myself moving away from max strength/ max cardio and towards suppleness.

Yep, although dog gave me a funny look as I forward rolled past his bed on the way to the shower.

The thought of you lot all trying has brightened my day somewhat.

I can clear 2 mats in a diving forward roll. About 3 metres. Helped by judo as a kid and karate as as adult. It's funny watching people try and fail to do a basic roll. Usually goes head.... pause..... thump!

Yes!

MrsT is giving me funny looks though.

Lots of years of Aikido...so yes
12 years since I last had to do it.....so a price to pay a couple of days after
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Probably not, but I could eat a Swiss Roll in under a minute. 😉

I can clear 2 mats in a diving forward roll. About 3 metres. Helped by judo as a kid

But are those shoulder rolls proper forward rolls?

"proper" or not, they're safer and more useful.

I'm in the 'did lots of Jitsu and still can' camp.

I have two kids that can do that and more. You don't have a dog and bark yourself.

Yes, but I was trained with a weird technique that involves feeding your lead arm outwards, back of hand to the floor, rather than curling it up in front. It tends to lead to a softer touch between shoulder and floor, making it a bit easier to do from a run.

I assumed I could, as I always did as a kid, but found out the other day I really can't as I almost broke my neck!

Ah yes, we used to do that too. Except we lined up people standing, but folded from the waist. Then the instructor would keep adding people on subsequent jumps until you clattered into the last one.... Not entirely sure what that taught us.

Don't be the last one.