"Gate keeper" skills, like a kip

[gasrgoose]

What are some skills that typically hold a gymnast back? Like the kip for level 5. Are there other skills required for higher levels that are traditionally difficult for most gymnast? Watching the small amount of optional practice I see, it seems BHS on beam and the round off entry vault (yurchenko?) take alot of time. Is this accurate?

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

Yes, all those and I think Giants on bars are another one. Most gyms want the girls to have giants before competing Level 7.

 

[gymnastbeth]

Yup, you're pretty much spot on with those skills.

Levels 3-4: Mill circle (Lvl 4: BHS)
Level 5: Kip
Level 6: Backwards skill on beam and flyaways
Level 7: Giants and a flight skill on beam
Level 8: Tsuks, and all of the bar requirements
Level 9: Yurchenkos, release on bars, salto on beam

And I'm just level 9, so I'm not sure on the level 10 requirements. Every gymnast has their own things that they struggle to get, but I think those are the problem skills. (They also tend to be some of the most important skills, because they are used as building blocks for bigger skills in the later levels.)

 

[Aussie_coach]

There are no other skills that are really quite like the kip because in the higher levels you can play with the skills a little. In level 5 you must have 2 kips - a glide kip and a long hang kip. Without those kips you lose the value of 2 full core skills and you bar routine simply does not work at all.

At other compulsory levels there are single skills you have to get but without these you lose the value of only 1 skill and the routine can still go quite smoothly without it.

The only other one would really be level 5 vault, because until you get the vault you can't vault. But I understand that in the US you can do it with the vault table all the way down so that makes it easier. Australian levels 5's must have it between 11-125 cms, 6's must have 120-125 cms and 7-10 must have it on 125cms. So ours do struggle from time to time.

Other skills you can get around. If your level 7 can't get the back handspring on beam they can do a front handspring or a round off for example. If they can't get giants you can do a second clear hip on high bar.

 

[gymnastbeth]

Other skills you can get around. If your level 7 can't get the back handspring on beam they can do a front handspring or a round off for example. If they can't get giants you can do a second clear hip on high bar.

I definitely get that, and it's definitely true, but a lot of skills if you don't get, you can't ever progress. For example a giant, it's just not feasible to level up without it. I think that's what makes them "gate keeper" skills. If you don't get them, you can't ever get around them, you just have to get the skill to move up.

 

[CamSeawind]

Back handspring on beam.
Kip cast handstand (I know, I'm still working on mine) on bars
Giants on bars
Back layout on floor

 

[fuzi]

It's interesting how many of the skills I can thing of that tend to hold gymnasts back are bar skills.

Levels 3: Mill circle
Level 4: Front hip circle, RO-BHS
Level 5: Kip
Level 6: Backwards skill on beam and flyaways
Level 7: Giants, cast handstand, and a flight skill on beam
Level 8: Different vault than FHS (though L7 to L8 doesn't seem to be as hard as of a transition)
Level 9: High bar to low bar skill
By the time you get to level 10, it seems like that gymnasts who stick in the sport that long have less trouble getting the skills than staying healthy.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

oh my gosh. there are too many to list and how the kids are all affected differently by all the skills.

 

[cher062]

Alot of the biggies have been mentioned here but it will really depend on the kid too. It will depend on their fears - that will play big in what is the challenge item as they move forward.

For my DD the Kip she got in a week so that wasn't the biggie at L5 for her instead it was the cartwheel on the beam that was her tough skill. Most of the biggies for my DD are beam related. L6 the connection series on beam forget what it was she was doing but two skills in a row wasn't her favorite thing to do. going back for L4 Mill circle killed her.

L7 lay out on floor because when she first learned it the coach walked away and she ended up landing on her head with a slight concusion so she didn't trust the coach to spot her after that. Giant wasn't the issue. on bars slow connection series but she did connect most of the time.

Now L8 again connection on the beam with L8 skills (beam skills will be the biggie that hold her back from competing L8 this year if she gets held back) She has her bars and one of her vaults. the other vault she just has to land standing up LOL. the tumbling passes on floor she has but landing in pit so its just move them to land on the floor.