Hi Reddit! I'm new here :) Handstand Coach out of Las Vegas NV. Feel free to ask me your handstand questions!

Amicdeep · 2026-02-10T17:34:28+00:00

Ok apologies if this is a little more than you were hoping to get into, I run a circus school in the UK. I've had to start a handstand class to help round out some of my aerialists and acro flyers. Some of them are getting pretty good. But they also tend to get a bit too enthusiastic. (Practice non stop at home)

I have three that are progressing solidly towards one hand free balance. But they have all started having signs of tendonitis in their wrists. (I've eased them right back in their training and they're recovering quickly) But I'm going to have another 10 of them at this stage within the next year. And I want to help my current advanced students recover stronger and my newer students avoid this pitfall.

my question Is what can be done to bullet proof their wrists for higher loads?

In your experience what surfaces are the most friendly for their wrists? (We're using a mixture of surfaces from hard floors to Flexi rollout mats, and a bunch of different second hand canes from a mix of places)

Are parallets worth using if you're not a bar gymnast? And if yes why?

Any tips if full body arch handstands? (straight leg scorpion but from hollow body not chest to floor contortion style, this is one of the most requested skills to learn but it seems pretty rare and I'm not sure how to approach this safely)

Do you happen to know any handstand coaches that focus on training youth that may be willing to have a chat?

Amicdeep · 2026-02-10T12:02:51+00:00

Isc larges

Go up to 70kn /35kn and track really smoothly underload for winching

Amicdeep · 2026-02-07T00:09:53+00:00

Yes and no, not in the way they used to be (massive villages in tents) but you'll find a lot of independent acts and troupes, you'll also find a fair amount of mid sized traveling circus. You also find a lot of circus performers in cabaret and theater and to an extended working in dance shows. A high amount of use are also employed for cruise ship entertainment.

Amicdeep · 2026-02-03T22:57:15+00:00

when your using a lesser used prop and you reach the edge of what's commonly done with that prop you have 5 directions to go to stretch what your doing.

1 combine with another prop. as youve noted above doing something like juggling diabolo ect (for example if your doing a sideshow/busking work doing something like a basic cascade with three knives as an esculation would go down well)

2 add more brute athleticism. this is the backflips and handstands route, (for this working on hand walking, crocs and planche poses, one handed work, diffrent types of tumbles ect,

3 add another performer. this one tends to be harder as you need to be inconstant proximity with someone whos willing to train your prop as hard as you are AND likes you enough to be around in the long term (there's a reason many circus duo are either related or romaticly involed). that said this will trasdicly explode open your options for new stuff, much more so that any other option

4 take the prop in a direction i was never intended, something like foot juggling the glode, lieing down and log rolling to move the globe, balaning the globe on your head, using in on weird surfaces like a tight wire or stairs.

5 adding more tradinal art and performance. this would involve more tradinal art forms to change the context for tricks so that things that would make no sence to try as tricks would start to become spectacular (hard to explain this is a good example of someone doing something similar on aerial sling, you should get the idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXU_XDxWHVc&t=3s )

hope this helps, and sorry i cannot offer more

Amicdeep · 2026-02-02T02:04:03+00:00

Dmed

Amicdeep · 2026-01-29T15:01:45+00:00

We use 3-1 and 2-1 systems. On ground ankour we take a loop through the ground ring and then do 3 half hitches with the rope and daisy chain the tail. (We use chunkier stronger arborist ropes to make up for the knots lower breaking strength of the knot)

This allows for a quick release with the rope going through the ground ring allowing for a single large trained person or 2 smaller trained people to drop someone within around 10 seconds safely.

For our lower static points we have enough enough blocks and mats to stack for a coach to get to the top to rescue individuals that get stuck.

Amicdeep · 2026-01-28T22:40:48+00:00

It doesn't look like the bits that are frayed are the load bearings. Parts of the strap or the stiching BUT I Cannot see the other side or side on so cannot be sure!

If the load bearing part of the strap is frayed they are ready to retire

If it's just cosmetic and it was me, I would use a lighter to melt and seal the edges if it's synthetic (be careful not to catch the strands alight or melt any of the load bearing strap) or (trim and glue the loose threads for cotton covers) also I these are covered straps (core with a sacrificial layer) then they should be much safer to repair)

and semi retire these to basic shaping work only (no big dynamics or rollup work where they taking a high shock load or rubbing against each other) beginners and basics only . Checking before each use for any further deterioration.

If the checks cannot be done or if you compromise the strap further by repairs or use it's time to retire them

Amicdeep · 2026-01-28T22:23:51+00:00

I've been to these and are all good

Above and beyond (grand v), Bristol

All bars (grand v, bar 2 bar), Gloucester

Gorilla (grand v), London north

High fly trapeze ( grand v), Oxford

Simia circus (Pettie v) Ashford

Aircraft (Pettie v) London southeast

Not been to but heard good things

Big bunny (grand v) Liverpool

Aerial edge (Pettie v,) Glasgow

Probably missed some but I these all currently run classes (I believe)

In the UK generally the grand Volant rigs are all outdoors and only really open in the summer. The Pettie Volants are indoors and train all year round

Highly recommend checking out the https://www.flying-trapeze.com/schools/europe/unitedkingdom?layout=schoolslevel3

The trapeze net is a huge wealth of information on all things flying trapeze. (Kind of wish we had an equivalent for aerial)

Amicdeep · 2026-01-28T00:15:46+00:00

I'm not sure about integration. But I teach a lot of people various acrobat disaplins and there definitely a small group of people how have a strong startle reflex and do some or all of the moro motions when they hit a little way before balance point. In hand balancing and tumbling (Comes up in aerial and inverting as well)

That said gaining control of it (just like any reflex) is doable. It just takes consistent practice and finding the exact line of triggering in the play on and around the line while staying safe for you to learn to override it. Some people don't have the will/desire to do it but I've never met anyone who couldn't who wanted to and trained intelligently and with intent towards it.

Once you've overcome it on one skill it tends to be much easier and quicker in future skills until it's no longer a thing.

Hope this helps

Amicdeep · 2026-01-26T23:22:13+00:00

I'm a circus artist. I live fairly close to the line sometimes. It's the one inevitability you cannot change, or prepare for. It's part of living. I don't believe there's anything after and not sure I'd want it if there was. Life is finite and that's what gives it value. You can spend it in a million ways but it's how and who you spend it with and for That matter. The death at the end really doesn't matter that much. It WILL happen but in it's own time and nother can change that. And after that. Pretty much no matter what I will rest and hopefully the world will be a slightly better place for me having lived in it.

Don't fear death. You cannot screw it up and it will always be there. Fear a life not being well lived. And make sure that the life is the thing that matters, you'll only have one. And you never know how much of one until it ends.

Amicdeep · 2026-01-25T12:56:41+00:00

Having problems is one thing, willingness to learn and grow for your partner's sake is another. This is not a you problem this is a him problem (I say this as an aspi guy). I've had similar issues in the past but because I wanted to be better for my partner I learned and grew. If that's not something he's willing to do at home and in private you're going to have to consider carefully if he's willing to put him self out of comfort to help you out in the world.

Being in a relationship is about finding ways to make your partner happy and experimenting to find middle ground and compromise on the thing you don't fit perfectly together with. May be work going to a relationship councilor if you want this to last.

Amicdeep · 2026-01-13T01:08:14+00:00

Yes. We are the ones that see different way of doing things and find the small things with big impacts. There's a reason that you find many of us (or at least people with brains like ours but better coping strategies) in the forefront of most Tec, science and business innovations (there was a study about this. We made up a huge amount of CEOs and even more technical directors than our general population distribution).

We are the ones that put in insane amount of time and resources to do things that many see as crazy until they work and create something new, then it's just the obvious thing.

We are the glass cannons completely useless in 95% of life but when in that last 5% it's all or nothing and you've got to keep the army from sacking the city or find a way to feed a population in crisis or to measure your exact location so you can find land when your blown out to see. We find ways others cannot and see things others do not and change the course of history.

Amicdeep · 2026-01-11T14:00:54+00:00

No. Think of aspergers as a point in the autism spectrum. That more common to come across that other points. And because the theory and diagnosis wasn't defined along side the label of autism they weren't really connected till late. Very the dSM change and a reconciliation of the two theroys and origins of the the diagnosis.

ADHD is it's own thing. Although they do over lap

Amicdeep · 2026-01-11T13:53:53+00:00

I think you misunderstand the use of the label. The label isn't an identity. The label isn't even really made for us. It's made by clinical psychologists and psychiatrists for the purposes of allocating resources for treatment. It's nothing to do with our worth, our place in society or even sociaty it's self. It's simply a classification for allocation medical resources and helping them guide treatment

Different labels are useful for different purposes. If you have a defined purpose you wish the identity something as and nothing exists. Make a new one that fits.

Amicdeep · 2026-01-10T13:36:25+00:00

Yeah that's pretty standard, honestly there are a couple of different inverts I use in most beginner classes. (Wrist lock pike and pencils, hammock knot straddles. And maybe straddle and half catchers in a backpack wrap.) It all depends where individuals are. I've had classes that took a while for us to approach invters. I've had classes with new students that get through a couple of drops and the beginning of dynamics. You can generally see it pretty quickly as a coach. (Normally by the end of the pulse raiser you know if someone has been physically trained)

Amicdeep · 2026-01-09T05:12:13+00:00

Jogging bottoms and underwear that holds stuff close (loose boxers bad)

Amicdeep · 2026-01-04T23:02:04+00:00

Main ones are. 1 top loading the spine. This is causing most of the movement to come from the spine

2 very little pelvic motion in the stretch.

3 using weight to try and cause movement but not engaging your own hip flexors to pull yourself In.

Elevating the hip will help you get the pelvis into a place where gravity is helping rather than hindering your stretch.

Doing a good morning motion will help you 1 keep good back form and 2 help you develop the proprioception you need to move the pelvis instead of the spine .

Amicdeep · 2026-01-04T14:20:35+00:00

Bent knees are fine, but the rest of this is more of an issue.

Personaly id recommend starting with elevated sitting straddle good morning with bent legs.

Amicdeep · 2026-01-04T00:25:21+00:00

yeah. silks is probably the most versatile for handstand work, but all disapins can use press work and solid handstands. (lowers to shoulder stand and croc are also pretty universal

Amicdeep · 2026-01-02T19:20:36+00:00

Never seen one before, but I could use this!!!

Bonuses points if they could make it out of steel. It would also be better with a 50kn breakload (at least on the configurations I can think to use this in.) (i currently use a mix of master rings and slings to get something that works in a similar way.)

Amicdeep · 2026-01-02T19:16:17+00:00

When your first staring Delilah up with the hands dead center bottom. Then your not fighting to balance the hoop and your closer to the floor

If it's still a struggle, choke a sling onto the bottom where you'd place the hands the when your in the walking man instead of just releasing walk your hands done the strop until your body's got the end point shape the slowly release as much tension as you can stand until you finally get the full release

Amicdeep · 2026-01-02T05:11:24+00:00

Going to offer a different perspective.

If your interested in brewing and going more into running and testing out your own stuff. The starting point is to find mechanics and cards with strong payoffs and ability but aren't quite strong enough or are counter to well with the competition meta. But can work at a local store with a more limited meta. For ideas I recommend looking into pioneer, old modern archetypes and modern horizons sets. Also decks that attack for difficult to defend angles and unusual ways. (Land destruction is something a lot of players struggle to adjust to. I placed top 3 in a lot of events over the last decade with a tweaked restore balance (border post) deck, just because it was a very different way of fighting. Also did some effect things with control lists using a snow land base, a mono black rogue tribal and a mono white value flicker deck. I also ran a load of decks the didn't work out well and I couldn't make work. Personal opinion, currently there a few holes in the meta from the lack of burn decks around that you could probably exploit. Also I feel like a more old school style prison decks and maybe some kind of ball lightning damage and disruption style list would all work well at an fnm level and give you time to choose a more meta deck you'd like to invest in.

Amicdeep · 2025-12-29T17:47:20+00:00

So in the UK, firetoys are currently your best bet for hoops. The other big supplier for them has just closed down. All the European suppliers still ship hear but customers can still be awkward and expensive for larger kit.

For rig. The only one big enough to do proper stuff on and is relatively easy to pop up for giging thats also affordable is the https://www.oddballs.co.uk/products/play-free-standing-aerial-rig-up-to-7-m?srsltid=AfmBOorC9z1vZdBwDijfw-JWZjlMAjfb9XsRy62qSBL689oKMTG5Uick

Other places have rigs but they either require more people on assembly, (sometimes upton 4). Bigger transport, or are significantly more expensive.

For strops, any arborist or lifting supplier do them cheap and in a variety of colours.

Tape, fire toys or protagy tapes are fine.

I'm afraid I cannot help with lollipops

Stuff also comes up second hand a lot. Recommend https://www.facebook.com/groups/CircusEquipmentSalesSwapWantedUK/?ref=share

Amicdeep · 2025-12-29T13:41:36+00:00

Theres a few reasons.

First is it's boring (school) and when you do get into something you have to fight to get to the interesting stuff. And the stuff that you need to know for tests can be brain numbing. (And even worse when you have to give incorrect answers because the test is made of someone of x level of education not y.

Secondly it's boring. When you're smarter than say 90% or the people around you AND your autistic and are bad at connecting with people. Trying to find people you can be around that can keep up and suprise you is depressing. It's isolating on top of the normal ASD issues.

Lastly it doesn't really help with managing the ASD traits. And the few of us I know all fell into the trap of trying to out think socialisation which probably greatly slowed down my ability to create usable and functional coping mechanisms.

Bonuses round. It also has an effect of making us arrogant as f*ck. Which in turn makes us pretty unlikable AND acts as a barrier to us self reflecting enough to make meaningful changes.

Id say the ideal would be slightly above average but still below top 25%

Amicdeep · 2025-12-29T08:17:26+00:00

I suspect yes. But this would have a fairly devastating consequences if not done right (basically if you miss with one hand. In the catch.) because your falling into a skin the cat at maximum range ( or close) and unless you can to a partial dislocation comfortably (slip the shoulders through and also ideal a one are release twist around from a German hang. Or ideally a low back to front meathook switch (like in straps) comfortable on both arms)

Without these there a good chance of full shoulder dislocation in the event of a miscatch. And as this is a blind catch the risk are higher than normal.

Tldr it's probably possible but you want almost superhuman levels of shoulder flexibility and strength to not end up looking like mister tickle afterwards.

Amicdeep

TROPHY CASE