One of the most popular moves in parkour is the backflip 360. It is like a more complicated version of the backflip, which is also a very famous sport. Many people attempt to do the perfect backflip 360, but there are times that they cannot execute it flawlessly. Worse, some of them get broken necks and bones whenever they do it. This is not to worry you, but to inform you that this move is perfectly doable — with the right guidance.
Step One: Prepare Yourself and Stretch Your Muscles
The first thing you should always do before doing any parkour trick or move in general is to prepare yourself. It includes prepping the place where you will make a move and your body in the form of stretching exercises. Stretching exercises are very important in any sport where you use your body most of the time because it prevents you from experiencing injuries and pain at the very least.
When fully prepped and warmed up, you can execute the moves easily without straining your muscles, bones, or other body parts. This step also prevents accidents since you are already prepared for the worst. Never skip this step, no matter how excited you already are.
Wear clothing that allows you to execute the move effortlessly without suffering from torn sleeves or pants or tripping on clothing because they are too big for you. Also, wear comfortable clothing whenever you do this move or parkour in general. I have written an article discussing the best attire for parkour, which you can read here and here.
Step Two: Start Off By Doing a Backflip on an Obstacle
Now that you are fully warmed up and prepped, you must go up an obstacle — it can be a block, a chair, a park bench, or anything elevated for that matter. This is important as you have to make this move on an elevated platform for easier performance. Otherwise, you would strain yourself, which is never a great thing to experience.
Going back, you have to start off by doing a backflip on an elevated platform. This way, you can already get used to the motion of your body when you do the backflip 360 from there. Most people fail during this step because they cannot get used to how it feels, so try your best not to get distracted and think about only one thing: executing the move.
Step Three: Do a Backflip & Land on Your Feet or Hands
You can now go down and start training on flat ground when you are already comfortable with doing a backflip from an elevated platform. Remember that even though it is freerunning or parkour, safety must always be prioritized over anything else — especially if someone’s life is at stake.
If you land on your feet, then that’s great because landing by rolling over will not strain your muscles and bones. On the other hand, if you land on your hands, there are still no reasons to get all panicky since it is just another kind of a move in parkour.
The only thing you should watch out for is not getting injured or hurting yourself while doing this trick. Still, if you can do this while keeping yourself safe from any injuries, I do not see anything stopping you from doing so.
Always make sure that when you execute a backflip while jumping from an elevated platform, the surface where you will land after executing the move should be flatter than before — meaning that during your first try, one of your feet or both must land on a horizontal surface. Then every time you do the trick, make sure that during your execution of the backflip 360, one of your feet or hands will land on a flatter surface.
Step Four: Do a Backflip Without an Elevated Surface to Land On
This is crucial in doing any parkour trick for beginners because it requires them to have mastered the move completely before taking this step. Suppose you cannot execute all of the previous steps but still want to take this one. In that case, you will hurt yourself badly, and no amount of bandage can heal that kind of injury.
When executing any move without elevated surfaces to land on, there are high chances that you will get injured. So it is best if you do not try this trick until you have mastered the previous ones.
Step Five: Start Practicing Your Backflip 360 on a Bigger Distance
Once you have already perfected doing your backflip without any elevated surface to land on, then the next thing that you should practice is getting more distance for your jump while executing the move. To do this, make sure that during every execution of the move from now on, make yourself go higher before doing your flip and landing on a flatter surface.
For example, when performing a backflip from a park bench or block with no armrests attached to it, then start by jumping onto an elevated platform, making sure that there’s no armrest on it as well. Then after doing this, make yourself do a backflip from the elevated platform you jumped onto without any armrests attached to the bench or block. This is to make your jump bigger and your landing flatter.
Step Six: Connect One Backflip with Another
Suppose you have already mastered all of the previous steps. In that case, it is time for you to start making things more complicated by trying out new tricks while executing your backflips 360 without injuring yourself in the process, which I hope by now has become part of your habit.
Start connecting two backflips together to form one long sequence of tricks, just like what professionals are doing when they are seen doing parkour sports or freerunning in a video.
Remember to train for this backflip move consistently and always keep yourself safe from injuries.
If you want to be a parkour practitioner or freerunner in the future, you must learn how to do a backflip 360 properly. Otherwise, you are simply injuring yourself and inflicting permanent damage on your body.
Step Seven: Land Cleanly After Backflips
This is a very important step, and as mentioned above, this could determine if you are going to survive backflip 360 or end up in a cast. When doing a backflip, make sure that your hands touch the ground first after you execute it properly.
Using your hands as a cushion will lessen the impact of your landing and will help you land more cleanly. You can also use one hand to catch yourself whenever you flip by lightly slapping the ground with it. This way, if anything goes wrong with your execution of the trick, then you have at least one arm left to hold yourself up and reduce your chances of getting injured seriously during your fall.
Remember: If you feel like something is off or if things are not going as planned when performing this trick for parkour or freerunning sports, no matter what, do not panic. Keep yourself composed and relaxed before every parkour move you are about to perform. Do it correctly by executing each technique slowly, especially if you are not yet comfortable with how it should be done at first.
Never give up. Be persistent, keep practicing every day and make sure to wear protection for your skin before doing any parkour tricks. A good example is your running shoes on the ground, which will protect you from scratches caused by gravels or rocks, lending their edges out, which might cut your hands. Always remember that safety comes first before trying out any new moves for freerunning or parkour sports because this will save lives in the end.
Step Eight: Keep on Practicing
Now that you have learned how to execute this move, the next thing you should do is to keep on practicing until you have gotten the hang of it. Do this for at least twenty minutes a day, every single day. Practice the move from different surfaces and from different heights to make yourself more comfortable doing it.
To become a really good practitioner of parkour or freerunning sports, you need to be persistent and always give your very best every time you practice your moves so that your body can adapt to what you are trying to do. If you feel tired and no longer want to make this move anymore because it is giving you too much agony, then take a break, but after doing that, be sure to go out there again and start training as soon as possible.
Finally: If ever something happens during one of those backflips and you end up getting hurt, then the first thing you need to do is make sure that your wounds are not too deep or major before going back to practicing again. Remember: Self-discipline and self-control are important qualities for a freerunner because this involves risks and dangers to be accomplished with perfection.
To become a really good parkour practitioner, one must have their mind fully focused on what they want to achieve out of it. The best way to develop these traits is by practicing every move slowly until you get used to all of them. You cannot expect yourself to always do this if you are not willing to put effort into it.
Step Nine: Enjoy Backflips 360
Now that you have learned how to do a backflip 360, you should not only practice it but enjoy all of its benefits.
The most important benefit is the increase of agility and flexibility of your body. These are basic qualities every freerunner or parkour practitioner must have to survive in this sport.
You will also notice that your concentration has significantly been improved to focus more when needed.
Also, training yourself to do backflips can help strengthen muscles in your legs and arms especially; which means overcoming obstacles within an environment will be easier for you. Having stronger muscles may also allow you to jump higher than before too. Furthermore, if ever someone challenges you about doing one, tell them backflips are your specialty.
A Final Step: Safety First
Remember, safety comes first when it comes to parkour or freerunning sports. The sport can be very dangerous if you do not take the proper precautions every time you do a new trick for practice.
Suppose something ever happens during one of those backflips, and you end up getting hurt. In that case, the first thing you need to do is make sure that your wounds are not too deep or major before going back to practicing again. These tips will keep your bones safe and your skin intact so that you won’t break them in the process of learning how to perform this move.
Frequently Asked Questions About Backflip 360
Here are some questions that you might have in mind about this particular move, the backflip 360. I will try to answer some of these here, so I hope you learn from this section.
1. Is this move hard to do?
A. No, it is not. It is quite simple once you have learned the moves and figured out what to do with your body as you execute it. However, doing a backflip 360 for the first time will be difficult because there is no such thing as “getting used” to it, especially if you are doing flips as a beginner in freerunning or parkour sports.
So, yes, this move can be hard but not impossible! You should never take anything for granted and always put your best self into every training session so that you will not regret anything in the future.
2. How high can I jump when making this move?
A: This depends on many factors like your height, weight, and how much effort you put into executing this move. Doing a high jump without having proper training may end up breaking something in your body. A beginner like yourself should keep the jump low because that fits their level at the moment.
Do not think of doing backflips or any flips for that matter by just seeing someone do it already. Learn to execute moves like these first before showing it off to others. This goes for any freerunning or parkour trick you might want to learn next, too. Always make sure you are ready for it.
3. How long will my muscles take to get used to the increased flexibility?
A: It really depends on each person’s body and how one takes care of it. Depending on the exercises you do, it will also take time for your muscles to strengthen and prepare yourself for this move or any other flips that you might want to try next, too.
Everyone is different, so keep in mind that no matter how difficult a move may look, you can always learn it if you put enough effort into it, especially when making parkour or freerunning moves because those are, as I have said before, not impossible if done properly.
4. What will I need exactly to follow this tutorial?
A: If something happens during practice and you break an arm (let’s say), then make sure that you take at least two weeks off from practicing flips. If you feel pain in your legs or back, that is also a sign that you should take it easy for a while.
So, to answer the question above, I would say that all you need here is some space, proper ground to practice on (and not concrete), and good old courage. These things are essential if ever you want to learn how to perform this move and others like it in parkour and freerunning sports.
Execute This Move and Do a 360
Backflip 360 might seem complicated to do, but it takes practice and proper execution for you to be able to master this move. It can be hard, but always remember that practice makes you proficient, and never give up. Also, prioritize your safety because you won’t be able to do other things again if not.
