What are the Soft Acrobatics taught by Ido Portal? What are the benefits and how to start this movement practice?

One of the most impressive aspects of the Ido Portal method is Acrobatics.

When you see a video of Ido Portal or his students moving fluidly close to the ground, linking complex movements together, in a kind of improvised and spontaneous dance that seems to be performed effortlessly,

There is enough to fall in love with the human body and its infinite expressive possibilities.

In this article, we will try to lift the veil of mystery on these acrobatics, which we call Soft Acrobatics or Gentle Acrobatics , what are their benefits, how to work on them, why are they interesting for physical development.

Very good reading my move.

Why does Ido Portal teach acrobatics?

Ido Portal is a movement teacher who has been instrumental in developing this approach to physical training through movement and has taught thousands of students around the world.

Today, his students teach in their own movement studio, forming what is called Movement Culture.

A capoeira practitioner and teacher in Haifa, Israel, he has traveled the world to complement his physical practice with experts in other fields such as gymnastics, yoga, martial arts, or strength, for example.

The method he then created is inspired by these different worlds but remains strongly imbued with his first love, Capoeira.

This is expressed by the prominent place occupied by Floreio , the aesthetic part of Capoeira, in the programs of the Ido Portal method and which includes acrobatics in its repertoire.

Ido Portal's philosophy encourages a physical practice that focuses primarily on skill development . Acrobatics is a perfect example of this philosophy.

They allow you to develop many qualities such as:

• The perception of one's body in space ( proprioception )
• The use of support transfers
• The organization of the body for movement
• Be comfortable in inversion (head upside down)
• Joint mobility and strengthening of the wrists and shoulders

Additionally, acrobatics allow for a more dynamic practice of handstands .

We are moving away from what is trendy on social networks, such as static hand balances (Handstand, Hand Balancing, etc.), to explore a world of more complex movements, such as,

The Cartwheel, Role, Macaco, Quesa De Rins (QDR), Au Cortado, Corta Capim… which we also find in the vocabulary of Capoeira , Breakdance and Circus Arts .

What are the specific features of Gentle Acrobatics?

Soft Acrobatics is a category of acrobatics.

They are called this because they do not require marked impulses and are less explosive than classic acrobatics.

Indeed, many of the acrobatics found in gymnastics require a marked support to initiate the movement.

They are performed in the air without any support in contact with the ground . The most well-known example is the front or back flip.

Gentle acrobatics exercises as taught by the Ido Portal method are different. We generally maintain contact with the ground .

The impacts are therefore reduced, hence the name gentle acrobatics.

It also allows you to have fun without putting too much shock on your body.

Play and longevity!

The repertoire of gentle acrobatics is mixed with that of locomotion and floorwork. It could be organized into three main families :

• Movements performed standing up
• Transitions between levels
• The rolls

The movements performed standing up can then be divided according to their direction:

• Sideways acrobatics (example: cartwheel)
• Forward acrobatics (example: arched wheel)
• Backward acrobatics (example: Macaco)

Forward and backward movements provide a mental touch .

They confront us with a blind zone. When we perform these acrobatics, we project our body towards a direction outside our field of vision .

It can be scary at first…

Practicing them gives us the opportunity to experience apprehension and observe the effects on our body and how it behaves in movement.

For example, the Macaco is an acrobatic move that uses a deep squat as the starting position. You place one hand behind you and lean back to bring your body over your hand, resting on the ground.

Here we are clearly in the blind zone!

When I first started training for this exercise, I felt like I was schizophrenic. Part of me wanted to go for it, and another, deeper part kept me from fully performing the movement.

It was like driving with the handbrake on.

By listening to my apprehension, I built a progression that allowed me to learn this movement and practice it without fear.

How to start practicing gentle acrobatics?

My experience with my students shows that we all approach the field of gentle acrobatics differently. This is often the product of a multitude of factors such as:

• Age
• Physical activities already practiced
• Apprehension

Despite these differences, gentle acrobatics can be practiced by everyone .

Learn to roll

When you start practicing this type of exercise, you can start with the different rolls . These are the gentlest acrobatics because a large part of our body remains in permanent contact with the ground.

This aspect facilitates our representation of the body in space and calms our apprehension.

Rolls are also a great way to understand how to speed up or slow down a movement by changing our body position during the stunt.

This point will be very useful to you as you progress to more advanced movements.

I recommend you start practicing rolls by sitting on the floor or on your knees . Once you're comfortable like that, move into a squatting position.

By following this progression, you can practice on a hard floor . In the Ido Portal method, we avoid relying on cushioning floors.

The emphasis is rather on developing technique to avoid injury . This is also why the method emphasizes gentle acrobatics.

We find the same idea in the practice of floorwork.

Learn to do the Cartwheel

Learning to roll is important, but at some point, you'll have to move onto your hands. Gentle acrobatics, like many of the moves in the Ido Portal method, place your hands on the ground.

Performing a cartwheel can be a considerable challenge for most adults. I've seen this with my students. In fact, even as a child, I struggled with this movement in PE class.

However, if you follow the progression adapted to your level you can achieve it without too much difficulty.

First you have to understand that it is a lateral movement that uses the movement of the hands and feet.

Finally, I'm going to share with you the real secret of the cartwheel . It's your legs that initiate and finish the cartwheel. Your hands are only there to accompany you in the movement.

Keep these technical points in mind as you progress in your wheel practice.

At first, you don't need to lift your feet very high . Instead, focus on the rhythm between placing your hands on the floor and moving your legs.

When you feel you understand the dynamics of the wheel a little, gradually raise your feet. The ultimate goal is to get them above your shoulders.

Practicing gentle acrobatics will be particularly beneficial for MMA practitioners . Indeed, it allows you to become aware of blind spots, the blind zones I told you about before.

Additionally, this will make you more comfortable with your level changes from the ground to standing. Working on your transitions will give you a definite advantage in a sport that requires rapid level changes, like MMA.

Explore Gentle Acrobatics at Home at Your Own Pace

As you may know, we produce movement and mobility training sessions that you can follow in real time in our virtual training room: the DOJO.

You can enjoy a 7-day free trial to try out our gentle acrobatics sessions featured in the Ido Portal Collection.

It's a simple way to assess your current level of mobility and strength, but also to identify certain fears and mental limitations related to your relationship to the ground, to the upside-down world, etc.

Remember that the goal of physical practice is simply to discover yourself and explore your being a little more.

At least, that's what we think at MOUVERS. We're a far cry from the modern fitness approach based on aesthetics and short-term goals.

The idea is to develop a capable, competent body that you can rely on in all circumstances and that allows you to express yourself freely .

If the world of acrobatics scares you a little, it 's a great sign that it's a practice that would be useful in helping you grow and surpass yourself.

So, let’s dare and play!

Thank you for your attention, my friend.

Nomad Slim
Founder of MOUVERS