Gymnastics Terms
Aerial: Any gymnastic skill that is performed without the hands touching the floor. ex--an aerial cartwheel or aerial walkover
Back Handspring: A back flip of the body onto both hands, with both legs following as a pair. The gymnast begins and ends in a standing position.
Back Somersault: A backward roll on the floor or beam, with knees in the tucked position. (The aerial version of this move is called a back salto.)
Back Walkover: A move made from a back-arch (bridge) position, bringing one foot, then the other, down toward the front. Similar to a back handspring, except it uses smoother, more controlled movements and the arms and legs move one at a time, not as a pair.
Double Back: Two consecutive back flips; can be done in a tuck, pike, or layout position.
Double Twist: A single layour flip with two twists. Likewise, a triple twist is a single layout flip with three twists.
Flyaway: A bar dismount in which the gymnast swings down from the high bar and lets go to do a flip backwards before landing.
Front Handspring: A foward flip onto both hands, with both legs following as a pair. The gymnast begins and ends in a standing position.
Front Hip Pullover: A mount used on the uneven parallel bars. The body is supported on the hands, the hips resting on either bar. Usually combined with a hip circle.
Front Pike Somersault: A foward somersault in which the knees are kept straight.
Front or Foward Somersault: A forward body roll on the floor or beam, with knees in the tucked position. (The aerial version of this is called a salto.)
Front Split: A split in which one leg is forward, one back forming a straight line.
Front Walkover: A move made from a front split handstand position, bringing one foot, then the other, down toward the back. Similar to a front handspring but using smoother, more controlled movements, and with the arms and legs moving one at a time rather than in pairs.
Full-Twisting Double Back: A double back with a full twist on either the first (full-in) or second (full-out) flip.
Giant Swing: A move in which the gymnast swings all the way around the high bar with a completely outstretched body.
Gienger: A bar release move in which the gymnast does a flyaway with a one-half twist and regrasps the bar. Invented by Eberhard Gienger (Germany).
Handstand: A move performed by supporting the body on both hands, with the arms straight and the body verticle.
Hip Circle: A move made by circling either bar of the uneven paralled bars with the hips touching the bar. If the hips do not touch the bar, the move is called a clear hip circle.
Layout: Extension of the body to its full length, usually during and aerial move.
Miller: A beam maneuver in which the gymnast does a back dive with a quarter twist to a handstand followed by a half pirouette. Invented by Shannon Miller (USA).
Pak Salto: A move in which the gymnast releases the high bar, flips backward, and catches the low bar. Invented by Gyong Sil Pak (North Korea).
Pike: A position in which the legs are straight and together with a bend at the waist.
Roundoff: Similar to a cartwheel, but with a half-twist, and the legs standing together in a pair. The gymnast ends facing the direction she stared from.
Rudi: A one-and-a-half-twisting front flip.
Salto: A somersault.
Shaposhnikova: A free hip circle after which the gymnast lets go of the low bar and grabs the high bar. Invented by Natalia Shaposhnikova (USSR).
Somi-And-A-Half: Another way of saying one and a half somersault.
Sticking: Refers to a dismount or final move that is performed without taking any additional steps.
Straddle: A position in which the gymnast's legs are far apart at either side.
Straddle Split: A split with legs out at either side.
Straddle Swing: A swing movement on the uneven parallel bars in which the legs are extended at each side.
Swedish Fall: A move in whic a gymnast does a free-fall drop straight onto the ground, with the hands shooting out at the last second.
Tkatchev (or reverse hecht): A bar release move in which the gymnast swings around the bar, lets go just before reaching a handstand, straddles or pikes his or her legs while flying over the bar, then leans forward to regrasp the bar. Invented by Alexander Tkachev (USSR).
Tsukahara: A vault in which the gymnast does a half turn onto the vault followed by a back flip. Invented by Mitsuo Tsukahara (Japan).
Tuck: A position in which both knees are bent and brought up to the chest to form a ball with the body.
Whip Back: A back handspring without the hands touching the floor.
Yurchenko: A vault in which a roundoff is done onto the springboard followed by a backhandspring onto the vault and a back flip. Invented by Natalia Yurchenko (USSR).
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