I first learnt to do back-flicks when I was about 12 and pretty much took them for granted for the next 6 years, using them as a linking or speeding tool in tumbling, only really showing it as a move in itself when on the beam. (But that soon became too scary as I got older and lost my nerve).

When teaching a new element the coach will always break down the move into it’s component parts. Learning the move again now follows the same pattern but with more sophisticated assistance equipment. The idea is that you learn each part of the move and then slowly put them together eventually moving on to completing the element unassisted. In last week’s training session we were doing a round-off from a line on a higher crash mat putting hands on to a lower one and then back-flicking over a large cilindrical block which meant, basically, that the coaches do not have to do any lifting. Whilst in theory this should have been an easier method, I personally would rather just get on with doing them without all the mats. I however know that with a bit more arm strength and shoulder suppleness I am more than capable of back-flicking and do not need to gain the confidence some of the others do.

It was with surprise therefore on my last attempt of the evening that I somehow found myself crumpled into the floor on the back of my head wondering what had just happened. “It’s like riding a bike” said HeadCoach as I lay there looking up at him thinking that my body was rather more tired than it used to be. “Get up and have another go before you think about it”. I struggled to my feet and took my place again. “Go on” he said, “if you don’t do it now you might struggle in the future”. I thought to myself as I started the move again “I have landed on my head many times before and I have always managed to ’get back in the saddle’. I don’t think this time will be any different” but I did as I was told and although it was far from perfect I did not land on my head. “Well done” he said and then I thought “gosh my body gets tired far more easily now. I think I’d better go and sit down”.

Surprisingly, the warm-up was a little easier even though my flexibility was still very poor. I managed all of the running without having to stop and the only thing I had to miss out where front toe taps. Even my splits had improved despite it taking until Thursday for my legs to stop aching from last week’s efforts.

The line work was also a little easier. My body seemed to remember more of the moves more easily and I felt straighter and more in control of my body. I even managed to bunny hop to handstand with straight legs which I hadn’t managed last week. In short, an improvement.

We then moved onto learning the component parts of a round-off backflick. This is a move I first learnt to do circa 1994 when I was 12. It is a very long time since I was asked to do parts of it but not all. We also learnt on a non-sprung floor. My group in this new class is learning them ’from scratch’; something which is both infinitely frustrating and technically helpful as we are now on a sprung floor which brings with it a slightly different action.  

Started the warm-up. Everyone seemed very fit. I ended up at the front of the line, struggling. In the end I had to admit defeat and return to the end of the queue. My fitness was appalling – I was unable to keep running even for 15 minutes. I was starting to wonder what I had let myself in for but there was nothing I could do about it. We moved onto stretching where I realised I could no longer touch the floor. Or sit in a proper straddle position. Or manage anything resembling splits. Or form a bridge. In short, it was awful, it was embarrassing. And I was at the front.

Next up – line work, where everyone takes it in turns to do sets of basic moves up and down the mats. Having put up such an awful show in the stretching section I was concerned how I would fare here. I needn’t have worried though – my body may not be fit or supple but it still remembered the basic moves. Forward rolls, backwards rolls, handstands, cartwheels, dive forward rolls. I may have been rusty but I could still (just about) hold my own.

I thought at length at what options were open to me. I had tried pilates, yoga, going to the gym, running all with little or no repeat success. Pilates was too dull, yoga too boring; it was also too hard to make it to a class every week at the same time as my working hours were unpredicatable. And then I thought, what did I used to do which I enjoyed. A second later I googled adult gymnastics classes and discovered a relatively new gymnastics club fairly near home. Best of all, it was run on a ‘pay and play’ basis and they had Sunday classes.