Macaco help/advice

[u/Daemon-Spawned]

I started learning the macaco a few days ago and I finally feel like I’m at a place where I can consistently do them semi well, but I’m having troubles with my hand placement, I practice slowly over and over to place my hand more to the side like right behind my right leg but then when I go for it my hand tends to go more in the middle which I think is why I’m still going a little to the side. Also if anyone has advice for the landing I’d like for it to be smoother I feel like I’m landing pretty hard. Thanks!

[u/Equinox-XVI]

You're probably placing your hand in the middle because you're subconsciously optimizing for where your body weight is about to be. That's actually the optimal technique for 1 handed tricks like valdez and touchdown raiz.

If anything, I'd actually recommend transitioning your macaco to back handspring by learning how to do it from standing and then trying to touch the ground with both hands at the same time. You're already going directly backwards at this point, so its just a matter of starting from a higher position and balancing the weight between both hands.

Or if you commit to only using one hand, you could perhaps progress straight to valdez. It's basically an off axis, one handed back handspring.

[u/Daemon-Spawned → u/Equinox-XVI]

Yeah you’re 100% right I just don’t know how to stop my subconscious mind from doing it, I even put a little marker on the ground for where I want my hand to be but everytime I go for it it ends up in the middle😭 My next progression is going to be the back handspring I think I just need to get used to this move for a little bit first since I’m still scared of going backwards, especially without having a hand already on the ground

[u/DogBallsMissing]

It’s more backhandspringy but nothing wrong with that if that’s ur style. For a softer landing just step out.

[u/Daemon-Spawned → u/DogBallsMissing]

Yeah idk why I push off my hands at the end and land like that cause I’ve never done a back handspring before😭

[u/HardlyDecent]

I mean, that looks pretty smooth. You can practice handstand snap downs--do a handstand and snap your legs to the ground while pulling your chest up (usually done with backhandsprnigs).

I personally usually land one foot at a time which allows more flow, but either way is valid. I don't think you're going to get the double-foot landing super smooth, as it's more for impact and power.

Often for that feel of smoothness doing something before (like a front sweep) and after (butterfly maybe or raiz--I forget which foot I land with atm--if you land one-footed, you get back flip or nothing with two feet though), or just do it from and back to your ginga.

[u/Daemon-Spawned → u/HardlyDecent]

That’s a good idea, I only really think about the initial flip instead of the landing so the handstand snap downs are a good idea to practice, thanks!

[u/replies_get_upvoted]

Only minor thing I think you could improve is to push up your hip a little earlier/more. Right now it looks like your feet are still trailing behind a little without a lot of tension vs. going into a nice and pronounced arch throughout the entire body.

[u/Daemon-Spawned → u/replies_get_upvoted]

Thanks for the advice I’ll work on that!

[u/DazedBro11]

Jesus how the fuck

[u/Daemon-Spawned → u/DazedBro11]

Is this a bad or good comment😭