For reasons that escape me now, and most certainly must have escaped me then, I had launched myself into a front somersault off the first floor (second storey) of an office block that was under construction out the back of my Grandma's house in Cottesloe. Though I had the best intentions of landing on my feet, I landed flat on my back. I was probably only 5 years old and I very nearly sentenced myself to life in a wheelchair. Did I learn anything from that? Obviously not.
By the age of 14 or 15 I was well renowned for my most favorite of all party tricks: roof-top lay-out back somersaults. Not landing on water, but landing the cold hard ground. Oddly enough, it was about that time that my short, yet accomplished, gymnastics career ended due to a lower back injury. Did I learn anything from that? Errrrr......still no.
At 40, during a hiatus from Muay Thai that had arisen by virtue of two dicky knees, I got more and more involved with my kids and their acrobatic dancing. Having spent many of my younger years coaching State level boys gymnastics, I put my hand up to help teach the Step Up Dance Academy (http://www.step-updanceacademy.com/) acrobatic dance classes. Because I firmly believe that one can only teach well what one knows well, this old dog needed to learn some new tricks, in addition to dusting off the old ones. Acrobatic dance is far more complex and more highly evolved than acrobatic gymnastics as it is completely unregulated.
Once I had my confidence back, and I had re-learnt some old skills, I started to recall all of the old tools and techniques I needed to imbue those younger than me with the knowledge I once had, and thought I had long since forgotten.
I just hope that none of the kids I teach ever attempt to learn new tricks on a cold, wet and lonely building site out the back of their Grandma's house.
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