[fred2028]

OK guys, it's the day after my second-last exam, and I don't feel like working. So I am going to teach you guys how to backspins like the pros before I head off to school to bboy with my friends.
First thing you should know is that by no means am I a pro bboy, since I have just gotten down the gist of the windmill, but one thing I am good at is backspins. Now first of all, backspins are easy. Just read this guide thoroughly, and you will get it in under 1 hour - guaranteed. This guide may look long and tedious, but that's because I like to get into a lot of detail and tell you exactly where you place every body part, so it is 100% clear to everyone and you won't mess up. A video is at the end of this guide. Oh yeah, and this is my first guide ever so don't flame if I suck.

Prerequisites
Stretch your legs first.

Hardest Part
Remembering to kick in a circle and make your second leg follow your first leg.

Direction
This guide teaches you to do it counter-clockwise (most right-handed people), but I will post a clockwise guide too.

Worst Thing That Can Happen
Nothing.

The Guide (CCW)
I will lay out this guide in easy-to-read bullet format.

• Sit down on the ground on your butt, with your left leg in front of you and your right leg bent and to the right of you. Your upper body should be twisted to the left and your left hand should be planted behind you. Your right arm should be to the left of your left leg. Oh yeah, and arms straight please.
• To start the first kick, twist your body even more to the left, but don't do just that or you will kill yourself. As you twist, ease yourself down to the ground with your arms, kick your right leg to the left PARALLEL TO THE GROUND and over your left leg, and kick it in a circular motion up a little and over you. A way to do this is imagining drawing a circle with your right leg over you. Also, try to keep your legs as close to you as possible to so you won't lose a lot of momentum.
• When your right leg is kicking and is just above your head, kick your left leg to the left as much as possible and make it follow your right leg in the circle.
• Keep drawing the circle with both legs, and when your legs are twisted up, bring them into your chest so spin faster. Put your hands around your thighs to keep the there, and curl up into a ball. You should be spinning on your upper back.
• Voila! You have done a backspin thanks to Fred, a.k.a. BBoy Typhoon.

Going into the backspin
Here are some ideas of how to get into the backspin from various other moves.

• Toprock: Either coin drop into a backspin or toprock -> 6-step -> backspin on step 2 of 6-step. Instead of bringing your 2nd leg in under your ass in 6-step, use it to start the backspin.
• Footwork: 6-step to backspin. Read above.

Tips To Help You Spin Faster And Longer
These are just some tips I have found useful when learning.

• Since you want to spin on your upper back, it is best to kick your legs over your head as much as possible, so it brings you from the sitting position onto your back. You'll know what I mean when you try it out; just kick hard. (And upper back is udner your shoulders and above the part where your spine pokes out when you bend your back.)
• When you kick your second leg up, make it go parallel to the ground for as long as you can. When you get to the point that you kick your second leg you should be bent back a lot but just off the ground, with your right leg over your head and your left arm still on the ground, but this time to the left of you. Kick your left leg over your left arm and then up. This helped me a lot when I was learning.
• If you want to spin faster and longer, make yourself as small as possible, and keep your head off the ground.
• How do you balance better, you say? Well, remember when you had to kick your first leg in a circle above you and make your second leg follow? When you kick your legs, don't just kick it in a circle and pull them in towards you when they pass above you. Make sure you kick all the way around in a circle, so the momentum will force your body to balance.
• Remember: It's 99% leg motion momentum! Your hands are just there to ease you collapsing onto your back, not to push you.

Thanks guys! Tell me what you think of my first ever guide, and post questions here. I will reply to them ASAP.

Stuff to do while backspinning

• Do 1 nutcracker rotation so essentially you hop once across your shoulders
• Point at your opponent (though kinda hard to focus)
• Continue into windmills?

Bonus Windmill Tips For Backspins
OK, so I will teach you also how to get back into the handglide position from the backspin. This part is also called "the restab" of the windmill, and also some people start windmills this way. This mini-guide requires that you can do a good backspin (at least 2 spins) and that you understand the mechanics of the backspin COMPLETELY. Otherwise you will kill yourself. Oh yeah, you must understand the windmill mechanics too. Oh yeah, and this is for CCW windmills.

• When you are on your back (from the backspin) and you are about to curl up into a ball to spin faster, guess what? Don't.
• Spread your legs into the signature V position of the windmill. So now you should be still spinning on your back, but a bit slower since your legs are spread into a V-position vertically up and above you.
• Kick your left leg UP as hard as you can, like there's no tomorrow. When I say as hard as you can, I mean AS HARD AS YOU CAN! If you don't, you will land on your right hip and it hurts A LOT, and you will curse me.
• When you kick your left leg up, your hips should be off the ground A LOT (that's why kick hard). Then, twist your body to the right. When I say twist I don't mean just do it (you'll hurt yourself too), I mean twist with your left arm stabbed and right arm folded up to your right shoulder.
• When you twist, kick your right leg backwards and under your left leg at the same time as you twist. This should keep your legs spinning in a circular motion, the windmill motion.
• You should now stab first, and let your legs swing.
• Remember: When restabbing, you stab first, the kick into the handglide with your legs. Then you kick out of the handglide first, then collapse. So legs go into stab last, comes out first.

Tips For Stabbed Windmills

• When collapsing, fold your arm gently so your shoulder goes GENTLY to the ground. Many people just "fall off" their collapse and hurt their shoulders.
• When collapsing, kick high and lean forward to roll on your shoulders and not back.
• Keep hips high and upper body low.
• When restabbing, lead with your upper body, meaning turn it first. If you are doing it right, when you turn your upper body and restab, your body should have jumped into the air just by turning it (magic of momentum).
• Body goes into stab first, and legs go out of stab last.
• Lean forward A LOT when restabbing to allow for a high stab (quote quote Banshee)
• Practice practice practice!

OK, here's the video. Couldn't upload it yesterday because BBoy.org's servers are so frequently slow and down.

[fred2028]

I hate to reply to my own post, but how do I edit the poll?

And come on, 36 views and no replies?

[Bboy AlpinA]

nice. i can do a mediocre back spin to the first rotation of a windmill =P

[ForceYou]

Hey, im like the biggest noobie ever, so im not really surprised but i just cant get them.. all it does is hurt my back :\
i get the first step. But im not exactly sure what to do first. How exactly do u kick ur right leg OVER your left leg?

[bboy a.c]

you do know that backspin to windmills is the oldskool position back in the days

[fred2028]

Originally Posted by ForceYou

Hey, im like the biggest noobie ever, so im not really surprised but i just cant get them.. all it does is hurt my back :\
i get the first step. But im not exactly sure what to do first. How exactly do u kick ur right leg OVER your left leg?

OK. You are sitting on the ground with your left leg in front of you and right bent to the right of you, right? Then, you ease yourself towards the ground as you kick your right left and over your left leg. Since you are sitting with legs somewhat spread, your legs should be apart. You kick your right leg to the left and over and past your left leg. That is what I mean by over your left.

[fred2028]

Originally Posted by bboy a.c

you do know that backspin to windmills is the oldskool position back in the days

Yeah, but it helps people who are learning windmills. Since the collapse is easy after you get it, you should learn the second half of the windmill separately, and that is getting to the handglide from your back. This is what I am talking about; most people do not start from their back, but it helps the learning process of the windmill since after you get it all you have to do is link the 2 (collapse and restab).

[bboy-hypernova]

omfgg i can backspin nowj
not relaly i still can' tbalance
include osme balance tips man

[Bboy AlpinA]

yeah also include a vid for us plz so i can perfect them instead of looking like i messed up in a routine =P

[fred2028]

Sure. I will as soon as I get my friend with the video camera to do it

[fred2028]

Originally Posted by bboy-hypernova

omfgg i can backspin nowj
not relaly i still can' tbalance
include osme balance tips man

OK, I've just updated the tips section to include balancing.

[fred2028]

OK guys, this isn't funny anymore. 230 views and no more replies? So there hasn't been a reply for like 150 views? Is this guide just good or is no one trying? Come on, don't be shy, post all of your problems and I will correct them for you!
Oh yeah, and whoever said "My friend laughed at me" for the poll, please post your problem(s) and I will help you!

[jobo_the_hobo]

ok... i'm having a little trouble with balance...

i'm collapsing on my left arm so i'm kinda spinning ON my left arm
does this mean i'm not kicking all the way through? (like over me and continuing the 360 circle)
or am i doing something completely wrong

nice guide though, it'd be better with a video

[fred2028]

Originally Posted by jobo_the_hobo

ok... i'm having a little trouble with balance...

i'm collapsing on my left arm so i'm kinda spinning ON my left arm
does this mean i'm not kicking all the way through? (like over me and continuing the 360 circle)
or am i doing something completely wrong

nice guide though, it'd be better with a video

Well, I'm not quite sure what you mean by collapsing ON your arm, but your left arm should be only used to ease your body down to the ground while you kick. When you do kick though, kick your right leg parallel to the ground to the left as far as possible THEN kick it in a circle up and over you, and when it passes your head, make your left leg follow, making the left leg also kick as far to the left as possible and then over you. And to balance, make sure that when your right leg is kicking in a circle over you, you kick it in a complete circle, so it goes to the right of you also. Basically, when your second leg (left) is starting to follow your right, your right should already be on the right of your body, so at that point your legs should be open in a V position like a windmill. Then, keep kicking your legs in the circle and bring them in as close as you can, and spin on your UPPER back. The point of kicking your right leg all the way over to the right is so ir counter-balances your second leg, so you don't fall to the left.
If you have any more problems just reply or PM me

[do0fi3]

thanks a lot, this was an awesome guide. the windmill portion helped a lot