[BboyNightfall]

Nightfall’s Swipe Guide

My guides all are now CCW and CW, scroll down to see the CW explanation

Nightfall’s Quick Notes:

Welcome to my Swipe tutorial! Swipes are simple power moves and they are usually the first “power move” all b-boys/girls start with due to their relative low difficulty in comparison with windmills and flares. Swipes are easy to learn and fun to use, it shouldn’t be too long until you’ll be able to do swipes.
Unlike my windmill guide, the video cannot stand alone as its own guide, the written guide is the main guide; the video is just a visual.
B-boy Nightfall



COUNTER CLOCK WISE

COUNTER CLOCK WISE

COUNTER CLOCK WISE

I. Starting Position
II. Rolling Drill
III. Half Hop Drill
IV. Key Concepts
V. Swipe.
VI. Utilizing Swipes from footwork
VII. Swiping in a circle



I. Starting position

1. Now the starting position is just a table, or a crab position. Remember playing crab soccer or games like that? Same thing, except for these swipes, you’re going to change three things.

1a. Your left hand comes off the ground

1b. Your right foot comes off the ground, hold it straight out in front of you

1c. Try to get your hips all the way up, so your body doesn’t make a visible dip at your hips.

Now holding this position is difficult for some, however it’s also how you land the move; so practicing this position certainly won’t hurt.

II. Rolling Drill

2. You have made it to the first progression of the swipe, “The rolling drill”.

2a. So, keeping your legs locked how they are (your left leg is bent at 90 degrees, your right is straight out in front of you, flex your toes so they are pointing at the ceiling) you’re simply going to roll into a 1 legged pushup position.

2b. Your left arm reaches up towards the ceiling, across your body to your right, and sets down shoulder width apart on the ground. If you’re confused, it’d be a good idea to watch the video, as this is pretty obvious once you get the visual.

2c. Now from this 1 leg push up position, keep your left leg BENT and your right leg STRAIGHT and you’re going to “reach” with your bent left leg over for the ground.

2d. Your right hand pushes off, your weight shifts to your left hand, and you roll back into the starting position

2 Review – Check the list off before moving on
1) Are my hips up when I’m facing the ceiling?
2) Are my legs locked in their proper position?
If you’re not good on one of these items, practice the rolling drill until you are. If you passed those two critical check offs, we can continue.

III. Hopping Drill

3. This drill is yet another progression, the last one before the real thing. I call it the “half-hop drill”. Now if I “stole” it from somewhere or someone’s guide, I’m sorry, but this is how I’ve taught it for the years I’ve been teaching dance; I made it up on the spot one day and it works wonders.

3a. Now go to your starting position, hips up, legs locked.

3b. Instead of rolling, you’re going to “hop” from your starting position to your 1 leg pushup position

3c. make sure your legs are locked and your arms are straight

3d. Now simply, hop again and land in your starting position. Remember your right hand comes up, and your weight shifts to your left hand. Also remember to REACH with that left leg for the ground.

3 Review – Check this list before moving on
1) Are your hips up when facing the ceiling?
2) Are your legs locked the WHOLE time?
3) Is your landing rock solid and unwavering?
A “no” to any of those means you should consider practicing this some more. If you owned all those questions, which I should hope you do; they’re not terribly tough, move on to the real thing after reading the key concepts.

IV. Key Concepts
Alright, you probably already guessed, but the real thing is like the half hop drill…except you don’t hop halfway you just jump all the way over. But before you go all crazy and hurt yourself, read the following, it is VERY important for landing your first one without suffering injuries. There are three key components for swipes.

Lift.
Rotation.
Reaching.

The following is an explanation of what each is and what it consists of.




Lift.


As the subject implies, this is the component that gives you the height to clear your turn. All of your lift, vertical force, is generated from your starting position. Let’s go over what each part of your body does to generate lift.

Your Left Hand/Arm – Shoots Up, reaching for the ceiling.
Your Left Leg – Hops off the ground
Your Right Leg – Sweeps up, like you’re doing a leg lift.
Your hips – Shoot up towards the ceiling. It’s basically a pelvic thrust.
Your right arm – Nothing, just keep it straight

Rotation

So cool, you’re really high in the air. Now you need to twist. Any gymnast/cheerleader/person who understands body mechanics will tell you that you get a lot of twist when you spin through your shoulders. That’s exactly how these swipes work.
After your left arm reaches up, it shoots down to it’s second position, shoulder width apart on the ground just like a pushup (except your legs are touching)

YOUR LEFT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK

YOUR LEFT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK

YOUR LEFT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK

YOUR LEFT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK

Ahh, and keep in mind that

YOUR LEFT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK

Reach.

Now, this doesn’t mean to REACH with your hands, it means, while keeping it locked at 90 degrees, reaching with that left foot for the ground. I’ll try to explain it, however I recommend just watching the video. When I say reach, pretend your in your 1 leg pushup position, legs locked in their respective positions. Now with your left foot, just simply roll over and try to tap that foot on the ground while staying in that pushup position. That motion is what I’m referring to when I say “reach”.

V. Go for it

What are you waiting for? Go swipe till your heart’s content. If you’re hesitant, let me do a timeline.
You’re in your starting position, your hips are up, as is your right leg and left arm. Your body chambers slightly and initiates the “Lift” process; your left arm, hips, and right leg all shoot up towards the ceiling while you hop off your left leg. The moment after initiating “Lift” you initiate the “Rotation” sequence, your left arm, after shooting up, quickly redirects its direction to it’s proper placement; shoulder width apart on the ground to the left of your right hand. Almost immediately after your left hand moves for the ground, you initiate “Reach”. You feel the torque twisting down your body from your shoulders, your hips unwind and because your left foot was reaching, you touch down.

You have a power move now. Go show your mommy; she will be very proud of you.

VI. Incorporating swipes into your footwork

You should go watch the video.

VII. Swiping in a circle

If you read my windmill guide, this is going to be easy for you, if not, welcome to my “clock” example. Imagine you’re just chilling on the face of a giant clock (it’s lying down, obviously; you’re not spider man). Your Left hand is resting on 1, your right hand is on 11, your left foot is on 5 and your right foot is on 7.
To swipe in a circle, when you reach with your left hand, reach towards the 9. Your body will unwind and re-align with your shoulders. Keep reaching for where the “9” is from your new position and you’ll be going in a circle. Easy huh?

CLOCK WISE

CLOCK WISE

CLOCK WISE

I. Starting Position
II. Rolling Drill
III. Half Hop Drill
IV. Key Concepts
V. Swipe.
VI. Utilizing Swipes from footwork
VII. Swiping in a circle



I. Starting position

1. Now the starting position is just a table, or a crab position. Remember playing crab soccer or games like that? Same thing, except for these swipes, you’re going to change three things.

1a. Your right hand comes off the ground

1b. Your left foot comes off the ground, hold it straight out in front of you

1c. Try to get your hips all the way up, so your body doesn’t make a visible dip at your hips.

Now holding this position is difficult for some, however it’s also how you land the move; so practicing this position certainly won’t hurt.

II. Rolling Drill

2. You have made it to the first progression of the swipe, “The rolling drill”.

2a. So, keeping your legs locked how they are (your right leg is bent at 90 degrees, your left is straight out in front of you, flex your toes so they are pointing at the ceiling) you’re simply going to roll into a 1 legged pushup position.

2b. Your right arm reaches up towards the ceiling, across your body to your right, and sets down shoulder width apart on the ground. If you’re confused, it’d be a good idea to watch the video, as this is pretty obvious once you get the visual.

2c. Now from this 1 leg push up position, keep your right leg BENT and your left leg STRAIGHT and you’re going to “reach” with your bent right leg over for the ground.

2d. Your left hand pushes off, your weight shifts to your right hand, and you roll back into the starting position

2 Review – Check the list off before moving on
1) Are my hips up when I’m facing the ceiling?
2) Are my legs locked in their proper position?
If you’re not good on one of these items, practice the rolling drill until you are. If you passed those two critical check offs, we can continue.

III. Hopping Drill

3. This drill is yet another progression, the last one before the real thing. I call it the “half-hop drill”. Now if I “stole” it from somewhere or someone’s guide, I’m sorry, but this is how I’ve taught it for the years I’ve been teaching dance; I made it up on the spot one day and it works wonders.

3a. Now go to your starting position, hips up, legs locked.

3b. Instead of rolling, you’re going to “hop” from your starting position to your 1 leg pushup position

3c. make sure your legs are locked and your arms are straight

3d. Now simply, hop again and land in your starting position. Remember your left hand comes up, and your weight shifts to your right hand. Also remember to REACH with that right leg for the ground.

3 Review – Check this list before moving on
1) Are your hips up when facing the ceiling?
2) Are your legs locked the WHOLE time?
3) Is your landing rock solid and unwavering?
A “no” to any of those means you should consider practicing this some more. If you owned all those questions, which I should hope you do; they’re not terribly tough, move on to the real thing after reading the key concepts.

IV. Key Concepts
Alright, you probably already guessed, but the real thing is like the half hop drill…except you don’t hop halfway you just jump all the way over. But before you go all crazy and hurt yourself, read the following, it is VERY important for landing your first one without suffering injuries. There are three key components for swipes.

Lift.
Rotation.
Reaching.

The following is an explanation of what each is and what it consists of.




Lift.


As the subject implies, this is the component that gives you the height to clear your turn. All of your lift, vertical force, is generated from your starting position. Let’s go over what each part of your body does to generate lift.

Your Right Hand/Arm – Shoots Up, reaching for the ceiling.
Your Right Leg – Hops off the ground
Your Left Leg – Sweeps up, like you’re doing a leg lift.
Your hips – Shoot up towards the ceiling. It’s basically a pelvic thrust.
Your Left arm – Nothing, just keep it straight

Rotation

So cool, you’re really high in the air. Now you need to twist. Any gymnast/cheerleader/person who understands body mechanics will tell you that you get a lot of twist when you spin through your shoulders. That’s exactly how these swipes work.
After your right arm reaches up, it shoots down to it’s second position, shoulder width apart on the ground just like a pushup (except your legs are touching)

[b]YOUR RIGHT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK

YOUR RIGHT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK

YOUR RIGHT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK

YOUR RIGHT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK

YOUR RIGHT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK
Ahh, and keep in mind that

YOUR RIGHT ARM WINDING UP YOUR TORSO AND HIPS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE WORK

Reach.

Now, this doesn’t mean to REACH with your hands, it means, while keeping it locked at 90 degrees, reaching with that right foot for the ground. I’ll try to explain it, however I recommend just watching the video. When I say reach, pretend your in your 1 leg pushup position, legs locked in their respective positions. Now with your right foot, just simply roll over and try to tap that foot on the ground while staying in that pushup position. That motion is what I’m referring to when I say “reach”.

V. Go for it

What are you waiting for? Go swipe till your heart’s content. If you’re hesitant, let me do a timeline.
You’re in your starting position, your hips are up, as is your left leg and right arm. Your body chambers slightly and initiates the “Lift” process; your right arm, hips, and left leg all shoot up towards the ceiling while you hop off your right leg. The moment after initiating “Lift” you initiate the “Rotation” sequence, your right arm, after shooting up, quickly redirects its direction to it’s proper placement; shoulder width apart on the ground to the right of your left hand. Almost immediately after your right hand moves for the ground, you initiate “Reach”. You feel the torque twisting down your body from your shoulders, your hips unwind and because your right foot was reaching, you touch down.

You have a power move now. Go show your mommy; she will be very proud of you.

VI. Incorporating swipes into your footwork

You should go watch the video.

VII. Swiping in a circle

If you read my windmill guide, this is going to be easy for you, if not, welcome to my “clock” example. Imagine you’re just chilling on the face of a giant clock (it’s lying down, obviously; you’re not spider man). Your Left hand is resting on 1, your right hand is on 11, your left foot is on 5 and your right foot is on 7.
To swipe in a circle, when you reach with your right hand, reach towards the 3. Your body will unwind and re-align with your shoulders. Keep reaching for where the “3” is from your new position and you’ll be going in a circle. Easy huh?


I hope you all enjoyed this overly-thorough guide and learned the swipe quickly, cleanly, and without a hassle. This is an awesome move that is ridiculously easy to learn. As always, if you have ANY questions concerning this move just leave your comment here, showing positive feedback and constructive criticism in comments is greatly appreciated as well. If you liked this guide, I also have a windmill guide that you might consider learning from.

Peace and take care,
B-boy Nightfall

[Hijite]

You rule. Lol Sick guide.

[demonhand]

Very nice guide, I'll read the text later, but the video is very well done already.

[Glouis]

nice guide i might go try to improve my swipes from this vid

[BboyNightfall]

Originally Posted by Hijite You rule. Lol Sick guide.

Originally Posted by demonhand Very nice guide, I'll read the text later, but the video is very well done already.

Originally Posted by Glouis nice guide i might go try to improve my swipes from this vid

Thanks alot guys ^^ I need to proof read it and crap later, so if you see any typos just PM me or quote it here

[Celtics34]

Im feeling another sticky

[BboyNightfall]

Lol, if this is well received I might be able to get two stickies in a day XD

[BBoyXsL]

Good Guide. Havent read txt... but will later....

I guess its time for me to learn swipes lmao.

[Syrenz]

Great guide man, haven't even worked on swipes yet lol I might as well start them

[BboyNightfall]

When you all read it/and or try it let me know how it goes!

[Rubix]

very nice guide. definently sticky worthy. well done!

[Bboy.JeS]

Great guide. Time to clean up my swipes.

[str33twalker]

I love this guide!!!! Nightfall where were you all my life?

[BboyNightfall]

Originally Posted by str33twalker I love this guide!!!! Nightfall where were you all my life?

I was busy detaching my arm trying windmills then asking god for mercy.

HAHA

Your question makes me LOL i don't really know how to answer it

[str33twalker]

how does it feel to be the owner of 2 stickied guides ?