1977-1980, 1981 1984 MAG WAG Compulsories USSR Film

TBT: Ma Yanhong

TBT: Doris Fuchs Brause

1966 World Championships travesty:

Again, disappointment found Doris at the 1966 World Championships.  Her performance on the UB was underscored at 9.866 that caused the audience to explode into thunderous and continuous noise halting the competition for one hour and fifteen minutes; however, the gymnasticswise audience was unable to influence her score. It was not changed. Many in the world’s gymnastic community feel that it was this performance that revolutionized the future of uneven bar routines with its continuous movement and daring elements such as a between the bars salto also known as a Radochia salto according to Wright or a “Brause” according to Doris.

Throwback Tuesday: JFK Fitness La Sierra Challenge

What happened?

Gym College

Circus High Bar Acts

What happens when you aren't confined to the rules and regulations of your sport?  And are only limited by the laws of physics and creativity instead?  Freedom of innovation happens:

High bar circus acts:

The origins of the circus high bar discipline come directly from men's artistic gymnastics, an apparatus still competed today. The jump from sport to the circus world isn't surprising since high barre is often considered one of the most exciting gymnastics apparatus. The height of the barre combined with the powerful 'Giant' swings, spectacular aerial releases and dismounts give it the speed and danger elements which make for a fantastic thrill circus act. The Circus Guide Entertainment Agency offers high quality high barre acts with anything from 1 to 8 performers in the group, and even acts including multiple high barres with varying heights.

*High Bar Circus Acts for hire! If you would like to hire a high barre act or circus show, please use the reference code in the video title when sending us a request email. The video materials presented below are only a small sample of the talent we represent.

The following is taken from a blogpost I wrote elsewhere, a while back.  I'm posting it here, because it is related to the theme of evolution and innovation:

I cited the following in an earlier post:

Read more »

The Greatest Play in Baseball History

I will give any of you who can identify the story behind this photo a patriotic hi five without Googling and before clicking below for the information.  (A video clip of the incident appears in my Madison Rising video).

Hint:  It occurred on April 26th of our bicentennial year....

Second hint:  Even though today is a Thursday, this is really a story about Monday...


Read more »

Madison Rising and the Star-Spangled Banner

For the most part, I cringe whenever someone takes something like the National Anthem and in an attempt to inject some new life and interpretation into it, takes such liberties with the work that it becomes unrecognizable. 

That is so not the case with Madison Rising's kick-@ss version...


Certainly a more traditional rendition remains appropriate in formal settings (and there have been some really cringe-inducing, star-mangled performances done in the past); but until this version came out, I had never wanted to listen to the Star-Spangled Banner before in leisure, and as a rock song. This version, I actually listen to pretty regularly in the car as a track on one of my CD mixes.

Victor Luebker:

Madison Rising has composed, produced and performed the most compelling rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” since Francis Scott Key wrote the original poem in 1814.

A rock band led by singer Dave Bray and guitarist Alex Bodnar, Madison Rising composes and performs guitar-heavy rock music with an explicitly patriotic pro-American message and sound.

If you liked this rendition of our national anthem, please take a click on over to the original video by the band; they are attempting to reach 5 million views by July 4, 2013 (as of this writing, they are at 3,864,859).j


History of the Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key on Wikipedia.

This is what happens when you have too many spotters

Source: Cisco Pimentel from the album "Muscle Beach 1980's"

Aerials Gymnastics in Colorado Springs

I took a vacation to get away from gymnastics and give my elbow a rest from spotting...and so what do I do? While visiting my parents in Colorado Springs, I stopped in to check out Tom Forster's Aerials Gymnastics (North Gym). Since I heard he doesn't coach on a regular basis anymore, and has more than one facility, I wasn't sure I'd catch him in the gym. I was told he'd probably be in later in the week, so I made two visits to the facility.



What a gymnast's paradise! Great training equpment, clean and spacious facility. The staff are professional, friendly, and courteous.


Many gyms delegate coaching positions and responsibilities in such a way that instructors with little personal gymnastics experience and technical expertise themselves end up teaching rec and preschool and not team. Somewhat understandable, if there's a lack of technical knowledge. But really, you want your best, most knowledgeable coaches nurturing the kids (especially future team girls) from day one. That's why Tom has gone the extra mile to insure that his whole coaching staff are his "top, best, most knowledgeable" instructors. He does this by training them so that they have at least the same technical and coaching expertise that he has. So the team coaches are also out there teaching preschool, and are as enthused about it as they are with teaching levels 4-10. (Tom said what he enjoys teaching the most right now, is rec). Here he is teaching a back flip to a raw beginner:




Tom's interested in seeing or putting more out there for rec gymnastics. He says there's now a lot of training drills available on dvd and the internet for team, but would like to see more for rec coaches.

Aerials Gymnastics has such a fun, positive atmosphere. I get the sense that not only do the produce great gymnastics and great athletes, but also cultivate and nurture great human beings.

Aerials has lots and lots of bar stations. As one of the women's national USAG bar coaches, bars is Tom's "thing". Here, Tom talks about where the idea for a channel/trench bar came from (and as a consequence, the sliding Forster Spotting Platforms, now sold by Gibson).




Here's a nice video Tom put up, offering some tips on the straddle tap for taller gymnasts in the giant swing:

Hope to see more such videos put up by Tom, someday (he showed me some other great drills and video clips on his laptop). I have his two Gym Smarts videos, and they are excellent!


Gymnastike was there a year ago for Workout Wednesday with the Colorado Aerials Elite:



Thanks, Tom, for your time and generosity in showing and sharing!

A 29 Year Tradition Ended, that is Still Missed

Michael Sanders, Santa Monica Gymfest, September 7, 1992.
1992 would be the final year of this 29 year tradition.

Before my first year at UCLA, Russ Ideishi (my coach during my last year of high school) had me check out the annual "Beach Meet" (Santa Monica Gymfest). He trained for it about a week before the meet. I distinctly recall him on the floor at Redlands YMCA (after not tumbling since the two weeks before the previous Beach Meet) throw not only his double twist, but stylish passes in practice that I thought were a bit nuts at the time: A suicide back tuck where he did a long set and didn't pull into his tuck until gravity was pulling him back down; and a pretty full twist with arms held out to the sides like a plane.

Gymnastics is a small community. People from all over the world would come and converge on Labor Day Weekend for the Santa Monica Beach Meet. It was a place where gymnasts like Russ could see friends he hadn't seen since the previous year, like the annual family get-together on Thanksgiving or Christmas. It was a place where you also could find current collegiate and international competitors as well as up-and-comers.

Glenn Sundby began the Santa Monica Gymfest in 1963 "to have a fun competition where all could enjoy gymnastics without caring who won."

Al and Linda Luber took over the reins of running the Gymfest in 1974, with Glenn Sundby still providing sponsorship:

Al and his wife Linda took over the running of the Santa Monica Gymfest held every Labor Day weekend from 1974 to the early 1980’s. This very fun, low key competition in the sand was started by Glenn Sundby from Gymnast Magazine in the early 1960’s. It had an all-comers format and the prelims would allow novice gymnasts to participate along side Olympians.

I loved the laid back atmosphere where kids competed against old-timers and Olympians- didn't matter, your skills would speak for themselves regardless of age and experience; I seem to recall one competitor on floor chomping on a cigar; Chuck Gaylord would hold his planche and maltese on rings and then turn his head to the crowd with a grin, shades on and all.

There was no spring floor and no landing mats. You did all your dismounts onto sand. Throw and miss a release on high bar, and you could find yourself coming up, coughing up sand after hitting the ground.

Steve Butcher and Frank Endo and the coach from Glendale Y whose name escapes me, were judges I often remember seeing there. I remember once, Steve Butcher (I'm pretty sure it was him) was the judge on floor and while the competitor was going through his routine, Steve was checking out a beach babe walking by him and struck up a few words with her. I don't recall what he scored the guy on floor ex. It was that kind of care-free atmosphere.

Half-in half-out, Michael Sanders on rings, Santa Monica Gymfest 1992. Photo taken by Russ Ideishi. (I recognize Dan McCann, Art Shurlock, and Steve Hug in the background)

In 1992, after my last year of college eligibility, I competed and won rings. I also won rings in 1991, in which things seemed to be on the decline, with low turnout and failure to bring out actual competition equipment. We had to use the high bar, rings, and parallel bars that basically amounted to playground equipment. I remember us digging a grave under the steel rings to make them "higher" for dismounts.

A few people have been transferring old 8 mm films into digital format and uploading them to YouTube. Check out elfalcone2008's and ciscopimental's uploads.

You can see some of the real legends doing some really insane stunts. Examples:

First quad?



Some swinging rings:






Mark Davis' clown routine on rings (about 1:50 in):



Mark Davis' quad:



As Rick points out, Venice and Santa Monica beach have a long and rich history in acrobatics and muscle fitness that goes back, beyond the Santa Monica Gymfest; remnants of which can still be seen today, including more recent trends, like travelling rings.

The following is illegally pillaged from the pages of the October '74 issue of International Gymnast Magazine:













I had a conversation with Mike Cates at Broadway Gymnastics School at the beginning of summer, and he talked of reviving and sponsoring the Santa Monica Gymfest if he can find the right person to hire who is willing to take on the challenge of organizing and hosting and promoting....

Legend of the Azarian Cross

GymnasticsCoaching.com links to Gymnastike. I found the following video, with a great story on the origins of the Azarian Cross.




Some background:

In addition to winning three Olympic Gold Medals in 1956 and 1960, two World Championships and a European Championship, Albert created the extremely difficult still rings move called the “Olympic Cross.” This move is also known as the “Azarian Cross.” Albert was often called the “King of the Rings.” Another still rings element, the “Azarian Roll,” is named after Albert and is officially recognized in the International Gymnastics Federation Code of Points. An enthusiastic press wrote about Albert’s performance: “on that famous day in 1956, the Australian spectators at the Melbourne Olympic Games leapt from their seats with one bound to acclaim a Soviet gymnast of Armenian origin who had just achieved an act of gymnastic prowess never before seen. Suspended from the rings, Albert Azarian, World Champion in that discipline since 1954, rose slowly into the air, separating his powerful arms with ease, a smile on his face, and all of a sudden performed that famous cross with quarter turn, first to the left and then to the right. This cross is called the ‘Olympic Cross.’ His fellow gymnasts said of him that he was the embodiment of beauty of movement and of the physical force of the human being. In no international competition was he ever beaten on the rings. He was the King!”

A little history on Al Luber...who's a little older than 7

Today, Thea told me about how level 4 gymnast Miriam was making him laugh. She relayed one exchange of theirs, where Miriam asked Al how old he is. Al told her, "Older than you." Miriam replied back, "So....you're seven?"*

The following is from an email Julia forwarded to me a while ago. Thought it might be a good time to post it.

Al's old engineering buddy goes to my church small world, huh? I say Al sould wear that outfit to class sometime, hahaha

-----Original Message-----
From: Terri-Rae Elmer <>
To: Julia Wallace <>
Subject: Fw: Julia's Gymnastics coach
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:05:44 -0700

----- Original Message -----

From:

To:

Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 6:51 PM

Subject: Julia's Gymnastics coach

Hi Terri-Rae,

I thought your daughter might enjoy showing her gym coach the following photos, all of which I found on the FBI's Most Wanted list. (Maybe you can take them off this email and print them on some glossy paper for Al.)

As I mentioned to you, he has an electrical engineering degree from UCLA and he worked with us at Hughes Aircraft Company. I remember that he was always doing extra work teaching swimming and gym to youngsters at that time. One day someone mentioned that he was a UCLA jock in gymnastics. I asked him if there was anything he could show us about gymnastics, since I knew nothing at all about it. We were in a lab and he looked around and spied a desk. He was a little tentative, but he said, "Well, I guess I could show you something simple." He went over to the desk and leaned back on it as if he were going to sit on it. He put his hands down on either side of his hips an gripped the edge of the desk. He lifted his body off the desk and held his feet off the floor. Smoothly and gracefully, he slowly rotated his hips, thighs, knees, and finally his feet between his hands and u over the desk. I think he even brought himself up into a handstand. Wow, were we impressed! And he could solve Maxwell's Equations, too!

[Rest of the email truncated]

Joe Owens

*It's possible Thea might have relayed her story a bit off, since Miriam is 8 years old (so maybe Miriam asked if Al was 9?).