Video exampler: coming soon…
Video tutorial: coming soon…
Recommended prerequisites: kneeling front shoulder roll
Description: The standing forward shoulder roll is just about the same as the kneeling front shoulder roll, only you have to learn how to cope with more momentum and being further away from the ground. It's easy peezy lemon squeezy.
Slide by slide breakdown
Start in a stagger stance lunge position. Focus on a bug crawling on the ground in front of you. Make sure no cars are driving up the road interfering with your tutorial. Comb your hair. Brush your teeth. You know, usual stuff.
There are two big differences in the standing shoulder roll (compared to the kneeling one): first, you have more momentum; second, you have no solid needle hole to loop your arm through. Solution? Get to a point where you can make the needle hole as quick as possible. And you do that by crouching down closer to the ground in your lunge.
Here I'm going into the roll without much knee bend. My body is rather high. That's because I'm more familiar with it and can control some of the shoulder carnage and momentum. If you're less familiar or just starting…
You can start much lower to the ground. Stagger your stance even more and get further into a lunge. Create your triangle cavity by bending down far enough to plant your arm into the ground before you even think about rolling.
So comparing me in the green vs. me in the black, we have two scenarios. In the green, I crouch low to the ground and get set up before I roll. In the black, I tip my momentum forward and get into position on the fly. The above slide essentially = the slide prior, only with more juice going into the roll. My blurry self tells me so.
With more momentum, the roll is more ninja-like. In the slide above, my free arm is looping into the cavity and my entire backside is rounding to create a nice circular-sort of platform to roll on. Let's swap back to a comparable slide from the lower takeoff.
When you start lower to the ground, you put yourself into a solid position before doing much of anything. My feet are barely off the ground and yet the roll progressed to a point where my neck is really tucked and in solid position to get to my shoulder. Compare that to the slide before this where my leg is already lifted off the ground and my head isn't as close to the ground.
Like I mentioned in the kneeling front shoulder roll tutorial, the more familiar you are with the roll, the more over the top you'll likely go. I'm going almost fully over the top now. Chin is tucking to the chest so that it not only doesn't smash into the ground, but also because it helps create a nice rounded back to roll onto.
Most impact is initially taken by the upper back, as with most any good roll. Stay tight with your knees close to your face. Unwinding at this point isn't a good idea.
Staying tight with your knees tucked also makes for a rounded back, which is better for rolling. Aside from doing that, there isn't much else you can think about at this point. You're just flowing with momentum.
Things squeeze together. As with most of my rolls, I like rolling into a squat position because it just completes things and helps reinforce proper body position — it helps you stay tight, rather than relaxing and flailing on your back after you tip over.
Hands forward. Reach forward.
Looks like a good time to jump into a dive roll, no?
Recap cues:
- Loop the thread through the needle hole
- Stay tight with knees tucked
Troubleshooting:
Brain hurt? If you aren't used to rolling, move into these carefully. Just like if you ride a roller coaster, your brain is looping over itself, trying to make sense of the spinning world around it. You might get a little dizzy or experience some brain fog if you aren't careful.
Shoulder hurt? You're probably not easing into the move. Think of having your head and shoulder blade in contact with the ground before you even roll.
Land unraveled with a flat back? Actively tuck your knees to your chest.
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