I consider rolling on the ground a basic human movement. It’s something that all kids come to be able to do, but “use it or lose it,” the vast majority of adults do not.

To be able to roll on the ground basically implies some fair ability in getting up and down off the ground. So, like in the Stand Up Challenge, we can use this series of movements to progress from beginner to reasonably advanced. 

When I say advanced, I’m not talking about doing front or back flips in the air, nor aerials or anything like that. I mean subtle progressions from basic forward and backward somersaults on the ground that most people haven’t even thought of doing.

So let’s start with the basics, what I call…

To start with we’re going to cover the 8 directions of rolls which involves basically three or four different rolling methods, depending on how you categorize them.

This is broken up as the following:

• Forward Somersault
• Backward Somersault
• Shoulder Roll (aka Judo roll, Parkour roll, Martial arts roll, etc.)
• Sideways Roll 

I split forward and backward somersaults because they’re quite a bit different in difficulty for most people. Compare to the forward and backward shoulder rolls which aren’t very far apart in difficulty. Those cover four of the eight directions. And lastly, two sideways rolls.

Can you do these?

The somersault is also known as a forward roll. In it, you’ll be going straight over your head and spine.

• Squat down on the ground.
• Place your hands with the elbows bent about shoulder width or a bit wider on the floor.
• Dip forward as you tuck your head.
• Touch the top of your head, or slightly to the rear of that, to the ground as you start to roll over.
• As your hands and head come down you can kick off with the legs.
• Round your neck and back completely so each part, in turn, touches the ground without anything hitting flat.
• Use the forward momentum to come to your feet.

Progressions from here include limited or changed use of hands. These include:

• Hold hands on shins the whole time
• Arms folded in front
• Clasping hands under thighs
• Hands held to sides
• Grasping the toes
• Crossed legs
• One leg
• One leg without hands!

That’s just the forward roll.

If you’d like to go deeper than check out Basic to Advanced Rolling for All Humans (Plus Flow Rolling).

This program was originally only available for Strength Health Mind Power Inner Circle Members who paid up to $39.95 for the program.

Today you can get it for less.