Help with Lighthouse Sommersault

[shalafi]

I have been trying this trick for the past days and I have not been able to land it at all.

The problem I am having is how to control the amount of spin you give to the ken.

I can control it more or less for Falling down, but for the sommersault I have trouble, normally giving not enough.

On the other hand, when I try to give more spin, I move the ball a lot, and I was wondering if that is normal.

And of course I am going all the way down before launching it to get more time.

Any tips?

[The Void]

Further to what I wrote in Knees, I would suggest that if you are not getting enough spin, try thinking about keeping the ball in contact with the base cup for longer whilst giving the spin. So remain in contact all the way up from knees to chest/shoulders.

HTH.

[AlexSmith]

To further what Void said, I find the key to these sorts of tricks is to think more about applying upward pressure to the ken, as opposed to outward pressure (push up with the tama, not out). Of course, you'll still push out a bit, but only after pushing upwards.
Now, this seems counterintuitive since you're trying to make it flip, but trust me it works!

[shalafi]

Thanks! I'll try that out this afternoon. I'll let you know.

Being able to do 1-turn lighthouse, build the lighthouse and falling down one should think that the sommersault is not that difficult, but it is being a nightmare.

[shalafi]

Nice tip about pushing more upwards, and having more time in contact, it has worked!
Well, I have not balanced it yet, but the ken landed properly on the ball a few times, it is just a matter of tries now.

[AlexSmith]

Nice! Good to hear the tips are helpful.

Similarly, I could land pull up 1 turn lighthouse probably 9/10 before I ever landed a lighthouse -> 1 turn -> lighthouse. I found the latter waay harder to learn for some reason. Probably just hadn't practised it enough :p

[MisterJumpshoe]

Also, I can't do Lighthouse Somersault or Moon Circles... they just elude me.

I'd have to think about a description for lunars, but let's see about those lighthouse somersaults.

I have found it best to go for a quick, small turn.  You don't want to go for a big, wide, slow flip, as the ken will come down like a piston and simply bounce off.  Although it seems counter-intuitive, you might like to go quickly.  If you are right-handed, then when you pull up for the initial lighthouse, you should try to land it so the small cup is facing you.  I find that the best position to launch into the flip is to have the sarado at chest height.  Start by not worrying that you will over-balance the ken; just bend your knees and as you rise, push sharply outwards horizontally with the tama.  You can then adjust downwards for speed and force.  Even at the apex of the flip, the ken should not go above head height.

I hope helps!  Maybe I'll post some pics.

[The Void]

@shalafi

I'd have to think about a description for lunars, but let's see about those lighthouse somersaults.

I have found it best to go for a quick, small turn.  You don't want to go for a big, wide, slow flip, as the ken will come down like a piston and simply bounce off.  Although it seems counter-intuitive, you might like to go quickly.  If you are right-handed, then when you pull up for the initial lighthouse, you should try to land it so the small cup is facing you.  I find that the best position to launch into the flip is to have the sarado at chest height.  Start by not worrying that you will over-balance the ken; just bend your knees and as you rise, push sharply outwards horizontally with the tama.  You can then adjust downwards for speed and force.  Even at the apex of the flip, the ken should not go above head height.

I hope helps!  Maybe I'll post some pics.

Interesting. I completely disagree with everything you wrote there! To each his own...

[the milky oolong]

Being able to do 1-turn lighthouse, build the lighthouse and falling down one should think that the sommersault is not that difficult...

...but it just is. I consider to have this trick down relatively consistently, and for me the crucial moment was somehow coming across the idea to add a bit of 'north-eastness' to the considerable 'push out' (contrary to AlexSmith's advice I know, but there you have it); this gives me a really smooth flip and also a kind of extra plane to sight along when landing. Not sure if I am alone on this one, could well be, but I'm pretty confident as I said with Lighthouse Somersault. Would rather have it come up in a game of KEN than an on-demand Jumping Stick. Now where was that Kenfessions thread...