The cartwheel is T3 in the balance progression — the foundational rotational movement skill that connects the balance and flow series. It trains lateral rotation over a hand base of support and is the direct prerequisite for the aerial (no-hand cartwheel, T4) and the broader flow movement vocabulary.
The Cartwheel Mechanics
A cartwheel is a lateral rotation: you travel sideways over your hands in a continuous arc — right foot leads, right hand lands, left hand lands, left foot lands, right foot follows. The movement flows continuously — no stopping, no “sticking” hands and then moving feet. It’s one arc.
Key mechanics: Lead with the lead foot stepping laterally. As you shift weight forward, reach your lead arm toward the floor. The body rotates sideways over the supporting hands. Push through both hands as your feet come over. Land one foot at a time facing the opposite direction from your start.
Learning It
Use a line on the floor (a crack, a mat seam, tape). Step one foot on the line, place hands on the line, land feet on the line. The line keeps you moving laterally rather than diagonally. Slow it down — a slow-motion cartwheel teaches the mechanics better than a rushed attempt. Then add speed and fluidity.
One-Hand to No-Hand
The progression toward the aerial: first cartwheel with only one hand touching (the lead hand), then attempt with neither hand touching — the aerial. The aerial requires generating enough rotational momentum in the step and kick that the body completes the rotation without support. This is T4 territory and a multi-month progression from consistent cartwheels.
Progression Standards
Clean cartwheels both sides, consistent → begin one-hand cartwheel → connect to Flow Series →
Move. Groove. Repeat. Smooth.
← Freestanding Handstand | Flow: Ground Movement Flow →
Move. Groove. Repeat. Smooth.
You're on your way. And we're here with you.