how would one go about training in contortion?
how would one go about training in contortion?
MARYJANEKNIGHTLY![]()
I think you have to start before you turn 22 or so. Everyone can't train, it's an unusual ability to bend your body. You'd have to pretty much be a master at yoga first, then maybe talk to your yoga teacher about contortion training. But everyone definitly doesn't have the ability to do it.
I'm very flexible, but I am 22 right now, 23 in november. I don't have any formal training in yoga. Would you suggest trying yoga now? Is contortion just advanced yoga? Aren't there different types of yoga? Would I need to go into a certain type of yoga to advance to contortion? Are there actual trainers specifically for contortion?
I am so fascinated by contortion.
MARYJANEKNIGHTLY![]()





Contortion is practice. I can do it. it involves a LOT of fucking practice and stretching. I'm talking like 20 hours a week of stretching. Even when at the computer make sure you're stretching your body. I never once had a trainer.. a lot of the stuff I learned on my own. I put one leg behind my head. Then over time, another leg. Then knee behind shoulder.. then other knee. Then same time... then while standing up... then sitting my ass on my head... it took about 3 years to get that far.
Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success
are there any websites or books that I can look up for stretches to do on my own? (especially something that breaks down stretches for each individual muscle??)
is there a certain type of yoga I need to look into? I am not very well informed on the subject.
I have plenty of time to get my body in shape and more flexible. Contortion seems like an amazing body art. I admire you for being so disciplined (I would love to work up to setting my bum on my head)
MARYJANEKNIGHTLY![]()





I don't know about any books or courses sorry. Like I said, I learned it all on my own. After a week of just stretching trying to do the splits you should see yourself lowering or doing them. Then try forwards ones... be slow and careful.. but if you really wanna train I'd do what Lucki said. I learned all on my own. :/
Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success
You don't seem like you've done much research into contortion. You need to understand what it's about before you decide it's what you want to do. Just google it and read up on it as much as you can.
I've googled the subject before. I found www.possic.de had alot of helpful links and a bunch of other websites did too. I just wanted some personal experience and opinions from gals here.
From all of my searching I couldn't really find any trainers or courses either. I already do quite a bit of stretching on my own (I have the splits down, and legs behind the head and so on, but not the back flexibility to touch my head to my bum yet). I don't mind doing most of it on my own, but I wouldn't mind some pointers either
I don't really know much about yoga. I'll have to google that more I guess. I know that there are different types of yoga though. always so much more to learn about everything...
off to google
and stretch
oh, and how did you decide to get into contortion? just curious
MARYJANEKNIGHTLY![]()





Try doing the back-wards touching your head to the ground balancing next if you have that down. it's what helps stretch the parts to get our bum on your head.
I didn't mean to get into it. I just got more and more flexible until one day I realized the stuff I could do was considered contortion - I just thought I was super flexible. But if you google 'flexible' I can do more than that and I can do most things if you google 'contortionist' (when I was trying to find an image of a trick I could do, I discovered this).
Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success
what were some of the more challenging 'poses' or techniques that you mastered?
MARYJANEKNIGHTLY![]()





http://www.shcontortionclub.com/cont.../con-03013.jpg
http://www.limbermen.com/Ritchie/Rot...as20020015.JPG
This is the most recent one I learned.
I'm working on this one now.
http://therubberboy.com/images/contortion.gif
This one is high on my list for the next one:
http://www.tinynibbles.com/blogarchives/possi-thumb.jpg
The hardest one for me to learn was actually this one:
http://gloriabrame.typepad.com/insid...tbathing_1.jpg
it's not the legs behind head you gotta do... it's the knees behind shoulders.
I'd say balance is just as, if not more, important than the flexibility.
Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success




I hear ya lillith... Me and my friend started getting into stretching contests with each other(i was already naturally limber, and she was hoping to train in contortion) and once we discovered I could easily push a pretty good oversplits, and have a strong backbend curve, I tried to work at it more.
I can't do a triple fold, and I avoid doing a lot of handstands because of my hand problems(though I practice elbowstands)
Haven't actaully been able to find a trainer in my area, but I DO do yoga. If you want a good book for ideas of yoga poses/contortion poses, look up "Asanas" by Dharma Mittra... it has about 600 different pictures of scarydude(Though awesomely strong and flexible!) doing things that range from handbalancing and contortion, to basic beginner poses.
woohoo!
this is some very useful info. I am now going to run around town looking furiously for that book. I googled it too. google is so handy.
I am working on, I guess you call it over splits (?), and the whole bum on the head backbend(?). There are so many poses! I am not sure what the triple fold is. I found a double fold.
The only training schools I have found were in Russia and Canada which are both too distant for me to travel to at this point in time. I feel like I would advance a lot quicker under the guidance of a knowledgeable trainer. Maybe its too much to hope for. Most of these poses seem like I could do on my own with some help from my boyfriend in the meantime.
I really hope I can track that book down or yield more from the internet.
The idea of contortion has really tickled my brain lately. I have always been flexible too (not as flexible as you yet) but I got super interested in contortion specifically when I saw cirque du soleil perform. STUNNING! the most amazing body manipulation.
I really want to work at this, at the very least to get more flexible and improve .
Thanks for being patient with me![]()
MARYJANEKNIGHTLY![]()




cirque du soleil are my HEROES...
Yeah, right now, with a very short warm up, I can do oversplits from the seat of the chair to the floor, with my hips on the floor. When I'm looser, I can go from teh arm of the chair to the floor, still sort of working on the back level. Its still a pretty extreme angle.
That book should help a lot for ideas-I found it at an ordinary Borders store, so it shouldn't be tough for you to get it.
But yeah, I'm at the same point, of wishing for someone to guide me, and feeling like that would help me imrove a lot more.
I've sortof made it my goal, like ITC with tricks and such, to try pushing a tich harder, or doing a new variation every day. It works for good progress...
At any rate, don't push yourself too hard, be safe with it, and pick up a good book of anatomy. Learn what muscles are being stretched, the types, what is and is not reasonable for your bone structure, etc. A good thorough knowlege of anatomy helps a LOT!




like maryjaneknightly i've had the same interest in contortion. thanks for answering a lot of the questions i had too.
it sounds like you can become more flexible with practice and time. on the pole at work i can do all kinds of backbends (which took practice and time. at first they hurt but now they don't at all), but i still can't do the splits.
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