Raiz Analysis
A High Raiz is not done invertedly; as we progress on the High Raiz, we can apply the strategies learned to improve the inversion of the raiz. The High Raiz is essentially a lazy boy with an additional flip and an extra 90 degrees spin in the air before landing, allowing you to face the opposing direction you are traveling in, which can lead to swing throughs, pops, and a variety of other combinations.
Raiz breakdown and analysis
The three stages of Raiz:
The Take Off, The Flip, The landing
The Take Off: Body Posture and Jumping Off for High Raiz
The first step:
Facing front, you would either travel to the left/ right with your cheat step depending on which side you usually travel with your combos.
Take a spinning step to the left with your right leg, 90 degrees from where you started
Making sure your right leg is not fully extended because your right leg will be your jumping leg for the Raiz, storing the strength and power to jump.
When you take the spinning step to the left, your arms will be raised above your head ready to swing forwards, and down, allowing you to generate rotational force as you take off.
Swinging of the arms and legs:
Once taken the spinning step, you will want to drop your right shoulder forward, dropping the chest by flexing at the right hip; this is crucial for setting the axis of the inversion of a Raiz.
swing your left leg backward using your left glute muscles to generate the heel drive.
After driving the heel backward, open up your left hip (lateral leg swing) allowing you to carry through momentum, which will rotate the hip back 180 degrees from where you took off.
As you kick your left leg back, your arms should be swinging down towards the ground and back up towards the LEFT shoulder.
Swinging up towards the left shoulder provides extra lift acting on the body and rotation for the flip.
Technical Breakdown:
The timing of the chest drop should be coordinated with the timing of the leg swing upwards to generate a "windmill" action with the body, with the torso and the kicking leg functioning as opposing blades. Dropping the chest is vital for generating the flip for the Raiz because it allows the leg to be kicked up higher, reducing the distance the leg has to travel to be flipped over to land to complete the raiz.
Positioning of the hips and shoulders:
As you swing your leg back and together with the arm swing, you want to open up and turn your hips as much as possible before taking off the ground so that you can get the maximum distance the leg swing can cover
Decreasing the angle of flip need from the body to land the raiz, making it more efficient to perform, and also ensuring that the leg swing is generating enough angular momentum on the hips to complete the trick.
When it comes to the shoulders, you want them to turn with the direction your kick is traveling.
This allows you to perform a knee drive (lateral leg swing) and open up your hips to follow through with the momentum your heel drive has created, as well as control the level of inversion you want from a high raiz.
To avoid turning your shoulders over too far (over twisting), you can spot for the floor during the leg and arm swing (take off), using your head to guide your shoulders.
Allowing the heel and knee drive to be completed, then jumping, after that, you would turn your head towards the direction of the kick looking for your toes to complete the leg swing with a toe drive towards the ground.
The jumping leg should be placed under the hips or slightly in front to stop the forward momentum created by the spinning step and convert the forward motion upwards, allowing you to acquire height in your jump.
The Flip: body posture and how to detect flipping during high raiz
The flip’s first half:
As you push off the ground with your jumping leg and kick as high as you can, you will have generated tremendous angular momentum with the swinging leg and the chest drop, as well as gained height with the jumping leg
Then similar to a Raiz Scissor You want to spot the ground throughout your heel drive, until the rotation turns your head away from the ground
At which point you would continue your rotation with the knee drive outwards, creating the back arch, which increases the swinging leg's range.
The flip's second half (half turn into Eagle):
Because you swung your leg back and around for the flip, your left hip would have opened up making you flip side ways.
During the "first half" of the flip, spotting for the ground as long as you can to maximize the efficiency of the raiz.
After that your left leg should be driven outwards to follow through with the momentum created by the heel drive, eventually allowing the toes to point towards the ground, and you should be able to look over your left shoulder to spot the landing.
The Landing: Spotting and Safe Landing for the Raiz:
As you enter the eagle position, leading your landing leg towards the ground, you want to land with the balls of your feet
The chest should be positioned up high and not collapsed at the abdomen
This is to ensure that if you progress from this trick, you are able to perform Swing Throughs, and Pop Off of the high Raiz because your upper body is in line with the feet, and the hips allowing you to be balanced when landing, and propelling yourself.
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