The following gymnast is training to master further arabian double progressive steps like the arabian double pike to a soft mat on the floor area. He does a good job landing on his feet, but he could have created better rotation with a closer pike.
Maximizing the gymnast's power through the appropriate physical preparation and applying this power to build tumbling speed and quick rebounds helps to create upper level tumbling skills. Observe this demonstrator's quick round-off to handspring rebound.
The arabian double requires a strong thrust of the knees and hips up to the ceiling during the setup to create a fast rotating motion. Before attempting this powerful skill on the floor besides knowing the regular arabian tuck the gymnast must be familiar with double front progressions on the pit using spring board or minitramps. Bringing the knees up but failing to do the same with the hips produces a slower rotation.
These are front views of arabian double fronts. There are some technical basic round off back handspring mistakes such as not keeping a straighter forward motion toward the round off, arms bent on the back handspring, and open cowboy tuck position on the arabian. Some other basics are fine and the tumbling speed and power are very good.
The gymnast is timing for an arabian double front but in these timers she is moving the knees up without also throwing the hips up to create a strong rotation. The same mistake in the actual arabian double will produce an insufficient rotational momentum and the skill will underrotate and sit down.
Notice on these three arabian examples how minimal changes on technical factors such as speed, set up, blocking position, hips up action, tuck position in flying phase, or landing timing can make a big difference on the end result.
These are a fair couple of arabian double tuck competition examples. This gymnast shows great powerful action, but his tuck position can be improved. Again notice the great speed and the great quick rebounding back handspring with minimal feet ground support, though he has a little too much cowboy tuck during the somersault.
An arabian can be defined as a somersault that begins backwards completes a half twist before the gymnast feet reach the vertical and then continues rotating forward. /On a layout half the 180 degree twist can still be incomplete through the vertical. The main difference then between a true arabian and a back somersault with a half twist is determined by the moment the half twist is accomplished.
This is a very good example of a well executed arabian tuck showing full body extension before the tuck. Rushing early to tuck is a common mistake that detracts from the skill beauty and presentation.
Before the gymnasts attempt arabian sommersaults they should learn to perform round off half turns to a handstand onto stacked mats. It is an excellent drill to master how to show a full body extension before rushing into the tuck position. After the drill to a handstand is understood fairly well the gymnasts can begin to add a roll to mimic the tuck position.
This is a nice arabian layout example. Notice how the twist is completed early. A twist after the vertical is a back lay out with a half. It belongs with the acrobatic element backwards and will not be considered part of the arabian element group IV like this example does.
At the same time that gymnasts are learning limbers, cartwheels, round-offs and other basic skills, they can also begin learning to jump backwards onto a resi-mat. The arms can stay-up or swing-up with a shoulders-width to the ears side. The knees should be bent slightly to begin the jump. Make sure the gymnast does not squat too deep. The jump must show good flight with a long travel back.