Variation on a Theme…

At martial arts practice last night in Beirut, I was reminded of a move I often used to use when playing capoeira and cartwheeling around the world–the move which I’m demonstrating in the photo above…

After having been forced to wait for several hours on the Russian-Estonian border while the two countries were engaged in a diplomatic row, I felt compelled to celebrate with a cartwheel or two on the grounds of Narva Castle when we finally crossed over. While a forearm cartwheel might look difficult, in reality it’s not that hard–the challenge lies in transcending the mind’s resistance to the body moving towards the ground with the elbows first instead of hands. Once that mental obstacle is overcome, a forearm cartwheel really is no different than a regular one…and it’s just as much fun…