Backflipping is one of the most sought-after skills in Free Running (not officially considered parkour, though I interchange the terms). It involves jumping up, tucking, and rotating backwards 360 degrees.

There are multiple types of backflips including; Gainer, Cheat Gainer, And all the backflips with spin. A Gainer is not to be confused with a Flash Kick.

In this tutorial, I will be covering the basics of the regular backflip.

Step 1
Position yourself on flat ground. You should have someone watching incase.

Step 2
Go onto your toes, and put your hands above your head.

Step 3
Now is when you will start the actual flip. Swing your arms down, and bend your knees as if you are crouching.

Step 4
Throw your arms back up, and jump off the ground, STRAIGHT UP.

Step 5
Bring your knees to your chest quickly.

Step 6
At the peak of your jump, make sure you are tightly tucking. This will get you around. Do not bend your head backwards – that will cause you to lose height.

Step 7
Untuck when you are almost all the way around.

Step 8
Land on your toes, and go into a roll if you need to.

The backflip is actually easier in the front flip in my opinion. The only part that catches people is the fear. To get over this, I highly recommend starting in a swimming pool, then going onto a gymnastics or parkour gym mat.

Once you know the backflip, it opens the door to many other moves.