Little disclaimer: It's not that it matters so much what level you are in acro. There isn't any prizes, no one is going to think more or less of you because of where you're at.
But there is some value in understanding in a general sense what your level is so when people ask and you meet people and want to play then you know how to answer.
I'm sure most of you have met someone new in acro, and the question comes up...
"What is your level in acro?"
Or something along those lines.
Rather than being unsure how to answer, hopefully these following guidelines can help to indicate where you're at:
(these are my opinions and guidelines, they aren't completely perfect, but in my experience most other acro teachers I've talked to tend to agree with this)
First off, the generally accepted levels are:
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Expert
Let's start with beginner.
This is obviously anyone who is new to the practice and goes up until...
Being able to perform some basic washing machines successfully and consistently.
Let me clarify here as well, if you can manage it a few times with a highly skilled base or flyer guiding you and instructing you constantly as you go.
I wouldn't consider that successfully and consistently.
What I mean is you should be able to perform the machines most times with most acro partners and without needing constant guidance and instruction.
Again if you're struggling and failing 8/10 times you still have some work to do (but great you're succeeding 2/10 times as well, so celebrate the wins!).
Also by basic washing machines, some simple ones like ninja star, 4 step, nunchuk, low barrel roll are good indicators.
Assuming you've got some of those machines down, then happy days I'd consider you an intermediate!
The step between intermediate and advanced is probably a much more complicated one though.
So intermediate goes from being able to do basic machines all the way up to the following:
Advanced washing machines
Hands free poses and machines
Hand to Hands
Pops and Icarian pops
Whips and Whops
Standing Acro Skills
Lunar Acro
Obviously not everyone is going to know and be able to do all of these perfectly.
But I would suggest you should have some affinity and skill in the basics of all of these different skills before I would consider you advanced.
Also you should be really competent and excelling in at least 4+ of these areas.
Obviously if you don't know what these things even mean then you for sure aren't advanced yet.
But no worries, this can give you something to look up, ask about and start to work on and learn.
So let's say you know a bit of all of those areas and you're pretty consistent in many of them, then I'd say you can call yourself advanced.
The tricky bit is this last part.
Advanced is quite a way to the final stage of expert.
Which is where you have truly mastered the most advanced skills within the above areas I mentioned.
Things like:
Fully free washing machines.
Extended and mono hand to hands.
Front tucks, martinis and multiple rotational icarian pops.
Dynamic skills like podcheskas, banqueens, corbetts etc.
These are just some examples.
The point is, to be an expert you need to be consistently achieving these skills.
Another good measure is being able to teach them to others too.
The other interesting point is that it's very difficult to be an expert in all of these areas and skills.
Most people at these higher levels will tend to specialise in to standing acrobatics or icarian L base skills or super advanced washing machines.
So I would say you could be an expert in a few areas maybe.
In my case I wouldn't consider myself a true expert yet in any specific area, but I feel I am working towards it and getting closer in some skill areas like fully free stuff, advanced washing machines and icarian pops.
My long term aim is to actually become an expert in all of the different areas of acro.
So that I can teach and share with others up to a really high level.
It might take me a lifetime to fully achieve, but let's see.
So back to the question in the title...
What Level are you at?
I hope this helps you gauge your own level and gives you some ideas of what the levels are commonly understood as.
If you really want to level up your acro practice and breakthrough to the intermediate or advanced tiers then please click here and I will share information with you about our acroyoga personal coaching product.
Personal coaching is the best way to progress and level up your practice that I know of!
Cheers,
Cas
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