Originally Posted by protonitron

Don't worry about trying to do tricks at all. First focus on how you move and how you stop moving or change direction. Once you know how your balance and momentum works flips will be easier and, most importantly, look more real. And if you can't work out which joints to move in which ways to shift your balance a certain way, just mimick the position yourself and see which way you lean (moving which joints) to shift your balance as well as how your balance shifts while doing certain actions. For example when you throw a punch your body will naturally find a well balanced but versatile position which let's you either balance after punching or to use the punch to move fast (the leg on the opposite side of the body to the punching fist goes forward so you can pivot around it, use it to shock absorb or step over it into a run or into another punch). If you try punching in toribash while standing straight upright you will have to do a lot to get your balance back afterwards.

I have probably gone into too much detail on punching, since this is only a tiny fraction of all the possible sparring manoeuvres. The point I am trying to make is that applying you actual muscle memory to toribash can really help you understand your tori. (When you try to shift your balance or direction in toribash this will be particularly useful, your lumbars and abs are a lot more useful than you might think).

I hope this helped.

Originally Posted by SkyWhale

Here's the RSO link.

http://forum.toribash.com/forumdisplay.php?f=625

Sorry about that XD. Also, I'm not sure how active the organization is.