Progression (FMX Is More than a Best Trick Contest) By Greg Hartman - X Games Dubai Gold Medalist   I hear a lot of young guys say that they're going to learn how to flip soon and that they're going to get to a foam pit. In fact, think of all the foam pit videos you see online. All the time I see foam pit videos on Freestylemtx.com of places I didn't know existed. The foam pit is a pretty regular part of a riding spot nowadays and I think a lot of aspiring riders think they'll never get to where they want to be with riding without one.   Well I'm here to tell ya that a foam pit isn't necessarily what progression is all about. Guess what my first trick was............. It took me a little while to get the courage up to take one foot off! After I had one footers mastered with a look over, (to please the crowd) I went for it all and took both feet off. Although I may not have been fully developed yet, that one was painful more than once and the metal gas tank on my first bike didn't help. Where do you go after a big move like that? I then learned to take a hand off, then both hands, then both feet and one hand, then everything (or a "nothing"), then I clicked my heels, then I put them off the side, then I grabbed my seat and so on, and so on, and so on...... That's the fun part! That's progression! Working your way up and having something new to be excited about learning every time you go ride. Trust me, keep going and the day will come where going to ride means you have to try to better your KOD flips and almost kill yourself every time you ride. All these new tricks look cooler in photos but to be honest all the stress makes me miss those days of one handed no footers!   Enjoy the fun part! Enjoy doing one handers, and seeing where it takes ya. Foam pits can be a lot of fun and are a great way to learn big tricks safely. In fact if you know someone that has one, enjoy playing around in it and don't let anyone (including me) tell you what to ride or what you should ride. Just make sure you enjoy that essential progression that comes with learning to jump your bike, riding around, and letting go of the thing in the air. Don't start your freestyle life off by stressing about learning how to risk your life doing things that you don't have to do yet. Have fun doing no footers and cans and post em up on FreestyleMtx, I'll be watching! Greg H. Go to the order info page to join.	DVDs for sale! Covered in Freestyle School: Bike Setup   Handlebars   Levers   Cutting Seat   Suspension   Cutting Grab Holes Jumping Ramps   First Time on ramp?   Body Positioning   Controlling the throttle   Moving it back Freestyle Term Glossary  "Safety"  "Sweet Spot"  "Dead Sailor"   And More... Basic Tricks:            Lookover  One Hander  No Hander  Karate-Kick  No Footer  Can Can  Nothing  Fender Grab Advanced Tricks:  No Footed Can Can  Saran Wrap  Stale Fish  Superman  Superman S.Grab  Whip/TableTop  HeelClicker  Bar Hop/Shoalin  Nac Nac Pro Tricks:  Cordova  HartAttack  Helicopter  Tsunami / Kiss of Death  Coffin  No Handed Landing  LazyBoy  McMetz  SSG One hander  SSG Indian Air  Double Grab / D.G. Hart  Holygrab  Back Flip Freestyle Motocross ramp plans also available!