Untitled

SUPERMAN SEAT GRAB
By far one of the most important base tricks to add to your resume if you're serious about FMX.

This is when Steve rode old bikes and wore baggy gear. Yikes.
See Video See Helmet Cam Video
This is an advanced trick and only recommended to the very experienced riders.

Start working up to this trick by jumping your jump of choice and taking your "grab hand" off of the bars and grabbing your grab hole. this is arguably the most important aspect of this trick. If you are not comfortable with the location of your grab hole and hand position, you won't get far with this move. Do that ten, twenty, or a hundred times if that is what it takes for you to know where your grab hole is without looking. The next thing to practice is doing a "no footer" after you grab the hole. Secure your hand on the grab location, and then open your legs a little. I'm not talking about award-winning no footers here, but open them enough that you no longer have any weight or control over the bike through your legs. This will acquaint you with the feeling of having your legs off while grabbing. Work on this method of grabbing first, then taking off your legs. Gradually more and more each time, work toward making these two movements into one, simultaneous motion. As you work on this also work on "popping" a little as you come off the ramp.

Use this method of getting off and away from the bike by removing your legs and grabbing your grab hole. Do this untill you are completely comfortable with the motion of coming off and getting your into your grab position on the bike. When you are taking your hand and feet of at the same time and feel very comfortable, start working on popping more as you take your legs off and move your hand away from the bars and towards the grab hole. In other words, don't just take your legs off to make room for your grab; pop your legs and body off as you're coming off the bars to reach for your grab. In a perfectly executed seat grab, the legs should be up and over the seat just as the grab hand is secured in the grab hole. At that time is the point when you extend your legs. Simply straiten your knees out by kicking your feet away from your body. If you feel you have time, you can hold them there for an instant untill it's time to come back on. You'll start by pulling your pelvis toward the center of the seat with your grab hand. With superman seat grabs, your grab hand is almost completely responsible for getting you back to the bike. Don't release the grab hole until your body is centered over the bike and your feet are on or close to the pegs.

As you practice these, work on popping your hips more and more as you come off to get your grab, while at the same time keeping your shoulders low. This is how you will eventually progress to trying Hart Attacks.

Johnny Jones' tip:
"Don't miss the grab!! That hurts!!"

Cody Elkins tip:
"You definately want to learn to pop off of your pegs, while at the same time getting a good, firm, grab. As you pop strait up with your knees bent and balled up, and your back gets level, just kick strait out. "

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Ahhh. The seat grab. On the ramp, I'm focused on everything I'm about to do, and I'm as relaxed as anyone should be when jumping a dirtbike over a ramp. Body position is slightly forward, elbows slightly bent, and eyes are focused on the landing. To an extent I will remain loose on the bike as it's going up the ramp, because I will allow the bike to travel away from me in a sense.

Right after my rear wheel leaves the ramp (and only a few feet off it) I am decompressing both legs in order to "pop" off the pegs. I am focused on my grab, and you can see that my "grab hand" (left hand) is already more then halfway to the grab-hole. This is helped by me allowing the bike to travel somewhat ahead of me on the face of the ramp (see previous). In a sense, I am allowing the bike (and grab hole) to come to me so I don't have to reach back for it.

Only moments later, I have firmly grabbed the grab-hole, and am prepared to instantly use the leverage I now have to thrust my upper body & butt up, and my legs back. My mind is focused on the trick, while my eyes are staying focused on the landing so I am aware of how much time I have.

I've used my left arm to apply enough pressure on the grab hole to force my butt up, while my right arm on the handlebar stays firm for the most part, but may move slightly to compensate for any changes that may occur. My right arm remaining firm forces my upper body into a horizontal position as my left-arm extends. My legs are halfway there now, as I'm rotating how my legs are fixed into my hip sockets (from a "kneeling" position into more of a "standing" position).

I keep my left arm bent here, but most riders use it to push the bike away. Many riders will force the bike down here with their left arm to gain some seperation between the bike and their body, but I don't here. The only difference with that would be to push with your grab arm. I've extended my legs fully by using my hip and leg muscles to straiten my upper-legs, and my knee muscles to straiten my lower legs. However, my grab hand and arm are in control here and really control this trick. Again, this should be one smooth motion.

Allright. To come back in, first you will begin to retract your legs by relaxing your knee and hip muscles. By giving a little tug with your grab hand at the same time you relax your legs and hips, your whole lower half will drift back to the bike and back into its position. You don't need to yank much with your handlebar hand (in this pic, that's my right hand) yet. But a little is needed to help bring your body back.

Now I am pulling with my right hand, just when my legs come closer to the bike. my grab hand is almost done pulling, and I'm about to let go of the grab hole. Now my main focus is getting my legs back to the pegs, and they're almost there. I've also begun to pull more with my right hand to get my upper body where it needs to be, and that pulling has almost got it there.

Okay, because my upper body is over the seat where I want it (it's still not quite angled correctly though), I can release my grab hand because it is done pulling. My feet aren't quite back to the pegs, but I'm confident they'll come because my legs will follow the motions of where my hips force them to go, which right now my hips are going down to take my butt where it needs to be.

Okay, I got my butt in the right place slightly over the seat, and my feet followed so they are over the pegs. I don't need to press down onto the pegs, but just as long as I know they're over the pegs, it's okay because when I land they'll be forced onto the pegs. I'm still crouched from coming back from my trick, so I'm just situating my body and getting my bearing on the bike, all the while beginning to adjust my hold on the motorcycle.

Okay, I need everything prepared to land, so I've stood up slightly to get ready. On some super tall and steep landings not as much is needed because those landings are very forgiving. I'm also making any adjustments needed to the bike's pitch (in this case it's just about perfect for this particular landing) as well as preparing to gas it a tad because this is a super hard-packed landing. So right now I'm just doing anything special for the landing, and being happy that I just did a superman seat grab!

Ahhh. The seat grab. On the ramp, I'm focused on everything I'm about to do, and I'm as relaxed as anyone should be when jumping a dirtbike over a ramp. Body position is slightly forward, elbows slightly bent, and eyes are focused on the landing. To an extent I will remain loose on the bike as it's going up the ramp, because I will allow the bike to travel away from me in a sense.	Right after my rear wheel leaves the ramp (and only a few feet off it) I am decompressing both legs in order to "pop" off the pegs. I am focused on my grab, and you can see that my "grab hand" (left hand) is already more then halfway to the grab-hole. This is helped by me allowing the bike to travel somewhat ahead of me on the face of the ramp (see previous). In a sense, I am allowing the bike (and grab hole) to come to me so I don't have to reach back for it.	Only moments later, I have firmly grabbed the grab-hole, and am prepared to instantly use the leverage I now have to thrust my upper body & butt up, and my legs back. My mind is focused on the trick, while my eyes are staying focused on the landing so I am aware of how much time I have.
I've used my left arm to apply enough pressure on the grab hole to force my butt up, while my right arm on the handlebar stays firm for the most part, but may move slightly to compensate for any changes that may occur. My right arm remaining firm forces my upper body into a horizontal position as my left-arm extends. My legs are halfway there now, as I'm rotating how my legs are fixed into my hip sockets (from a "kneeling" position into more of a "standing" position).	I keep my left arm bent here, but most riders use it to push the bike away. Many riders will force the bike down here with their left arm to gain some seperation between the bike and their body, but I don't here. The only difference with that would be to push with your grab arm. I've extended my legs fully by using my hip and leg muscles to straiten my upper-legs, and my knee muscles to straiten my lower legs. However, my grab hand and arm are in control here and really control this trick. Again, this should be one smooth motion.	Allright. To come back in, first you will begin to retract your legs by relaxing your knee and hip muscles. By giving a little tug with your grab hand at the same time you relax your legs and hips, your whole lower half will drift back to the bike and back into its position. You don't need to yank much with your handlebar hand (in this pic, that's my right hand) yet. But a little is needed to help bring your body back.
Now I am pulling with my right hand, just when my legs come closer to the bike. my grab hand is almost done pulling, and I'm about to let go of the grab hole. Now my main focus is getting my legs back to the pegs, and they're almost there. I've also begun to pull more with my right hand to get my upper body where it needs to be, and that pulling has almost got it there.	Okay, because my upper body is over the seat where I want it (it's still not quite angled correctly though), I can release my grab hand because it is done pulling. My feet aren't quite back to the pegs, but I'm confident they'll come because my legs will follow the motions of where my hips force them to go, which right now my hips are going down to take my butt where it needs to be.	Okay, I got my butt in the right place slightly over the seat, and my feet followed so they are over the pegs. I don't need to press down onto the pegs, but just as long as I know they're over the pegs, it's okay because when I land they'll be forced onto the pegs. I'm still crouched from coming back from my trick, so I'm just situating my body and getting my bearing on the bike, all the while beginning to adjust my hold on the motorcycle.
Okay, I need everything prepared to land, so I've stood up slightly to get ready. On some super tall and steep landings not as much is needed because those landings are very forgiving. I'm also making any adjustments needed to the bike's pitch (in this case it's just about perfect for this particular landing) as well as preparing to gas it a tad because this is a super hard-packed landing. So right now I'm just doing anything special for the landing, and being happy that I just did a superman seat grab!