The playground equipment known as the “horizontal bar” is very simple in design, but many of us were hooked on it as kids, weren’t we?
There are all kinds of tricks on the bar, like forward rolls and pullovers.
If you could pull off a difficult trick, you might have become the class hero in no time.
In this article, we’ll introduce basic and popular tricks mainly for preschoolers and elementary school students, as well as sequences where you repeat a single trick and routines that combine different tricks.
We’ll also share tips and practice methods, so if you want to master the horizontal bar, be sure to check it out.
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Horizontal bar skills: Must-try moves! Top popular techniques (1–10)
aerial back hip circle
Once you can do a back hip circle, try raising the difficulty and take on the “aerial back hip circle”! In a regular back hip circle you kick off the ground to rotate, but in an aerial back hip circle you rotate using the momentum from your legs while perched on the bar.
First, get into the swallow position: straighten your elbows and sit on top of the bar.
Next, keeping your feet together, swing them back and forth.
The key here is to lift your stomach slightly off the bar and arch your body a little.
Once you’ve built up momentum with your leg swings, lean your upper body back from your back, lift your legs firmly upward, and rotate to complete the skill! As you turn, make sure not to let your stomach come away from the bar.
pull-up on a horizontal bar done by swinging the legs up and over (kip-up on a bar)
For many of us, one of the most memorable horizontal bar skills we practiced in elementary school is the “back hip circle” (sakugar i).
Some kids master it right away, but others just can’t get it no matter how many times they practice.
They say that once you understand the knack and the method, anyone can do a back hip circle! There are several ways to learn it, and finding a practice method that suits you is key.
If your child is currently struggling with it, they might be able to do it with the right approach—so please use this as a reference!
Glider
This is a move called the “Glider,” where you zoom forward like an airplane.
It looks flashy and super cool! The sequence is: place both feet on the bar, lower your hips backward, then leap forward.
The first key point is to balance firmly on the bar when placing your feet.
After lowering your hips, release your feet from the bar right as your hips pass directly beneath it, and launch yourself forward.
There are two leg positions on the bar: a straddle with legs apart, and a closed-leg version where your feet go between your hands.
There’s also a variation where you add a quick twist as you dismount, so be sure to try them all!
Daruma mawari
Like a daruma doll, you curl up and roll over the bar—hence the name “Daruma Roll.” Once you get the hang of it, you’ll want to spin again and again.
It may look difficult at first, but if you practice by following each movement step by step, you’ll be able to do it! First, perch crisply on the bar like a swallow.
From there, tip your body forward to make the shape of a quilt hanging out to dry.
Once you’re comfortable with this position, release your hands from the top of the bar and bring them to the backs of your knees.
After that, just keep spinning around, and you’ve completed the Daruma Roll! The keys are moving your hands to your knees quickly, building enough momentum to rotate, and keeping your knees bent.
Forward roll
When people start practicing on the horizontal bar, the first thing many try is the “forward roll.” Once you can make it around once, you can usually do it over and over, but it’s a bit scary at first, isn’t it? At times like that, it’s best to practice by slowly checking each movement step by step.
First, once you get used to sitting securely on the bar like a swallow, practice leaning your body forward to reduce the fear of rotating forward.
When you can tip forward, your body will take a posture like laundry hanging over a futon-drying rack, so get comfortable with that shape.
If you can do the sequence up to this point, all that’s left is to lower your legs! To ease your fear, you can also get used to doing a forward roll on a mat, wrap a towel around the bar, or practice on a lower bar.
Earth orbit
The “Around the World” is a horizontal bar trick every elementary schooler knows.
Hook both feet over the bar and hang, then cross your hands.
Once your grip is set, release your feet and do a quick half-rotation as if uncrossing your arms.
You’ll need arm strength during the turn, so if your child isn’t used to it, have a teacher or family member help to prevent injuries.
If you add another quick half-rotation, you’ll complete the Around the World.
Because you have to support your body weight with your arms, it’s a fairly advanced move!
bat swing-down
The bar trick where you move like a bat and land is called the “bat swing dismount.” While hanging with both legs hooked over the bar, swing your upper body like a pendulum.
Gradually increase the range of the swing, then use the momentum to release both legs from the bar and land—a high-difficulty move.
You might feel scared at first, but start by simply hanging with both legs hooked over the bar.
With repeated practice, the fear will fade and it will become fun! It’s a move you can proudly show off to your friends, so give it a try.