A gainer is the

acrobatic Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance (ability), balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sports, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most ...

trick of performing a backwards

somersault A somersault (also ''flip'', ''heli'', and in gymnastics ''salto'') is an acrobatic exercise in which a person's body rotates 360° around a horizontal axis with the feet passing over the head. A somersault can be performed forwards, backwards ...

while still moving forward. In

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), a ...

, this is known as reverse rotation (as opposed to front, back, or inward). Many stunt performers and

martial artists Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...

are capable of performing a similar skill on the ground, sometimes in combination with a midair inverted

kick A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...

. A ''half gainer'' involves the same motion, except the ending position is with the head downward. A half gainer can also be performed starting with walking on the hands and ending with the head upwards, although this is quite difficult. In gymnastics, the maneuver is performed while standing on the side of a

balance beam The balance beam is a rectangular artistic gymnastics apparatus and an event performed using the apparatus. Both the apparatus and the event are sometimes simply referred to as "beam". The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring i ...

by kicking one foot forwards while flipping backwards. A

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

move called a

shooting star press Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are maneuvers in professional wrestling using the ring's posts and ropes as aids, in many cases to demonstrate the speed and agility of smaller, nimble and acrobatically inclined wrestlers prefer ...

is very similar to a gainer, as it involves a wrestler performing a variation of a gainer from a standing position and landing chest first on an opponent. This maneuver has many variations, ranging from different locations, different tuck styles/turns and also additional degrees of rotation, however the standard shooting star press is essentially a gainer. The skill of the ‘gainer’ is an important skill used by many people to look better in parkour, diving, cliff jumping, gymnastics etc.

See also