Gainer
Encyclopedia
A gainer is an acrobatic skill in which the acrobat performs a backwards somersault
Somersault
A somersault is an acrobatic exercise in which a person does a full 360° flip, moving the feet over the head. A somersault can be performed either forwards, backwards, or sideways and can be executed in the air or on the ground...

 while still moving forward (used primarily to maintain momentum, while performing a move that requires a full body rotation). In diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...

, this is known as reverse rotation (as opposed to front, back, or inward). Many stunt performers and martial artists are capable of performing a similar skill on the ground, sometimes in combination with a midair inverted kick
Kick
In combat sports and hand-to-hand combat, a kick is a physical strike using the foot, leg, or knee . This type of attack is used frequently, especially in stand-up fighting...

.

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 your hands and ending with your head upwards, although this is quite difficult.

In gymnastics, the maneuver is performed while standing on the side of a balance beam by kicking one foot forwards while flipping backwards.

A professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

 move called a shooting star press is very similar to a gainer, as it involves a wrestler performing a variation of a gainer from a standing position, onto an opponent (causing the wrestler to land chest first). 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 3/4 gainer.
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