New Game +

advanced tricking periodization video games

I didn't trick for six months


Due to school, work, and a shift in personal objectives, I didn't trick between October 2007 and May 2008. What was intended to be a short break ended up being a long break.

New game +


My friend Kenji said that when he started tricking again after taking a long break like mine, it was like playing Chrono Trigger with the New Game + feature, which allows you to play through the game again from the beginning using your weapons, items, and skills from previous game data.

Chrono Trigger, Jujimufu

The analogy isn't perfect but it's a lovable idea. And there is some truth in it, because after my long break I could *gasp* still do most of my tricks and do them well. I had all of my basics and was hyperswiping, b-twist swing through'ing, 720 doubling, and much more immediately and without problems. And my tricks looked okay! The tricks I was having trouble doing were the ones I wasn't comfortable with before I took my break, but even some of those came back reasonably quick. My ability to make a swift come back after a long break was partly due to the fact that I stayed in great shape during my break... Call that muscle memory, maybe.* But something else was at play...

Taegashi took a longer break and improved immediately


In early 2006 I noticed Taegashi was both fat and out of practice. He could barely do any of his tricks at all. He enrolled into the military that spring, got whipped into shape, served in Iraq for a year, and came back for a visit mid 2007 having not tricked at all for the entire period (and having not tricked well for the past several years). I witnessed something amazing: during his first tricking session after all of that crap he was... Tricking again, like he used to, in the good old days! Wow! Watch the 2nd half of the Wekend sampler in the videos section for that tricking session, he was doing way better than the previous three years despite being totally out of practice. Taegashi improved because he got into better shape on his long break. Anyone badly out of shape out there, are ya'll listening?

Why am I telling you this?


I wanted to share this with you because one day you might find yourself locked into a nightmarish schedule that severely strains your tricking. At which point you might find yourself in a similar situation: taking a short break from tricking that becomes a long break.

How to start a New Game +


If you pack on thirty pounds of fat and don't trick or do any exercising for a year, yes, you're going to have problems actually doing your tricks, but you'll still know how to do them if you've learned them well- you'll just have to get back into shape to use them. So stay in good shape during your break by maintaining some sort of activity level and eating responsiblycontinue day dreaming about tricking, and look forward to the day you may get back into it - your tricking will be there waiting for you on that special day!




* Muscle memory (Feeling out the mechanics of a trick) is more vulnerable to decay than Remembering how to approach tricking; How to even go about feeling those rusty skill mechanics; How to organize a training session for maximum efficiency and results. These latter things you will not forget!

Example 1: Take my brain and put it in a novice trickster's body, watch what I can do with it. The insanely quick progress that would ensue wouldn't be a matter of muscle memory at all, it would be me reaping the advantages of a floating logic.

Example 2: The analogy can go back to Chrono Trigger: even if I didn't start the game over with my weapons, items, and skills, I could start the game over knowing where to go, how to fight specific bosses, what treasure chests were where and what was in them. This would save me considerable amounts of time and effort.

Chrono Trigger, Jujimufu, Dark Helm

Chrono Trigger, Jujimufu, Dark Helm

In fact, this analogy can be proven without playing a tricking New Game + ...  just take a trick you can do and learn it on your other side: note how much faster you can learn it, because you've already learned it once before! You know how to approach it.

Jujimufu, Juji Christ, Tricking

Jujimufu, Juji Christ, Tricking

Jujimufu, Juji Christ, Tricking

Jujimufu, Juji Christ, Tricking

Okay this is sufficient. I think we've covered the necessary nuances of the New Game + feature in tricking.

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  • BSFjay on

    Mine would be Great if i had different boss. He is a fat ,lazy ,greedy tard who have no idea about sport/fitness/gym and pretends that he is a master At everything. Though being a personal trainer and crossfit instructor is great so I’ll live. The less satysfying thing is low jealth and fitnes awareness of most People over Here….

  • Grayson on

    Chrono Trigger? You are the coolest haha ;)

  • PureApeshit on

    I always knew its all about being in shape duh.

    if u cant high kick u wont do 540 or even aerial.

    if u weak backflips will be dangerous stunt.

    i played lot basketball from 14 years old to 19, streetball was ma thing, sick handles ankle breakers insane ball handling skillz :D

    then i didnt play no basketball at all for 6 years, none, not even second.

    then i bought a ball just to try out how is ma mad baller skillz doing, and i instantly remebered all stuff, cept i was very rusty, slow, inaccurate in all of it.

    basically once u learn ride bicicle u learn it foreverz, but ofc some high end bmx tricks prob will get rusty.

  • BSFjay on

    Ma skill got ruzty cuz me got layzy. Juz lik mah engrish skillz.
    I had some break in my tricking and capoeira because of my job(about a year) But since I am working at the gym I’ve kept myself in shape(weightlifting, crossfit, gymnastics). After that break a lot of guys tried to kick my ass at capoeira workshops (they knew that I had a break) but actually I was as quick, agile and skillfull as usual so they couldnt do that. Thank you CNS and muscle-Memory!

  • Jon Call on

    I worked at a gym from 2002-2008. Definitely awesome times. Loved that job. Gym jobs are fucking great, especially non-franchise ones.


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