How To Learn Gymnastics

How to Learn Donkey Kicks

Beginner Gymnastics • Handstand Prep

Donkey Kicks

Donkey kicks are one of the easiest ways to get comfortable putting weight on your hands before learning a full handstand. Instead of trying to kick straight upside down, you place your hands firmly on the floor and practice lifting both feet for a short moment while keeping the kick small, controlled, and easy to land.

Hand Support Hips Up Small Kicks Handstand Prep
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HIPS GO UP Think about lifting your hips instead of throwing your feet far behind you.
LAND WHERE YOU STARTED A controlled donkey kick should come back down close to the same spot.

What Is a Donkey Kick?

A gymnastics donkey kick begins with both hands on the floor and the knees bent underneath the body. You push through the legs, lift the hips, and let both feet leave the floor briefly before landing again. It is a beginner drill for learning how it feels to support body weight through the hands without needing to reach a full handstand.

The Goal Is Not to Kick as High as Possible

Beginners often think a bigger kick means a better donkey kick. It does not. A useful repetition is one you can control from takeoff to landing. Start small enough that you could stop at any moment, then gradually let the hips travel higher as your hand support improves.

Build your launch pad

3 Things to Set Before Your Feet Leave the Floor

Donkey kicks become much safer and easier when the upper body is already strong before the kick begins.

01

Hands Flat

Spread the fingers and press through the entire hand. Your palms should feel firmly connected to the mat before you kick.

BUILD YOUR BASE
02

Arms Strong

Keep the elbows straight and push the floor away. Avoid letting your upper body collapse toward the mat when your feet lift.

PUSH TALL
03

Eyes Between the Hands

Keep the head neutral and look toward the space between or just slightly ahead of your hands instead of throwing your head backward.

HEAD NEUTRAL
The movement path

How to Do a Donkey Kick Step by Step

Think of the movement as a small launch upward and then a controlled return, not a wild kick behind your head.

1

Start in a Small Squat

Bend your knees and place your body low enough that your hands can reach the floor comfortably in front of you.

START COMPACT
2

Plant Both Hands

Put your hands about shoulder-width apart, spread your fingers, and straighten your elbows before taking weight into your arms.

HANDS FIRST
3

Shift Your Shoulders Forward

Move enough weight toward your hands that your feet feel light. You should still be able to stop before kicking.

FEEL YOUR HANDS
4

Kick Both Feet Up

Push through the legs and lift the hips. Let both feet leave the floor together or very close together while keeping the knees bent.

HIPS UP
5

Land Softly Back in the Squat

Let the feet return close to where they started, bend the knees to absorb the landing, and keep your hands down until your balance is secure.

CONTROL THE RETURN

Your Hands Are the Foundation

A donkey kick is really a hand-support drill with a small jump attached. If your shoulders collapse every time the feet lift, focus on making the upper body stronger before increasing the height of the kick.

Fingers Spread them wide to create a bigger base and help control your balance.
Elbows Keep them straight instead of allowing the arms to buckle.
Shoulders Push tall through the shoulders rather than sinking between the arms.
Core Keep the stomach engaged so the hips lift as one controlled unit.
Mid-skill checkpoints

What Should Happen During the Kick?

1

Hands Stay Still

Your hands should not hop around the floor every time your feet lift.

2

Arms Stay Long

Straight arms create a more stable support position.

3

Hips Lift First

Think about raising the hips rather than throwing the lower legs backward.

4

Feet Return Together

Finish close to your starting position instead of landing in a large step.

Build confidence upside down

6 Donkey Kick Drills for Beginners

Use these progressions to build hand support, hip lift, and confidence before trying larger kicks.

01

Bear Hold

Learn hand pressure

Begin on hands and feet with the knees bent slightly off the floor. Hold the position while pushing strongly through the hands.

3 holds • 10–15 seconds
  • Keep the elbows straight.
  • Spread the fingers.
  • Push tall through the shoulders.
02

Mini Bunny Hops

First feet-off-floor drill

Keep both hands planted and make tiny hops with the feet, lifting them only an inch or two from the floor.

6–10 small hops
  • Keep the hops very small.
  • Land softly on both feet.
  • Do not bend the elbows during takeoff.
03

Hips-Up Donkey Kicks

Focus on the right direction

Perform a small donkey kick while thinking only about lifting the hips vertically instead of trying to send the feet backward.

5–8 repetitions
  • Keep the knees bent.
  • Push firmly through the shoulders.
  • Land in the same small squat.
04

Donkey Kick to Target

Learn consistent height

With coach-approved setup, use a soft visual target above or behind you to encourage a specific hip height without trying to kick wildly.

5 controlled kicks
  • Choose a low target first.
  • Focus on hip height, not foot height.
  • Do not throw the head back to see the target.
05

One-Leg Kick Prep

Bridge toward handstands

Once two-foot donkey kicks are controlled, practice pushing from one leg while the other leg reaches upward in a small handstand-style kick.

4–6 each leg
  • Keep the kick low at first.
  • Use the same strong hand position.
  • Practice both sides.
06

Wall Handstand Kick Prep

Next-step awareness

With qualified coaching, use your donkey-kick hand support to begin learning how one leg can guide the body toward a controlled wall handstand.

Coach-guided practice
  • Do not jump straight to maximum height.
  • Keep the elbows straight.
  • Learn how to come down safely before adding more power.
Control before height

How High Should a Donkey Kick Go?

There is no special height you need to reach. Your best height is the highest position you can reach while keeping your arms strong and your landing controlled.

HEIGHT RULE

Earn the Next Inch

If adding height makes the elbows bend, the hands move, or the feet land wildly, lower the kick again. Better control at a smaller height will help you progress faster than repeatedly losing balance.

1
Level 1: Tiny hop

Both feet leave the floor just enough to feel weight move into the hands.

2
Level 2: Hips above shoulders slightly

The kick becomes more vertical while the landing stays easy.

3
Level 3: Stronger handstand prep

The hips travel higher with straight arms and controlled shoulder support.

4
Then move toward handstand drills.

Once the height becomes easy, switch the goal from bigger donkey kicks to more specific handstand progressions.

Keep the kick useful

6 Donkey Kick Mistakes

×

Bending the Elbows

The arms collapse as soon as the feet leave the floor.

FIX → Make the kick smaller and push the floor away with straight arms.
×

Throwing the Feet Backward

The legs travel behind the body instead of the hips lifting upward.

FIX → Think “hips to the ceiling,” not “feet behind me.”
×

Looking Up

Throwing the head backward can make the back arch and change the direction of the kick.

FIX → Keep the eyes toward the mat between the hands.
×

Hands Too Close Together

A narrow base can make balancing harder and encourage the elbows to bend.

FIX → Place the hands about shoulder-width apart.
×

Huge Kick Before Control

Trying to reach handstand height too early can send the body past a position the gymnast knows how to control.

FIX → Increase height only after several identical, balanced repetitions.
×

Landing With Straight Knees

A stiff landing makes it harder to absorb the return from the kick.

FIX → Let the knees bend softly as the feet return to the floor.
Where donkey kicks lead

Your Handstand-Prep Progression

Donkey kicks are not the final goal. They are a stepping stone that teaches the hand support and confidence needed for more specific upside-down skills.

01

Mini Bunny Hop

Feel both feet leave the floor while your hands stay planted.

02

Controlled Donkey Kick

Lift the hips higher while keeping the arms straight and landing softly.

03

Split-Leg Kick Up

Learn how one leg can lead upward while the second leg follows.

04

Handstand Practice

Transfer your strong hand support into coach-guided handstand drills.

Beginner practice circuit

8-Minute Donkey Kick Builder

Keep every repetition controlled. If your arms begin bending or your landings get wild, lower the height instead of adding more power.

Minute 1 Bear Hold Build strong hand and shoulder support.
Minutes 2–3 Mini Bunny Hops Practice tiny controlled feet-off-floor moments.
Minutes 4–5 Low Donkey Kicks Focus on hips lifting instead of feet flying back.
Minutes 6–7 Controlled Higher Kicks Add only a small amount of height.
Minute 8 Best 3 Reps Finish with three identical, balanced kicks.
Skill check

Are Your Donkey Kicks Ready to Progress?

Look for Control, Not Maximum Height

A useful donkey kick should look repeatable. If you can place the hands the same way, lift the hips without collapsing, and land in the same place several times in a row, you are building the type of consistency that helps with handstands.

✓
My hands stay planted. They do not slide or hop around during the kick.
✓
My elbows stay straight. I can support the kick without collapsing through the arms.
✓
My hips travel upward. I am not just throwing my feet behind me.
✓
I land close to where I started. I can control the return instead of taking a large recovery step.
✓
I can repeat the same kick. My height and body position stay consistent from one repetition to the next.
⚠️

Practice on a Clear Gymnastics Surface

Beginners should use an appropriate padded gymnastics surface with enough open space and qualified supervision. Keep donkey kicks low until hand support feels secure. Stop if you feel wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck, or back pain, and do not try to kick into a full handstand before learning how to enter and come down safely.

Hands Strong. Hips Up. Kick Small. Land Soft.

Donkey kicks are about learning to trust your hands while your feet briefly leave the floor. Build a strong base, keep the arms straight, lift the hips instead of throwing the legs, and make every landing controlled. Once those pieces feel easy, you will have a much better foundation for learning a real handstand kick-up.