Tumblers flip over carnival

One of the favourite groups in the Carnival parade is the tumblers. At the end of the parade, kids and adults are treated with performances by the youths of the city, who jump, bounce and roll on the city streets.  It’s a sport that can be hazardous, but don’t tell that to the kids who practice with the group managed by Ras Jen.  News Five stopped by their training camp on the grounds of St. John’s Cathedral this evening where about twenty of the forty kids were practicing many acrobatic students for the Carnival Road March on Saturday.

Ras Jen, Manager, Tumblers

Ras Jen

“This group started way back in the mid 1970’s—probably ’74 – ’75—when I was about six years old. If you are interested to be a tumbler, the only thing weh really hard dah the pending and so because it starts with a lot of physical education. You start with a lot of running, twisting, cartwheel and handspring—from basic right up to tornado. A lot of people noh know about tornado. A tornado is like 360.”

Brazo, Tumbling for 8 years

“I just like the feeling, right and everything. It just make you feel like you could fly. But then don’t make the wrong move because it’s on your head you’re coming down on.”

Jose Sanchez

“You started off like one of the kids that we see out here. Now you are an instructor. How does it feel now that you are teaching it?”

brazo

Brazo

“I feel good. But dah just they fi listen and take it in. And once if you cant learn it they wah still teach you it.”

Jose Sanchez

“Are there any special moves that you have learned over your eight years?”

Brazo

“Lot. Lot of special moves—tornado, cartwheel aerial. Cant name them, but I got them.”

Ras Jen

“During those times sponsoring was easy. We could have gone to any different business place and get sponsoring. But now from in the mid seventies and now I’ve passed through a lot of guys. Most of the guys right now are small kids. We had bigger guys and the sport was a bit intriguing meaning dah no everybody could ah mi do it, dah only a few men could ah mi do it. And as you see now, we have a lot of small kids and so. People like it but people noh want to support.”

Vince, Tumbling for 15 years

“I just liked if from I was small di grow up. Like nothing else to do. This where I used to come from I small just fi fun.”

Jose Sanchez

“And now the transition as someone teaching the younger guys. What’s that like?”

Vince

“Actually it feel kinda good just di teach they because they actually wah learn like when we mi small with nothing fi do and we mi wah learn too. So we noh wah push them weh because they wahn learn.”

Jose Sanchez

“How long does it take for someone to learn to tumble?”

Vince

“Actually it depends on how willing you willing fi learn. More or less someone could come out here and seh I noh wah lef from yah until I learn this or ‘til I could do this, than another person that will just come here and give up.”

Jose Sanchez

“So its all about the love?”

Vince

“All about love and determination.”

Jen, the manager of the group, says if anyone would like to help provide refreshments for the tumblers after the Carnival, please call him at 202-4493.