What Is an Arabian in Cheerleading?

Quick answer: an Arabian is an advanced tumbling skill entered from a roundoff, in which the athlete takes off as if continuing backward tumbling but immediately half-twists to reorient the body, then completes a front-rotating flip - the twist happens first, at takeoff, with the flip following rather than the two rotations happening together throughout.

What Does It Look Like?

An Arabian takes off from a roundoff entry, similar to other backward tumbling connections, but instead of continuing to rotate backward, the athlete snaps a half-twist right off the ground to reorient the body, then rotates through a front flip - a technically demanding sequence that requires precise timing between the initial twist and the flip that follows it.

Who Is Involved?

Tumbling is performed individually, though multiple athletes typically perform this skill together, in unison, as part of an advanced tumbling pass.

Where It Fits in a Routine

An Arabian is typically used as the final skill in a top-level tumbling pass, reserved for the most advanced teams given how technically demanding the combined twist-and-flip rotation is.

How the Term Is Used

"Arabian" refers to this specific takeoff-twist-then-front-flip sequence entered from a backward-tumbling setup; it's considered one of the more advanced named skills in the competitive cheer tumbling vocabulary.

Related Skills

An Arabian shares some technical foundation with fast, low connecting skills like a whip, and with twisting skills like a full, combining elements of both a flipping-direction change and a twist.

Level / Division Context

Given its significant technical demands, an Arabian is generally reserved for advanced teams, often from around Level 6 upward depending on governing body.

What Judges Look For Conceptually

Judges are generally looking for a sharp, complete twist right at takeoff, a clean front-flip rotation following it, and a stable, controlled landing.