To Kip, or Not To Kip?

When it comes to pull ups and muscle ups, I will NOT teach anyone to kip until they have spent time developing the strength to do a strict, controlled, dead hang pull up or muscle up.

I don't do this to spoil someone's fun!  Kipping looks "cool" and seems "easier", but without the proper strength in the shoulders and elbows, kipping puts an extraordinary amount of strain on the tissues surrounding these joints.  Over time, the strain leads to pain and injury.

To learn why this is the case, read this article.