Learning a Proper Handstand

Learning how to do a handstand is a surprisingly difficult and rewarding venture. Not only will you build strength in your shoulders and balance, but you will also improve your postural awareness. Standing on your feet is easy, regardless of your posture. However, you will never succeed in standing on your hands if you do not have a straight body. Most people have a tendency to arch and even bend their knees, bringing their feet towards their butt. This is bad form and it will only hurt you in the end.
To perform a handstand, you need to have a straight body. The best way to do this is to lie on the floor. While lying down, press your lower lumbar into the ground by tightening your abs. At the same time, keep your chest slightly out and your head between your shoulders. You should be looking straight ahead. Now, stretch out your body by pushing your palms straight back and pointing your toes forward. Keep your legs tight and squeeze your butt. This is the proper position for a handstand.
My approach for learning the handstand is a two-pronged approach. Most people recommend that you should kick into a wall and keep using it till you no longer need it. This is a great first step, because it reinforces proper form in a relatively easy way. However, as Mel Siff always pointed out, when learning a new skill, you progress from mobility to stability. For this reason, I think it is important to learn to walk on your hands as well. Try to maintain your best form and as you get better, try to control the direction and pace of your walking. Over time, you should be able to stop and hold a good handstand for a few seconds before having to start moving again to regain your balance. If you start getting sloppy, go back to the wall and focus on your form. When kicking up into the wall, try to touch down as lightly as possible and try not to apply any pressure to the wall. The less you are pushing against the wall, the closer you are to a handstand.
You will find some more insights on handstand technique in the following articles:
Still Rings Handstand Development from USA Gymnastics Online
The Handstand from Tulsa World of Gymnastics

Walk Your Way to Better Presses

I had a surprising experience recently while pressing the 2 pood (70lbs) Kettlebell. It took a long time for me to work up to pressing that weight and I was quite shocked when I actually did it. After pressing it that first time, I decided to focus on other things for the next three months, mainly gymnastics. I had not even attempted pressing it in several months, but lo and behold, it came up easily on the first attempt. It even popped up on my left side, which I did not even attempt the first time due to a sore elbow. Without any specific practice, how did my presses improve?
My best guess is that it was a result of walking on my hands. In my quest to perfect my handstand, I started out initially just learning to walk on my hands. In the past three months, this has been my primary shoulder work. My work on the still rings has definitely improved my upper body strength, but I'm pretty sure that these presses were a result of walking on my hands.
If you do decide to try walking on your hands, be sure to ease into it. It can be quite a strain on the wrists, so do not practice for more than ten minutes at a time initially. Also, make sure you have enough strength to support yourself. You should be able to kick up into a wall and hold it for at least thirty seconds before walking on your hands. It is also very important to practice in an open area where you cannot crash into anything. This is not just a safely precaution. Any extra fear you have of falling will only make the learning process harder.

Kettlebell and Gymnastics Complexes (stay tuned for video clips)

1. Starting from and L-Sit, tuck your feet and then perform a tuck Planche pushup, kick your feet all the way back and perform a Renegade Row with each arm.
2. L-Sit, Jump Shrug with Kettlebells, Pushup
3. Clean and Jerk, high pull, Romanian Deadlift, set KB's down, tuck jump, straddle jump, pike jump

More Tips

Here is a collection of excellent advice and discussions from the past month. Be sure to read through it, there is a tremendous wealth of ideas in here. Ethan Reeve's training complex is incredible and can be easily adapted for use with kettlebells.

Changing your body composition with kettlebell training
Ethan Reeve's incredibly effective training complex used by elite rowers.
A look at the Clean and Jerk technique of a Professional Kettlebell lifter
More KB Competition Clean and Jerk Technique Analysis
Varying the Training Load
Carryover of KB training to other activities
Physiological vs. Neurological Conditioning
Am I overtraining?
The benefits of infrequent training
Building your traps with KB's