You are on page 1of 22

Landing

Normal two footed landings, which is what well concentrate on, can be used in any instance of Parkour in which a jump or a drop is involved. The first move is to bring your knees up in front of you this should be done in mid air after you jump as you feel your self peek at your max jump height or for dismounting sakes as soon as you take off the knees should be up and in front of you, they can be slightly angled out but should almost form a 90 degree angle between your torso and your quadriceps,

While this is happening you should be keeping eye contact with your landing area. When you feel your close enough to the ground you should extend your legs straight out almost attacking the ground, but not hard!

At this point you have to think of the balls of your feet as tension receptors, as soon as the balls of your eet make solid contact with the ground (feet should be about shoulders with apart), Your sensors should go off telling you to move with the downward momentum (bending your knees to no lower then 90 degrees, depending on the height of the drop and your experience) and letting your body bend preferably in-between your knees, bringing your arms down in-between your knees to make contact with the ground.

This can dispel the last bit of force left after absorbing the drop with your lower body, it also helps to immediately recover into a full sprint, if needed.

Practice the basic landing from small heights to start. Once you have control ( quite landings with controlled impact) you can work to increase the height.

The Turn Vault


The turn-vault is used to get on the other side of a rail, wall or other such obstacle that has a considerable drop on the other side. It can also be useful when you are unsure of the landing surface on the other side of a vault. Start with your body 2-3 feet away from the rail. Place your left hand on the rail with the palm facing up. Place your right hand on the rail with your palm facing down.

Start out by jumping up and over the rail while keeping your left hand on it. As you are going upwards, lift your right hand off of the rail and rotate 180 degrees around your left arm, so you'll be facing the opposite direction of what you started.

With your arms nearly at full extension above the rail, place your right hand back onto the rail this time on the other side of your left hand. Keep your eyes on the rail the entire time.

At this point you'll be coming down and want to be concentrating on your foot placement. As you come down with both of your hands on the rail, try to land with both of your feet against the wall and absorb into a crouch. So your rear will be about parallel with your feet. Having your legs tucked against your body will help you maintain better control.

Once you land the turn-vault and absorb into a crouch, you'll be ready for the drop. Push off with your feet while at the same time letting go with your hands, and turning slightly.

As you begin to turn and let go, spot your landing. The end goal is to let go and turn 180 degrees so you can land and continue your run.

Land in a crouch or roll, and continue on your way.

Cat leap
The Cat Leap can very well be the keystone of a fluid run. Performing it can easily make or break your rhythm depending on the execution. For a beginner, this may be one of the more attractive techniques to learn, but it is commonly mistaken as something with much less detail and precision than is demanded for a clean cat leap. 1. To begin a standing Cat Leap, go to the end of the takeoff ledge and face both feet towards the destination wall.

2. Squat down and swing your arms backwards as if you were starting any other leap moving forward.

3. From that position, begin to extent your legs with force

When both legs and arms are fully extended, positioned at a 45 degree angle, the force that your legs created and the momentum that your arms created should cause you to jump in the proper direction. While in the air, position your legs so they are in front of your body because they will be the first to impact on the destination wall. Your arms should begin to reach for the top of the destination wall, or whatever is there for a good hand hold.

Having your legs way out in front of you and being the first to come in contact with the wall, they must absorb the forward momentum as you reach for the wall with your hands. With your legs compressing against the wall, put your hands on the top corner of the walls ledge. Your fingers will be on the top of the wall, and the palms of your hands will be on the vertical side of the corner. It is very important that you tuck your legs to get your body as close to the wall as possible.

From there, you are ready to pull yourself to the top of the wall. This technique takes a lot of strength training and technique when done properly. It focuses on upper body strength to arrive on top of the wall. With your legs tucked and your hands gripping firmly on the top, dig your toes into the wall and take advantage of grip on the bottom of your shoe. Extend your legs pushing your body upward, while simultaneously pulling your body with your arms. A good grip with your feet will relieve much force that your arms will endure, and strong arms will make up for any lack of grip that the wall may have.

As your arms pull your body up, they will get to a point where your shoulders are above your hands and the pulling motion needs to be converted into a pushing motion. The easiest way to do that is as soon as you reach the point where your shoulders are higher than the wall, create a quick motion placing your entire hand on the very top of the wall. Your elbows will not be pointing away from your body on either side,

and your finger tips will be facing a point directly in front of your face. From there, you are ready to extend your arms and put your body the rest

of the way up. While you are pushing up, lean your upper body over the top of the wall. This will create the center of gravity above the wall so you wont fall backwards. As more of your body gets above the top ledge, lean farther forward

With arms and legs fully extended and about half your body is above the top of the wall, you are now ready to pull your feet up. Simply bend and raise your legs and place the on top of the wall one at a time, or bring them over the wall depending on the obstacle. Stand up, and you have completed a Cat leap!

The Gate Vault


The gate vault can also be useful for a hip level (or lower) obstacle that has a considerable drop on the other side, although the gate vault may not be necessary to clear the obstacle, it can help to take impact out of the landing. It is also useful for taller objects where a wallrun or tapvault might not be suitable.

1. Make sure the obstacle, is secure enough to take all of your weight. 2. Bring your hips facing the gate with your left hand holding the top of the gate beside your left hip, palm facing away (thumb pointing left).

3. Fold over the rail and reach your right hand to the bottom bar (railing), further down the fence, or cement grounding.

4. With your arms, pull the weight of your lower body above your head, so that you are inverted, using the lower hand and your hip against the railing for balance.

5. Continue arching the back (tighten your stomach, so your lower back doesnt bear the brunt of the arch) and look for the sky.

6. As your feet pass over your head, with your chest opening towards the direction you are headed, release the left hand and give a slight push off the right hand (this helps achieve more distance from the base of the gate).

7. Spot your landing as you come around to right-side up.

8. As your feet arrive, the rest of your body folds into a low crouch, absorbing the impact and harnessing the momentum so you can continue your run with ease and power, or if necessary, go into a roll to lessen the impact of the landing.

The Monkey/Kong
The monkey vault is a basic vault with many useful applications Approaching the rail with moderate speed. Its your first time so don't go too fast. Be sure you are approaching the rail in a straight line.

Squat Position. Feet planted right before you get to the rail. Both feet should be shoulder with apart and the rest of your body should be in the squat position right before you are going to vault the rail with your arms at your side. Be sure not to be in this position too close to the rail, you want to reach for it a little.

Hand placement on rail. Your hand placement should be the same as your hand placement when gripping handlebars on a bike. Thumbs can be over or under the rail by your preference. Your hands also must be wider than your shoulder width.

Pre-vault. As you pull your body up with your hands, use your feet as well to give you more spring. Lean forward and tuck your legs up.

Vault. Since your hands and arms are farther than should width apart, your legs and feet must pass through in between your arms. Be sure you are still leaned forward a bit and your legs are tucked. Your quads should almost be hitting your chest.

Post-Vault. As soon as your legs pass completely over the rail you can let go of the rail with your hands. The rest of your body can now untuck a bit. Your arms will be trailing behind you a little bit.

Landing. This all depends on speed and height which is further explained by Exo. But since monkey vaults are very straight in nature, they are fairly easy to land everytime.

The Speed Vault


The speed vault is basically the first essential step towards learning the technique and commitment involved in overcoming rails and walls during a Parkour run. Its simplicity and efficiency are well suited to quickly surpassing a variety of objects with little wasted energy. You can come to a rail at full speed, and be on the other side in full sprint before you know it. Your run-up must be powerful enough to carry you over and past the obstacle with one final leap, using your hand for balance and to transfer your weight back to your feet to continue on your way. I have found that longer, more powerful strides are easier to set up proper timing and retain momentum over and beyond the obstacle.

Absolute commitment is the key to retaining momentum from mid-run through the last step, on though and beyond the obstacle. If you get that last moment of doubt, you lose most of your speed and kill the most essential aspect of this technique. Your final step should be taken a few feet from the base of the obstacle with the foot that coincides with the hand you will be vaulting with.

If you hit the last step with enough speed and power, all it takes is a slight boost with the final step at a 45 degree angle to the top of the obstacle. Your body should be in front of your feet at this point, with your lead hand (same side as your final step) coming down towards the top. Your legs and upper body are basically rotating around your torso towards the lead hand, so that when your hand contacts the obstacle, you are parallel to the ground.

The speed from your run up is carrying you over the obstacle, while your hand is retaining balance in the horizontal position of your body.

Once your hand makes contact with the obstacle your momentum is going to do the rest of the work making it to the other side, so you can begin to spot your landing. Your peripheral vision will alert you to any potential hazards right at the base of the obstacle, while your line of site will be slightly in front of where you plan to land.

As your feet pass the plane of the obstacle, press down and out with your hand, which will cause your feet to begin to travel downwards and your upper body upright. Keep your eye ahead of your path of travel and as you straighten up in the air, bring your trailing foot down in front of you, landing in mid-stride at a full run.

The Roll
Rolling is a foundation movement; you cant land from height properly if you dont know how to roll, or if you are not confident in your roll. The roll can take months of practice to build up to a level where youre comfortable doing it on concrete. I suggest starting on carpet or grass, or better yet a padded gym floor.

1. Stand with a shoulder-width "fighting" stance. Your toes will face a 45 degree angle in relation to the direction of your roll, while your hips and torso will be facing forwards. Most people prefer a stance with their right foot forward. For ease, this is written for rolling over your right shoulder. For Leftys, you can simply swap all right / left references.

2. There are three main points to think about when you roll- Tucking your chin, Sweeping your lead arm towards your back foot, and staying tucked tight until you are carried onto your feet by momentum. Hold your right arm out in front of you, as if holding a barrel, with your forearm across your body and down at 45 degrees. This is the start of your round shape; you want this roundness to carry all the way through into your back. When rolling you want to be as round and even as possible. 3. With your left arm hanging loosely slightly away from your side, tuck your head as far under your left armpit as possible, looking back behind you. This is critical to protect your head and neck. This also continues your roundness into your neck, shoulders, and back.

4. Bend your knees slightly and lean forward, beginning to round youre your mid and lower back as you go forward, preparing to roll. Your right arm will be the first thing to contact the ground, but should not bear any appreciable weight. Your right hand should be palm facing you, your hand does not brace your weight.

5. The back of your right shoulder is the first place on your body to bear any weight as you go smoothly into the roll.

6. Continue into your roll, at this point youre upside down, and preparing your landing gear both feet should be tucked up; your left leg will be tucked behind your right, so that your left foot is roughly behind your right knee.

7. Your left foot will land first; it is critical that you hit the edge of your foot, and not hit your ankle flat on the ground. Your ankle is very sensitive form this angle, and hitting it on concrete could shatter it. Now, the blade of your left foot (outside edge) is on the ground, and your right foot is coming flat onto the ground, about 6 inches ahead of it your weight is carrying you through the roll. At this point your arms extend slightly forward, to pull and steer you up out of the roll, this helps with balance as you come to your feet.

8. Keep your knees bent as you come up to your feet, keeping your weight low, push explosively off your right foot, maintaining your momentum from the roll, and thrusting yourself into the direction you wish to carry on.

To advance your practice, place a string on the ground in a straight line (or find a seam in a mat, or some other straight line). Start your roll with your feet 45 degrees on either side. When you roll, check that both of your feet come up along this line. Check to see that your roll was diagonal down your back from shoulder to hip.

The Wallrun
A wallrun is a way to ascend a wall by using one or more steps to propel your body. A wallrun can be one of the most useful techniques to overcome an obstacle, most specifically when the obstacle is too high to vault or jump over. To run up a wall, it takes a few simple things; speed, timing, and a solid push off. To begin the movement, you must have a good run up. Around ten to twelve feet will be sufficient to ascend any wall you are attempting. By running directly at the wall, you will be able to transfer your momentum into going straight up the wall.

Your first step should be slightly higher than if you raised your leg straight in front of you, this will cause you to jump a off the ground and put all of your weight into the foot on the wall.

Use the front of your foot to push up off the wall. You should be pushing with just your toes, not your whole foot. Be sure to get your entire body over your push off foot, otherwise the direction of your movement will be thrown off. When you hit the wall, you should be pushing no farther than forty-five degrees out from the wall, this will ensure that you are always moving up the wall instead of away from

it.

If necessary bring up your other foot for a second step. The next step is much like the first, except it usually acts more as a stabilizer for your momentum than a propellant.

As you begin to hit the peak of your wall run, raise your arms up and reach for the ledge or rail that you are aiming for. As you grasp the top, try to keep your feet between the wall and yourself. This will stop you from slamming into the wall which may cause you to lose your grip. Also, it will allow you to kick up as soon as you grab the top, allowing you to continue your movement without halting.

To top out over the wall takes several actions. First, you must pull yourself up by using upper body strength and by pushing off the wall with your feet. You want to get as much of your body above your arms as possible. Next, kick one leg back while you push with your arms. This will get your hips up and make it easier to efficiently vault or plant on top of the wall. If you can t perform this technique, try to get one foot on the top of the wall as fast as possible. Try to never use your knees to get on top of the wall!

This movement is a very basic but essential thing to master. Variations and progressions of this movement include two or three steps and pop vaults.

Tic-tac
A tic-tac involves using an obstacle to "gain position" on another obstacle. For instance if you want to jump over a wall that is too high, but there is a bench you can jump to first, then you could "Tic-Tac" off the bench to clear the wall. A Tic-Tac can also be done off a wall to change direction or to clear an object that couldn't be cleared from the ground. This technique is commonly used to overcome a low object or gap, to vault a higher object, or leading into a cat leap.

First, run towards the wall at about a 45 degree angle while looking at the spot on the wall where you will place your foot. You don't need a lot of speed; a brisk jog is fine to start out. The greater the angle the more "stick" you will have to the wall, the shallower the angle, the greater distance you will cover across the wall

Leap off the ground with one leg; the other leg extended up towards the wall. Lean away from the wall slightly so you don't just run smack into it. Try getting as high up as possible on the wall while maintaining a solid step.

When your front foot makes contact with the wall, most of your weight should be on the ball of your foot. Begin absorbing as your leaping leg comes forward but don't absorb too much or you will take a lot of the punch out of the leap down. Also the angle of your foot on the wall will vary depending on what comes after the tic tac but generally the direction of the toes will range from 9:00 to 12:00.

Looking at your landing spot, kick off the wall powerfully while bringing your other leg up bent in front of you. Also, straighten your body up to meet the ground vertically. The term "leap down" is a little misleading because you can often get additional height and distance, so think of it as more of a leap out.

Follow the steps for any good landing, extending towards the ground to absorb into a crouch or prepare to roll and continue on your way.

You might also like