Parkour tricks for Beginners

Many people wonder, what is parkour? It’s an upcoming urban sport where you rapidly move through street obstacles via jumps, vaults, climbs and way more. It sounds way more intimidating than it really is ;). We’ll learn you 4 essential parkour tricks to get you started. After these, you can safely explore the streets.

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^{Precision jumping}

Jumps are super important for parkour. It’s the best way to get over obstacles fast. Precision jumps are essential. You can also try these when running. It is your best bet for jumping on small surfaces. For example if you want to land on top of a wall or some rails. It’s all about balance and concentration here. Spread your arms forward and slightly above your head. This will give you power and balance for your jump. Simultaneously, take a squat position to get the most power out of your jump. Now push your arms down and jump forward out of your squat position. Make sure to raise your legs for a big jump. Try to land in the middle of your obstacle for the most balance.

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^{Cat leap}

This trick is a combination between climbing and jumping. It’s the best move for when the landing-point of an obstacle is too high. Imagine jumping from a smaller wall on a bigger wall. You’ll jump from the smaller wall to the bigger, arms stretched and pulling yourself onto the big wall. Just like a cat in the curtains ;). So first you jump, aiming to get your hands on top of the next obstacle. Once you have a firm grip on the wall, pull yourself up the next obstacle. Use your legs here! Place your feet firmly against the wall and push up. Remember: push your legs, pull your arms! After that you can stretch your arms and lean forward to the obstacle. Keeping your balance and using both arms and legs is key here.

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^Vaulting

Sometimes you have to jump over an obstacle mid-run. These obstacles can be a little to big to simply jump over. This is where vaulting comes in. Vaulting is when you place your hands on the obstacle to help you clear it. There are many different vaults. Here we’ll show you the easiest. It has 4 basic steps you need to know:

1. Place your hands firmly on the obstacle

2. Jump with your left leg, swing on your right leg on the obstacle.

3. Let your right hand go, that way you have space swing your left leg through.

4. Continue this motion and land with your feet on the ground!

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^Landing

The most important parkour skill is landing! It will help you to quickly continue on to your next trick. And it will safe you some teeth and tears ;). Depending on the height and speed, you can either do a two-foot landing or add in a shoulder roll. If it’s just a small jump a two-foot landing will do just fine. Your feet should be shoulder-with, knees slightly bend. This will help spread the impact. Try to land on the balls of your feet. If you jump from bigger heights with more speed, add in a roll. It will help absorb the impact of the fall. Land normally on your feet first, and continue the motion into a roll. Aim for your shoulder and roll diagonally to your opposite hip. Tuck your head in and make sure to practice.