Both a “punch” and a “plyo” are two-footed jumps in the sport of parkour. But a plyo is not a punch. In this lesson from Zoic Nation, learn how to do a plyometric jump, safely. Andy demonstrates how to step into a plyo (instead of hopping or hurdling into it) for a quiet landing on the balls of your feet, as well as how to swing your arms forward into your jump for momentum. Finally, he illustrates common mistakes that people make and shows what a well-executed plyo should look like.
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Parkour is a free-style method of exercise and exploration, in which an individual propels him- or herself through a urban landscape using only their surroundings and their own body—it requires agility and good form in order to prevent injury. In this lesson from Zoic Nation, learn how to do a parkour cat grab. Andy starts by outlining baby steps to get started with, as well as the often-injurious mistakes that people often make, before demonstrating a perfect cat grab.
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Somewhere between gymnastics and martial arts is Parkour, a challenging, physical discipline requiring speed, body control, and flexibility. In this essential lesson for Parkour and freerunning novices, review two essential skills: warm ups and landings. If you want to start practicing Parkour and freerunning safely as a beginner, this lesson is a great place to start.
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One fundamental movement of both Parkour and Freerunning is the Vault. The Vault is a basic maneuver that you can use to safely hurdle over obstacles, including low walls, railings and fences. If you are looking for a movement that will allow you to navigate the landscape while maintaining your forward momentum, this is it! In this fun and quick lesson, you learn how to do the Speed, Reverse and Monkey Vaults.
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If you've mastered the 180 front flip of parkour, it's time to get a little more hardcore. Nick Provost offers parkour training that teaches you the aerial twist, a great way to get over or off of any obstacle. Learn the run up, foot position, and arm movements you need to successfully pull off this impressive move.
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A cat always lands on its feet, and so does a parkour jumper! Zoic Nation takes you through the dos and don'ts of landing precisely after a parkour jump. Learn to land on the balls of your feet and how to absorb the impact with your body. Find out where to hold your chest and at what angle to bend your knees. The video also offers a list of common mistakes for you to avoid.
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Ever wanted to do backflips of joy but not known how? Let parkour and freerunning teacher Nick Provost teach you how to execute this gymnastics move. You’ll learn the proper body angles and form for executing this acrobatic move while also getting advice on safe practice spaces. The backflip is an advanced and impressive flip you’ll be able to perform with practice.
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In this lesson on a fundamental Parkour element—the Cat Leap—review important environmental considerations, as well as the basics of hand and foot placement. When approaching a wall from a leap, where should you place your hands? How about your feet? Learn here! Discover why it matters if a wall has a good "grip", how a rail on top can make the move easier, and why angles are key in leg movement. Cover the standing and running variations, too!
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Once you’ve got the front flip down, it’s time to learn another common parkour trick: the side flip. You’ll learn how to achieve lots of height and distance, turn your body for maximum momentum, and position your hands to land the trick as easily as possible. Nick Provost demonstrates how to prepare and execute this common move.
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This parkour and freerunning lesson from Nick Provost demonstrates how to do a dash vault and a kash vault - both great moves for getaways on foot. The dash vault looks how it sounds: a quick dash that vaults you over an obstacle. Learn how to maintain your momentum to continue running after the move. Then, once you know how to do a dash vault and a kong vault (another move that hurdles you over an obstacle), learn the hybrid kash vault.
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Looking to add some more acrobatic moves to your parkour skills? In this lesson by parkour and free running teacher Nick Provost, you’ll learn how to do a front flip. From the run up to landing on two feet, you’ll learn how to gain momentum and transfer it into height. Then, hop onto an obstacle and add a half twist. You'll spin your way to a 180 front flip. Just remember to lead with your head when you execute this advanced gymnastics move!
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What is the most important Parkour element? It's not a vault, and not the Wall Run. It's the Parkour Roll! If you are new to the sport, don't worry, because in this lesson seasoned Parkour vet Alexandr Zhurko goes over the roll from the very beginning. Start with basic exercises in order to understand fundamentals of the roll, including posture and body position, and then proceed to more complicated things such as a diving roll and roll from landings.
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Step your parkour or freerunning game up a notch by learning and practicing a few hurdling tricks: the lazy vault, the kong vault and the double kong vault. As your parkour and freerunning coach Nick Provost instructs and demonstrates, you’ll find that each vault pretty much looks how it sounds; the lazy vault a sideways leap across a surface, the kong vault a gorilla-esque dash across an obstacle, and the double kong a longer move for those vital getaways.
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If you’ve mastered the backflip, take your twisting and jumping to the next level with a back full – a combination of a full twist and backflip. In this parkour lesson by Nick Provost, you’ll learn how to spin and spot in order to propel yourself off any obstacle and land on your feet. You’ll learn how to gain momentum without sacrificing proper form.
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Once you’ve learned how to do a simple cartwheel and a one-handed cartwheel, you’re ready to take the next step in acrobatic flips: the aerial. This impressive gymnastics move is sometimes called a side somersault or hands-free cartwheel. In this lesson, Christopher Tung will break down the move step-by-step to give you the tools you need for a flawless execution. But before you gymnasts, tumblers, and free running pros get to flipping, remember to warm-up properly with several stretches.
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Ready to learn how to do a side flip? In this lesson, teacher Christopher Tung uses stop-action footage to show you exactly how to take off and jump higher. You'll see how to position your arms to generate torque when spinning, control your tuck, and spot the ground for a smooth landing. With some practice, you'll be able to add this trick to your free running and parkour moves!
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The Monkey Vault is a basic Parkour move that is the basis of several more advanced movements such as the Monkey Gainer and Monkey Precision. But before getting to these slick moves you need to start with the fundamentals! First, get an overview of the move. Then, review two important exercises for training your skills. Finally, learn to complete the move from a running start!
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Can you reach the top of a wall with a good run, strong jump, and a bit of upper body strength? If this sounds like a feat fit for a superhero, check out this Parkour lesson and learn to scale a wall yourself! This move—called the Wall Run—works on both high and low walls using the same basic techniques. Review the approach, the initial jump, and get tips on how to get to the top quickly by maintaining momentum as you go.
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If you’ve already mastered back fulls, it’s time to move onto the easy standing gainer, then the trickier (but more fun) full gainer. In this parkour lesson, Nick Provost shows you how to prepare your body and mind to execute a standing gainer, which is basically a backflip with forward momentum. Then, add a spicy twist to try out the full gainer. Start off flipping onto a soft surface, for safety’s sake, and eventually you’ll be able to incorporate gainers into complex and challenging courses.
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