Introduction: Parkour and Freerunning Collaboration
Hi everyone, I am posting this instructable so that everyone can contribute their own parkour/freerunning moves.
As bballchamp kindly pointed out, there is a line between freerunning and parkour. Parkour is about being efficient and quick in what you do to reach your destination using the least energy yet quickest time possible. Freerunning however is using moves that are pointless other than to have fun, but look better. it uses moves from parkour, made to look better but harder to do, and other moves from gymnastics, eg. frontflips to enhance the aesthetic qualities of the sport.
I am in a group called High Vaultage, and anyone practicing should go around in groups for safety reasons. Enjoy doing Parkour and have fun!
Here is a link for another instructable on parkour
Step 1: Long Jumps
This is a standard jump for distance
You can practice on flat ground of off a ledge
Executing
1a.Put your arms behind you, lean a bit forward and bend your legs to about 90 degrees. This is starting position for standing.1b.Take a run up, putting your arms behind you and taking smallish steps. This is for a running jump.
2a.Swing your arms forward whilst springing off both legs, try to take your arms behind your head and your legs behind your waist. Try to stay upright.
2b. Use your springing leg to push back and kick your trailing leg in front of you, whilst throwing your arms forward and back behind your head
3.When you feel like stopping, put your arms just in front of your waist, and put both legs in front of you.
4.When your legs hit the ground, crouch or roll to reduce the impact.
Troubleshooting
1.If you land not on your feet, try landing soonerVariations
1.180/360 jump - throw your arms diaggonallyStep 2: Vaulting
Here we are, the standard vault, the easiest way (in my oppinion) to get over railings, fences, benches, tables or walls.
Execution
Find a good railing. If you are just starting out, only use one below waist height.1.Walk back a few meters, as much as you feel necessary
2.Take a good run up, not to fast, but fast enough to get momentum.
3.About 80cm(not quite 3 ft. for imperial users) from the railing, take a small hop
4.Only put your feet back on the floor for a fraction of a second. Too long and you will lose speed
5.Place both hands on the rail and spring up straight away, putting your legs to the side and tucking them in. As your legs are near to your inside arm, remove it to let the legs past.
6.After you are over the bar (assuming you are :P), begin to straighten your legs, and when they hit the floor, crouch down marginally, and get up.
Troubleshooting
1. Do not slow down towards the end of the run because of fear, if you do, you will not clear the bar.2. Do not forget the hop!
3. Put your legs to whichever side you find natural - i go over to the left because i am right handed.
Variations
1. 180/360 vault - Assuming you put your legs to the left like i do, hold your right hand out in front of you, and rotate it 180 degrees clockwise (if it is your left hand, 180 degrees anticlockwise). This is the position that your hand will be in. Run up normally Then as you put your hands on the rail, put your rotated hand rotated on it, then as you spring up after the hop, try to get rotating 180 or 360. degrees in the same direction that you had to rotate your hand. This is a 180/360 vault.2.One hander - only put your outer hand on the obstacle
3.Reverse Vault - Put your legs to the other side and remove the other hand.
Step 3: Lazy Vaults
A lazy vault is easier to do than a vault, and is more useful if you are running at a bar side on
execution
1.run paralel to a bar and put the closer hand on it2.Immediately kick up with your closer foot and carry your other foot over after
3.Land paralel to the bar and carry on running
troubleshooting
1.If you can't kick over, try on a lower railingvariations
1.180/360 - Put your hand on rotated 180 degrees outwards and carry yourself overStep 4: Monkey Vaults/Monks
Better for getting over thin obstacles than vaulting, but harder to do.
Execution
1.Run up and hop like in a vault2.Put both hands on the bar, spring up and tuck your legs in like a tuck jump.
3. Keep your arms straight and thrust your shoulders down, keeping your arms vertical.
4.Once your feet are over, let go with both hands and straighten your legs for a landing
Troubleshooting
If you constantly hit your feet on the obstacle, try "jumping" a bit off your arms.Step 5: Kongs
Kongs are basically wide-monks.
Execution
1.Run up and hop2. throw your arms in front of you and dive forward.
3.At any point in the dive you feel like, put one hand on each side of the table, tuck your legs in and perform a monk.
Troubleshooting
If you can't get the monk in, try monking earlierVariations
1.Double/tripple kong. Do a kong, then put your hands on again, and land it.Step 6: Kash Vaults
A Kash vault is a cross between a dash and a kong. you can get further with these than your average kong or dash.
Execution
1.Perform a kong, and as your feet near your hands, push off your fingers slightly and then assume dash position.2.Carry it on
Troubleshooting
if you cant do it after 20 or so tries, keep practising kongs. that is all i can say.Variations
1.Double/triple kash variation 1. After reaching dash position, push up really hard with your arms and throw your head forward, and also tuck up your legs. Then do the kash again, without your feet touching anything.2. Double/tripple kash variation 2. This is like a multiple kong, but you just go to a dash afterwards.
Step 7: Gate Flip
(nb - i couldn't find a picture but i found a video instead ;P)
One of them fails but look at the closer one to see what it looks like.
Execution
1.Take a run up but don't hop2.Put one hand on the top bar rotated 180 degrees and the other on the bottom bar and kick up
3.Go over slightly to the side and don't let go until you land. You should naturally do a 180
Troubleshooting
If you can't get over, try going over nearly completely sideways to practice and move up each time.Variations
1.Throw flip - Go over so you are upside down and then let go so you go over like a frontflip2.360 - Rotate a bit more thoroughly.
3.Symmetrical flip - put both hands on the top and flip over with straight arms
Step 8: Cat Leap
Execution
1.Run to a bar and jump at it about a meter and a half away2.Plant your feet on the bottom bar and then put your hands on the top
3.This can also be done on walls!
Step 9: Front Somersaults/flips
The frontflip, hard to do but great fun
Executing
1. Take a good long run up, quite fast2.Take a small hop like in the vault
3.Spring up, curl up and throw your arms forward at the same time, and lay them to rest clutching your knees.
4. When you see the sky, begin to uncurl and when you land, roll, don't crouch.
Troubleshooting
1. Do not slow down, or chicken out at the last minute, this could result in serious injuryVariations
1.180/360 flip - Do the same as above, except throwing your arms down diagonally, and do not curl up.2.Doubleflip - jump high after the run and hop, and curl up really tight. Uncurl the second time you see the sky.
3. Highflip - run up to a low bar to start with, then a meter away, do a small hop, then flip over. Try to reach upside-down stage just as you go over the bar so if you do go too little a distance, you will land with it behind your knee
Step 10: Backflip
A backflip is actually easier than a frontflip physically, but requires more mental determination.
1) Stand with arms above the head
2) swing arms down and back, while crouching, ready to spring up
3) Jump straight up, at the peak of the jump, bring knees into your armpits The other way around will result in a faceplant, and that's not recommended.
4) While you're upside down, spot the landing, and punch feet towards the ground HARD to stick the landing, finish with a backroll.
Ideally, you're learning this in a controlled environment such as a gymnastics gym, but if you aren't, please be careful, and be on something soft. I personally suggest a grassy hill, and flip down the hill.
The picture below demonstrates how to do a backflip off of something almost as tall as yourself, it requires less of a tuck, and more of a "throw yourself backwards and put your feet over your head" motion.
To twist, wait until you are almost upside-down, then move like you're elbowing something behind you, and look that direction.
Pictures soon-ish.
Step 11: Gainers
Execution
1.Run up2.Kick forward and up with your trailing foot
3.Throw your arms back and spring with your foot that diidn't kick
Step 12: Rolls
Execution
1.Jump and plant both feet on the ground2.fall over and put your hands on the ground, then roll over one shoulder
3.Get up and keep running!
Step 13: Underbars
Execution
Watch the videotroubleshooting
1.if you hit your feet on the floor or the mid height bar, find some wider spaceStep 14: Dash Vault
This can be used like the kong and vault to get over most obstacles, except this cannot be used on bars
execution
1.Run up to your obstacle, and do a sort of 2 legged hurdle with both legs in front.2.When your feet cross the line of the edge of the obstacle, put your hands on the obstacle and carry yourself over.
troubleshooting
If you can't do the 2 leg hurdle without hitting it, try and find a lower obstacleVariations
1.180/360 - put one hand on rotated round 180 degrees outwards, and kick slightly to the sideStep 15: Wall Spin
execution
1.Run not quite paralel to a wall, hop, and plant both hands on it, the inner arm above the lower2.Spring up, keeping your knees slightly bent.
3.When you are upside-down, take your top hand off and land facing the opposite way to the way you started at
Troubleshooting
Just be confident!Step 16: Upwards Wall Run
How to run up a wall
execution
1.run head on to a wall2.when you reach it, plant your foot and the opposite hand(ie.left leg, right hand) on the wall
3.Channel the force to your toes and fingers and push yourself upwards
4.If you feel like it, put the other hand and other foot on the wall and push up
5.When you reach the top of the wall, put one hand on the top then the other, then your feet, you should be in the cat balance position. From here, you should be able to shimmy sideways or vault up over the wall, i even did a wall spin and landed it a few times!
troubleshooting
if you find yourself traveling away from the wall, lean forward, and put the weight on your toes.variations
1.wallflip - run up the wal without your hands, still leaning forward, then push off from the wall, and throw your arms behind your head, then land the backflip. You could incorporate a twist as well.Step 17: Horizontal Wallruns
This can be used to cross gaps in floor or to get over bars and other obstacles
executing
1.Run paralel to a wall and plant your outer foot and your inner hand on the wall2.push forwards and then place your inner foot on the wall, keeping your hand bobbing on the wall
3.Keep stepping untill you begin to fall down, then land on the floor
troubleshooting
If you push off the wall, lean even further inStep 18: Speed Vaults
These are just quicker 1 handed vaults without the hop and performed differently
execution
1.Run up to the obstacle2.When you reach about 2 ft in front of it stick your hand out (the one that stays on the bar in vaults) and just swing over it to the side.
3.Land it in the right direction and keep running.
troubleshooting
If you can't get over, use a different obstacle.Step 19: Aesthetic Moves and "Chase Choreography"
1.Wall spins, flips, gate flips, gainers have been mentioned previously.
2.Wall twist-run: To do this, run parallel to a wall, then place your outer hand/foot on the wall and spin round, placing your inner hand/foot on the wall on the way back. if you want to descend down a wall with a long fall, you could do this whilst pushing up to descend down. I haven't tried this yet, but maybe I will...
3.Wall flip: Run up a wall and flip off it.
4.Dive rolls: instead of vaulting a 3 ft bench, try dive rolling it! simply run up to it, hop, dive over, then plant your hands on the floor, and perform a parkour roll. keep running!
5.Hand springs: Same as flips, but you put your hands on the floor and kick your feet in the direction you're going.
Chase scenes
This is the really fun part! Basically, a group of people chase after a person in the group, and perform tricks on the way. You can make a scenario, say the chasers are ninjas, the police, gangsters looking for meat etc. Look at the chase scene below from the movie District B13 starring david belle - the creator of parkour!
Man I wish i was that good.
You could put together a collaboration of tricks with your friends, or make a 5 minute long chase scene. remember b13?
Step 20: Conclusion
I will add more moves, but if you want to as well, ask me and i will make you a collaborator!
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any injuries, pains or death sustained by practicing Parkour and Freerunning.

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171 Discussions
9 years ago on Introduction
monkey vaults are also commonly known as kongs
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
They're actually slightly different. Kongs feature a dive forward and your legs never pass your hands, while a monkey vault is upwards movement where your feet meet your hands at the peak.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
do u know how many times the double-kong has been attempted and landed?
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Countless, it's a staple move of one of the guys in my team when it comes to long obstacles and I find it useful on occasion. Not nearly as difficult as it sounds but it requires a lot of momentum to be performed successfully.
8 years ago on Introduction
I'm addicted to free running and parkour. There are some great instructables on the topic, and this is one of them
8 years ago on Step 15
lol the little girl on the bike is just like uhhhh...
8 years ago on Step 2
is this legel ? just curious
Reply 8 years ago on Step 2
Yeah, except not in areas you aren't allowed to go in.
Reply 8 years ago on Step 2
sweet , what is a sisser kick?
9 years ago on Introduction
hey guys just chucking it out their , inbox me and let me know if you want any advice tips tricks or want me to make a vid tut , iv been training for about 5 years now and im keen to help out
9 years ago on Introduction
Do you really think that it is a good idea to put a scene from a rated R movie in an instructable that kids are probably going to be reading?
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
There's nothing harmful in the scene itself, I see no problem.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
That is exactly what one of my tech teachers said when he I asked him why for a project why we had to act out scenes from rated R movies for a project. That night half the students in the class went home and watched the movies on youtube.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
That's irrelevant - you might as well say that movie adverts for "R-Rated" movies shouldn't be shown on TV as people underage might watch them.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
ya but it is not plesant to have cursing
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
This was over months ago. Don't ressurrect old arguments. Either way, there's nothing wrong with "cursing", people shouldn't be so offended by simple words.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
well i do and i hate have to read or hear cusing so please try to keep it to a minimum
9 years ago on Introduction
I did a double front flip off my highschool today, my friend chickened out and just jumped off and roleld.
12 years ago on Step 9
Always throw your arms straight up, throwing them forward gives you distance, but less height, and height is important unless you have quite a distance to fall. To twist, wait until almost upside down, then "elbow" an invisible person behind you and look that direction, same as the backflip.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
not how I learned to twist, I twist once I'm alittle past horizontal and can almost see the ground. Today i went for and did a 1 1/2 twisting front flip and double twisting backflip.