Daily Parkour and Free Running Tips

This page will be updated regularly with random parkour and free running tips from Ronnie Shalvis.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #28 - Bars
When you first begin training on bars, it can be very easy create blisters or rip the skin on your palms. When training watch your hands closely and stop once you feel like they might be getting close. Do that everyday and eventually you will build up callouses that can take the stress.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #27 - Fear
Learning to overcome fear takes practice. Start by overcoming smaller things that cause you fear and work up to the bigger ones. Just remember that fear is also a safety mechanism and can be good for us, but with too much fear it will hold us back from our true potential.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #26 - Crash Mats
Can't afford a crash mat to help you learn flips? Improvise using an old mattress or a large pile of blankets and pillows. You can also find natural padding such as sand, soft marshy grass and bushes.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #25 - Work out
There are a lot of great work out programs that are beneficial for parkour. More important then what the program is, is that you are exercising and conditioning regularly for parkour.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #24 - Winter Weather
Training in winter weather? Spend an extra amount of time checking surfaces. If a surface is slippery you can still do jumps and moves off of it as long as you use correct balance and take off for slippery surfaces.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPWXtEDHsdM 

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #23 - Core Strength
Your core strength supports almost every parkour and free running move you do. Be sure to work it out regularly in different ways. Now watch as your 6 pack forms.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #22 - Endurance
When it comes to the true art of escape in parkour, endurance training is one of the most important elements. Just as important as the actual movements of parkour.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #21 - Night
Consider training at night. This will give you the opportunity to improve your other senses while doing parkour. Relying more on your sense of touch and sound rather then sight. Still be very careful and cautious when you train at night and the area you train in.

RonnieStreetStunt Tip #20 - Friends
Don't be afraid to find friends to train with. Training with others can help you push yourself, bounce ideas of each other and provide a support system. If you see someone watching you invite them to learn with you!

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #19 - Shoes
When picking out shoes for parkour, look for a flat sole made from one piece of rubber. This provides more surface area for grip and won't wear out as fast as soles made with many pieces of rubber.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #18 - Minimalist
Training in foot wear with minimal amount of padding allows you to have a better feel of the surface you are on. This can help you improve your landing technique, balance and the strength of your feet. Just be careful when starting out with minimal padding as it can be easier to bruise your feet. 

RonnieStreetSTunts Tip #17 - Locations
Sometimes it can be difficult finding good parkour spots, be sure to always be on the look out for parkour spots even if you are doing something not parkour related, then take a mental note. (Its easy for me since no matter what I'm doing I'm always day dreaming about what I can climb on or jump off of anywhere I go at any time.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #16 - Rolling
Learn to roll different directions (Forwards, backwards, sideways).That way you can be prepared for any direction you end up falling. 
Recover Roll Segment: http://youtu.be/eMC-1_q8zg0?t=2m47s

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #15 - Vaults
Many people think vaulting is all in the arms, when really a huge part of any kind of vault is in the jump and momentum. Your arms are merely used for transferring your momentum.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #14 - Injury
Injured ankle or knee? Perfect opportunity to get really good at hands stands (Practice handstands anytime anywhere). Injured arm or shoulder? Time to get really good at jumping (Try lots of variations of jumping). 

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #12 - Pistols
A great exercise to improve balance, leg and knee strength for parkour are pistols. Pistols are one legged squats but going as low as you can go. Take them nice and slow, and feel free to use an object to help you balance at first.
(video segment on pistols http://youtu.be/h6vK_HNxLjI?t=1m23s)

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #11 - Winter Mats
Bad winter weather? Take advantage of the white fluffy stuff everywhere by using big piles of snow to fashion some free crash pads. (An example of this will be seen in my next video: Free Running on Ice Skates) http://youtu.be/nmtpngSjKqE?t=2m27s 

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #10 - Cat Leaps
When performing cat leaps, lead with your feet in front of your body to absorb the impact against the wall. Be prepared for you feet to slip down as this can often happen. 
(Video segment on cat leaps: http://youtu.be/vPWXtEDHsdM?t=4m18s)

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #9 - Surface 
When training in a new area be sure to test each of the obstacles before you try anything. This can help prevent something breaking on you and causing injury, or ending up with your face right next to a bee hive. (True Story)

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #8 - Focus
Learn how to overcome distractions when training. It can be difficult to train in public with other people around to see or the sound of cars passing by. This is a perfect opportunity to practice overcoming fears and improve your focus. Learn how to block everything out and just focus on the movement. It requires practice and becomes a state of meditation in movement.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #7 - Childlike 

Most of us had the parkour mentality inside of us when we were kids, playing on the playground, climbing things, jumping off the couch. As we got older society taught us not to do that anymore. Getting back in touch with your parkour spirit can be as simple as looking at the world around you like a child.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #6 - Blocking
Blocking is an essential technique for the front flip. Think of riding a bike, if you slam on the front brakes its going to flip you forward. Your feet are like brakes, run forward and slam on the brakes as you start jumping into the flip. This will help you gain height and rotation.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #5 - Hand Protection
It is a tendency for some starting out parkour to want to wear gloves to protect their hands. If you don’t give in, you will build callouses on your hands over time, and be a lot tougher from it.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #4 - Philosophy 

Discover how parkour can influence other aspects of your personal life. For example (my own): Any path I choose in life there will be obstacles, so I must choose the path not with the least amount of obstacles, but with the obstacles that will teach me what I need to learn in life. "Life is made up of obstacles and challenges to overcome them is to progress" - Sebastien Foucan (Founder of Free Running)

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #3 - Precision
While jogging, practice landing the ball of your feet on cracks in the sidewalk or running along the edge of the curb. This is a simple way to improve your precision jump and cascade technique.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #2 - Kong Vault

To avoid clipping your feet on Kong or Monkey vaults try and bring your hips higher so they are level with your shoulders, in this tucked position rely on your momentum to clear the obstacle.

RonnieStreetStunts Tip #1 - Instincts
Even if you have mastered the roll, practice it everyday when you train to maintain your muscle memory and reaction time. So if you do slip or fall, your instincts will allow you to roll quickly and prevent injury.