Topic: That Naruto thing.

[BandGeek]

So, I was watching Naruto, one of the movies, with my little brother the other night, he really wanted me to watch it with him, and I had seen this really awesome move that one of the ninja dudes did. He would grab the bar, or branch or pole with both hands right next to each other, then he would bring himself fowards and bring his hands close to his crotch whilst having his legs out at an about 120 degree angle, with his legs on the outside of his arms.



First of all, is this possible, second has somebody already done this and if somebody has what is it called, and third of all, could somebody make a video of how to do this?

[Phil S.]

Do you mean like the thing they do in gymnastics? I think I know what your talking about but I don't know what it's called.

[Alex B]

sounds like an inside-out kong, with the arms inside and the legs outside. 'I've seen that before, but I cant remember the name, sounds like a gymnastics move though.

[Alex L.]

I think a Saddle Vault is the name. I'm sure you can find that vault in one of David Belles video's.

[Phil S.]

wait does the ninja dude hold that position or does he sort of leapfrog it like a straddle vault?

[BandGeek]

It's a vault, he doesn't hold it. It does look like a gymnastics move.

[Dan Frank]

Sounds like a straddle vault to me. The pole/branch/whatever was horizontal, not vertical, right?

[Alex L.]

wait does the ninja dude hold that position or does he sort of leapfrog it like a straddle vault?

That's what it's called. Straddle not Saddle.

[Jimmy Lee]

If he wasn't going over the bar then that would be straddle L sit. Gymnasts doing the uneven bars or rings require such movement sometimes (apparently a lot for the uneven bars). If you can hold L sit, then it's not so hard to perform as long as you can pull yourself up and over the bar (muscle-up).

[BandGeek]

Jimmy, that is exactly what it is, thanks for the illustration.



Now does anyone know how to do it, like as a vault?

[Dalton A]

If you wanna do it as a vault, then just jump over something like you're playing leapfrog.  However, it's really hard to do on things like walls or rails.  You should try it on a trash can, or something relatively tall but narrow.  It's honestly the easiest vault in the world, just go out and try it.

[Alex B]

its probably best to just use a kong. I cant imagine a situation where this would be better

[Steve Zavitz]

That specific move that you're referring to is called a stalder.  It's a move that's usually associated with the high bar or uneven bars in gymnastics.  As far incorporating it into parkour, it wouldn't be very useful, but could look flashy if you're flexible enough.  I've also found that a straddle stall (much like a monkey stall, but you bring both legs up outside of your arms) is useful if you're mounting a rail.  Having my legs farther out helps with balancing.

Here's a video of the stalder: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_szJmr6erg

[Jacob Wood]

its probably best to just use a kong. I cant imagine a situation where this would be better

well sometimes it is better to straddle than kong. railing it is way easier to kong. more narrow things such as those blue mail box things, those pole things outside of stores, or a barrell it is easier to straddle because of hand placement issues. i never use it if i would need to do a full split.

[Shamas]

its probably best to just use a kong. I cant imagine a situation where this would be better

well sometimes it is better to straddle than kong. railing it is way easier to kong. more narrow things such as those blue mail box things, those pole things outside of stores, or a barrell it is easier to straddle because of hand placement issues. i never use it if i would need to do a full split.

I disagree. If you can stradle vault it, it would make more sense to do a manuever like a kong. It is preference and a matter of how flashy you want to come off as. In reality, if you are doing this vault it is for show. I am not advocating against it. I am merely stating that it is a flashy move not a necessary one.

[Alex B]

actually, I am now disagreeing with my previous comment - during my free periods at school I go to an empty hallway and train. theres a few garbage cans in that hallway that I cant quite monkey/kong (a mixture of the height and the fact that they are not wide enough for me to get my legs through my hands easily) I COULD, however, do a straddle over it.

[Chris Kessler]

Honestly, if you CAN straddle it, then just run around it (assuming that it is on the ground). That would be the most efficient movement IMO.

[Shamas]

actually, I am now disagreeing with my previous comment - during my free periods at school I go to an empty hallway and train. theres a few garbage cans in that hallway that I cant quite monkey/kong (a mixture of the height and the fact that they are not wide enough for me to get my legs through my hands easily) I COULD, however, do a straddle over it.

Trash cans are usually unstable objects. They can turn messy quickly. Recommendation-don't vault over unstable objects, in my opinion.

[Jacob Wood]

actually, I am now disagreeing with my previous comment - during my free periods at school I go to an empty hallway and train. theres a few garbage cans in that hallway that I cant quite monkey/kong (a mixture of the height and the fact that they are not wide enough for me to get my legs through my hands easily) I COULD, however, do a straddle over it.

Trash cans are usually unstable objects. They can turn messy quickly. Recommendation-don't vault over unstable objects, in my opinion.

hey if im running for my life and all thats is between me and safety is a trash can, im straddle vaulting it. i find it faster to straddle than go around, it saves some momentum

[Dan Frank]

actually, I am now disagreeing with my previous comment - during my free periods at school I go to an empty hallway and train. theres a few garbage cans in that hallway that I cant quite monkey/kong (a mixture of the height and the fact that they are not wide enough for me to get my legs through my hands easily) I COULD, however, do a straddle over it.

I don't know if I'm pointing this out mistakenly, but your legs shouldn't go all the way through your arms. When I do monkeys/kongs, my legs are well behind my arms until the very last second, at which point I already have enough height and momentum to not clip my feet on the obstacle. You should be able to do a monkey/kong with your hands together, like you're doing diamond/tricep pushups.

The biggest boon of straddle vaults is probably the flexibility required. I mean, unless you can do full side-splits, it'll probably never come in handy, because,  like Chris said, you can just run around it. But it's great for fun and for improving your spatial awareness.