Topic: Ambidextrous?

[meamaslimjim]

I'm not really sure where to put this, but anyways....
When I do any vault, my right side obviously dominates. I always have to swing my legs to the left. When I attempt to use my left arm and swing to the right, I end up hitting the rail or stopping before jumping. This is pretty much the same scenario with other movements.

I've heard these numerous times: "Do only what's comfortable" but "Try to be ambidextrous".

Well, I would love to be ambidextrous, since I think it would help me be more efficient. Any advice as to how I can achieve this?

[Mitchell Lewis]

Well, don't start of trying to vault things you normally do from your comfortable side. For instance, I can lazy vault an armpit high wall on my right side, but I would want to train on something waist high for my left first. You're going to have to take baby steps to become truly ambidextrous, and ramp it up over time.

In short, do what you already do. Just do it smaller.

[WQ F]

I asked the same question a while ago. Since then, I discovered that it's not the hand-- it is the foot that is determining which side I lean. My right foot always leave the ground first. I use my right hand for lazy and left hand for most of my other vaults. I do a bit of training with lower obstacles leaning the other way. Funny thing I noticed is that jumping off the left foot provides more power, but jumping off the right foot provides more spin.
I'm no where near ambidextrous yet, but I'm getting there. It's mainly just practice from a lower height and working your way up. Sometimes I wonder should I work a new move from both sides at the same time or get good at one side, then train the other side.

[ryan grice]

I've been working on this too. You just have to think back to the way you originally learned whatever maneuver you're trying to do, and start back there for your off hand. It should go faster than the first time you learned it at first, but certain limitations like less power or dexterity in your off side might make it take a long time before it catches up to your dominant side. Try doing everyday things with your off hand on a consistent basis; it should get you more used to using that side so you'll be more free to think about the move as opposed to which hand is doing it.
On a sort of related note, both my brother and I are right-handed but do most "parkour moves" left-handed. The only reason I can possibly come up with is that four years of marching band has left me with a massively disproportionate amount of strength in my left shoulder, which might help with a lot of vaults. Just wondering if anyone else is like this, or has a theory as to why I am.

[Team Avian]

There are a few ways I taught myself "both side technique"...

First off, I was teaching group of people the basic vaults (Speed Monkey Lazy) because they lead into other ones (Monkey leads to Kash, Dash, Kong, Simple, etc. Speed leads to Turn and Lazy, Lazy leads to Flare techniques)

So anyways, to the point this time...  While teaching them I stressed the importance of learning both sides and how I'd actually not followed up on that... So I got down with them and started teaching myself the other side while they were learning the vaults... So basically, I didn't "Intimidate" the youngsters by looking at least decent while vaulting...

So I had the chance to have an excuse for being terrible lol! helped a lot and also helped me teach them because I got to see if my steps and explanations were correct

(My explanations were to break it down into segments and basically do an add on each time or each 3 times... (Start by just getting up, then get further, then further, then over, basically...)

Overly long story short, just do it the same way you learned how to vault on your dominant side (well that worked for me at least {Everyone experiences PK/FR/TR differently}

-Kyle(Rage)

[meamaslimjim]

Sorry for not posting a lot earlier (like a month), I've been quite busy.

Anyway, thank you guys. I've taken all your advice to the outdoors and been practicing. Using my left side is getting a little bit easier every session.

+1   =D

[David M.]

Whats really odd for me is that I'm right handed, right eyed, and right footed but I always vault with my left hand. I suck with my right.

[Brett Robert]

Train everything bilaterally (bilateral = both sides, ambidextrous refers to the ability to use both hands equally well, we use the whole body) from the moment you learn it.  Sometimes work on your "weak" side first.  Don't just train your dominant side and keep going bigger and bigger with that until you realize months later you're inept with the other side.  It's easier to do it right at the start.

If you're already past that, include bilateral vault drills in your warmups.  Find a nice easy rail or wall, after you've jogged, and practice speed, lazy, etc. 10 times each side, then move on to your regular stuff.  Repetition, repetition, repetition.  Don't avoid what is difficult for you, or it will never become easy.

[David M.]

Don't avoid what is difficult for you, or it will never become easy.

I like that. Did you come up with it?

[Brett Robert]

Don't avoid what is difficult for you, or it will never become easy.

I like that. Did you come up with it?

No, a music teacher I had gave the principle, I reworded it.  Everything I know I learned from someone.

[David M.]

Don't avoid what is difficult for you, or it will never become easy.

I like that. Did you come up with it?

No, a music teacher I had gave the principle, I reworded it.  Everything I know I learned from someone.

Ah. Can I use it in my sig?

[Brett Robert]

Ah. Can I use it in my sig?

Yeah, go for it!

[David M.]

Ah. Can I use it in my sig?

Yeah, go for it!

Thanks.

[Spencer B]

Don't avoid what is difficult for you, or it will never become easy.

I like that. Did you come up with it?

No, a music teacher I had gave the principle, I reworded it.  Everything I know I learned from someone.

I'm taking that for my sig... If you don't mind that is.

[Matthew Wang]

Whatever you did to learn it for your right hand, do the same thing for your left hand.

Before you used to use two hands and sort of crawl up to the object with you right hand...well do it with your left hand now.

It's all about progression.

[Brett Robert]

Don't avoid what is difficult for you, or it will never become easy.

I like that. Did you come up with it?

No, a music teacher I had gave the principle, I reworded it.  Everything I know I learned from someone.

I'm taking that for my sig... If you don't mind that is.

Of course not, go for it!