Author Topic: How to kong vault a picnic table longways? (Read 1770 times)

ir193 · « **on:** May 10, 2011, 10:31:28 PM »

Alright so here's a little backround info first. I've just recently gotten back into parkour, I used to do it in 8th grade but now i'm a Junior coming back to it. It's the 4th day of training and my friend and I have gotten back our monkey, kong, thief, and lazy vaults back.Along with the wall climb, land and roll on grass(tried on concrete but hesitated and hurt like a bitch) I'm still working on kash.

But yeah so I can kong the picnic table regular, but from the side where it's longer it's giving me some problems. Today I was feeling confident so I did a few attempts which ended up with me making it only halfway through. So I decided to just go for it and I dived as far as I could and I guess had too much lateral force which caused my palms to slip off the table and somehow ended with me bailing falling hard with my back to the floor. So i'm wondering, do I need to go up and sort of go down when doing a long distance kong? Sort of like a curve? Or was that traction loss just a random problem?

Brett Robert · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2011, 12:13:09 AM »

Sounds like the problem is that you're going for too much too soon. If you give yourself a few months you will be much better prepared for it. Patience and hard work pay off.

That said, there are a few things you want to do and keep in mind. Since we don't have a video to see, it's hard to say what specifically you need to work on, so I'll give a couple general tips and principles for long kongs.

1 First of all, you should absolutely be using a split foot take-off. No punching.
2 Speaking of the approach, you'll need speed and commitment. Long, smooth strides in your run-up will help tremendously. If you are stutter-stepping, fix that first before attempting the vault. Fix the stutter step on a similar vault you already have mastered, such as an easier kong. Make sure you're using efficient movement of the arms that helps you gain momentum, rather than robbing you of it.
3 This may seem a bit obvious, but dive as far as you can and get your hands as far back on the object as possible. The farther your hands are, the easier it is to clear. If you're not clearing it yet, try working on just getting your hands further and further each time while still landing with one or two feet touching down, then smoothly kong down off the table. As you do that, increasing speed and hand distance each time, you may find that once you unexpectedly clear it.
4 Get your hips high. They should be slightly over your head as you hit the apex of the leap, but not way above your head.
5 Practice, practice, practice --- but not until you break yourself. If you've tried it 10-20 times in one session and you're still not getting it, perhaps today isn't the day. You can always go work on something else for awhile and come back to it. I find when I do that, my head is cleared and it's easier. Many things though, I walk away from and don't try again for a few days, months, and sometimes if it's in another city or state I may not try again for years. When I'm supposed to pass that obstacle, the opportunity will arise.

Good luck. I hope my tips helped.

Grip · « **Reply #2 on:** May 30, 2011, 09:40:52 PM »

run fast, and dive for the end of it, jumping into handstands helps get you mind comfortable to dive kong

Scared Doggy · « **Reply #3 on:** June 15, 2011, 05:30:13 PM »

Brett gave you plenty of good advice, so here's a tutorial for you that really helps with the kong vault(including diving kong):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXH7FHfMCH0

ScrewGravityKEM51990 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 08, 2011, 09:21:05 PM »

Brett explained it pretty dog-on near perfect! That's almost exactly what my friend/parkour instructor/jam buddy explained it to me.

It really helps to gain confidence by diving into it and putting your arms out like you're about to kong the table, but instead of following through the vault you put your feet on the table before you clear it. Keep practicing that until you can do that with your best friend, muscle-memory then work on pushing your feet over the rest of the table. If you can get very very close, tell yourself you've made progress, drink a boat-load of water, and sleep well. Sleep helps you master things, trust me. Then work on it again the next day. You should master the kong in a matter of days, a week at most if you practice like that everyday. Then you wont have to think about the vault, you can just do it.

Hope I was helpful to your mission. Good luck, man!

Shay · « **Reply #5 on:** July 09, 2011, 08:29:33 PM »

Quote from: Brett Robert on May 11, 2011, 12:13:09 AM

1 First of all, you should absolutely be using a split foot take-off. No punching.

I actually respectfully disagree

Use whatever feels comfortable for you. I use split foot and can hit 8 foot kongs with good form, yet my friend can hit 10-11 foot kongs perfectly with a punch takeoff. It's true that the splitfoot should give you more distance but you shouldn't have the ultimatum that you should only be using a splitfoot

Grip · « **Reply #6 on:** July 10, 2011, 10:10:52 PM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1tlJmgED4k
there is also a mix between punching and split foot, like the one in this video

i like split foot take offs because they are silent, and translate a bit better from gym to outside.

ConnorM · « **Reply #7 on:** July 19, 2011, 12:41:33 AM »

Same as short ways just bigger balls, more speed and a longer dive.

TheBigLOL · « **Reply #8 on:** August 14, 2011, 07:08:12 PM »

When I do kongs I don't do split or punch. I do a flam step. Which is running and landing 1-2 or one foot after other, then jumping into the kong. The flam step is also very useful for front flips and them easier than if you were to just punch off the ground.

Grip · « **Reply #9 on:** August 15, 2011, 10:35:52 AM »

what is the difference between this 'flam' step and split step take off?

TheBigLOL · « **Reply #10 on:** August 20, 2011, 06:35:50 PM »

Quote from: Grip on August 15, 2011, 10:35:52 AM

what is the difference between this 'flam' step and split step take off?

With the split step you take off with feet split (lol.) The "Flam" step is with feet right next to each other.

Grip · « **Reply #11 on:** August 21, 2011, 11:51:53 PM »

where does this word 'flam' come from?

also, you can do a split step take off with your feet next to each other, split step = one foot after the other (timing not distance)

Roberto aka Screech · « **Reply #12 on:** August 22, 2011, 04:23:12 AM »

OMG flam step! I do this too usually on real high stuff, which is about neck height for me and I tell ya you can get some height off of this.

And I'm pretty sure he got the word from drumming?

A flam is sorta when you hit a drum with both sticks at the same time but it's not REALLY the same time, it's one very shortly after the other so that the drum gives off a FLAM-ish sound

Grip · « **Reply #13 on:** September 18, 2011, 12:21:52 PM »

so a split step.

Nick Fernandez · « **Reply #14 on:** September 18, 2011, 01:42:42 PM »

A split step takeoff for me is pretty much just running/striding into the vault.

I have enough stride skill that I know whether I'm going to mess up and take off on the wrong foot just by taking a couple of steps toward the object.

Brendan McEntee · « **Reply #15 on:** September 19, 2011, 06:10:22 AM »

Pretty much everything that Brett said, bu I prefer to punch when i kong, it just feels more comfortable.

Grip · « **Reply #16 on:** September 19, 2011, 12:42:30 PM »

kong that distnace in the gym, then do it outside.

tnt051 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 03, 2011, 09:04:55 PM »

split foot is the only way to keep your speed, if i punch i loose at minimum 2 feet on my dive Kong(yes i can jump higher but not further)... how can you even attempt to double Kong with that technique... punching may work in the gym but i would break that habit as soon as possible!!!! strong strides, sure footing and split foot is the only way for distance

Tom Heyl · « **Reply #18 on:** November 04, 2011, 05:03:27 AM »

Some people can literally block on cement, if you angle your punch at the perfect angle you can still go really far. Not as far as a split foot, but you could definitely get over a picnic table long ways with it.

However you should still be practicing the split-foot takeoff as in most cases it will be more effective.

kidzymarvel · « **Reply #19 on:** November 22, 2011, 07:48:54 PM »

Uhm what is "block"? And also I have seen videos in which people have went further distances with a variety of vaults using the 2 punch compared to the split foot take off =O how?

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Author Topic: How to kong vault a picnic table longways? (Read 1770 times)