Topic: rail to jump

[mkerunner]

so i've been working on going over a rail and catching myself so I can stop and perform a jump off the rail height. Only problem I've been having is jumping over the rail and swinging myself back to the rail so i can stop and jump. I tried running slower but there is still to much momentum. Any suggestions on how I can get myself to stop without stopping infront of the rail?

[antwawn]

I think i understand what you want to do. Make sure you angle your bodyweight back, away from the rail, so that your feet hit and your knees absorb forward momentum, not only your arms as you're doing now. That way you won't rotate forward off of the rail by only using your hands.

[klaymen]

wait, i have no idea what it is you are trying to do

[Ryan Ford]

yeah you completely lost me too.

[Unscene]

I just got back from my first jam today and tried something similar to what it seems like you are doing. When I jumped onto a wall or fence, I used my legs to propel myself upward after landing on the balls of my feet and holding my arms out to the sides to maintain balance before jumping and when I did this I tried not to create a break in the run, no pause , and if this seems like wrong posture maybe it is, but I was going for more of a no-hands approach.

Sounds like you may be trying to get a sort of moment of balance where you are just standing still, but when I did this it was more of a 'leap-frog' type of move jumping from about a 3-ft-high fence to a small wall next to it and doing a balancing act on the wall.

If you have access to a rail with space beneath it maybe you could try some sort of a swinging movement underneath it.
I dont know, antwawn had some good advice.
 

[Flippusmn]

Do you just mean a simple turn vault to where you face the rail, jump over it with legs to the side, turn around with arms attached, and land on the other side of the rail? If so just jump higher and turn your hands and keep them on to keep you from flying to far over it. If you have enough strength in your arms and a good grip you should be able to grab on the rail at a horizontal position in the air and redirect your momentum towards the other side of the rail.

[antwawn]

Good tips flipsumm, but I don't think that's what he's after. In PK terminology, he's asking how to do a move where he does a quick monkey vault, but places his feet on the obstacle and uses them to jump off the obstacle and gain a bit more height. Thats why I said that if you're moving very quickly, this will be hard to do without hitting with your feet in front of you to slow your momentum a bit as you hit the rail, or else you'll rotate quickly over onto your face.

[klaymen]

from his first post, that doesn't sound like it. mkerunner, do you feel like clearing this up?

[Flippusmn]

Good tips flipsumm, but I don't think that's what he's after. In PK terminology, he's asking how to do a move where he does a quick monkey vault, but places his feet on the obstacle and uses them to jump off the obstacle and gain a bit more height. Thats why I said that if you're moving very quickly, this will be hard to do without hitting with your feet in front of you to slow your momentum a bit as you hit the rail, or else you'll rotate quickly over onto your face.

But thats easy, if you could do a monkey I don't understand why you couldn't do that unless it's icey or wet or something and you'll slip.

[mkerunner]

yeah i sort of figured this might get confusing. this series of pics from UF will help explain.

http://urbanfreeflow.com/fundamentals/turnvault/index.htm

I'm basically doing that but I can't get the turn part down because my momentum is caring me over it and i end up doing a roll off that height. I'm not sure if its my hand placement or if I should be more worried about where to stick my feet. Thanks for all the advice btw.

[michiganparkour]

turn vaults...brings back a few painfull shin memories when i first started out.Try doing it while standing first that slowly work you're speed up till you can do it at normal speed.Hand placement is easy really.For some one who vaults on there right side there left hand is palms up and stays on the rail the whole time and the left hand is palms down and switches over to the other side of the right hand.For people who vault on left side the opposite.

[The Manilla Gorilla]

always keep your eyes focused people tend to blank out somtimes and it leads to missed percisions etc

[Gearsighted]

Wait, so you're saying that you're not pivoting and planting your feet, but rather, you always end up just vaulting? Sounds like an issue of committment. As you vault the rail, you will immediately spot where your feet will hit. At this same moment, the hand that you are pivoting around will be gripping the rail tight, and your arm will be mostly straight (because of momentum, that is, if you are doing this fast). You will basically swing around this pivot point of  your arm and hand, like swinging a rope around your head with a weigth attached to it. Once you get a feeling for the centrifugal force, you will be able to control it in such a way that allows you to place your feet accurately.

How high of a drop are you trying this on? If you are having trouble committing to the turn, try it off of something without a drop and see if that makes it any easier. If it does, just drill the move as many times as possible until you feel 100% comfortable with it, then work your way up slowly. Personally, I would say that not being able to do a turn vault is a good standard for not trying to negotiate rails at any appreciable height (body height or higher).

Good luck!

[Asa]

Amen, Gear.

Sound advice.

Remember, there's no substitute for practice. If you work on it every day, you will figure it out.

[mkerunner]

I'd say pivoting is my main problem at that height, sticking close to the rail when I jump it is what I can't get set straight.

I completely agree with you gear and I am able to do them at a minimal height with no problems. Im going to try and slowly progress it up to that height of about 8ft off the rail. I will update when I get it figured. Thanks for all the help again guys.

[Flippusmn]

Ahh, I just now got what you were saying. A straight turn vault huh where you put your legs between your arms instead of to the side. Basically what I do is push up and actually farward more instead of back which will slow you down. It does sound like a commitment issue as Gear said so listen to him  .

BTW: If I'm still wrong tell me because that link won't work for me but this is what it seems like your talking about. 

[mkerunner]

Ahh, I just now got what you were saying. A straight turn vault huh where you put your legs between your arms instead of to the side. Basically what I do is push up and actually farward more instead of back which will slow you down. It does sound like a commitment issue as Gear said so listen to him  .

BTW: If I'm still wrong tell me because that link won't work for me but this is what it seems like your talking about. 

No I didn't plan on going between my legs with the turn vault, just to the side and over like normal. I think gear was right in that its gonna be about commitment for me. I get a bit flustered before I do them so need to chill abit.

[Flippusmn]

Ahh ok, now I get it. So I was basically right in the first post right.
Well just keep working on it and you should get it soon.

[Matthew Lee Willis]

Flippusmn..you were explaining that weird like Gargoyle Stahl or something.  Ok at any rate ill let you know what "I" do to help me.  Because I have gotten to the point that I can do turn vaults off of any height...my crew said I was crazy because I did a turn vault about 5 stories in the air.  I didnt jump...I just vaulted back over.

What I do is mainly with my hands. I turn to my left when doing turn vaults.  So what I do is grab the under the bar with my left hand and over the bar with my right hand.

_________/__\_<----------Hand
\ _ / <---------------Hand

I dont know if that visual actually helps.  At any rate I do this and then I turn vault over.  What I try to do...and what many other people do is you try to come more straigher over the bar then going and swinging your legs way out.  This way...its easier to just come straight down on the bar.  I hope that helped.

[Flippusmn]

Flippusmn..you were explaining that weird like Gargoyle Stahl or something

No I wasn't really at all lol. But I understand now ok.