Demon's drill is running a bit behind, so for your viewing pleasure here is September's drill...don't worry, we'll catch up soon! Enjoy :D

A powerful kong vault is an important skill in parkour. The more power you have from a kong vault, the more obstacles you can overcome. When you master the kong vault, it opens up a vast new world full of opportunities for kong to cats, kong to precisions, and more. The more power you get out of your kong, the more of these opportunities you will be able to achieve. While there are several ways to go into a kong vault, there is one method that is usually the best choice.

Read on for more... 

Two Foot Punch – In this method the order of events goes Sprint > Large hop off one foot > Land on both feet together > Dive into the vault. This method is great for height and can still deliver a lot of forward power. However, it can be difficult to not lose momentum from the two footed punch take off.

Split Foot “Gymnastics Style” - In this method the order of events goes Sprint > Large skip off right (or left) foot > Land in a split foot with the right (or left) hitting first > Dive into vault. This method is characterized by the same foot taking two consecutive steps. For example, the steps in this method would go Left, Right, Left, Right (skip jump), Right (split foot take off), Left, Dive. This method does not allow for a perfect L, R, L, R, L, R stride and can result in lost momentum on take off.

Split Foot “Parkour Style” – This method is the same as the gymnastics style except there is no break in stride. This method allows for L, R, L, R, L, R all the way through. The last stride is an exaggerated hop, but it still mimics the natural stride.

The two footed punch and the split foot gymnastics style can still deliver a lot of power. However, they make it more difficult to hit the obstacle at full speed with maximum preserved forward momentum. The split foot parkour style allows for the most efficient and natural stride and when mastered, is the best method for most people. (Notice I said most people. There are exceptions and the other methods could potentially be better in occasional instances.)

My personal experience with take off methods followed a common order of progression. I started out as a beginner with the two foot punch take off like most other new people start with. After I became good with those, I moved on to the split foot gymnastics style take off. This felt more natural and powerful to me. Only recently did I begin to notice that I was losing a little momentum by doing this method. I reworked my technique to have no break in stride and now my kong vaults are more powerful than ever.

 
The Drill

For the sake of a simplified explanation, I will refer to the feet that I use in the video. You may prefer to go into the vault off your other foot, in which case, switch each side I say to the other side.

Step One-
If you are not used to this method, it will feel unnatural at first. This is why you must practice it over and over. Through practice we develop the needed muscle memory and coordination. To start with, stand 10-15 feet away from the object.

Step Two-
Take a large step with your right foot.

Step Three-
Take an exaggerated bound off your right foot.

Step Four-
Land on your left foot first.

Step Five-
Land on your right foot shortly after your left. The result should be you ready to dive into the vault from a split foot position.

Step Six-
Practice this over and over at a slow speed without going into the vault. Focus on the last few steps and only stand far enough away to perform them.

Step Seven-
Practice at a medium speed and vault the object. Focus on the last few steps and only stand far enough away to perform them.

Step Eight-
Practice with a full run up and vault the object. Practice until you can hit the object at full speed while preserving all of your forward momentum.

Click Here for the Video