How to Do a Parkour Cat Move

Clearing low-lying obstacles in parkour is pretty easy, but getting over large objects like walls can be a bit harder. The cat leap is a move traceurs use to jump a gap and climb over a wall. It requires good arm strength and lots of courage, but when done correctly it's as exciting and smooth as parkour moves come.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Prepare for your leap. Depending on your environment, this might mean giving yourself room to run into the jump or focusing on using a standing broad jump to clear the gap.
2. Leap from your starting point toward the wall. You'll need to grab the top of the wall with your hands, so be sure to get as much height as you need to accomplish this.
3. Draw your feet up beneath you, then reach out with them toward the wall. Your feet must hit the wall slightly before your hands to effectively absorb the jump's impact.
4. Grab onto the top of the wall with your hands. How you grasp the ledge is up to you, but make sure you've got a solid grip.
5. Press one of your feet into the wall and swing the other out and up behind your body.
6. Pull yourself up and over the ledge using your arm strength and your leg's momentum. Be sure to keep your planted leg pressed into the wall so you don't slip.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also use the cat leap to drop down from an obstacle instead of overcoming it. Simply latch onto the top of the wall as usual, but then let go and land softly on the ground below.
• Don't use the cat leap to drop down from an obstacle if the fall's bigger than you can handle. Finding smooth, safe ways through the urban jungle is the essence of parkour, not taking excessive risks.